AboutBill and Lorna Collings Expertise Feel FREE to ask us about traveling, living, relocating, retiring and investing in the Philippines. Guests from 83 countries make our place in Manila an incredible meeting place for world travelers who exchange travel stories and information. We understand both the joys and the hardships of living and traveling in the Philippines.
Experience I arrived in the Philippines in January 1980 to travel for 2 months; I stayed 4 months before reluctantly leaving. I met my Filipina wife, Lorna. an incredible stellar, "one in a million" individual in 1983 in Seoul and we moved to the Philippines in 1986 and opened our 3BR house to world travelers on a budget. After welcoming thousands of guests from 83 nations our place has grown to 30 bedrooms but will never lose its "Home away from Home" atmosphere. Almost everyday at The Townhouse Hotel there's a party-like social scene with vibrant, almost magical energetic conversations between our guests who have the pleasure to meet each other and share their life's many experiences. Sometimes. three groups with conversations in different langauges are going on at the same time.
So we've been exposed to every kind of person from all over the world and shared their experiences.
Publications Suite101.com, eDreams.com, expertcentral.com ( who asked me to apply with allexperts.com since About.com has bought both companies and are in the process of integrating them)
Education/Credentials some college 2-1/2 years - no degree - I've been traveling since I was 18, almost 30 years.
Awards and Honors Luckily, my wife and I have been semi-retired since we were 30 years old, more than 15 years.
Question Bill First of all we will be arriving in the philippines march 6-08 At this time we will be staying at the Aloha, we have stayed there every time we come, but the reat is getting very high. friday the 7 we will be comeing to tour place to talk to you and see your place, hope you will be there. Question, if a person is going to stay in the philippines how do you do the flight, I think to get through imgeration you have to have a round trip ticket. thank you Gene
Answer Hi Gene, Sorry my wife, Lorna is in Hawaii visiting our daughter, Camilla and I'm on Boracay Island so doubt we will be in Manila when you arrive. I have answered this exact question recently regarding arriving with a one way or return ticket; it's technically required to have a ticket out but in reality seldom do immigration officers ever ask me to see my ticket out. If you are required buy a regular fare economy ticket Philippine Airlines ONE WAY out to HONG KONG ( Expensive )then REFUND it at the PAL office in Makati ( lose 0nly 10% ). Here's our MANILA INFO!
Mabuhay! ( To Life! ), Welcome to the Philippines. It's our pleasure to help
you feel "at home". Have FUN and happy travels!!
Hi Gene ,
Your room for March 6 is CONFIRMED when you let us know which type of room you prefer. Scroll down and read carefully for important
Manila arrival information. Have a good flight and enjoy your stay in the
Philippines. Explore the Philippines before you leave at our new 20+ page
website Explore Philippines at: http://asiabill.pages.web.com Your
comments and Philippine link additions are welcome.
MANILA ARRIVAL: Usually we advise our guests to take one of the Taxi / Transport services which is after immigration and customs and just outside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport ( NAIA ).
1. Outside of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Road( NAIA Road ), after the second set of sliding glass doors, look to the LEFT for a transport booth. We like Nissan Taxi. PAY ONLY P150 ( U$3+).
Don't go RIGHT, they try to RENT you a car with driver P500++.
At the NISSAN Taxi Kiosk, give our address:
Villa Carolina Townhouse, Roxas Blvd. # 31, TAMBO, Paranque, Metro-Manila, Philippines. This is 10 minutes from all 3 airports and near Bayview Towers.
Stress "Tambo" so they know the location is near the airport. You will be given a receipt which you must sign when you arrive at The Townhouse Hotel!
OR From all three airports, you tell the taxi driver to follow NAIA Road & turn RIGHT on ROXAS BLVD until Bayview Towers is on your right. You're 1 minute away!
Continue straight on Roxas 150 meters. Turn RIGHT on the FIRST small street, BAYVIEW DRIVE. The Townhouse is 30 meters ahead on your left. WELCOME "HOME" !!
We are more than happy to pick you up at the ground floor ARRIVAL EXTENSION AREA across from the parking lot at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Of if you arrive at either the Centennial Terminal 2( Philippine Airlines ONLY ) or at the Domestic airport just wait in front of the arrival area. Please call our land line Tel#s, ( 02 )-854-1435, 854-3826 to request one of our 2 drivers, LITO or ROLAND to pick you up with either our medium blue Honda Civic or our blue Delica Van with roof rack or please follow the directions above.
1. Change a little money inside the airport be sure and ask for small change in P1 peso coins for the phone. Okay?
2. When you first go outside the airport you can NOT see this area. You go through the second set of sliding glass doors and see a 4+ lane road with a dividing island. Whether you exit on the right or the left move toward the center and walk across the 4 lanes ,proceed downward, turn left or right continue downward on the sloping ramp.
3. Call us from P1 coin pay phones. Manila Tel. #s; ( 02 ) 854-3826, 854-1435, 854-0161, Lorna's Cell Tel # 0928-250-1275. We're only 1-1/2 miles ( 2.7 KM ) away but with the traffic it should take 10 to 20 minutes. Look for a Medium Blue Honda Civic or Blue Delica Van with roof rack. We charge P100 for 1 or 2 persons & P120 for 3 or 4 persons.
EMAIL US
Your ARRIVAL TIME? & DATE? & which type of room you prefer? to:
bill_lorna@yahoo.com OR townhousemanila@msn.com
TOWNHOUSE HOTEL ROOM RATES APPLY to TWO PERSONS + P150 / extra person with children 8 years old and under FREE. Every Room is Unique. By using the internet booking engines/ travel agents you are paying 10% more than our actual rates plus about a U$2 booking fee.
Room Rates start at P180 for dormitory beds,
P300, P350, and P500 for rooms with share bath,
P550 and P600 for large rooms with private bath,
P700 for room with private bath, fan & cable TV,
P950 rooms with private bath, CableT.V. and air-conditioning.
P41=U$ Half Day Room Rates for transit passengers arriving in the morning
from 7AM to 12Noon and leaving in the afternoon or early evening from 6PM to
8PM.
The Townhouse is the only place in Manila that provides a friendly meeting
place for world travelers from 86 countries, Filipinos from many island
provinces and Balikbayans from around the world to share travel stories and
relax among friends with safe, clean, comfortable rooms in a your "Home Away
from Home" in the Philippines. Since traveling around the world from Aug 99
to June 2000 Lorna, Camilla and I were reminded how COLD the hospitality
industry has become finding only a couple of places to stay anywhere near as
warm, friendly and good value as ours; The Townhouse Hotel is special, among
our most favorite places on earth where we meet some of BEST, most
interesting people who share their knowledge and experience openly with us
and other guests.
WEEKLY DISCOUNTS: We offer one day FREE with one week ( 6 days paid in
ADVANCE. )
MONTHLY DISCOUNTS: are calculated at 22 times the daily rate( 8 days free )
for air-conditioned rooms and 24 times the daily rate( 6 Days FREE ) for ALL
other rooms.
RESERVATION POLICY: Due to MANY email, tel or fax reservations not showing up and consequently refusing other guests who wanted the room we MUST maintain a " FIRST COME FIRST SERVE" reservation policy. We can confirm your reservation as soon as you let us know your arrival time but we usually require advance payment for reservations. If you arrive before 4 PM we
almost always have the type of rooms you prefer available. Sometimes, if
you arrive late past 8PM during our busy months of Dec. to May, it's
difficult for us to save the room you prefer but 80% of our guests arrive
without paying in advance. We TRY OUR BEST to save you the room with the
rate you requested and if you'll be staying longer since half of our guests
check out everyday you can be assured the type of room you prefer the
following day by 12 Noon at the latest, often by 9AM as soon as our staff
has finished cleaning it.
If you need a 100% CONFIRMED booking:
1 ) Go to http://www.paypal.com for credit card payments sent to; lorna_ec@hotmail.com or by clicking on the PAYPAL icons located on the "Manila Room Rates" web page of our website, EXPLORE PHILIPPINES at: http://asiabill.pages.web.com/id2.html on our website.
2 ) PHILIPPINE RESIDENTS OUTSIDE MANILA: Pre-Payment can
be made by DIRECT DEPOSIT ( +P100 Bank Fee ) from any
Allied Bank in the Philippines to our ALLIED BANK BORACAY BRANCH ACCOUNT # 1401-01094-3 to WILLIAM & LORNA COLLINGS
3) For other Metrobank account holders send bank transfers to our Metrobank Bayview Branch Acct.# 150-3-15000269-0 William & Lorna Collings
4 ) For larger advance payments by electronic transfer from your bank to Lorna's New York Bank account at:BANK INFORMATION:
Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company New York Branch
10 East 53RD Street New York New York, USA 10022
LORNA E. COLLINGS Checking Account # 119407
Routing Number :026002846:
SWIFT Address; MBTCUS33
As soon as we receive payment we will email you back but keep you receipt also as PROOF of payment. .
5) CASH PAYMENTS in either Philipine Pesos or U$ accepted at our Manila location; VILLA CAROLINA TOWNHOUSE 201 ROXAS BLVD & BAYVIEW DRIVE # 31,TAMBO, PARANAQUE METRO_MANILA Philippines
BUDGET TRAVEL INFORMATION We do not have an organized tour of Manila yet but have all the information available that you need to see whatever you like. FEEL FREE to borrow our old editions of travel guidebooks to plan your travels. Our small library / book shop is also available to our world traveler guests with paperback books P30 to P50 and hardback books from P100 to P150. When you check-in look at Bill's Travel Tips and other updated travel warnings and information on the wall where the maps of Metro-Manila and the Philippines are displayed. Happy Travels Bill and Lorna
LOCATION;
We're about 4 to 5 KM ( 3miles ) from both Ermita and Makati ( P15 to P25 by bus or Megataxi and P80 to P150 by regular taxi ). Two local shopping malls, the
Coastal Mall and Pearl Plaza are located walking distance away ( 500 meters )
as well as one of the largest Asian style markets in Metro-Manila with several
hundred vendors and small shops. The MALL of ASIA, the BEST shopping mall in the world with panoramic view of Manila Bay with a fantastic choice of restaurants, American sized and quality HyperMart, 6 cinemas, International Designer named shops and a special events amphi theatre can be seen from our roof garden, only 3km ( 1.2 miles ) away. There are nightlife places VERY NEAR, local karaoke bar / restaurants on Airport Road and Quirino Ave walking distance of 1 km ( 1/2+ mile ) and about a mile away are 7+ bars inside the EDSA Entertainment Complex and for those who feel lucky Casino Filipino at the Heritage Hotel.
The Townhouse Hotel Manila's Staff, Bill, Lorna and Camilla wish you HAPPY
TRAVELS! If you need more information about travel, visas, retirement,
relocating in the Philippines, our family owned hotel near the Manila
airports, or our Boracay Beachfront Resort FEEL FREE to ASK US or check our
web sites at: Explore Philippines: http://asiabill.pages.web.com
