SNEAK PEEK: Malate's Newest Hotel Boasts IG-Worthy Coliving Spaces

(SPOT.ph) After a long day of touring the city, going on a food crawl, or even trying your hand at bargain-hunting, what's the first thing that you look for when you go back to your hotel? A bed, of course. Not the wide-screen television, not the high-speed Internet, and not the carpeted floor. And this is what lyf Malate Manila is all about. Officially opening on June 30, it's the newest city hotel in the heart of Manila City.

"It's good to actually charge a guest based on what they will just need and the things that they won't need don't really have to be in the room," Joyce Pascual - Agsaway, lyf Champion of lyf Malate Manila, told SPOT.ph in an interview. The soon-to-open hotel has introductory rates starting at P2,800; and after September, room rates go to the standard of P3,350.

According to Agsaway, the move to bring lyf to the country was sparked by a study that the younger generations "basically just want a more straightforward property, more straightforward service." This market of digital nomads and techpreneurs often want no-frills accommodation that's within their budget range, but still imbibes the quality of a world-class hotel.

"So relatively for this particular area, like the backpackers, the overnighters, the tourists who are actually just passing by before they go to the islands and all that, are only within a certain budget range. So how is Ascott going to cater to that particular market? For us to be able to do that, we will have to drive away from the traditional service residence and come up with this particular brand which is called lyf. So when you stay here with us, you basically get to have a good room, a good shower area," she added.

But aside from providing the most basic accommodation amenities, lyf Malate Manila boasts the lyf brand's coliving concept.

What to know about coliving at lyf Malate Manila:

lyf Malate Manila follows lyf's mantra: "live your freedom.". The brand specializes in coliving which is an accommodation model that brings together strangers (possibly from different parts of the world) in shared spaces. It offers a unique and vibrant living experience for young professionals, digital nomads, and global citizens. They have 21 properties in 10 countries, including lyf Funan in Singapore—Asia’s largest coliving property.

But that doesn't mean having dormitory-style bunk beds. Guests can still book private units, ranging from their One of a Kind (studio) to the All Together (either a two-bedroom unit or a four-bedroom unit). The studio unit has its own bathroom (with soap and shampoo dispensers), a kitchenette with an electric kettle and a rice cooker (upon request), a writing desk with an office chair, a flat-screen television with cable, and a bedside table with reading lights. You can choose to have a queen-sized bed or two twin beds if you have company. lyf Malate Manila has a total of 201 rooms at the 46-floor building that the property shares with TLM's The Residences and Ascott's The Suites.

Bigger groups can book the apartment units called All Together. These units, either the two-bedroom for four people or the four-bedroom for eight people, have a fully equipped kitchen where you can prepare your meals, a dining table, and a microwave oven. They also come with two bathrooms to accommodate more people, one of which has a bathtub. Agsaway said that these larger units' dining spaces can actually be converted to activity areas for small teambuilding or group planning.

This concept of group activities extends to their common spaces on the mezzanine floor: Connect, where guests can meet on the long tables; Wash and Hang, which is a laundry area with plenty of bean bags and inflatables for hanging out; and Burn, a 24-hour gym that fosters group workouts. Digital nomads who want to keep it private, whether to answer a Zoom call or just focus on writing their next masterpiece, can sit in the private booths called Nook. On the rooftop, there's also the communal kitchen, Bond; and the al-fresco Hang Out.

"If you're actually being given a basic room but you have communal spaces which you can enjoy, you will be actually encouraged to meet other people. In other lyf properties that we have, there were actually even startup businesses that actually came about after sharing communal spaces," shared Agsaway.

lyf Malate Manila also has its own Ambassadors of Buzz, a community manager who's assigned to...well, make a buzz in the neighborhood through fun and games or hard-to-resist deals. They plan weekly activities within the property, especially at Unwind; facilitate discounted rates at nearby tourist spots; and come up with other things that can help guests immersed in the local neighborhood.

And the million-dollar question: is it pet-friendly? Agsaway said that lyf Malate Manila is opening its doors to our furry friends for an additional fee of P400 per pet per day. Just make sure that you fill out the pre-arrival forms and have an updated vaccination record.

Also read:
SPOT.ph Roundup: Pet-Friendly Hotels in Makati and BGC
10 Pet-Friendly Hotels in Tagaytay for Your Next Weekend Getaway

What's next for lyf in the Philippines:

Ascott is soon bringing this lyf brand to Cebu City.

Cebu is "also another melting pot of culture and heritage. Before the management actually decided to also have a property in Cebu, there was a diversity study that was also done. And they also checked on the market if there's an awareness or openness to [having] this kind of coliving set up in Cebu. It turned out to be very optimistic for us," Agsaway said.

Much like their Manila property where you have lyf Malate Manila and The Suites at TLM complementing each other, Cebu City has lyf Cebu City for the more hip crowd and Citadines Cebu City as the more traditional hotel option. Both properties are located within Base Line Center on Juana Osmeña Street.

"If you are a bit conservative, you get to stay in Citadines Cebu City. But if you want something a little bit more different, then you get to stay at the lyf Cebu City. And what's good about that is, they may not be in the same building, but they're just in the same compound. It's just a swimming pool that divides them."

lyf Malate Manila is at Malvar Street corner Vasquez Street, Malate, Manila. Introductory rates start at P2,800. For more information, visit lyf Malate Manila's website.