10 Reasons to Love Robinsons Magnolia: A Guide to Its Best Features

If it’s your first time in Manila from another part of the world, the sizes of the big malls here can blow your mind.

Unlike them, Robinsons Magnolia is small, by comparison. And this is precisely why you might end up liking it more — especially if you’d rather skip walking long distances to reach Points A to B inside a mega mall.

Here are some of the best reasons to love and visit Robinsons Magnolia mall:

1. Spacious Aisles and Virtually Crowd-free Environment

If you plan to go malling to take a chill stroll, Robinsons Magnolia is a great option. You’ll rarely feel like you’re about to swap faces with someone when you walk down its aisles.

Space is plentiful for you to go for a leisurely walk and definitely no need to worry about bumping into someone else.

The Foodcourt at the Lower Ground/ Basement 1 level might tell a different story — at least during lunch, mid-afternoon, and dinner time — when mall-goers tend to pack the place.

During off-peak hours, though, this part of the mall can surprisingly provide some level of solitude. You can enjoy your food and drink in peace and lounge around here for as long as you like.

2. PWD-Friendly Ramps and Access

Persons with Disability (PWD) such as those who are wheelchair-bound won’t feel discriminated at this mall.

They’re most definitely welcome here — and given priority, at that.

From the parking lot to other public areas of Robinsons Magnolia, PWD-friendly ramps have been thoughtfully included as part of the mall’s standard facilities.

Based on their locations, these ramps seem capable of providing much-needed convenience; so that PWDs can move about the mall as effortlessly as possible — with or without help — and enjoy what Magnolia has to offer, much like everyone else.

On top of this, there are dedicated restrooms for persons in wheelchairs. Not all malls offer such.

If you’re traveling with your dog, you’d be happy to know that Robinsons Magnolia (and other Robinsons malls) also do not discriminate against pets. What does this mean? Your dog(s) can go malling with you!

Are all types and sizes of dogs allowed? You might ask.

Based on the mall’s Pet Policy, small to mid-sized dogs may be allowed inside the mall. In fact, it appears that the smaller your dog, the better.

The mall’s lone Pet Park on the veranda of Level 3 seems to support this.

So if you own a Shih Tzu, chihuahua, poodle, beagle, or other similarly sized dog breeds, you and your furry pal are welcome at Robinsons Magnolia!

Apparently, dogs as “medium” sized as this are also allowed:

The Policy does not specify what breeds may or may not be allowed. It seems that as long as you can keep a tight leash (figuratively speaking) on your pet and in ideally in diapers, then you’re all good.

You could even dine with your beloved pooch at many of Magnolia’s pet-friendly restaurants.

If you’re staying in the country long enough, you might even get the chance to enter your pooch in a weekend pet competition like the one below:

For maximum malling enjoyment, put your pet in diapers, in case they pee.

Be sure to buy diapers that will fully secure your dog’s messy business (poo and pee). Or else, you might end up like this fur dad, picking up dog poop in the middle of the mall:

Not the most fun nor glamorous way to spend your time at Magnolia, is it?

If there’s a park for pets, there’s definitely a park for humans, too.

The Fun Park, located outside the Upper Ground near Hemady St., features a mini playground:

Here, kids 6-12 years old can play for free on the slides, a wall climbing rig, a mini tunnel, and other tactile features.

There are also cute animal stools and rotating tea cup chairs where older kids and grown-ups can seat and have fun, at the same time.

This park should be hard to miss since it’s the only one there is in the entire mall. It’s nearest Starbucks Reserve if you’re coming directly from the mall’s side entrance across Hemady St.

You will find this entrance beside Cafe Mary Grace.

Upon entering, just walk straight until you see the park a few meters away.

Since opening its doors in August 2012, this is the first time that Robinsons Magnolia has added foreign exchange (forex) currency shops to its list of establishments.

These are Czarina Foreign Exchange and Core Pacific Money Exchange both on Level 3.

Having them onsite now could only mean good news, as Magnolia starts to attract more foreign nationals.

If you’re here visiting, you likely don’t have a car, which means you’ll be commuting a lot. The good thing about Robinsons Magnolia is that it’s one of the most accessible malls in town.

So whether you book Grab for ride sharing (Uber no longer exists in the Philippines) or hail a regular cab, you’ll reach Magnolia with relative ease.

A Grab car or a regular cab can let you off at any of the mall’s three drop-off points:

Hopefully, you won’t even need to commute, if you’re staying at either the Summit Hotel Magnolia (a bit on the pricey side) or at The Magnolia Residences condominium via Airbnb.

The hotel and the condo are just a stone’s throw away from the mall itself.

In fact, The Summit has its own direct entrance to and from the mall in front of the Zig kiosk on the Upper Ground (UG) level.

If you’re booked at The Summit, you won’t even have to step outside, to go malling.

This works perfectly, specially during the rainy season.

Unlike at other malls where the annoying sound of kids laughing loudly (as if they can behave any way they please in public) can ruin your vibe, no such culture exists at Robinsons Magnolia. Thankfully.

I suspect this has a lot to do with the kind of market this mall is geared at: the upper middle class and higher. This, judging by the high-end retail shops and restaurants found in the mall.

That the mall itself is located in New Manila — home to Quezon City’s old rich families — should help explain a lot.

It should, therefore, come as no surprise if you find yourself malling alongside more refined and well-mannered mall-goers at Magnolia vs. those in lower middle-class malls.

However, because the mall is so close to a hotel and residential areas, expect to see individuals walking around the mall in their house clothes — typically an old t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and a pair of flip-flops.

Makes sense if you only need to make a quick errand at the mall or grab something at the grocery.

Notwithstanding, if you’re looking for a mall where you’ll truly feel relaxed, Robinsons Magnolia can tick this box for you.

8. Conveniently Located Escalators and Elevators

True to the kind of market it has set out to attract, Robinsons Magnolia has mall-goers’ utmost comfort and convenience front and center.

This includes elevators and escalators that are accessible and strategically located inside and outside of the mall.

This is the main and only lift at the Foodcourt somewhere at the center. It should be hard to miss:

This lift at the Lower Ground/ Basement 1 parking of the mall transports mall-goers to the verandas on Levels 2 and 3:

While this lift outside the Upper Ground services Level 4 (where satellite government agencies are located):

You may even consider it a bonus that escalators at this mall are wide enough to accommodate baby strollers.

This means that even when the elevators are full, you will always have another option to reach other levels of the mall with your baby in tow.

Since I live nearby, I frequent Robinsons Magnolia almost every day, to walk around and unwind after a day’s work.

One of my absolute favorite things here that other malls have yet to top is how courteous and knowledgeable their security personnel are.

In fact, I’ve become almost friends with a few of them with whom I’ve become quite a familiar face, including the security supervisor.

At the entrance, they’ll occasionally greet you with a “good afternoon” or whatnot, as you go through a quick bag inspection.

Better yet, you can expect them to provide clear and helpful directions, should you ask for their help in finding shops or amenities within the mall.

Being the unsung mall ambassadors that they are, they unknowingly set the stage for how the rest of your mall experience might turn out.

In other words, if a rude guard meets you at the entrance, wouldn’t that ruin your experience?

Compare this to a courteous guard who meets you with a smile, this can immediately take your experience up a notch!

Truth be told, this is one reason why I stick with Robinsons Magnolia. Cheesy as it may sound, the amazing community here — security guards included — is tough to find elsewhere.

10. Well-situated Pay and Public Restrooms

I don’t know, but there’s something about the locations of the mall’s public restrooms that just sit well with me.

It’s as if the logic behind their locations is that if you need to go before heading home or before doing anything else, restrooms are available by the door, as you enter or leave any floor.

For one, restrooms may be found near entrances/ exits of each level, if not in corners.

At the Lower Ground (LG) or Basement 1 where the mall’s main Foodcourt is located, there are two public restrooms on this level.

The first is to the left of Tom’s World. Your main landmark is the Quezon City Business Centre, then turn left after it:

The other restroom is located between Kenny Rogers Roasters and The Medical City Clinic:

Interestingly, only the Upper Ground (UG) level of the retail area doesn’t have an indoor public restroom.

Instead, the closest and only one may be found to the left of Conti’s outside:

At the very least, this helps save you the effort of having to go inside the mall just to take a leak.

On Level 2, three public restrooms are available.

The most accessible is beside the Mesa restaurant:

A second restroom can be found at the corner of The Face Shop near the main hallway:

And the third one is located at the expansion wing to the left of Hype 24/7 Fitness gym:

On Level 3, there are three public restrooms and one Pay Lounge.

The most accessible restroom is situated across the entrance/exit to the veranda and to the left of LAC:

The second public restroom may be found to the left of True Value.

The third public restroom on Level 3 is located in Robinsons Movie World near the entrance/exit to the veranda:

Then there’s the Pay Lounge to the right of Ashley Furniture, if you’d like premium services, including a nappy change area:

Are you starting to feel inspired now to visit Robinsons Magnolia? If not, maybe the next post could persuade you. Read on!