Indonesian Hotels

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 May 2014 08:52:00 +0000

As of May 2014, I have moved all my reviews of hotels to my main blog:

Jakarta News

This list will be updated as and when I stay somewhere.

Thank you.

New places listed are:

http://mylifejakarta.blogspot.com/2014/03/weekend-getaway-jakarta.html - The Morrisey

http://mylifejakarta.blogspot.com/2014/04/kondominium-lippo-carita.html - Carita Hotels

http://mylifejakarta.blogspot.com/2014/05/adi-dharma-hotel-bali.html - Hotels in Bali

http://mylifejakarta.blogspot.com/2014/05/adhi-jaya-hotel-bali.html - Hotels in Bali

The Flora Hotel Kuta

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 04:14:00 +0000

Moving away from the Pullman at 1.7 million a night, I stayed in the Flora Hotel just up from the Ramayana hotel next to Kuta Sqaure. This is a small well run and looked after hotel tucked away from noise and for 300k a night well worth staying in.
For 300k you got breakfast ( I never ate there, we went to the beach but it looked OK) a welcome drink of somesort which was more than welcome, happy smiling staff. Very clean basic room, TV with dodgy Ariel but still could watch it, a view of the pool, nice bathroom with hot water.

The hotel itself is not nothing to look at but for a few nights to recover and hide away then for the price it is another great example of affordable and safe accommodation in Bali.

There were 2 small pools one for kids and one for adults. Each room had a shared balcony which could become annoying if the people next you wanted to shout at each other all night. The rooms were smoking I guess as there were ashtrays but there was hint of smoke in the room.

Checking in was very simple and even with me being early that was no problem. 10 minutes and I was in my room. Checking out just as simple.

Not much of a review but to be honest I was in the hotel for about 12 hours most of that asleep. But I would go back and stay there again as it was comfortable and relaxed.

If I was to grumble, it was 10 minutes to the beach. Oh the agony! and 15 minutes to Discovery Mall and so on....

The lobby looking into the street

From the lobby looking at the pool

For more information go here

Pullman Bali Legion Nirwana

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 03:58:00 +0000

I managed to stay here for a conference. The hotel is big with a number of pools and lots of rooms. There are several restaurants and ball rooms and lots of open space.

The hotel is right on the end of Kuta Beach. If you follow the one way road past Beach Walk Mall and keep going, just before you turn right there it is.

The beach is across the road which great stuff and some of the rooms have the sunset view as well which must be great. Mine never.

My room was on the ground floor facing the pool. As normal with conferences it was a shared room, so two single beds. The room was big and there was a TV on the wall. There was an adjoining room next to ours which acted as living room with a huge TV and Sofa but we had no direct access from the bedroom so had to go outside and enter it that way. We never bothered.
The bath room had a bath, shower, toilet and a big window so you could watch TV in the bath. The lighting was sparse and made the bathroom dark. The shower should have been impressive but the main shower head control was broken so I had to use the other smaller shower head. That had also seen better days, and for a new 5 star hotel was not great.
The water bottles were not replaced for the 2 night stay so we ran out of water and had to ask for more.

In the room were 2 umbrellas which did come in handy but I am not sure what would happen if you left them somewhere, as in how they would return to the room.

The breakfast was good because being Bali lots of Pork Bacon and plenty of choice. Chasing the coffee down was a ordeal as the staff seemed reluctant to return to tables to refill.
Lunch was good with lots of choice again but I felt it was not as good as the Aston in Bogor for quality or size of the choice. But still I ate heartily.

Our room was 1.7 million a night Bed and Breakfast. Would I pay that to stay there again? No. Would I pay to stay there again? No. Despite the closeness to the beach and some bars, you can find that in many places in Kuta and for me Bali is about exploring not staying in Hotels. I am sure for the sun seeker it would be ideal but again there are better value hotels in the same area.

Looking into the main resort

The lobby

For more information do click here

Bulakan Beach House Carita

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:11:00 +0000

Recently, I had the chance to stay in Carita overnight with my team from work as part of a team building exercise. We travelled down from Jakarta on a Saturday afternoon and then got to the Beach houses around 5.30pm.
There were 29 of us and the ground floor of a villa had been book for all of us to sleep and wash in with the food provided outside next to the beach.

Bulakan beach is opposite the volcano of Kracatoa and we could see in the evening but not in the morning.

The actual resort if you can call it that comprised of a 2 main buildings for sleeping and staying, an outside seating and play area, its own private beach sort of and also a pier that went into the sea and you could sit and watch the sea and the waves. There was also a small swimming pool which I never ventured into as it was always full of kids and adults.

Near to the resort were very tiny shops that sold this and that and if you needed beer then it was 23,000 a can. 2km down the road heading into Carita there was an indomaret which was good. But never sold beer.

The room I was in was shared between 5 of us so I slept on a mattress on the floor, The ceiling leaked and there was one one plug socket so getting phones charged was a hassle.
The bathroom was OK but nothing special. Cold water shower and a western toilets. Bedding, towels, pillows were not included.

The welcome sign on your way in

The Pier from the resort

Food was served for just us and under another tent for other people staying

A view of the beach from the pier

The grounds

The room

Seating area and assorted westerners

Our building but we were on the ground floor

Thats as close as I got to the pool

The pier

The entrance to our building

For a quick weekend away for a change and a chance to be by the beach then it was perfect. However if you are not going with 28 others then perhaps try the hotels along Anyer instead. But if you want cheap and cheerful and to spend your time with a large group then it is idea. Bring some gang leads and a towel and a jacket for the evening as it does chill down.

Here is the link: http://www.bulakanbeach.com/gallery.html

Aston Hotel and Resort Bogor

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:59:00 +0000

I stayed that the Aston Hotel and Resort for work because I was attending a conference for my conference. The Aston is tucked away in a brand new complex alledgedly 5 minutes from the center of Bogor (maybe at 3am) and 45 minutes from Jakarta (thats pretty accurate if you drive at 130kph or more).
Like most newly developed places the roads in and out have not been thought about at all and so the last 30 minutes from the toll to the hotel was a very bumpy ride.

The hotel itself is huge. There are 3 towers for the rooms, several conference centers and swimming pools. 2 Bars and a couple of dining areas. Service was quick and smooth.

The room I was in was a twin share condo. It was in tower 3 and about a short walk to reception using escalators, bridges and walkways. However because it was raining so much the walk ways were wet and dangerous due to the slipping hazard and the escalators were not always switched on so they were quite simply just stairs. There were lifts but I am not that lazy. So I walked.

Back to the room. The room was small but comfortable and had 2 TV's. One in the bedroom and one in the small living area. There was a microwave and fridge and plenty of free water. The TV channels were good but the reception was not that great.
The beds were very narrow and the pillows far too big to sleep comfortably. But the room was warm compared to the coolness of the area. There was a balcony which was very nice to sit out in the evening and first thing in the morning although that did seem to attract misquitos.

The shower was powerful and had plenty of hot water to use.

One of the drawbacks of the place was the fact it was far from anywhere. There is a Lawsons, Indomart and a billards room next to it so getting snacks etc was easy and also ATMS. Pizza hut was a way from the hotel but I am sure you could negoiate with someone to take you there.
The bar in the hotel was ok if not a little pricey and the conference did manage to drink them dry. However the room service menu and speed was great and they took either cash or credit card and the food was big and filling.

On top of which was the free wifi which was fast, simple and available throughout the whole resort which in my opinion was the best wifi I have experienced in a hotel in Indonesia so far.

As someone who attended a conference it was a great place to stay but I dont thinks I would stay there otherwise as without a car you could be stuck if you needed to get anywhere. There are no taxis in Bogor. Just motorbikes and minibuses, none of which stop at the resort or close by.

Click here for more details:

http://www.aston-international.com/ourhotels_overview.php?id=NDg=

View of one of the pools from one of the restaurants

A river runs through the resort, at speed when I took this!

The living area Kitchenette

Bathroom

Living area and fellow Conference attendee James

Small bedroom, big pillows

Seating area outside

Millennium Hotel Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 02:28:00 +0000

The Millennium Hotel is located in Sirih which is behind Thamrim, very close to EX, Grand Indonesia, McDonalds and is a mid town priced hotel.

It has 15 floors and the most popular appears to be the 13th floor. All the rooms have great views over the city and are fairly big.
The bed is comfy and the TV is excellent with a good range of channels. The room itself is not the biggest I have stayed in nor the smallest but for the 2 nights I was here, it was very relaxing and quiet. My room was facing out to the east so the think lined curtains needed to be drawn for the sun rise.

The bathroom was fairly small as was the bathtub but it did have a bathtub and plenty of hot water as well which was great, however the shower was not great with limited pressure.

The towels were changed daily and the room made up. There was even a call by someone to see if I needed any laundry done, which I never.

No free Internet access in the room that I could discover. The telephone signal was good however and the 3g was no problem. The AC works far too well and it did get cold at night if you did not change the settings to warm it up a little.

I paid 600,000 rupiah a night through Agoda and there was no fuss at all with the checking in or out.

The breakfast time is between 6 and 10 and there is a good range of breads, fruit, Indonesia and Japanese food. Limited western options but still enough choice to fill you up. The coffee was slow to be refilled but it did arrive.

So overall the hotel is good to stay at and once they have finished the renovations I am sure it will be even better. I would consider staying here again because of the views, the ease of getting to places and the peace and quiet.

links

www.agoda.com
http://www.millenniumhotels.com/

Hotel Mulia Signature room

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 11:02:00 +0000

Luxury Hotels

Choosing which hotel to stay at in Jakarta, is never an easy choice as there are so many to choose from. Depending on your budget there is something for everyone from 50,000 a night flea holes around Jalan Jaksa to 5 million or more at the biggest and poshest hotels in the city.

The discount hotel website Agoda.com has 256 listed hotels for Jakarta alone so I guess if you are staying in the city then you need to think carefully about where to stay. Not easy if you have never been to Jakarta before or do not fully understand the traffic and vastness of the place and the time it takes to go from say, Kuninghan to Kemang or Blok M to Glodok on a Friday night in the rain....

However, for once the choice was made for me and luckily, happily and most enjoyably I just spent the night in the Hotel Mulia, Senayan. A top range 5 star hotel with more people opening car doors at the lobby than I have seen anywhere else in the world.

The Mulia is just down from Plaza Senayan and Senayan City and it is famous for its luxury rooms and the nightclub CJ's for other more infamous reasons.

The wife and I were staying in a corner room in the Mulia Signature room which is huge. A King size bed, a sofa bed which could pass as another king size bed, a desk, the forementioned sofa, 2 views (it was a corner room) one out to The west and you could see Taman Angrek, Puri, and beyond and one of the city heading north and you could see the Monas, Istiqlal mosque and beyond as well. We were on the 10th floor and the views were great. The room was deathly quiet and there was little noise from anywhere during the stay.

The views (panoramic)

The mini bar was well stocked but the prices come with 21% added tax on top of silly prices already, so we stayed away from the room service and brought what we needed with us.

The room style we were in starts at 2 million without breakfast and with breakfast takes it up to 3. 3 million is well spent don't get me wrong but for 3 million I would rather fly to Bali and stay 4 nights there!!!

However, it is quite clear that the hotel caters for more arabic and oriental people and so there were many TV channels for both and not a hint of Premier league soccer anywhere. Not that I really care, its just I remember when I stayed in the Ibis, there was!!! (Ibis 400k a night, Mulia 2 million).

It was a great weekend way from the house and better than the last time we stayed there as the room was far far bigger and it was fantastic.

I am now waiting for the opportunity to stay at their new Bali resort.

Links

www.hotelmulia.com

www,agoda.com

www.ibis.com/jakarta

Yulia Inn Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 10:33:00 +0000

I stayed in the Yulia Inn for about 8 nights and stayed in two different rooms. The Yulia is next to the KFC, Kuta Square yet does not suffer from any noise or disturbance from the activity outside.

I choose the Yulia from Agoda as it had good reviews and the prices seemed reasonable for what you get.

I arrived into the Yulia around 9am much to their surprise and they did not seem prepared for that. I showed them my reservation slip which stated early check-in and also a large bed as I like large beds. It took about 10 minutes for them to magic up a room, despite me being happy if all I could do at that time was leave my bags so I could go and wander and get some breakfast, but eventually I got a room and was showed to it.

The was a bit flimsy with a simple lock and key but was ok There a big over hang from the roof and with the plants and huge buildings surrounding the hotel, made it all a bit gloomy and dark. It was fairly quiet though which was nice.

The Bathroom was big and the shower room was very big. You had to wait a while for the hot water to arrive and the work out how to mix it with the cold tap as there was no mixer. However there was plenty of hot water. No where to place your shower gel though...
The sink area was nice. You got fresh towels every day and also 2 free bottles of water. I was charged 20k for a cracked glass which I deny breaking as it only ever held my toothbrush but there was so much argument and debate over this glass that I just paid. I had to deal with the maid, her boss, the chief receptionist amongst others. It was a huge deal to them. To me, well it just pissed me off.

The bed was nice and hard but there was only a sheet to sleep under which meant not having the AC on cold as the room would get freezing. The TV was old and the picture Yellow and the remote did not work. I never complained about it, perhaps I should have.

The room was cleaned daily and the maid did the best job but she came around 9am knocking on the door to clean the room. She seemed to be very busy all the time.

I also stayed in another room there which was 2 singles. The room had a bathtub, perfect TV reception, duvets but was slightly smaller and also a little further down from reception.

The trouble with both rooms was the sheer amount of mosquitoes that entered it everytime you went in or out of the room. I was bitten a lot. That was the worst thing about the stay.

The breakfast options were ok as normal with most Bali hotels, nothing special. The Jaffles were good though.

I paid $320 for the total stay which was not too bad. The service was good thats for sure and the staff seemed happy to help. The riddle of the broken glass annoyed me a lot and make the stay there a little less enjoyable as did the mosquitoes.

After staying in Seminyak in the private villa for a couple of nights, I guess the hotel experience was not the same for me. I wont return to the Yulia.

The link is here http://www.yuliainns.com/

Ramayana Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 10:06:00 +0000

Actually I never stayed here, but I have visited it and my parents stayed here and they had a great time. The Ramayana is next to Kuta Square and 3 minutes to the beach. It is a large resort with 2 pools and lots of choices of rooms.
The staff are welcoming and friendly and it seemed that they could not do enough for my parents during the stay.

The room my parents in had a problem with the phone and the workmen visited the room several times to repair it. They were left in the room unattended and nothing (as you would expect was taken). The AC was super cold, the TV super big and the bed very high.

The loungers around the pools filled up quickly and so there was always a race to get a good spot but my parents only really stayed by the pool for a short period of time.

I arranged free of charge for my parents to be taken and picked up from the airport and they were met with signs and welcomes which was great and a relief seeing as my parents were in there 70s.

Finally the price. The hotel is expensive but if you go there you will see why. However I consider it good value for money and the location, service and standards are all excellent. My parents booked through Agoda and so they managed to get a far more expensive room for less than half price.

The hotel link is here http://www.ramayanahotel.com/

Aston Tropicana, Bandung

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 03:04:00 +0000

To celebrate my birthday, I went to Bandung for the weekend. I don't know much about Bandung. I have stayed a couple of times but mainly for work and so to go to the city for a holiday is something different.

I am a big user of Agoda and I book nearly all my hotels through it as it is easy, safe and cheaper and less hassle than over the phone. Agoda does offer some great deals and you can save a lot of money, although I am often suspicious that the deals offered on rooms are inflated as sometimes the original price does not reflect the actual quality of room.

Bandung is a sprawling, congested, snarled up city. It is full of Jakartans on the weekend and I would imagine booking a hotel at short notice is a challenge. I booked 2 months out. Knowing where to stay also in Bandung is a challenge as the traffic slows you down and the place is spread over a lot of hills.

We choose the hotel Aston Tropicana not on location but on price and we were prepared to go from there. As it turns out the hotel is slap bang in the middle of the shopping area Cihampelas which is famous for jeans and clothe shopping. Also it is next to the Ci Citywalk mall and not far from Paris Van Java mall as well. It is also opposite the Rocky Jeans store which is great.

The hotel itself is lovely. The service at reception was fast and courteous and there was no fuss or concerns from the staff. We were given our rooms and shown to the elevator.
There are 8 floors in the hotel, 3 bars or restaurants, a gym, conference suite and other things. The pool was on the 6th floor, the same as our room.
Our room looked onto the pool so we kept the curtains closed.

The room was fairly big with the usual queen sized bed. There was a huge TV which offered a good range of channels but the reception was not the best. No mini bar but the tea and coffee instead. The AC was good and very quiet and very cold not matter what setting you put it on.

The bathroom had a bath and a shower head. There was plenty of hot water although not from the bath taps as it seemed to be broken or low pressure. So to fill the bath I used the shower head. It worked just as well.

There was however a lot of noise from above and below as if things were being moved and at 4am in the morning that does not agree with me. However apart from those things it was great.

I managed to get to breakfast once. The breakfast room is big and the choice ok. Eat as much as you like which is always good although tea and coffee was not as easy to get refilled. However I left there full and thats a good thing.

The thing that impressed me the most was the service. We had a problem with the door lock (more important to fix than the water tap) and that was done immediately. Also as it was my birthday I was presented with a big cake and candles from the hotel staff and a card. They took this information from my id and it was really very kind of them. It made staying there all the more enjoyable. I have not had that happen before and so it was a great treat. On the basis of that event only I would return. I would return there anyway as it is a great hotel and in a great location.

Sadly for me, Bandung has banned the selling of Alcoholic beverages in stores and shops and it can only be purchased in bars and other licensed places so that means everything is more expensive. So I guess I wont be returning there for a while unless I come prepared. Annoying.

The hotel website is here http://www.aston-international.com/ourhotels_overview.php?id=Mjk=

Umadasa Bed and Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:58:00 +0000

The last trip to Bali did not involve staying in Kuta instead I stayed in Seminyak, which is a little further out from Kuta but far more relaxed and peaceful. Also there has been too many times when I have been in Kuta and around Poppies that me and my fiancee have had to deal with rude, racist, sexist, obscene comments and at the end of the day enough is enough.
So we searched through Agoda to look for somewhere different and we came across a little place in Seminyak called Umadasa Villa.
The Villa itself is about 5 minutes max walk to beach double six which is a grey sandy beach with crashing waves and lots of white foam. There are lots of restaurants, clubs, hotels and shops in Seminyak and it is a very pleasant walk to Kuta along the beach.

The Villa itself is a little hard to find as it is new and so this means taxi drivers have yet to find their way to it. The Villa is located in the same alley or gang as the Tune Hotel so that helped the driver get us there.

Behind a locked door in a big wall is a fairly big house with 5 rooms, pleasant but small garden, small but spotlessly clean pool and a very welcoming air and atmosphere.

Our room was looking out onto the pool and the room itself was a big room with a compact bathroom. There was a wardrobe, and a table, fridge and new tv. The bed was a queen sized bed and the AC worked very well.

Lots of hot water and clean new towels which was also nice.

The stay was very pleasant and hassle free and the girls who looked after the place were very helpful and kind and made sure that we had everything that we needed. As it is Bali, there was a power cut and during this time, they made sure that we had candles and light and made us feel comfortable as best they could while we waited for the power to come on.

Oh and the wireless internet was great.

So overall it was a great place to stay and relax and I will certainly return there and stay again. The location is ideal, it is not overly priced and the room and service was great.

Click here for more information

http//www.agoda.com
http://umadasa.com

Masa Inn Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Yet again, I found myself in a hotel / inn in Poppies 1, Kuta Bali. I wil say that this will be probably the last time I stay in Poppies, not because the accommodation is poor but he manners and behaviours of the men there is becoming more and more unfriendly. Their current calls are for viagra and calis and then other rubbish, but what is worse is what they say to the girls walking up and down the street, in English or in Bahasa. None of it is nice or helps.

The traffic that seems to be constantly moving up and down it as well is getting worse, however the restaurants are great, cheap and cheerful and the places I have stayed in are also great.

AP Inn, Kedins, Pesona Beach Inn and now Masa Inn. Masa Inn is a little further up between Pesona and AP inn and almost is the most expensive yet. This was probably due to the fact that it was high season and at new year. I have already posted about Bali being full for New Year and so I guess it was a case of either put up or shut up.

Anyway, I digress.

We stayed in 2 rooms due to the limited availability of rooms. The first room was a twin bed for 550k a night which included breakfast. The room itself was very functional, great range of TV channels, free bottled water, nice clean and what looked liked recently refurbished bathroom with plenty of hot water and good pressure. No soap of any kind though. The AC was very quiet and very cold. However we were only in that room for one night and in total for about 10 hours due to being out late having fun.

The second room was 600k and it was a balinese style room, which meant for 50k extra you go a 4 poster bed with nets, and everything else already described. The best thing about the room was the outside where it was gloriously decorated balinese style.

The hotel itself is very big and fully occupied. It was on 2 levels and there were 2 pools. Reception was 24 hours and the staff were very helpful and prompt. They were also the most professional of all the places I have stayed in in Bali as they gave receipts for everything. They also asked for my passport details as that was requested by the local police and it took a fair amount telling, not explaining that I had legal status to live here and did not need to show my passport. My SIM C and my E KITAS seemed not to be enough, but eventually they yielded and it was all fine.

As normal we took the room until 6pm on our last day as we were taking the last flight out and so we had to pay 50% of the normal rate for the room, which was OK.

Overall the hotel is great, and the rooms and facilities were very impressive. I would stay there again for sure, if it was not for the fact that getting to it was a hassle walking through the vendors.

For more information click here

Akmani Hotel, Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:17:00 +0000

Lurking between Sarinah and Jalan Jacksa lies a fair few hotels, alarmingly I seem to have stayed in 4 of them now. Both Ibis hotels, The Morrissey and now the Akmani hotel.
The Akmani, is located next to the Spanish Embassy and opposite an Ibis hotel and 5 minutes walk from Starbucks, Chilis, Jalan Jaksa and the busway. Sarinah is also very close to Grand Indonesia and Menteng so it is a really nice place to visit and stay, if like me you live a little further out of the city (although I live next to 3 malls and a toll way) still moving on.

For Christmas this year, I decided to stay in the city for Christmas and go away for New Year. I therefore wanted to stay in a hotel closer to the city and enjoy some time in luxury and without worry and so I decided to hole up in the Akmani.

The Akmani is fairly new in town and looks very impressive on the outside and on entering you are met by many people and ushered to the reception. Everything is calm and organised and we asked for an additional bed and we were charged 350,000 for the bed and the cost also included breakfast in the morning so that was pretty good.
The room we booked was a deluxe room and I booked it through Agoda.Com, and it cost me 750,00 B&B a night. As it was Christmas it seemed pretty good value.
The elevators were small and as usual you had to use the room key to activate the elevator.

The room itself was nice and airy, with views of not much as usual and with an AC that worked far too well and at 18 degrees it got rather chilly, even 22 was cold.
The bed was bid and comfortable. The bathroom was simple enough and the shower was ok with plenty of hot water, although that was not immediate, you had to wait for the water to come and it then pulsed hot and cold intermittently, but still it was a nice shower.
The TV was new and modern but the only drawback was the fact that all HBO films were dual language so in Indonesian and there was no way to change that to English. Star Movies in English but that was annoying. There was internet access but with cable, not wireless, but the 3g signal was OK and that was good enough for me.
The fridge was small but functional, at 7 on the gauge started to ice beer so I had to lower the temp gauge to stop any beer from being ruined!

There is window into the bathroom next to the bed which a blind could be pulled down to hide or spare peoples blushes. However, ideal if you are wanting to watch TV whilst sat on the Toilet or showering!!

The view of the City and Sarinah. The view is of the Skyline line building, Lotus department store and in the distance the Bank of Indonesia.

Breakfast was pretty good, with a good selection of breads, fruits, salads, Indonesian food and Dim Sum. However once the food had run out that seemed to be it, so on the second day there was no Yoghurts or Fruit left by 9am and also the Egg Chef was remarkably slow and the food from him was too salty as well.

Checkout was easy enough although again I was surprised by the fact reception called us at 10.30 to remind us to checkout at midday. I have never had that happen before anywhere in the world.

So that was the Akmani. It is a nice hotel but it lacks something but I am not sure what. I know for New Years, rooms are going for over a million which I think is over priced for what you get but then that's just my opinion.

I enjoyed the stay but due to the huge range of hotels in the city, I wont be going back unless someone else pays!!!

http://www.akmanihotel.com/home.php

http://www.agoda.com/

Morrissey Boutique, Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:47:00 +0000

Interesting place this one. It is my first boutique serviced apartment hotel venue which is located on the verge of the delightfully quiet and calm area of Menteng in Jakarta, yet built next to the one of the most infamous places in the city, Jalan Jaksa. Jaksa to sum up is one street consisting of dodgy bars and food stalls, cheap hotels, bars and an eclectic mix of back packers, expats (mainly teachers I fear) and not very exotic prostitutes.
It is a fun and rowdy street and always vibrant. However, if thats not your cup of tea, then a short walk and you are at Sarinah Mall where there it is far less full on and there are lots of western restaurants and a 24 hour Starbucks, McD and quite a nice western restaurant calleed Chillis which has great food but the price is a little steep.
So back to the hotel. I stayed there for 2 nights and due to a mix up I got to spend the first night in a double bed with a great view of the sunset and in a fairly large sized area.

The room itself consisted of a small kitchenette (microwave, hob, fridge and sink) a medium sized double bed, TV and a nice shower area, with oddly enough a shower curtain but there was loads of hot water so that was good.
The style was basic with whitewashed brick wall and the ceiling was left unpainted and was grey.

The second night I was in a twin sharing and the bed was small bed enough to sleep on. Both rooms suffered excess noise from the local mosque but that is something you have to accept in Indonesia, however, even though I have lived here for 5 years the volume and sound was far louder than I am used too and it did wake me up.

There were a few problems while at the hotel. There was no explanation of how to use to the lift as you needed to insert your room key into a slot to make the elevator work and often the room keys had not been activated by reception so you had to go back down to sort that out.

I actually thought the room was not so well cleaned and the window certainly looked liked it had not been cleaned for a month.

The lobby and reception is well laid out and all the staff were overly helpful and polite. The food that we had was plentyful although it seemed to be a dry hotel and there was a great restaurant next door that had happy hour buy one get one free beers between 5 and 8.

As I was there for a conference, I never had to pay. However it would not be my first choice of a place to stay even with its location. Prices start at 500k a night and go up.

More information can be found here http://iammorrissey.com/

Hotel Accommodation Bali New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Trying to find accommodation 5 weeks before New Years Eve was a bit of a mission over the weekend even though I was staying on the island. I will be back next month for 2 nights over New Years eve and I wanted to be in Kuta where the most fun can be had and the most lively spot. However, after checking over 30 hotels, guest houses, travel lodges, losemen, villas, backpackers both on line and walking into different places I was met with full over the seasonal period or you need to book online or we only have rooms if you are staying 3 or more nights. The days of walking into a hotel in Bali over Christmas seem to be disappearing. 60,000 rooms apparently have been built around Bali in various forms of lodgings so believing everything was full took some time. Asian Rooms, Wotif and Agoda all had hotels available but I don't want to pay 4 million a night upwards and even a local Bali hotel search site had a warning to book different times than the dates I wanted.

Now this is not to say that all hotels will be full if you just arrive but the price will hurt I think and if you are planning to just turn up, be prepared to do some leg work and spend some time finding a room. Poppies 1 is almost full, therefore I will make the assumption Poppies 2 Legion and then into Seminyak is also filling up fast.

Still I eventually found rooms and have some great rooms for a higher than normal price but they will do and they look wonderful. You will know more in January. But for now....

is not the nicest message you want to hear when planning New Year in Paradise.

Hotel Mulia, Senayan Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:32:00 +0000

Having the chance to stay in one of the best hotels in the city, who am I to turn down the opportunity. I stayed there for one night, room only in a 'Splendour' room and thoroughly enjoyed the stay.

The hotel is not cheap but you can see why. The luxury and plushness of the foyer and entrance, big sweeping staircases and mirrored elevators are enough to take your breath away and on top of that, english speaking staff who outside the restaurant all greeted me and spoke to me everytime they saw me. Even the housekeeper tidying a room near ours stopped to say hello.

The service and check in was great and no bother, we had to leave a credit card deposit of 700k which was cancelled on check out. 2 room keys and shown to the elevator.

The Elevator can only be accessed and used with an active room key and once that was established we found our room with ease. There are lots of floors in Hotel Mulia, the lobby is where the reception is, the ground floor, has bars and restaurants, the 5th floor the pool, floor 33 was ours and the top floor was 40 although there are not 40 floors. Still did not seem to be that confusing eventually.

The room itself was massive and contained a huge bed and sofa, 42" tv, internet access (not free, 140,000 for 24 hours) free drinking water and fruit, towels, 1 pair of slippers, 2 gowns, endless towels and bath room accessories and a very effective AC.

However no Bottle opener could be found and only 2 sachets of coffee was in the dish next to the kettle.

The bathroom was big with a separate shower room and a deep bath tub with endless amounts of hot water and it was immaculate and really well cleaned.

The most confusing thing was the door lock which seemed inadequate for the room or the size of the door but once we worked out how to double lock the door no worries.

Breakfast was not part of the deal and so we had to pay, quite willingly just over 400,000 rupiah for breakfast buffet which was amazing. Japanese, Chinese, Western, Indonesia food in abundance. Lots of choice of salad, cheese, fruit, danish pastries etc made it even more appealing. However they had a queuing system which seemed chaotic and we were lucky we got there early as the whole dining area was fully, noisy and crowded. For a place with 1000 rooms (so I am told) thats a lot of toast!!!

Outside in the foyer there was lots of noise and confusion as to be expected, the person in charge of taxis seemed not too concerned if there was a taxi or not yet the other people helping were busy shouting and moving people and cars around. Getting into the hotel was a little bit of a drama as all your bags are taken from you and put through scanning devices which work better than the ones at the airport!! and you are not sure what they do as they take the bags from you and then disappear around a corner with them.

Finally you should know that the sign that says no Flip flops or sandals is not there for something to do. They mean it.

All in all for a room that costs $300 usd or thereabouts without breakfast or free internet I would say it was worth staying there as the opportunity does not arise too often. Its nice to be treated :)

For information about the hotel click here

Prasada Mansion Hotel, Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:23:00 +0000

Hidden between Sudirman and Setiabdui lies this rather vogue 3 star hotel, called the Prasada Mansion Hotel. It is situated behind the HSBC / Permata / Tamara buildings at the Setia budi area of Jakarta. Ideal if you are staying over night and doing business in one of the many office towers and on a budget, no fun if you are travelling through and if you never knew it existed and arrived at night, you would probably not want to venture out as the back streets are like rabbit warrens and there is little to nothing to see if you did. Saying that is was quite nice.
I stayed one night as in the middle of training in a local building and and so arrived after 8pm.
The checkin and welcome was friendly and quick and within 10 minutes in the room.
With no fridge, kettle, or tea/coffee I ventured out in hope for a 711 or Alpha Mart or something. The porter said go left and left again and it is about 10 minutes away. Knowing Jakarta as I do, that is easy to find. You go left at the big roads and leave the small streets alone. I arrived at the store got some stuff and headed back, going right and then right. I was offered a guard to go with me, but I declined.
In the hall on the first floor where I was staying was a water dispenser which I could fill the jug provided with water which was helpful.

The room was small but comfortable and there was plenty of storage. The TV was good and worked as did the free WiFi for the room although it was painfully slow.
The was very clean and whilst nearly as small as a Tune Hotel room, did serve its purpose as somewhere to sleep. The bed was comfy and the AC worked and was very quiet.

The shower well, there was no hot water at night but there was in the morning. But the pressure was not great and there was no shower gel only soap. I never bring any as thats what hotels provide.

Apart from someone knocking the door at midnight I got a reasonably good nights sleep which was nice.

In the morning the view from the window and small balcony was on the skyline and building work and was a noisy but ok.
The breakfast room was very clean and the staff helpful and friendly. The choice was very limited to indonesian breakfast foods although the omelette and fruit were good. Lots of coffee and guava juice which was nice.

And thats it. It was a short stay and to be honest yes ok. It was paid for by my company so I cant complain. However it would not be a place I would stay if I had to stay somewhere in the city. Lack of access to the city, tucked away and limited facilities. Ibis is better in that respect but as I have already said, it is ideal for business people staying over night.

Standard Room - Twin Bed

Cancellation Policy

IDR329,712.75

Book Now

1 twin bed. Cable television service. Television. Housekeeping.

Standard Room - Queen Bed

Cancellation Policy

Room Facilities

IDR364,772.34

Book Now

2 beds. Cable television service. Television.

Standard Room - Twin Bed

Cancellation Policy

IDR364,772.34

Book Now

1 twin bed. Cable television service. Television. Housekeeping.

The above is for illustration only and the prices will change. Please understand that

http://www.hotel-rn.com/hw/a365880/index.htm?lbl=ggl

Sakanti City Hotel Jogja

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:07:00 +0000

I spent 2 nights in Jogja for a quick respite from the city and it was the second time I have really stayed here although this time there was plenty of time to explore.
Booking hotels seemed to be more complicated than normal as the ones on the shortlist were booked. I had originally budgeted for less than 300k a night but due to my choice of hotel and it being the weekend and also my Fiancee agreed to upgrade we were looking for something less than 400k a night.
We searched for hotels through http://www.yogyes.com/ as they have a wide choice of hotels and information for the hotels there.
And at the end of the day I have done the budget hotels and cheap rooms and now I want to have more luxury and comfort.

So we ended up choosing the Sakanti City hotel. The hotel is located 300 - 500 meters from Maliboro street and is behind the railway stay and so well in walking distance. It is also very close to a Trans Jogja bus stop and also there are many becaks as well there.

Sakanti City Hotel Jogja will indulge you during your stay there as if you stay at star hotel’s room. It lies only 300 meters from Malioboro

SAKANTI CITY HOTEL
Jl. Gowongan Kidul No. 34, Mangkubumi
Phone:
+62 274 588118
+62 274 557659
SMS:
+62 81392750666

Show on map

Room	Rates	Description
Superior Room	IDR 350,000	for 2 persons, double/twin bed
Deluxe Room	IDR 375,000	for 2 persons, double/twin bed
Tripel Room	IDR 425,000	for 3 persons, double/single bed
VIP Room	IDR 450,000	for 2 persons, double bed

Extra Bed IDR 90,000

Extra Person IDR 70,000

All rates are inclusive goverment tax & service charge

Rates including breakfast for 2 persons

Check-in time at 13.00 PM and Check-out time at 12.00 PM

Rates are subject to change without prior notice on Idul Fitri, Christmas, and New Year

We opted for the Deluxe room which was a double with balcony. The hotel was small but friendly and comfortable although I never saw any other guests at any time I was there.

The room was on the ground floor so the balcony was quite intriguing. The corridor to the room was partially exposed to the weather and so the floor got slippery in the rain.

The room was medium size but the bed was clean and comfortable and the bathroom was a fair size although there was some problems with a leaky ceiling.

The AC worked very well although on the last day it was leaking water every where.

The balcony door opened into a very small space of which you sit and look at a grey wall. Slightly cheated with that but it did make the room a little bigger.

The breakfast was soup and rice and not for me. The fridge worked and the staff were great and helped get taxis and sort some other things out.
The becak men did not try to rip us off, in fact we over paid them due to them carting us around in the rain.

Now, would I stay there again? If I had too yes as it was ok. But maybe not with a balcony. Overall out of 10 - 7 and a good 7.

RamadaResort Benoa Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:59:00 +0000

I stayed here 2 nights as I was attending a work conference and to be honest I have been in better resorts and places in Bali but still it was nice and quite upmarket.
Benoa is the otherside of the airport and almost directly opposite to Kuta on another coast facing east.
The resort is a long line of hotels on one side of the road with access to the beach the other. Benoa is about about 45 minutes from Kuta/Legion from my experience, mainly due to traffic and roadworks and to Kuta Square it costs about 85,000 rupiah one way.
You can take a taxi directly there from the airport for a flat rate of around 100k.

The hotel itself has a big reception at the top of a lot of steps and the main dining area is underneath that. There are lot of steps and stairs there but the welcome and atmosphere was welcoming and friendly.

The room I was in was a twin and it was spacious with all the usual stuff in it, tv,m beds, table etc. The shower had a double shower head and the water was a good pressure and plenty hot. Towels were changed daily and the beds were made.

There was a sign on the balcony doors not to leave the doors open as mosquitoes would come it, not a reassuring notice. Although the view from the balcony was just backs of houses and some tall bamboo.

The pool was kidney shaped with a bar inside it, but it seemed that is was not open until 9am and shut at 7. There was also a volley ball area on sand, table tennis table, seats around the pool. Also a hindu temple and a travel agent.

The staff were very friendly and helpful. Taxis that were called arrived quite quickly, there was also cars and drivers who could ferry you to where you needed to go.

The resort has lovely gardens throughout that are well manintained and lots of things to look at. Across the road there seemed to be another swimming pool that belonged to the resort and then the beach itself.

It is not a swimming beach as fishing boats are moored there but the view was pleasant enough. The downside was that the resort is under the flight path of everything arriving from Java and so there was often noise from planes through the day.

Food was ok and there was plenty of it. The breakfast was huge with plenty of choice from western to the usual rice and porridge. The evening meals were not part of the weekend so I cant comment.

All in all it looked and felt like an expensive place to stay with no real benefit to being there. Benoa on the other hand looks great and a nice place to explore so I would consider going back to stay somewhere else to have a good look around.

If I am scoring it I would give it 7 out of 10.

The resort website http://www.ramadaresortbenoa.com/

I have cut and paste this straight off their website, no offence meant or intended and I take no responsibility for changes in prices or rates at any notice, but rather I have done this to help you know the prices.

Internet Rates

Rate Period	Room Type	Single or Double Room per Night
6 Jan - 14 Jul 2011	Village View Room	USD 90.00	Book Now
	Garden View Room	USD 95.00
	Pool View Room	USD 100.00
	1 Bedroom Villa	USD 180.00
	2 Bedroom Villa	USD 280.00
	1 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 230.00
	2 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 330.00
	Two Bedrooms Family Duplex with pool	USD 330.00
15 Jul - 15 Sept 2011	Village View Room	USD 100.00	Book Now
	Garden View Room	USD 115.00
	Pool View Room	USD 120.00
	1 Bedroom Villa	USD 200.00
	2 Bedroom Villa	USD 300.00
	1 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 250.00
	2 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 350.00
	Two Bedrooms Family Duplex with pool	USD 350.00
16 Sept - 22 Dec 2011	Village View Room	USD 95.00	Book Now
	Garden View Room	USD 105.00
	Pool View Room	USD 115.00
	1 Bedroom Villa	USD 200.00
	2 Bedroom Villa	USD 300.00
	1 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 250.00
	2 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 350.00
	Two Bedrooms Family Duplex with pool	USD 350.00
23 Dec 2011 - 5 Jan 2012	Village View Room	USD 120.00	Book Now
	Garden View Room	USD 130.00
	Pool View Room	USD 140.00
	1 Bedroom Villa	USD 225.00
	2 Bedroom Villa	USD 325.00
	1 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 275.00
	2 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 375.00
	Two Bedrooms Family Duplex with pool	USD 375.00
6 Jan - 31 March 2012	Village View Room	USD 95.00	Book Now
	Garden View Room	USD 105.00
	Pool View Room	USD 115.00
	1 Bedroom Villa	USD 200.00
	2 Bedroom Villa	USD 300.00
	1 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 250.00
	2 Bedroom Villa with pool	USD 350.00
	Two Bedrooms Family Duplex with pool	USD 350.00

Note:

The above rates are NET (included 21% Government Tax and Service Charge)

Hotel Angsoka, Lovina Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:38:00 +0000

This is my 3rd stay at this hotel and it is for me a nice laid back, well presented quiet hotel, in the middle of the strip called Lovina in the village of Kalibukbuk.
Lovina is 3.5 hours drive north of Kuta and not too far from Singaraja. It is well the worth the trip to Lovina as the Git Git waterfall and the temple on the lake near Bedugul.

Lovina is famous for its Dolphins although they are only seen in the early morning and on a boat in the sea close to the land.

The hotel is just around the corner from the Dolphin Statue and also a short walk to the main street and the small bars and restaurants and coffee shops that are there.

The hotel does a range of rooms from the 90,000 IDR a night no AC, fan only room to the luxury villa for 4 people and all sorts in between. We stayed in super standard which was a chalet with big bed, mosquito nets (cos they are big there) shower and bath tub.
Price of the room was 275,000IDR which whilst a little pricey was again ok and I don't mind paying the extra as the place and gardens are wonderful and the pool is big and deep. At night there are frogs and crabs running about as well as huge spiders but dont let that scare you, they are not in the rooms just outside them. I hate spiders but it does not put me off going there.

The rooms are fairly old and the bedding could be newer but the beds and pillows are comfortable, the towels sadly have seen better days but that was not the end of the world.

Out of 10 I would give it a 7 but a high 7 and when I return to Lovina I am sure to check in there again.

The hotels website can be accessed here

or you can call 62-362-41130

They take Credit Cards or cash.

Pesona Beach Inn Kuta revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:51:00 +0000

I did stay here again for 3 nights bed and breakfast although again I never ate there instead I had big breakfasts at Swell or Kedin cafe.
The price was the same as January. for a room with 2 double beds which was nice and the room was situated again right by the pool. The AC was cold, the water was hot but the pressure was very low. The TV worked fine but the remote was broken. The room was very clean and it was amazingly quiet despite being fully booked.

The staff here are more than helpful even though there is only a handful of them and they either seem to be doing nothing or everything. It is a great place to stay for a few nights and well worth the money.

Tucked away behind a mini mart and opposite SWELL bar restaurant, Pesona Beach Inn is a comfortable relaxed hide away in Poppies 1, Kuta.
I stayed 2 nights and was charged 140,000idr per person for an A/C room with Cable TV a very hot shower and breakfast. With the option of keeping the room until 6pm on day of checkout for half the price of a night which was fairly reasonable.
Check out was at 12 noon and there was not really much fuss about anything while I was there. It was relaxed and very quiet and the staff were low key and accepting.
The rooms were immaculately cleaned and the beds felt new. The decor was fading and both rooms had issues with damp and peeling paint but the AC worked exceptionally well, the TV signal was weak but still clear.

The pool was less that a metre from my room and the water was clean and clear and warm and deep enough to dive in (depth 1.85cm) although it was not really very big.

The beach is 5 minutes walk and there are plenty of good restaurants to choose in walking distance as well. I would consider staying there again.

Some views of the hotel outside in Poppies. Would I stay there again?
Probably.

More information can be found here: http://pesonabeachinn.blogspot.com/
or you can call them 62-361-765778

Keyalang Beach Cottages Belitung

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:54:00 +0000

I have just returned from a 3 day 2 night trip to Belitung and the beach resort of Keyang Beach which is in the north west of the island around 50 minutes from the airport.
The resort itself consists of about 10 beach bungalows and a restaurant cum reception cum everything else. Thats it.
No TV, no billiards, no karaoke, no scrabble, no playing cards. Just a set menu and a fridge full of beer water and soft drinks and happy to serve and smiley staff, a few dogs and chickens and 20 lizards.
For a getaway from it all it is perfect. Why? Well on a blue sky day, the beach is pure white sand, soft and stretches away into the distance. It is broken up by its landmark rock formations, coconut trees and in the flat warm sea, boats and canoes. The sea is warm, crystal clear full of fish and sandy bottom although the rocks are everywhere but you can easily spot them.

I flew there with Sriwijaya airlines and we arrived on the first flight at 7.30am. We were met by a driver of the resort who took use the short cut route and shaved off 30km trip to the resort.

On arrival we were given a warm welcome and shown to our bungalow which had great views of the sea.

The cottage I stayed. Basic but comfy.

The bed was very comfy and the AC worked wonders. There are Mosquitoes at night and in the day but the nets worked really well. The shower are was ok, the water comes from a groundwell and is pumped up to a tank and then fed to the room, so the water is not drinkable but showerable. Yes it is brown ish but its water and it cleans you. The pressure is not so great but the shower works,

The view from the room

The food as I have mentioned was basic but well done. The seafood was all prawn and squid but it was fresh out of the sea and very cooked and served with either rice or noodles. The menu was limited but great as all fresh and the staff more than eager to help.

The beer was cheap and always cold.

The view from the beach of the restaurant.

The view from the resto looking out. It was rainy it was sunny, it was hot, it was very hot. It was awesome,

Some facts for you.

They do not take anything but cash so have plenty.
2 nights with ac was 600,000 (rooms with out AC are 250 a night)
Transports to and from airport was 300,000 in total
All day boat trip to where ever you want 300,000
Hire life vests 25,000 each
Bike hire 40,000 all day (not with petrol)
Food from 4,000
Beer 20,000 large Bintang
Can Coke 4,000
Bottle water 4,000 (large)

Now the bad news :(
The beach has sandflies. If you are asian you might not feel them straight away like I did but bites do swell and itch. Oh my god do they itch. You need to bring some serious repellant with you but they are seasonal, they are not about in the wind. They are so small they are hard to spot but you will know.
If you are attacked and need relief which ultimately you will take tiger balm with you as it will help you. Then see a pharmacist off the island asap to get more relief. Sadly these bites can take weeks to go and can leave nasty scars.

Overall it was amazing. The beaches are the best I have anywhere in the world I have travelled and I have been to quite a few places, New Zealand comes close (and with the flies as wow ha ha ha) but the views are simply amazing. The boat trip is great, trips to the old lighthouse, the sand bank any island you want and snorkelling as well is well worth it. A bike trip around the island again is well worth it again the views are beautiful, the people friendly and very polite and the roads well looked after.

Out of 10 it has to be an 8. It should be a 9 but the sandflies make the place lose a whole point.

More pictures can be found by clicking here and the website for the beach cottages here

Tanjung Pesona Beach Resort Bangka

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:42:00 +0000

I decided to fly to the island off the east coast of Sumatra call Bangka for a weekend to relax and catch some sun and enjoy life by the sea.
I flew with Lion Air to the island and the flight took about an hour in total.
The beach resort I was heading to was a little over 45 mins away. It was called Tanjung Pesona Beach Resort and to get there I had booked a car although you can arrange transport with the hotel directly and they will come and meet you and then take you back again so thats helpful. The cost is around 80,000 so thats quite good.
The room I paid for was a double standard and I got it at a reduced price from 420,000 t0 372,000 for a night which was great. Why? I really dont know but I am not complaining.

On arrival I had to leave me identification with reception as the copier was broken but I was not going any where else that did not seem to matter. The other thing was that there was a distinct lack of people at the resort, even in the off season you would expect to see other people there, or cars or anything! but no there was not a soul at the place. A few people on the beaches but paying guests, hard to say really. But again that never mattered.
The room was ok. A double standard as described. Not very big but clean and tidy and the bed was also clean. The tv was good with the exception of the Indovision channel which was controlled by someone else and so just as a movie would start, someone changed the channel!!!

The room I was in was next to the Karaoke lounge and staff area and so it was noisy quite late into the night.

Wandering around the resort, there was tennis courts, free bike hire, cheap speedboat rides, 2 restaurants, blliards, karaoke (mind the nearest entertainment from the resort was hard to find, maybe nowhere close). Then there was the beaches. The resort is between 2 coves and both are beautiful. Bangka island has many white or golden beaches and on these beaches are large outcrops of rock which over the years have smoothed away and they meander into the clear, sandy floored sea which is warm and still.
One beach in is part of a public beach, there is a small cafe there with limited food offer which comes from the hotel, the beer is warm but welcoming. The view again is my favourite, beer sea and sand. The beach stretches in a big circle and there was no one on most of it but as I left on the Sunday cars and bikes a plenty were going into the area.

The resort has some nice private villas and some of those have their own terraced areas and private gazebos overlooking the sea.
The other beach is accessible by some steep steps or if you like a short journey around the rocks to it. It is almost private with the exception of some fishermen. There were many rocks there but the water was warm and clear and very welcoming. The sunset could be seen there but sadly the sun set behind the hills as the resort is facing north west.
The main restaurant served some good indonesian food and the staff were friendly and helpful and I think quite happy to see someone.
Overall I enjoyed the resort as I was there for a short time. 2 nights and I would have been ready to move on, but there was enough to do in the day and in the evening for sure.
Tanjung Pesona is not the best resort on the island but if this is the minimum standard then it has to be hard to beat. For a relaxing few days on an sun drenched golden sand island which is not Bali or Lombok then this is a good place to choose.

Borburdor

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 11:03:00 +0000

Staying at the Hotel Boroburdur was a nice and pleasant experience, but like I was told it was a good looking place but as soon as you started to look you could see things were broken or did not work as well as perhaps they should.
Located near the Monas and Gambir railway station, Hotel Borobudur has a reputation as the safest hotel in Jakarta in relation to terrorist attacks. This is probably down to the fact that there is tighter security to get in than the airport but once you are in then it is pretty easy to wander around the whole place unmolested or questioned as no one likes to question a western person as they might be important.
The hotel is plush and a 4 star place and could 5 star but I think it would need to be even more luxurious than it is now. Standard rooms start at $100 dollars and go up.
There are many and I mean many staff available the service is pretty good. However I would say the staff are nervous of westerners and also Asians a like and so are a little coy and quiet.
I stayed there for a conference and the rooms were good and the facilities were great. The additional service of constant coffee, water and snacks and food was amazing.
The room I was in was a twin and it had 2 good sized twin beds, a very good ac, the fridge was locked (maybe they know of my reputation) and the usual slippers and robes were available.
The bathroom was neat and not too small and there was a bath tub with shower curtain and a big flat shower head. Sadly I am taller than the shower so I had to bend down to wash.
The soap and things cam in little dispensers shaped like the hotels name, the bells champbers at Boroburdur.
But i felt they looked more sexual and so commented on that.
There was 2 bottles of drinking water provided and after that you had to pay for extra. A pot of tea was 50000 or $5.
So I liked the room. I liked the hotel it is long and tall and huge with lots of conference areas and meetings.
Dripping fans in the Cafe Bogor was not great and slow to refill breakfast items also not great but the food was overall great.

The grounds were big and there was a pool and it looked good. It was raining while we were there and really never had the time.
There is a great big model of the Boroburdur temple in the grounds as well.

I would like to stay there again I think as it could be a good place to chill out over a weekend, it is right in the middle of the city and there are always taxis avaiable. The rooms are very comfortable and the service as I have already mentioned was very good.

By far this is the nicest hotel I have stayed in in Indonesia and one of the best I have been in through out the world (Twin Towers Bangkok, Millenium New York, Somewhere is Cardiff and a lovely coutnry Estate just outside Bath) and so that is good.

My last thought, floor 7 where I stayed has a corridor that just screams 'the shining'...."Come and play with us. Come and play with us. Forever... and ever... and ever"

The Ardjuna Boutique Hotel and Spa Bandung Java

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:24:00 +0000

Went a bit up market for a conference in January. My company EF Indonesia organised the conference in Bandung, West Java and chose the Ardjuna Hotel.
The link above is the best one to the site as the main one reports the site is under maintenance.
I dont know much about Bandung except it is built in the hills of Java, its cold at night, they sell lots of Strawberries, Brownies and is shoppers paradise. The traffic is worse in my mind than Jakarta.
Surrounding the city are lots of volcanoes active or inactive and it is about 2.5 hours by fast car from Jakarta. I also think it is one of the best train trips in the world as the route has stunning scenery.

So the hotel. It is up a long long hill and then tucked away behind some trees. It is rather unassuming and does not show any sign of the reason the rooms are so expensive. That happens when you walk inside.

Inside it is very bright and welcoming with lots of staff and pleasant smiles. On checking in there was no sign or help where the elevators were but I found them quickly.

The room I was in was a twin with a stunning view of the mountains and city and it looked great at night. However it was small and still a hotel room.

The colour theme throughout the hotel was brown and white and cream and it really worked. The bedroom had comfy beds and the ac worked well. The shower was over a bath and the water was hot and well pressured. The light in the bathroom was good.
It was very clean.

The conference rooms were huge and we were well provided for.

Dinner, Lunch and Breakfast was great. Lots of food and lots of choice. The vegetarian option was limited. But there was no limit how much you could eat.
The omelettes were not hot as they were cooked in bulk and you had to go looking for a cup of tea and the cups were very small however the service was very good.
Beer was 40,000 a glass with 10% tax and the piano bar shut at 11. It was well stocked with wine but the starting price at 1 million rupiah soon put me off. Thats silly money.

The karaoke bar next to it was occupied by a waiter and 3 hostesses that had sadly seen better days but they were cheerful enough and happy to smile if you bought them drinks. Lucky I did not do karaoke but the others I was with said that they had fun.

Getting to the city was easy although took a long time due to traffic and taking a mini bus down the hill about 1km got you atms and mini marts which was very useful.
Next door was a restaurant serving beer and western food too.

Outside was a great swimming pool although a bit too deep if you had young children but plenty of space to sit and in the evening it was rather pleasant with out the wind blowing.

My only criticism really was the fact that there was so many little steps all over the place and so you had to be very careful where you were walking otherwise you ended up tripping over them.

If I was to rate the place then I would give it 8/10. It was pricey but it was lovely.