Location? Amenities?

From the business card I am looking at

Hotel City View
Komp. Nagoya Business Centre
Blok V No. 35
Kota Batam

Telephone
(62) 778-429022, 429033 Fax: (62) 778-453996

I have stayed her the past two weekends and I am sold. The first weekend I stayed in a deluxe room for 138,000 rupiah. If you are a light sleeper I would aviod this room as the rooms are at the front of the hotel over looking the noisy street.

The next weekend I got one of the small standard rooms for 98,000 rupiah ($11 US folks). I asked and received a room in the back, and it did have a small window over looking the garbage strewn alley. However, it did let in a fair amount of natural light which is all I wanted.

So what does your $11 get you. You get a new very clean room with tile floor. A queen size bed with two side tables and two bed side lamps -- the lighting is real good in the room, color statellite television, Aircon (that is a little weak but does get the room cool in about 10 minutes), a generous wadrobe to hang clothes, and a small bathroom. Oh you also get two small bottles of drinking water.

The hotel is quite attractive from the outside with an Art Deco theme which contiues inside. Lulu and Suzy who work the reception desk during the day are total sweethearts and speak enough English that you can call them on the phone and actually reserve a room. In fact, I found the whole staff to be very professional and warm. As the only bule customer as I could see, I was made to feel very comfortable and at home. There was no gossiping or talking about my large number of lady friends. Also they have lock boxes at the front desk.

The best part about this hotel is the location. When you walk out the hotel you really get the feeling you are in indonesia. There are great little coffee shops and restaraunts close by, There is a very good money exchange less 100 yards away, and you can always get a cheap moving taxi at all times. Plus you are within a two minute walk of Centerpoint Shopping center, a five minute walk to the NED, and 10 minute walk to the pujesaras. Everything you need is moments away.

Also there is a limited but very reasonably priced room service menu. We are talking 7,000-8,000 rupiah for very good noodles, or fried rice. At night there is a satay guy out front who will deliver to your room. Also, you can get soft drinks for 5,000 and beer for 10,000 from room service.

While you are clearly not staying in a quality 4* place like the Melia, you are staying in a comfortable, clean secure room and saving about S$50 a night on the room alone. But when you consider how much you save in cab fare, mini bar, and room service you are probably gonna save and an additional S$20 a day.

Note that there is a new wing and one wing that is eight months old. Try to get a room in the new wing

Here are some pictures (note for a hotel in the most populous Muslim country in the world there are sure a lot of Christmas decorations)
Front


Two helpful sweethearts

The lobby



Standard room 226




(Message edited by mongerx on December 20, 2004)

(Message edited by mongerx on December 20, 2004)

Wheres the sexy girl on the bed?

If you need a sexy girl on the bed, you can order one from Femima massage around the corner. Costs $15 per hour (including tip) or $30 (including tip) all night.

By the way, the first time I met Dewi, it was on the staircase of the hotel where I said "Hi".

Subsequently, she phoned my room after enquiring which room I was staying in and that's how she ended up in Ghenggis' bed and then mine!


p.s. check your email. Theres a fare-deal on Valueair for post Christmas and I am proposing Jakarta on the weekend of the 7th Jan during which time, I could steal 2 nights off for myself!

Go go go go ......

I spent several nights here on my last trip and the only thing going for it besides location is the dirt cheap price. The rooms I had were just CRAP -- very small, sink falling off the wall, water leaking out onto the floor, water not draining in the bathroom, leaving 2 inches of water on the floor, walls with paint falling off, making it look like a crack hotel, 4th floor walk-up with no air-con in the stairwell...

YEAH it was a thing of beauty staying in a hotel for $10 bucks a night, but this place is iffy even for a poor guy like ME! Maybe MongerX is getting better rooms than I was given, I don't know. This certainly isn't a place most would choose as a vacation destination.

Alright time for some cheap charlie talk! Here make sure you request a room in the new wing (which is really a year old now.) Now when you get a bad room with plumbing problems the same policy holds true from no star to five star hotels: Ask them to change your room!

Now why you gotta go pissing on my parade when I am trying save you tens of dollars.

City View will save you US$15 a night over Island View. If you insist on 220K at Femima around the corner instead of 250K There is another $3 I am saving you. Plus at City View you can walk too many more places including to Femima saving you 20K in taxi fare: another $2. Look I have already saved you $20!

Oh yeah one other that is good about City View, you can check out late for free. I have checked out as late as 5PM with no problem.

Here there are the pics i took last time i was there, not bad really and no problems bringing the girl for the night. i was very happy with the room and even though i could have stayed in a better place i no doubt would come here again.