Prices? Amenities?

This is the nicest hotel in Nagoya, the main town on Batam Island. It is the closest you will get to a four star business class hotel. Rooms are big, comfortable, and well appointed. Aircon rocks and even though the electricity cuts off when you leave the room, you will return to a frigid room. The king size bed is two queen size beds placed next to each other and the frames welded together. makes for a HUUUUUUGGGE bed with that funny transition zone in the middle. Very good marble western bathroom (i.e. fixed showere head, bath tub bowl, and no hygeine hose be the toilet.) Higher floor rooms have a great view. The only negatives I have with the rooms are the small and slight out of date television and the mattress are to soft for my taste.

The ammenities are great here. There is a decent gym, a soso pool on the sixth floor I believe. But the pool does have a large jacuzzi. The first floor coffeshop is decent and the room is real comfy. The included breakfast is served in this room and IMO is the best inclusive hotel breakfast in town. The is also a Japanese restaurant and an Australian Steakhouse on premise, but I have not tried neither. The lobby lounge is a nice place to hang and have a drink.

Also, Melia is the home to the "The Tavern" a pub that has live music and some free lance girls. Personally I can't stand the place. The band is crap and the women who troll here are all old dried up cunts who have a decent outfit and speak some english. These girls expect way too much money and lavish spending on overpriced drinks. They basically pray on the whitey's who are in business in Batam and who are to damn scared to walk out the door and walk the 200 the eighth of a mile to PP Bananas. Also the drinks here are horrenduosly over priced. However not all whitey's are too scared to make the walk, as everytime I have breakfast I swear that over the course of the lingering meal I will see half the PP Banana's roster leave the hotel looking freshly showered and fucked!

The Melia has a great location for Naogoya and many things are very close to walk to and it's very easy to walk to the street and get a 10K moving taxi. Don't take the hotel taxi here as the prices start at 25K!!!!!! Also, the minibar items here are outrageously priced, e.g. 20K for a tiny can of mango drink. Instead I always start my trip with a stop at a minimarket and drop about 100K for dirnks and snacks for the room.

The staff at the Melia is by far the most professional in Nagoya. Ria in guest relations is a total sweetheart, and the general manager is an Irish guy named Emmitt who is a real hoot and real helpful.

Most places will book this hotel at Sing$85, which is a bit pricey for a regular like myself. However, I have found one place where you can get a room here for 355,000 Rupiah (about Sing$66.) Book this room at the KAHA htoel reservation desk inside the Batam Center Ferry terminal when you arrive. When booking make sure you book it as a SINGLE with only one breakfast included. Do worry as you can clearly have an overnight guest at this rate and nobody checks that you only are entitled to one breakfast if your date shockingly wants to join you. If you book as a double it will cost 385,000 rupiah. When you book this at Kaha you must pay for room in advance, and they give you a voucher. If you pay with a CC they will apply a 3% surcharge. If you are not sure how many days you will stay you can book it for one day and then call Kaha if you want to extend and they will come by the hotel and pick up the cash. You can reserve the room before you arrive in Batam by calling Kaha at (62) 778468138.

Kaha rocks and I have had nothing but good experiences with them. I think they get the price by on the Melia and Novotel hotels in Nagoya.

Forgot to mention two things. Melia does have in room safes, and has in room internet. But the internet is a dial-up that is rather slow.

Awesome review, thanks, Mx.

They changed the name of the hotel at the start of the year too "Panorama Regency" though the locals will still know it as the Melia. Their website address is http://www.panorama-regency.com

Did they finally negotiate the rate with the travel agents for '05? What is the current room rate now?

In case anyone wants rooms at the better hotels in Nagoya, my brother (a Singapore Travel Agent) has net rates with both Planet Holiday & Panorama Regency.

For bookings & quotes,
Write to dnyc@golf-asiapac.com