As my husband and I were having a short getaway in Batam with some of our friends, I did some research on the hotels there and came across this option. A few minutes ride away from the Harbour Bay ferry terminal, this hotel was reasonably priced and had an updated, modern look about it. Since I had some coins on Trip.com to burn, I managed to bring down the final out-of-pocket price to a very decent amount.
- Inclusions:
- 2-night stay in King Room With City View
- Spent: SGD$10.01 + $132.97 in Trip coins
Check-in
Our ferry arrived late in the evening so by the time we got to the hotel, we were the only ones in the lobby checking in. It was a little clunky and disorganized as staff were moving between counters and they didn’t even realize that my husband and I hadn’t been checked in (but once we notified them, the process was fairly quick). There was a noticeable sewage-like smell when we first stepped through the entrance, becoming more prominent as we explored the lounge area further inside. It was quite a pity as that lounge area seemed like a comfy nook to chill at.
Room
The room we were assigned to was on the 9th floor (out of 18 guest room floors). As depicted in the photos on the hotel website, it had contemporary interiors and furnishing. It was also sufficiently spacious except the bathroom and the walkway by the door, where our shoes would obstruct either the opening of the cupboard door or the entrance to the bathroom. I liked the awesomely firm bed plus the firm pillow that was promptly delivered upon request. Housekeeping seems to be automatically provided in the morning too.
Unfortunately, there were some lapses in cleanliness – red and black spots on the sheets and pillow cases, hair strands on the chair and in the sink, as well as black mould along the shower tile grout. I spotted a jumping spider on the floor near the fridge as well. In addition, the soundproofing was really bad. I’m not sure if it was because our room was right next to the lift lobby but I could clearly hear the loud pop music playing over the corridor speakers. We were also involuntarily privy to the various conversations happening along the hallway. Do be prepared for the noise from vehicles sputtering and blaring on the streets below too, even in the wee hours of the morning.
Facilities
The gym can be found on level 2 while the swimming pool is situated on level 3. I was a little grossed out by the steps into the pool as certain parts looked like they had a layer of green moss growing over them. It generally didn’t look particularly well-maintained.
Evolution is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant located on level 1 next to the entrance. Our reservation didn’t include breakfast as we wanted to venture out instead but when we went to peruse the buffet spread, it seemed adequately varied, with some live stations for eggs and noodles.
My overall rating of the experience: 3 out of 5 stars. Despite the appealing contemporary aesthetic of the rooms and common spaces, there were a few glaring issues with cleanliness and general maintenance. From the spots on the linen, to the smell of sewage in the lobby, to the green moss in the pool, it just wasn’t the most inviting place to be. It made do as a functional base to rest for the night but I wouldn’t be too comfortable if I had to spend long hours here. The staff also mostly kept to themselves and we didn’t interact with them very much except when we checked in and out. If we do make another trip to Batam, I’d probably try out a different hotel instead.
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Dania Experiences 