Travel Quote of the Day - September 21, 2014

“Books are the plane, 

and the train, 

and the road. 

They are the destination, 

and the journey. 

They are home.” 

― Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed 

My Life

Hotel Review: FM7 Hotel Resort, Jakarta

I just stayed at this hotel last night for a transit. I spent about 6 hours here at the hotel for some sleep.

In my opinion, this hotel is a decent place to stay for a transit due to its close proximity to the Soekarno Hatta International Airport.

This hotel offers shuttle buses between hotel and the airport.

Location: 8/10
The main reason to stay at this hotel is the close distance from the airport. However, it is not that close either. There are some other hotels closer to the airport. In addition, there might be some traffic to and from the hotel because the roads leading to the hotel is quite narrow (one lane).

Hotel Room: 9/10
The hotel room is great. I had a good night sleep in bed. The bathroom is also spacey and clean.

Facilities: 9/10
Since I only spent like 7 hours here to sleep I didn't get a chance to check out their facilities. But, I read that they have pretty much a resort hotel should have, like swimming pool and gym.

Basically this is a good option if you wanna stay close to the airport and I would for sure come back to this hotel when I feel the need to...

For Pictures, Please visit my other blog:

http://ferrystraveladventures.blogspot.com/2014/09/hotel-review-fm7-hotel-resort-jakarta.html

Hotel Review: Ketapang Indah Hotel

Hotel Review: Ketapang Indah Hotel 

First time visit to Banyuwangi was in early 2013 for a family event and we stayed at this hotel. Having a good experience and knowledge that this hotel is close to the train station and the Ketapang Ferry Port, I decided to make my second stay at Ketapang Indah Hotel when I was going to hike the Ijen Mountain.

Also find this hotel here:

Agoda Hotel Page

Tripadvisor Hotel Page

Location: 9/10

The location for this hotel is easily accessible by car. Banyuwangi City itself is not that big. This hotel lies between the Centre of Banyuwangi City and the Ketapang Port. It's closer to Ketapang Port side and the train station than to the centre of the city. In order to get some local foods, you might need to rent a taxi to the city central. I did rent a taxi without the meter on, we negotiated with the taxi driver to take us to a couple points in Banyuwangi City, mostly different restaurants and fruit vendors, and take us back to our hotel. We ended up paying about IDR 100.000 for the one-hour taxi ride.

Hotel Quality: 8.5/10

The hotel is like a Balinese Hotel and probably the most decent hotel in Banyuwangi. They have a nice lobby with a welcoming drink readily sitting beside the receptionist. The hotel itself is huge and hotel rooms are separated in many different buildings. First time around, you might get lost inside the hotel. 

Room Quality: 8/10

It's quite decent. Not a 5 star, but enough for a transit or a two-night stay. The bathroom is alright but again not a 5 star.

Facitilies: 8/10

They have a swimming pool and a children area which makes me think that this is a children friendly hotel. The breakfast area is a spot in the hotel that I like to spend in the morning.

Staffs: 9/10

This hotel lives up to the standard of Balinese Hotels in terms of the friendliness and helpfulness of the staffs. The staffs are very friendly and would help you to give any information from a hike to Mount Ijen, Banyuwangi art parades, to a taxi rental around Banyuwangi. 

My overall rating of this hotel would be:

8.5/10

Hotel Review: W Spa & Retreat, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

Hotel Review: W Spa & Retreat, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

I had a one night stay at a two bedroom villa here at W Spa & Retreat Hotel at the end of July 2014. Generally, W Hotel is an upscale hotel located in Seminyak, Bali, and in my opinion it is one of the best luxury hotel in Seminyak and probably one of the most well known among Indonesian or international tourists. It's a beachfront hotel which means that you can go directly to the beach from the resort. There is a big swimming pool area close to the beach.

Value For Money: 10/10
If you want some great time in a luxury resort where you can enjoy a walk on the beach, good quality breakfast, awesome swimming pool to relax, great amazing hotel personnels, high quality of sleep, and various other luxury hotel or villa facilities, then I recommend this hotel for you.

Price: $$$$$
Of course this is not for those who are on a tight budget since it may cost a lot to stay at a luxury hotel like W Spa & Retreat Seminyak.

Location: 9/10
It is located in Seminyak where you could find a lot of store outside the hotel. It's pretty far to walk from the lobby or rooms or villas to the main street. However, the hotel provides boogey cart that you can take freely to get to the main road.

Breakfast: 9/10
The breakfast at the restaurant is so great. There are a lot of options from Classic English breakfast to Japanese sushi to Indonesian delicacies.... The atmosphere at the breakfast restaurant is also awesome giving me one of the best feeling during a morning breakfast by the beach.

Villa Quality: 9/10
The villa is awesome but it's pretty common which means that I have been to villas like this somewhere else in Bali. It has a small pool which is also common in any private villa in Bali.

Staffs: 10/10
I really think they deserve the 5 star quality acknowledgement due to their quality of staffs. Each and everyone I met was very friendly and loves to smile and also was very helpful.

Would I recommend you to stay at this hotel?
Yes, ABSOLUTELY..... But only if you got some money saved in your bank account :)

My Photos of W Retreat & Spa could be found here:
http://ferrystraveladventures.blogspot.com/2014/08/photos-from-w-spa-retreat-seminyak-bali.html
http://ferrystraveladventures.blogspot.com/2014/08/more-photos-of-w-spa-retrea-seminya-balu.html

My Overall Rating on This Hotel:

9.5 / 10

Hotel Review: Sofitel Nusa Dua Beach Resort, Bali, Indonesia

Hotel Review: Sofitel Nusa Dua Beach Resort, Bali, Indonesia

May I just say the first word that came out of my mouth when I entered the lobby and to the reception area? "WOW"...... I loved the ambiance and the design of the common areas in this hotel. It feels so elegant and luxurious. I also like the fact that Sofitel is a French themed hotel since all hotel staffs always greet us with a "bonjour" instead of "good morning/afternoon/night".

Value For Money: 10/10
For an upscale hotel like Sofitel, the money is well spent since we all get the perfect ambiance, awesome feelings, complete resort facilities, and great hotel room and bathroom.

Price: $$$$$
Like any other upscale hotel in Nusa Dua Bali, the hotel room costs us more than IDR 2 million.

Location: 10/10
It is located in Nusa Dua BTDC (Bali Tourism Development Centre). It's away from the bustling and over crowded Kuta or Legian area of Bali. It's the upscale and more luxurious and quite part of Bali. If you want a quieter time in Bali and got some more money saved in your bank account to afford any hotel in this area, Sofitel is definitely a must try. Sofitel is also located straight by the beach which means you can get to the beach directly from your hotel. It's also very well located and is very accessible from Tanjung Benoa, Uluwatu, Pecatu, or even Jimbaran.

Breakfast: 10/10
The breakfast restaurant is awesome. It's very big with many different chambers of different kind of foods. I think from my two morning breakfasts here, I saw at least Indonesian, Indian, Japanese, English, and French cuisines. The quality of the breakfast is also awesome.

Room Quality: 9/10
Our rooms were on the first floor which gives us direct access into the swimming pool from our balcony. It means we could go directly swimming in the pool right from our hotel room and the come back to our hotel room by swimming back, it's one of the greatest experience or feeling. The room size is also quite great with the awesome quality of beds. However, the bathroom was almost perfect for me except the fact that the water could get out of the shower area into the bedroom area which we withheld with some stacks of towels on the floor.

Staffs: 10/10
Staffs are very courteous, helpful, friendly, informative, respectful, and love to smile. At some point, in my mind I was thinking that they must be given some sort of great training everyday to act and serve that well.

Facilities: 10/10
Like any upscale resport, it has huge and well designed swimming pool, direct access to the beach, great lobby, great hotel room, etc. However, I need to mention that they have absolutely great lounge that feels a lot like a library to me. I was so ecstatic about it since I wanted to spend some of my times there reading great books that they have.

Would I recommend you to stay at this hotel?
Yes, ABSOLUTELY..... Sofitel Nusa Dua Beach Resort is one of the hotels you should save money for :)

For my pictures of Sofitel Nusa Dua Beach Resort, find it here:
http://ferrystraveladventures.blogspot.com/2014/08/photos-of-sofitel-nusa-dua-beach-resort.html

My Overall Rating on This Hotel:

9.8 / 10

For my other reviews on hotels and villas in Bali, click below:

Amadea Resort & Villas

Sofitel Nusa Dua Beach Resort

The Haven Bali Seminyak

W Spa & Retreat Seminyak Bali

Hotel Review: Aston Jember

Hotel Review: Aston Jember

I visited here in April 2014 for my first visit ever to Jember, East Java. Me and my friends had a two night stay at this hotel because we were going to Tanjung Papuma and also Nusa Barong Island. I think this hotel might be the only 4 star hotel in town and it's fairly new. The building is very new and the room also looks decent and new.

I recommend people who want to visit the Jember City to stay at this hotel if you are willing to spend some more money than staying at some other hotels that might be cheaper than Aston Jember.

The location is greatly and strategically located within the city centre area. Afterall, Jember City is not that big anyway. So, if you are in town and you got a car to move around, you will be fine staying in this hotel.

It is also quite close to the city centre area which has a lot of good foods, like Mie Rama (our favourite).

The hotel lobby is awesome, just like any other 4 star hotel lobby.

This hotel also has a restaurant at lobby level and a restaurant and bar on about level 5 or 6 (I can't remember). On the bar level, you can also find an awesome looking swimming pool and a fitness centre with new looking equipments (took a peek inside but didn't try).

The only downside is it could get a bit noisy at night (in the weekends) if you get a room facing the bar and restaurant and swimming pool. And also somehow you could easily look into other rooms through the non-tinted windows (of course when the rooms are not closed with the curtains).

However, I had a great stay at this hotel. and my rating would be:

9/10

Hotel Review: Tir Na Nog Gili Trawangan

Hotel Review: Tir Na Nog Gili Trawangan

Hotel Review: Welcome Inn Gili Trawangan

I stayed here in early Jun 2014 for my fourth visit to Gili Trawangan.

Room & Facility: 7/10

The room is alright. For the price, I could have gotten a lttle bit better. I got a two single bed bedroom with a very very basic bathroom. Well, there is a safety deposit box to be used, but it's not something that I need when I am in Gili, that's why I don't use it. The cleanliness of the room is probably only 7/10. Another facility includes a bar that is very crowded and alive at night right in front of the hotel, as a part of the hotel, Tir Na Nog Bar.

Value for Money: 7/10

I was charged about IDR 800.000. Like I said, I could have got a little bit better of facility, especially for the room.

Location: 9/10

If you want a location that is right in the middle of the party, this is it. At night, there are parties going on just outside the hotel. We thought it's gonna be very noisy at night when we try to sleep, but that's not the case. Somehow, the noise didn't get to our room despite the fact that our room is the first room and the closest to the gate to the bar outside.

Staff: 9/10

Staff was really great. We asked for a late checkout. Initially, the staff hesitated because they were fully booked the next day. However, we were given 1 hour late checkout. The staff also helped us organize a glass bottom boat rental for our snorkeling trip to the three gili islans (Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air).

Pretty much I would say that there could be other great hotels to stay in Gili Trawangan that could offer better quality with the same price. Would I come back to this hotel to stay? Yes, but only at a discounted price. :)

Hotel Review: The Beach House Resort Gili Trawangan

Hotel Review: The Beach House Resort Gili Trawangan

The Beach House Resort Gili Trawangan

Website: http://www.beachhousegilit.com/


What do I have to say about my experience at this hotel?
I stayed with 5 other friends in a two bedroom villa at this resort.

Villa Quality: 9/10
I had the best time here at Gili Trawangan including my time enjoying the villa. The villa had one small private swimming pool that is pretty clean. The villa also has half-open bathrooms that feel very close to nature.

Price: 8.5/10
The two bedroom villa that I stayed in was priced at Rp 2.500.000 per night and I think it's a pretty acceptable price for the quality of my stay.

Quality of Stay: 9.5/10
I had the best time staying at this hotel and given that the island itself is like a heaven to me.

Location: 10/10
The Beach House Resort Gili Trawangan is located at the heart of the island so it's a very strategic hotel where the crowds, cafes, bars, and restaurants are located.
One strong point of this hotel is LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

Breakfast: 9/10
What can surpass the feeling of having breakfast in the morning by the beach with some good breakfast meals on the island?

Hotel Staff: 10/10
The hotel staffs are generally helpful and informative. You can ask a lot of information about the island including where the best snorkeling spot is, where to rent a bike, where can I party at night, etc....


However, on one negative note (and probably it's pretty common for all the hotels in this island), the water is pretty salty and when we needed to tak a shower, the hotel ran out of water and we needed to wait for them to "refill their water tank"......

Overall: 9.5/10
Overall, I had a great great stay here at the resort and would come back again to stay at this resort when I visit Gili Trawangan again. Would I recommend this hotel to everyone? Definitely YES.


For more reviews:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g664666-d595962-Reviews-The_Beach_House_Resort-Gili_Trawangan_Gili_Islands_Lombok_West_Nusa_Tenggara.html

Hotel Review: Welcome Inn Gili Trawangan

Hotel Review: Welcome Inn Gili Trawangan

Hotel Review: Welcome Inn Gili Trawangan

I recently stayed at Welcome Inn in Gili Trawangan from December 27-29, 2013...

It's a basic accommodation with only 4 rooms with its own bathroom. The limited number of rooms makes Welcome Inn such a basic accommodation.

Room & Facility: 7/10

It is just a basic accommodation, so don't expect any great facilities. Their facility only includes bedroom with 2 beds, some towels, shower, a balcony, an air conditioner (AC), and a cupboard. Room is quite clean but could be a bit cleaner. If you are only looking for basic place to stay overnight with cheap price, then this could be for you.

Value for Money: 8/10

Well, since it's a basic place to stay, I was charged about IDR 600.000 during the high/peak season. I think they charge about 50% of the price I paid when it's a low season.

Location: 9/10

Welcome Inn is quite well located in the island of Gili Trawangan. It'e only one block from the main road. It's also close to the main strip of Gili Trawangan where activities take place. However, it's quite close to a local market that sometimes I feel uncomfortable walking back to the hotel because I had to go through a "dirty" part of the island.

Staff: 8/10

Staff is quite helpful. During my stay, I only saw one lady who attend to all our needs including making us breakfast and cleaning up our room.

In conclusion, I would recommend Welcome Inn to you who are looking for basic accommodation on the island and don't want to walk too far into the island.

Hotel Review: Artotel Surabaya

Hotel Review: Artotel Surabaya

ARTOTEL SURABAYA

Website: http://artotelindonesia.com/detail.php?id=surabaya

"Earth without art is just EH"

What do I have to say about my experience at this hotel?
I stayed here for one night to accompany my friend who came over to Surabaya, the city I live in. The lobby is full of interesting contemporary artsy stuffs and they are pretty interesting. Being at a Christmas time, the decoration was awesome and we kept taking pictures of the decoration. Basically the lobby experience is so fine.

Hotel Quality: 8.5/10
The hotel quality is very good. It's a new hotel in the middle of the city.

Price: 9/10
Since it's a budget hotel, the price is affordable given the fact that it's in the middle of Surabaya city.
We spent about Rp 400.000 per night.

Quality of Stay: 9/10
Great sleep, pretty basic room (quite small but enough), bathroom is clean and looks new, breakfast is awesome with variety of Indonesian / East Javanese foods.

Location: 10/10
It's in the middle of the city so it's easy to go to any other parts of Surabaya.

Breakfast: 9/10
To me the breakfast is awesome since it gives us some good Indonesian breakfasts.... There are some basic Western foods also like omelette station and breads. The Western breakfast is also good. Basic fruits are also provided.

Hotel Staff: 10/10
The hotel staffs are very helpful in attending our needs. We forgot our room key inside the hotel room and the staff was quite nice and helpful. I asked for a scissors and the staff came by very quick to lend me a scissor and even helped me to cut open my new camera box. I think the staffs here are quite well trained.

Overall: 9.5/10
Overall, I had a great great stay here at the hotel and would come back again to stay at this hotel. I would recommend this hotel to anyone and when my friends are coming over to visit me.