Markoni 18 Balikpapan by Roomah

An experience.

Perfect.

The price is good, the AC is cool, and there are plenty of food stalls if you walk a little way out. A few things to know: the toilet door has no lock, the dark hallway smells a bit damp, and they hold a 100,000 IDR deposit plus your ID card. You can hear noise from other areas. If you’re bringing small children, let them know so they can try to give you a more comfortable room where you and your family won’t be disturbed.

We’d traveled in from out of town and were exhausted when we reached the inn at 1:30 PM. They wouldn’t let us check in until 2:00 PM, so I had to wait outside. I’ve never been left waiting like that at another hotel or guesthouse. We weren’t the only ones, either. Two other people arrived before and after us and had the same experience. Other reviews called the woman friendly, but we found her rather casual, even intimidating. The check-in rules left guests stranded, and there was no early explanation. We were in Room 22*. The partition was GRC and did nothing to block sound. We could hear people walking past and talking loudly. The closet smelled of urine, maybe from a rat or a person. The bathroom was fairly clean but slippery. The shower took a long time to heat up, sometimes stayed cold, and the AC didn’t work. The LED TV was crawling with ants and the WiFi was extremely slow. The queen-size bed had a thin sheet and a standard blanket, and the bolster pillows were getting hard. They provided two 300 ml bottles of mineral water, but no soap, shampoo, toothpaste, or toothbrush. The price was around 150,000 Rupiah. They kept a 100,000 IDR deposit and my ID card, then returned both after checkout. I wouldn’t stay here again.