Garuda Hotel By Calandra

It’s a budget hotel, but the service was great and the place looked new and clean. The staff were polite and helpful. The area felt safe for women travellers, even though there weren’t many people on the street during Maghrib prayers. There was no iron when I visited, but everything else was accessible. Baiturrahman Mosque is about a 10-minute walk away, as is a market selling cheap and preloved items. There are local restaurants and a convenience store nearby, plus a cafe just a 3-minute walk from the hotel.

The room was nice and the receptionist very friendly. Just keep in mind there’s no lift, so it’s not suitable if you’re travelling with an older person.

The room wasn’t ready properly when we were shown in. I had to ask for tissues, the TV remote, the AC remote, and other hotel essentials. There was just one tiny trash can, and the room didn’t come with body wash or shampoo. The TV wasn’t connected to Wi-Fi either. For internet, they gave us a voucher with a three-digit code that lasted only three days, and each device needed its own voucher. Going back and forth for access got tiring. We could hear everything the neighbors were doing because the walls and door barely blocked sound. Our room was in the middle of the building, with no window looking outside, and the AC was weak, taking too long to cool the room. They said this room in the construction area had just been finished, so I was shocked to find mold in a ceiling corner.

The employees were polite and nice, though the last time I visited, the hotel was still under construction.