Karang Setra

It’s an older hotel, but it’s clean and comfortable. The staff are friendly and helpful, and I can see improvements since my visit last year.

The cottages sit nicely on the hilly grounds, so they feel private if you’re planning a longer stay. Standard rooms are quite spacious for the price, better than other hotels in the same class in Bandung, and the location works well for families or anyone wanting to be near a large shopping complex. There’s a lot of open space, with fish ponds partly under the building that give it a floating feel. That explains the old name, Bale Kambang, meaning a floating building. I can still see how great the hotel used to be, but the garden and big pond haven’t been kept up as well as they could be. The hillside setting is a plus.

The staff were nice and the rooms were clean. The hotel is old, which may put off people who prefer modern places, but the stay was affordable and comfortable. My main gripe was the breakfast, with not much variety. It’s free, though, and the room still felt worth the price. I stayed in two room types. The standard twin had a working water heater, kettle, mineral water, cable TV, desk, hanger, toothbrush and toothpaste, and body wash. No shampoo or fridge. The Grand Cottage had a living room, two bedrooms with three beds total, two bathrooms, and a kitchen with a sink. It also had a working water heater, kettle, mineral water, cable TV, desk, hanger, toothbrush and toothpaste, body wash, and a fridge. No shampoo there either.

The cottages are set on higher ground, and there’s a semi open-air auditorium for weddings or other activities. The hotel grounds are spacious and work well for a family vacation. More thorough upkeep would help bring the place back to how good it used to be.