Pondok Jatim Park Hotel

I really enjoyed staying here. The hotel is enormous, and I even checked my map for a moment to make sure I’d reached the right place. It’s in a quiet part of the city, and check-in was easy. My room was large, with a comfortable bed, toiletries, a nice hot shower, and AC. There’s also a cafe and restaurant near the lobby where you can sit for a quiet coffee.

Breakfast was hard to get through. The fried rice was bland, the fried chicken was soaked in butter and rubbery, and the chicken soup with glass noodles tasted disappointing. At least the tea and coffee were strong enough to help wash it down. There were basic problems in the room too. The shower had no hot water, just freezing cold water. The toilet wouldn’t flush properly, so I had to hope it would go down each time. They supplied a TV but its 3-pin plug didn’t fit the room’s 2-pin sockets, and there was no adaptor. I asked for an iron and ironing board, but they sent only an iron and said they don’t provide boards. Even at maximum heat it barely warmed up, so I couldn’t press thin pants, let alone thick ones. There weren’t any pros for me. I knew it was a cheap hotel and kept my expectations low, but they should still take some pride in the basics. They’re representing Indonesia, and this doesn’t meet the country’s hospitality standards.

I spent three nights here and had a great time. The location is strategic and convenient, breakfast was nice, and the price was affordable.

The room was okay, though it looked a bit old. They also offer laundry through the hotel itself. The service wasn’t good, and the receptionist seemed like she really hated her life.