Arcadia Hotel Surabaya

I liked being close to cafes and foodstuffs around Surabaya’s old town. The staff were warm and responsive, which made the stay worthwhile.

There aren’t any nice restaurants around, but the location is good for exploring the old town. This charming old hotel is nicely maintained, though there are signs of water damage on the walls and doors. Everything still works. They’re slow to handle complaints, but they do get them settled within a day.

The bed was comfortable, but the toilet was very old. The hotel is old overall, though it’s been preserved fairly well. If you’re into an old colonialism vibe, the location is very good. Otherwise, stay away. Note: No hot shower on 31 January 2025.

I really love this hotel and hope it can get through the tough economy. The location is excellent, right on a main street in Old Town Surabaya, near the historical buildings complex and Chinatown. There’s a bus stop just across the street, a few meters away, where you can catch the Suroboyo Bus to go anywhere. I love vintage things, so the historical front building and vintage-style room really hit the spot. They brought back memories of the 90s to early 2000s, when my grandparents used to take me on trips and stay in hotels like these. Places like this have a special place in my heart. The room was very cheap, no more than IDR 250K including breakfast, even on WEEKENDS. But it did feel like they’d really cut the budget. The towels weren’t white anymore and felt thin compared with other hotel towels, the sheets had tough spots, and there was no shower cap. I loved the lemongrass soap and shampoo, though. They came in dispensers, which means less plastic waste. The hot water worked well despite the old shower head, the AC was cold, the bed was comfy enough, and the pillows didn’t smell bad. The breakfast was really sad. It had been nice when I stayed here around a couple of years ago, but this time it was worse, with few choices and a sparse display. It felt like they hadn’t put much effort in. What do you expect for that price, though? I understand they might be on a very tight budget. I saw a "Mini Zoo" sign. A staff member warned me there weren’t many animals yet, but I went to look anyway. It was outdoors beside the parking road, with fishes, a big bird-like animal that looked like a chicken but wasn’t one, and parakeets in two separate cages. The parakeets were all dead 😭😭. I told a staff member, and they quickly removed the birds. A good idea, but poorly executed.