OYO 1301 Hotel Grand Citra

The reception staff were the best part of my one-night stay while passing through Makassar on my way to the villages of West Sulawasi. I don’t speak Indonesian, and the receptionist made calls for me to arrange a rental car. He even waited after his shift for the car to be delivered at the hotel. I was very touched and still think warmly of his kindness. Taxi drivers could find the hotel easily, but I didn’t find the location walkable or close to anything of interest. My room had a leaky sink faucet that kept wetting the floor and smelled of mildew. It’s the first hotel I’ve stayed in with painfully stained sheets full of cigarette holes, and there were bloody finger marks on the walls. I’ll be passing through Makassar again to fly out, but unfortunately I won’t stay here again. I’ll remember that receptionist for going above and beyond to make my island adventure memorable.

Even the worst places we stayed in South America were better than this hotel. We had booked their ‘best’ room, but it was run down and dirty, just like the rest of the filthy, falling-apart place. There was still urine and toilet paper in the toilet, the showers looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in ages, and holes and grime covered the walls. The sheets had cigarette burns and stains too. Probably the most disgusting and horrible hotel we’ve stayed in during our 12 months of travelling.

I was fine with a lot of things being wrong since I knew it was cheap accommodation and didn’t expect anything fancy. The problem for me was ventilation. My room had no window, and the air inside felt sick. It always smelled that way because there was no ventilation. If you stay here, make sure your room has a window!

This family-owned and run hotel and restaurant has a clean place, friendly staff, and good parking. This review is for the restaurant "Hawkers". Prices are reasonable, and the food is good, with standard Indonesian classics. The ingredients were fresh and clean, and the frying oil was fresh too.