Granada Inn Palu

The cafe noise made this the worst night I’ve ever had in a hotel. When I checked in, I was already disappointed: I wanted to rent a motorbike and was told there were no rental places in Palu. I later found three. There were plenty of other problems. Rats were chewing under the bathroom door, the toilet wouldn’t flush so I used the bin and water, and the shower had almost no pressure, with only two sprays working because the head was blocked. The door lock was faulty and difficult to use. I could have put up with those things, but the noise from the on-site 24 cafe/coffee shop was unbearable. It faces the rooms in a way that amplifies the sound. After a seven-hour ride to the equator and back, I was exhausted. I ate, had a poor shower, and hoped to sleep. At 8 pm the party was still going, with kids screaming and people apparently dancing in boots on the wooden stairs. It continued at 9, 10, 11, and past midnight. The walls are so thin you can see daylight through them. At 1 am there was more stomping, and at 2 am the cafe was still noisy. I could hear clear conversations from the next room and even every time they used the toilet. Around 2:30 am I’d had enough and went to reception. The person there said he’d do something, and it finally quietened down around 3:30. Then the call to prayers from the neighbouring mosque woke me at 4:30 am. It was so loud it could have been in the car park. Cafe customers’ cars and motorbikes used the car park all night, including the usual local bikes without mufflers. I can’t be certain, but from the noise it seemed like a local bike grand prix was happening in the car park around midnight to 1 am. Before extending my stay for the week, I asked reception if the noise would happen again. I was told it had nothing to do with them and was the 24 cafe’s issue. I checked out and spent the rest of the week at the nearby Bamboo House Homestay. I slept beautifully every night there.