Rama Garden Hotel

The price was pretty reasonable at IDR 350,000 a night, and we might stay here again on a future visit to Palu. Our rooms were spacious and clean, with a useful desk, and the AC and hot and cold water worked fine. One bathroom did have a strange smell. Check-in went smoothly, and the woman at the front desk was clear and helpful. We had two rooms, but one was noticeably smaller and had no window. The next day, we asked to switch, and the women at the desk helped again. We got another room quickly, right beside our other one. The pool was a big disappointment. The pumps weren’t working, and all sorts of rubbish was floating in it, from cigarette butts and plastic wrappers to other plastic bits we couldn’t identify. Breakfast was very limited, especially for a Westerner looking for non-Asian food. There were two kinds of fruit, toast with jam or butter, white rice and another rice dish, plus chicken, vegetables, and soup. It was local food and enough to eat, but the quality wasn’t very good.

The breakfast selection is small, though it was okay. My bigger issue was the air conditioning: I stayed twice for more than three days each time, and it never cooled the room enough. The hotel is renovating, with some parts of the rooms already updated and others still looking dated and out of place. It’s also building a new wing, so some windows may face the construction area. The place feels a bit old, but after the earthquake there may not be many options in Palu.

The pool was far too dirty for swimming, and the staff weren’t particularly friendly. They insisted I fill out a special form because I was a foreigner, and the way they asked wasn’t pleasant. I’ve never been asked to do that at other hotels. The hotel itself was pretty nice, but I’ll probably look elsewhere when I’m back in Palu.

The food was just so-so, but there are small meeting and convention rooms here. It’s an affordable hotel, and I’m glad it’s still operating. I still find it unsettling that the building stayed solid through the September 28, 2018 earthquake.