The Bono Hotel Pekanbaru

The poolside had no smoking signs, yet there was a cigarette butt in the water. I’m not sure what to make of that. The rooms were also very dim, and the amenities were sparse for 600k a night. Reception was poor, so I had to use their wifi, which raised safety concerns. The restaurant room service was awful: they’d run out of everything, the payment system was bad, and I couldn’t charge anything to my room. They pestered me repeatedly during dinner, which was pricey for the taste. I’d planned to treat myself to massages too, but that restaurant service put me off.

The room was spacious and clean, although it could use more light. The food selection was great, amenities were okay, and the staff were friendly and very helpful. It’s a four-star hotel on Jalan Riau. The building may be a bit old, but I still had a great stay.

The shower drain backed up and made it uncomfortable to use. I could hear noise from the next room through the gypsum board partition, which had no sound insulation. Even our bed shook while housekeeping was making the bed next door. Nothing about the hotel was good for me. Based on my experience, it deserves only about two stars, not its current rating.

The room and staff were good, but getting around was frustrating. When I checked out, I couldn’t reach the basement from the lobby and had to call reception to open access. Earlier, I’d checked in late, around 5 PM, and expected to get to my room quickly. The keycard didn’t work properly, so I called for help. The staff said it would take 15 to 30 minutes to activate. These may sound like small problems, but they affected my mood and overall satisfaction. I hope management fixes them.