Braling Grand Hotel Purbalingga, Azana Hotels Collection

We stayed for one night before taking my guest from Brunei to climb Mount Slamet. The place was clean and pleasant, and the staff were friendly and gave very good service. Even with just one night, we got a really comfortable rest. I'd stay again and recommend it to my other guests. Bravo, Braling Grand Hotel.

The room was roomy and comfortable, with small touches that made it feel homey. Its location also made it easy to get around to nearby attractions. It worked well for a business trip or some leisure time.

The staff were friendly and quick to help when we needed something, and the food selection was fairly varied. We had a separate shower and toilet in our Deluxe room, after our Superior booking was upgraded. The bathroom itself was small but comfortable. Indoor parking is limited, though there's another lot outdoors beside the hotel, still within the property. From there we had to walk a little to reach the elevator for the lobby and guest rooms. After driving 600-700 km from Jakarta on a JKT-Purbalingga-Wonosobo (Dieng)-Purwokerto-Jakarta trip over 3 days and 2 nights, I appreciated having a gym and pool available. The pool was dirty, though. I only swam for 5-8 minutes before rinsing off because I was worried about my sensitive skin. I don't know what cleaning methods or standards they use, but I'd never seen a hotel pool in that condition. The gym AC wasn't working, there was no staff member nearby to help, and it got stuffy with six of us and one other visitor inside. The equipment was very basic. The room AC was another problem. Even set to 17, it didn't cool the room, although it was a Daikin with automatic controls. The night was so hot I was sweating, and a technician had already come by in the afternoon to reset it. I could only sleep once it cooled around 1 a.m., then woke at 4 for Shubuh. The bathroom blower was weak too, so it stayed damp even after two showers on separate days. The room also let in a lot of sound. We could hear small kids and people talking next door, and even coughing at night. One morning, after the gym and breakfast, we came back to a strong cigarette smell despite having a non-smoking room. I don't smoke and am very sensitive to it, so that was strange. The water looked a bit cloudy in the morning; anyone sensitive to water color may want to ask the receptionist about it. The soap was so small it was gone after one use, so I used my own. We had to buy soap because I'd left mine behind, and I'd suggest bringing your own toiletries, especially soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. The towels also seemed more like what I'd expect at a 3-star hotel than a 4-star one. At breakfast, the porridge was really good, the soto betawi was fresh, and the omelet and sunny-side-up egg were good. The side dishes were better than the main items, though. Six of us didn't care for the fried rice, and the spaghetti lacked flavor. Seating was limited, and because there were other trainees there, it took a while to find space for all six of us together. The attendant wasn't prompt with refills either. We had to ask two different people three times for chicken and rolade, even though it was only 6:30 a.m. That felt odd for a 4-star hotel. We'd stayed at Java Heritage Hotel Purwokerto just six days earlier, and its 3-star rating didn't stop it from being better. I'd prefer to stay in the next town, less than 40 minutes away, unless things like facilities and customer service improve seriously. For trips with other towns on the schedule, I'd look elsewhere. If you're only visiting Purbalingga, this may be an option, or you could check out other guest houses.

This was truly a disaster for me at Braling Grand Hotel By Azana Purbalingga. I arrived at 3 p.m. but still couldn't check in. The room they gave me was a smoking one even though I'd booked non-smoking, so I had to wait again for another room. It also smelled bad in the bathroom. I asked for a towel at 3:30 p.m. and didn't get one until 9:30 that night. Then they gave me a pool towel to use as a room towel. The breakfast was even worse. We went at 8 a.m. and nearly all the food was gone, and the food I had reserved never came. This was my worst experience at a 4-star hotel. In my opinion, this place isn't fit to be called 4-star, or even 3-star. Truly a disaster.