DS Residences Marina

At 110k a night, the location and comfort beat any hostel in that price range. Highly recommend. I was touring from Bandung to Surabaya and stopped in Semarang after sightseeing near Ahmad Yani Airport.

It's in a cluster of house developments, so the atmosphere is quiet and pleasant, and the roads were great for a morning jog. Head out a bit and you'll reach the main road, with a Circle K along one of the routes. The main road there has no pavement, so bring a motorcycle or car. Security is good too. The hotel itself doesn't look polished, but the price is very decent for what you get: TV channels, a kettle for hot water, and a refrigerator, which you don't usually get at this low a rate elsewhere.

I stayed four days in the biggest room, the suite, for 150k a night. It had cable TV, hot water, plenty of space, and the room and facilities were clean and good. It's only a two-minute walk to Marina Beach and JKI Christian Church, though not many people seem to know about this hotel. There's no seating in the lobby. They didn't refill my mineral water, and I got only two bottles and two small Pop Mie cups, but they gave me two more for free when I asked. Towels weren't provided at first, but they gave me some when I asked. They also won't clean your room unless you request it. That was fine by me. For the price and the room, I give it 5 stars.

I paid less and got a nice, clean room with a comfortable bed, cable TV, and fast Wi-Fi. The price is backpacker-friendly. There's no breakfast, but they do provide two cups of instant noodles.