Samawa Transit Hotel

The rooms looked just like the pictures and were good quality. Everything was clean, there was hot water, and the air conditioning was clean and cold, but noisy. The room smelled musty when I came in, though I don’t have allergies, and the AC cleared it up. Maintenance needs attention. The overhead shower didn’t work, and the holder for the shower head slid down or fell when I took it off. Between 5am and 6am, the mosque siren sounds, so good earplugs are needed. The balcony opens onto a corridor. For vegans, breakfast was artificial juice, tea, coffee, a fruit platter, and nasi goreng.

The room was spacious and had a bathroom with hot water, so it was better than I’d expected. I was on the second floor, and there’s no lift, so make sure your luggage is light enough for the stairs. I didn’t get to try the breakfast.

The junior suite was quite nice and spacious, and seemed like a good choice since the standard rooms looked small. But the building feels old and tired, the entrance is messy, and security seemed to have no idea what to do. Maybe it had some charm once, but it’s gone now. Breakfast was so basic it was almost nothing. The interior needs an overhaul, along with proper maintenance and service.

It feels homey, which is what I liked about this small hotel. It’s only 5 minutes from the airport, but airplane noise didn’t bother us. The internet connection was superb, though I don’t know why they have to change the password every 24 hours. Breakfast was average, and there weren’t many TV channels.