Muara Hotel and Mall Ternate

The location is really convenient, though you can hear music from the mall at night. I enjoyed my stay, but the bathroom could have been cleaner, even if it didn't smell. Breakfast was standard, and the Wi-Fi was poor.

It was so dirty that we ordered hot chocolate and ended up sucking on what we thought was a piece of chocolate, but it was a cockroach. There were cockroaches running around the dining area, and smokers made the room stink. I wouldn't advise eating there. As a place to sleep, it's okay, but the rest of the experience was totally negative.

The location is handy, with a supermarket and small department store downstairs, and Nukila beach within walking distance. Our double room had an extra bed and a balcony looking over nearby rooftops and Gamalama volcano. Music from the cafe/bar and a nearby venue was loud. The bathroom was dated and needs maintenance, but the shower had hot water. The receptionist wasn't very cheerful, though the staff member who prepared the extra bed was friendly. Breakfast was good, but on our first morning, when we came down after 9am, a lot had run out, even tea. It was better the second day. There's also a rooftop terrace outside the ballroom, but it's not spacious.

The hotel put us in the wrong room when we checked in, a Grand Deluxe Room instead of the Executive Grand Deluxe Room we had booked. We had just come off a six-hour flight from Jakarta, which left at 02:30, and didn't notice the mistake. The hotel caught it on the third morning and moved us to the correct room. Management agreed to refund the difference in room rates at checkout. When I asked for the money to be returned to my credit card, they said they couldn't do that, but didn't explain why. At first I was told to wait because the refund would be paid. Two hours later, I was still waiting. Then they said it could only go to an Indonesian bank account, which I don't understand. We agreed they would send it to the Indonesian account of a crew member from the boat we'd be staying on for nine nights. After ten days, it still hadn't been paid. I emailed the hotel for nearly two weeks and got no response. I eventually contacted Agoda, where I'd booked. The hotel initially ignored Agoda too. When they replied, they said they'd spoken to Ms. Nina at reception, who confirmed they'd honored the Executive room listed on my voucher. They denied any refund or compensation, saying there was no booking issue. Management chose to lie about what happened and refused to return the money they owed us. The crew member who gave his bank details witnessed the conversation. My only option now is to make a Police report in person at the local Police station in Ternate. The management are criminals. Avoid this hotel. The hotel is also constantly noisy because several mosques are nearby and the windows aren't soundproof. On most days, calls to prayer could be heard from 01:30 to 08:00, and on Friday they seemed not to stop. I wouldn't recommend staying here. If they try to avoid a refund after making a mistake, you're not going to get a decent night's sleep either.