Thyesza Hotel by OYO Rooms

Even though we arrived late at night without warning, it was no problem. We rented scooters from the hotel the next day, and after a great restaurant recommendation, the staff offered to drive us there. They also sent us off early the next morning with coffee and breakfast to go. We had an incredible stay. Big thanks to Mama Thyesza, who was so friendly and glad to chat, even late into the night.

The quiet, beautiful setting has a fantastic lake view, and the hotel restaurant serves good food. The owner and staff were amazing, helping us arrange activities at very short notice. Great value.

Thyesza Hotel is a simple little place in Ambarita on Samosir Island, about a five-minute drive from the ferry terminal connecting the island with Ajibata in Parapat. It was enjoyable, as long as you don’t expect luxury or international-standard accommodation. The grounds aren’t large, but there’s a car park, a lake-facing pool, a beach by the lake, a restaurant, a meeting room, a beachside BBQ area, and a mini convenience store. Jet skis are available to rent through a third party. Room options include standard, superior, and deluxe rooms for two, family rooms for three, and a traditional Batak-style house that can fit more guests. Our superior room had a queen bed, TV, tea and coffee facilities, two 330 ml bottles of mineral water, a dressing table, wardrobe, balcony facing the lake, hot and cold shower, shampoo, shower gel, and in-room WiFi. The rooms are in separate buildings, some new and some older, with renovations done to the older ones. If you get a room on a higher floor, you may see the sunrise when the weather is clear. The room was clean enough, although one room in our group had leftover hair in the toilet and needed better housekeeping. The bed wasn’t very comfortable, and the in-room WiFi became unstable when the hotel was full. The shower worked okay. The hotel restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is included for guests and set out buffet-style from 7:30 to 10:30 am. Lunch and dinner are ordered from a menu with rice, noodles, soup, vegetables, seafood, and chicken, mostly in Asian styles. Drinks include tea, coffee, fruit juice, floats, and beer. Prices were standard and not too high. You can pay by cash, bank transfer, or QRIS. The breakfast spread was simple and didn’t focus much on Indonesian or local Batak Toba dishes. It included rice, one dish, fried rice, fried noodles, eggs, porridge, bread with jam choices, traditional cakes, fresh fruit, squash, tea, and coffee. The food tasted good.

The rooms were clean, the hotel restaurant was really good, and its grilled fish was amazing. This is a lovely family-run hotel right beside the lake, with its own separate beach. The staff were welcoming, super helpful, and amazing. Special thanks to Isaac for looking after us.