New Hotel Wakaba

The front desk staff were surprisingly polite, and my experience didn’t match the bad reviews I’d read. I booked a slightly cheaper Japanese-style room. It had been renovated and was very clean, though parts such as the toilet still felt old-fashioned because of their structure. The room was spacious, and having a washing area in the bathroom made the stay comfortable. Some of the notices had faded, which was a shame. They might look better if made on a computer and printed. There was free parking, and it was excellent value for money. I’d definitely stay again if I’m in the area.

Free parking so close to town made this feel like a great deal for the price and room size. The place looked nice too, which is why I booked it. Just keep in mind there's no elevator. I'd stay here again on another visit.

For a weekend in the off-season, the price was unusually reasonable. Parking is free and fits about 10 cars, and there seem to be roughly 20 rooms on the second and third floors. There's no elevator, only stairs. The renovated hallways look lovely, with subdued lighting, and the rooms are nice as well. The bathroom door is transparent. By chance, perhaps, my room had no hair dryer, which was disappointing. It was quiet with so few guests, though rooms facing the road may get some traffic noise. In winter there's just one duvet, but they provide an electric blanket so you can adjust for the cold.

I'd seen similar comments in other reviews but figured my stay might be different. It wasn't. I'd booked ahead on Jalan, yet on arrival I was told, with an irritated expression, that they had a last-minute booking and weren't ready, so I should wait in the lobby. When I asked how long, the answer was more than 15 minutes. I waited around half an hour before they called me over and began handling the check-in at reception. Then, for some reason, they called me back in a suspicious tone to warn that if anyone else stayed, I'd be charged, and that a security camera over there would reveal it immediately. I said I wouldn't do that and that they shouldn't have put it that way. They didn't apologize, went through the process in a bad mood, and simply gave me the room number.