DW Motel Palau

I rather liked this place. It’s nothing fancy, but my room was comfortable, the bed was fine, and both the shower and air conditioner worked well. The location was quiet and convenient, the staff were friendly, and the airport transfer was fairly priced. There’s no restaurant or food service, but guests can use a clean, well-equipped kitchen with a large refrigerator, and there’s also a small fridge in the room. It suits self-sufficient travel. Several decent restaurants are an easy walk away, and there’s self-serve coffee and tea for guests. Palau in general is expensive, so given local prices, I thought the price-to-quality ratio with DW was good. The stay was just fine. My only complaint was weak internet in my room, though it worked well in the lobby.

I got some work done thanks to the desk and chair in the room, and the cold air conditioning was welcome. There’s a safe, hangers, and a dustpan, plus a little patio smoking area outside. I didn’t notice smoke in the room. The fridge in the room was useful, and the staff were friendly. The front desk seemed to be open almost all the time. If no one was there, ringing the bell brought someone over quickly. The shared lounge is a nice place to sit with a book. They put out instant coffee each morning, and you can refill a bottle with drinking water. The kitchen stays clean and has dishes, utensils, a toaster oven, microwave, two-burner stove, full-size fridge, and, I think, a rice cooker. Handy if you want to cook while away. There are two washers and two dryers, each costing $2 to use. The price is reasonable compared with other hotels nearby. My first-floor room had one bed and better WiFi than the third-floor room I moved to, where there was barely a connection. No TV in the rooms, which may not bother everyone. Although a hair dryer was supplied, I couldn’t find an outlet to plug it into, and the one I brought didn’t help. The third-floor shower had a very slippery ceramic floor. Towels were extremely thin, so you may want to bring your own; shampoo and body wash were provided. Parking spaces are small and narrow, and tour vans picking up divers can make parking tricky. Next door there was construction, which got annoying. Also, a dog in the parking lot barked at 4 AM. The hotel said it belonged to neighbors, not them. I’d put the stay around 3.5 to 4 out of 5, and would stay again.

Being able to save on the room mattered, since food and diving in Koror were so pricey. The hotel was a good base for diving, under a five-minute drive from several dive centers and the harbor. Restaurants and supermarkets downtown were a 10-15 minute walk away. Ayako san handled reservations and emails and was incredibly helpful with every question, which made planning easy. We could reheat breakfast items in the decent kitchen. The room was fine for resting, with cold air conditioning and hot water that worked without fuss. I’d definitely come back when I’m in Palau again.

We got back each day to a spotless room, a nicely made bed, and towels folded into different animals. The cleaning lady really impressed us. Hair and body wash were supplied too. The staff welcomed us and checked us in even though we arrived around 4AM. Towels were always available at the counter, handy for days out on the water. The hotel was clean, with free WiFi in a cozy lounge, and complimentary tea and coffee was a nice extra. For the price, it’s an amazing option in Palau. Highly recommend if you’re looking for somewhere affordable.