South Arut Otelleri

I chose this hotel in part because it has a large pool. It was less than half filled, up to crotch level, which made swimming impossible. There were numerous tiles missing, some of which were on the floor of the pool. When you swim, inevitably some water enters your mouth, which I never thought about before, but I kept thinking: I must brush my teeth -- until I realized that the flavor of the water was like liquefied bad breath. The electricity went out twice the night I was there. The hall carpets smell musty, but at least they help muffle the sounds of the insufferable muzak that they pipe through the hallways. Internet did not work at all in the room, I had to go down to the lobby to use it. On the plus side, the shower was great, and they gave me early check-in.

breakfast facilities are not bad ... bathroom is not available.towels and bath soap,as well as toothbrushes are not available.

We needed somewhere to stay for a couple nights before our Orangutan cruise and the price was perfect so we booked. Despite it being a bigger chain hotel, it seems that the new staff have not necessarily received all the standard training especially on things that foreign guests would be seeking/expecting but not necessarily the same for local guests. Whilst all staff were friendly and helpful, there were a number of things that could be improved on, mostly smaller nuances that befit the brand and a 4* hotel. Special mention right at the beginning though… We accidentally left our passports and some cash in the safe (face palm, heart drop moment!!!) and they notified us and it was all returned safely before our flights which we were very grateful for. ~Location~ Nicely located for a stroll down to the local fruit and veg market, the boardwalk along the river and then up round to Istana Kuning. ~The Room & Establishment~ Being a new hotel the decor, fittings and linens are all beautiful and fresh. Hot water/pressure: Good Wifi: Good Opportunity for Improvement • The air conditioning wasn’t working properly in our room (it kept getting hotter and hotter). After reporting it, a technician came and spent over an hour fixing it. We had a cooler room however it was quite noisy thereafter. I’m sure the hotel wasn’t full – it would have made more sense to simply move us to a new room) • The plug/electrical socket next to the bed did not work. • There was no shower gel in the bottle attached to the wall and the shampoo was very nearly finished (especially after we also used it as shower gel!) • Lack of cutlery (knives) near bread station in restaurant. No butter available. When butter was provided it was too hard to use. ~The Service~ Staff are friendly and do their best to be helpful. Communication: Good (considering English wasn’t first language and we don’t speak Indonesian!) Opportunity for Improvement • On arrival there were 2 people at the reception desk however, the gentleman stepped away (to mind a baggage trolley!?) leaving the lovely young lady at the desk to try to do multiple check ins (3 separate parties) and answer the ringing phone. However, that evening we noticed that there were 2 staff manning the desk and no one seemed to appear so management may need to reassess their staffing shifts. • Room Service is via a QR code however we were not advised about this on check in (not surprising given the calls received while trying to check us in). When we called Room Service looking for a menu, we were told we should have scanned the code. • Unable to charge meals to the room to pay on check out (per normal practice at other Mercure hotels) which was a bit annoying. • At Dinner we were given the menu and immediately asked if we were ready to order before we’d even had a chance to look at it. I’m sure these small teething problems will be solved once everyone settles into their roles and gets mor

We stayed in the Grand Deluxe room overlooking the pool, on third floor in the new wing. Comfortable, clean room and bathroom. Good, buffet breakfast and lunch. The chicken soup was delicious. Nice, helpful staff.

We stayed here before and after a three day tour into the rainforest to see orangutans in wildlife. The hotel is nicely located between airport and city center. It is about a 2km walk to the yellow Palace and waterfront city. The walk along the street is a bit unconvenient but doable. There are no taxis at night so plan carefully. The hotel itself offers spacious rooms with AC. The rooms are a bit outdated from European perspective but I have seen far older furniture and bathrooms and far more expensive hotels in the US and elsewhere. For the price, the rooms are more than you can expect. Breakfast was included and offers mostly indonesian food. There is also a cafe/restaurant offering western food. Overall, we would choose this hotel again for a stay in the area.