Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts

December 11, 2024

Pullman Ciawi Vimala Hills Resort Spa & Convention in Bogor Indonesia

My husband recently went to Indonesia for a business trip. He traveled to Bogor, Indonesia, and stayed at Pullman Ciawi Vimala Hills Resort Spa & Convention. The resort is about two hours from Jakarta, depending on the traffic situation. Because of his midnight flight schedule, he needed to stay at Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel during his first and last day for safety and to rest before the land travel. 


The Pullman Ciawi Resort is part of the Vimala Hills Villa & Resort which has 91 hectares of land. The resort is elevated so guests will experience cool air. My husband said it feels like Tagaytay of the Philippines. 



This is the Deluxe room measuring 42sqm with a large balcony and marble bathroom. 




The breakfast buffet is served at Damar Restaurant. It offers both local and international favorites. 





They offer different activities for family and big groups but since my husband is on a business trip, he has no time for recreation, maski magswimming. Hehehe! 


Pullman Ciawi Vimala Hills Resort Spa & Convention 
Jl. Raya Puncak, Gadog, Megamendung, 
16770 Bogor Indonesia 
Tel: + 62 (251) 830 6888 
Fax: + 62 (251) 830 6889 
Email: hendrik.hendrik@accor.com

January 19, 2024

Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam Indonesia

It’s Flashback Friday so let us have a glimpse of Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam. My husband went to Batam Indonesia before Christmas break and we were supposed to join his trip since family is allowed to come, just like our Da Nang, Vietnam Trip. But after I computed our airfare, ferry trip, and hotel accommodation, I changed my mind. Hehehe! 

This is only a 3-day trip including travel so there is no time to explore Batam Indonesia. We had the option to extend our stay so we could tour Batam Indonesia and Singapore but the airfare from Singapore to Manila was so expensive because it was approaching Christmas, so I decided to let go of our chance to visit Indonesia for the nth time. 

How to Get to Batam Indonesia from Manila Philippines 

Batam is located in Indonesia but the easiest way to reach Batam from Manila is to fly to Singapore, then travel to HarbourFront Ferry Terminal at Level 2 and ride the ferry to Batam. The ferry trip is more or less one hour. 

Ferry from Singapore to Batam

My husband and his colleagues have their own private transportation but I’m sharing this information if you are commuting. 

* Take a taxi/Grab/GoJek to VivoCity Level 2 or HarbourFront Center Lobby C 
* By train, take North East Line MRT (purple line) or Circle Line MRT (yellow line) and get off at HarbourFront MRT Station Exit B. 
* Go to HarbourFront Ferry Terminal at Level 2 (near Toast Box) and follow the signs to the ferry terminal. 

Ferry from Batam to Singapore 

* Take GoJek to Batam Centre Point Ferry Terminal, Level 1 
* From Radisson Batam Hotel - 20 minutes by car 

Keep in mind that you need to be at the terminal 90 minutes before departure. 
Print your boarding pass and bring all valid travel documents. 
All travelers are required to fill up SG Arrival Card (SGAC) with Electronic Health Declaration before arriving in Singapore 

My husband and I were surprised when we learned that there is a maximum weight for check-in luggage (20 kg) and hand carry (10kg) per person. We’ve experienced traveling by ferry here in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Norway so this is something new to us. Good thing that this is only a 3-day trip so there is no reason to overpack. 

Since my husband and his colleagues are staying at Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam, the hotel has a complimentary ferry shuttle service so traveling from and to the ferry is no longer a problem. 

Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam 


Radisson Golf & Convention Center is the largest convention center hotel on the island. It offers 239 rooms, restaurants, a bar, a spa, and a ferry shuttle service to one of the nearby shopping centers, beaches, and a ferry terminal. 

Places to Visit in Batam Indonesia 

Jabel Arafah Mosque 
Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Temple 
For shopping, visit BCS Mall, Grand Mall, or Mega Mall Batam Center 

This hotel is only 12 kilometers away from Hang Nadim International Airport and 5 kilometers away from Batam Center Ferry Station. 

Deluxe Room 

My husband stayed in one of the Deluxe rooms and this room has a balcony and a view of the hotel’s pool and Padang Golf Sukajadi. When my husband sent me the photos, I was surprised because the room looked nice and big. It is bigger compared to Trondheim, Oslo, and Brunei’s rooms  





Breakfast Buffet 

The breakfast buffet is part of the room package and the buffet spread is good compared to other Radisson hotels that we have tried. 






Radisson Golf & Convention Center 
Batam Bukit Indah, Sukajadi, 
Residential Area, Batam, Indonesia

August 09, 2023

Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel

I can’t believe that we only have a few days left to enjoy our school break and to be honest, I did not feel the summer vacation this year because we did not have any trips. Well, for the past several weeks, my husband has frequent Jakarta Indonesia and we had the opportunity to travel with him. Still, I let go of the chances because Jakarta is not on my bucket list, airfare is expensive, and for tourist spots, I only need a day or two to visit those. So I chose to have a staycation na lang at home and save money. 

Anyway, I mentioned in my other post that my husband usually stays at The Westin Jakarta but during his trip, it was fully booked so his colleagues informed him to book at Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City. This is the 6th hotel that my husband tried in Jakarta Indonesia and since he frequents Sheraton hotels, he has his own expectations. 


But unfortunately, his expectations were not met. It started with the reception where the staff wanted him to pay his booking in full. What?!? We are aware of incidental deposit pero full payment agad upon check-in, first-time sa Sheraton. What if he wanted to shorten his stay like his previous trip

When he reaches his room, the room looks good but there is a certain smell that he doesn’t know kung saan ba nanggagaling, parang amoy kulob or molds. It is not the same with other Sheraton rooms na mabango pag open mo pa lang ng door. 



The room and bathroom are spacious. The staff even prepared welcome snacks and handwritten cards.





He stayed on the 17th floor but can still hear the noise outside so it is hard to sleep. 


Buffet Breakfast at Anigre Restaurant 

The following day, while they were eating their breakfast, a hotel staff approached them and asked for feedback and my husband was surprised when his colleagues started talking because they stayed in 3 different rooms but they had the same concern which is the “smell of the room”. But the hotel did not transfer them to a different room so they endured the smell for almost a week. 

About breakfast, there are so many options like Indonesian, Asian, and Western cuisine but the taste is just okay. I won’t go into details but after his colleagues shared their feedback about the food, the chef even went out and told them, that if they wanted a certain meal, they could prepare it for them. But they did not make any special requests; it just so happened that the hotel staff went to their table and asked for their feedback. Unfortunately, their reviews are not positive. 





But on a positive note, the Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel has a good location because it is adjacent to Gandaria City Mall so you can easily shop and dine. They have a 24-hour fitness center and swimming pool. 

Lobby Lounge 

Aside from Anigre Restaurant, they have a Lobby Lounge too which serves cocktails and appetizers. My husband stayed and dined here while waiting for his midnight flight. 


Update: December 2024

Just this month, my husband went back to Indonesia for a business trip and stayed at the Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel during his first and last days. And because of his past experience, he booked here without expectations so he was surprised when he arrived at the hotel. 





There is a welcome note on television, handwritten notes, and welcome snacks, and the surprising part is, that he has complimentary access to Sheraton Club. 

Complimentary Sheraton Club Breakfast Buffet - 6:00AM to 10:30AM 
Complimentary Evening Hors D’oeuvres with selected house wines, beer, and basic spirits.
Complimentary snacks, coffee/tea, and soft drinks were available throughout the day 
Complimentary Sheraton Club Meeting Room usage
2 pieces pressing per stay 

He also received a coupon for a one-time lunch/dinner at Anigre (1 pax) and a Special Happy Hour drink at Lobby Lounge (one time only).

There are so many freebies, unfortunately, he was not able to enjoy all the benefits because he only stayed for several hours. On his first day, he arrived in the wee hours so he missed the Evening Hors D’oeuvres but he was able to eat breakfast at the Sheraton Club before he checked out. 







After a few days, he went back to the hotel so he could rest before his midnight flight. The staff changed the expiration date of his coupon so he had a buffet dinner at Anigre.


Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel 
Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda, Kebayoran, 
Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia, 12240

July 25, 2023

Aryaduta Lippo Village Hotel in Indonesia

Since the year 2018, my husband usually stays at The Westin Jakarta Hotel whenever he has a business trip in Jakarta, Indonesia. I can no longer count how many times he stayed in this hotel. During his last trip, he booked at The Westin Jakarta Hotel for almost one week but he cut his stay short because the hotel is too far from the site that he needs to visit. 


Travel time is more or less 2 hours depending on the traffic so he was spending four hours or more every single day just to reach his destination and vice versa. His colleague suggested to transfer hotel so when he went back to Westin he asked the staff if there will be no penalty if he will shorten his stay. 

The staff said “Yes, no penalty” but in less than an hour, he received a message stating that he needs to inform them within the day or else there will be a penalty charge. It was already late in the evening so he has only a few hours left to book another hotel. His colleague suggested Aryaduta Lippo Village. He browsed the website and the hotel looks good in the picture. And because of limited time, he booked the hotel without reading reviews. 


Aryaduta Lippo Village Hotel 

Aryaduta Lippo Village is located in Lippo Karawaci which is now known as Lippo Village. It is outside Jakarta and a short drive to the international airport. The hotel features 191 rooms and villas. This hotel is budget-friendly compared to other hotels that my husband tried. 


At the time of his trip, he dropped by Aryaduta Lippo Village first for check-in but no early check-in so he just left his luggage and off he went to the site that he needs to visit. When he got in the taxi, out of the blue the taxi driver told him “You know I hear so many ghost stories here”. My husband was so shocked, he just check in tapos may ghost story pala. Waah! 

When the lady driver said “here”, she was not saying that there are ghosts in the hotel but "ghost stories in the Karawaci area”. Napagkwekwentuhan daw ng mga taxi drivers. And because of that, my husband already felt uncomfortable especially when he saw his room after work. 





He arrived late at night so even he turned on the light, the room was still not well-lighted. So parang Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar feel, hehehe! The room already looks old so it is no longer the same as the pictures on the website; expectation vs reality.


The hotel has a swimming pool designed in Balinese style, a gym, spa & massage, and a team building area. 



For food and beverages, the hotel offers indoor and outdoor restaurants; Lounge Bar, Palm Cafe, Laguna Bar, The Gardenia, and RJ’s Sports Bar and Grill. 



The Indonesian colleague who suggested this hotel also stayed in this hotel. The hotel looks okay naman but because of the taxi driver, nakakadalawang-isip magstay sa Lippo Village area. We don’t know if the ghost stories are true because when I tried to search, I can’t find anything. Also, there are so many guests in the hotel; in fact, my husband was not able to take a lot of pictures in the buffet restaurant because it was crowded. 

Aryaduta Lippo Village 
401 Bulevard Jendral Sudirman 
1300 Lippo Village
Klook.com