3-Star Hotels in Riau Islands, Indonesia

My intention here is to provide a 100% fact based, detailed and balanced assessment of the 360° experience of this property. But before we jump in to the details, let me first say that *for the discounted VIP member price* paid on this occasion, we are 100% satisfied with our stay at MAXONE Batam (with one notable exception, see below). A big thank you to the management and team (especially front desk and concierge) for an *almost* perfect 👌🏼 stay. First visited MAXONE Batam six months ago when newly opened. A very positive experience, but my initial impressions were that overall facilities available were quite limited given the ambitious price point. This second stay confirmed my initial observations, after 6 months of operation. Quality of welcome is very good, front desk and concierge extremely professional. Well done 👏🏼. Main public areas and rooms are immaculately clean and well maintained. If you want 100% immaculately clean rooms, this is, however, probably your best choice today in Batam. Linens are top quality, fresh and clean. Abundant and carefully selected pillows. Very large king bed. If your objective is a good sleep, this is pretty much guaranteed. However, we have the following observations that indicate the typical prices asked for the standard Deluxe King rooms are ambitious and too high for what you get: - Breakfast not included - No pool or gym - Deluxe King rooms very narrow and claustrophobic for two people with luggage and shopping (but the bathrooms are a good size) - It's clear from the layout that whoever did the interior design of the Deluxe King rooms is not accustomed to, and does not have appropriate experience of, designing for compact room dimensions - much could be learned from the efficient layout of similarly compact (19m2) rooms in eg Denmark, Sweden, about the optimal use of space. - Unacceptable WiFi connectivity, whether you are a business or leisure traveller. Latency (often over 1000ms) in particular is problematic. Over 100 tests conducted on 5 different devices over 48 hours at different times of day and at all locations at the property. This is clearly a conscious cost based decision by the hotel operator and not a technical limitation, certainly not in a newly constructed property. This is particularly an issue for local business travellers such as myself because 4G/5G cellular connectivity with XL, Telkomsel etc at this location at Jln Sriwijaya / Kampung Pelita is extremely poor and always has been. *Summary and conclusions* We've stayed at almost all 3*, 4* and 5* properties in the Riau Islands over the past 10 years. This includes the two most recent 5* star properties and several newly refurbished 4* star properties in Kota Batam. As a ”user chooser” business owner who travels and works remotely 300+ days a year, I don't have a set ”budget” or ”price range” for hotels and apartments I select. I'm interested in the services and facilities received in relation to the actual price paid (after my usual VIP / frequent traveller discounts). On this occasion, my VIP member prices mean I paid very competitive prices for this stay. As a result I'm 100% satisfied with my stay at MAXONE Batam, with the exception of the WiFi provision which remains unacceptable in such a property given the kind of target customers the property would like to attract as guests.

Good service and location, but room condition and pre-booking transparency need improvement We booked two different room types: a one-bedroom unit with living room and a Studio. First, the positives. The service team was responsive and helpful through WhatsApp. The standard check-in was 3:00 PM, but when we asked at around 1:30 PM whether early check-in was possible, they managed to let us check in at approximately 1:45 PM. We genuinely appreciated this. The location was good and the property itself has good potential. Unfortunately, the condition of the units did not quite match what we expected for the price paid. The one-bedroom + living room unit had an unpleasant smell, visible pre-existing damage to the decorative wall below the TV and other wall maintenance issues. The bedroom door also felt unusually thin and lightweight, affecting the sense of privacy and sound insulation. The Studio unit had no usable curtain covering the large glass window/balcony door beside the bed, affecting privacy and rest. We later found what appeared to be the curtain stored in a drawer, but the required holding bar was missing so we could not reinstall it. We also found broken plastic components stored in a kitchen cupboard. More importantly, the entrance-door strike plate was loose and the surrounding frame showed cracking. We sometimes had to manually press the strike plate into position in order to properly close and lock the door. These appeared to be pre-existing maintenance issues. Another surprise was that detailed House Rules were only provided through WhatsApp on the day of check-in. These included no daily housekeeping, no replacement of towels/linen/amenities during the stay, and a requirement for guests to dispose of their own rubbish before checkout. We understand that an apartment/residence operates differently from a full-service hotel, and we do not expect 5-star hotel service. However, important service conditions should be clearly disclosed before booking and payment so travellers can make an informed choice. Likewise, an apartment does not need to be perfect. Cosmetic wear can be acceptable. But known defects or missed maintenance should ideally be addressed before check-in or communicated to the guest beforehand, particularly when they affect privacy, security or normal use of the room. As travellers, we also do not expect to become room inspectors immediately after arrival, photographing every existing scratch, damaged wall or fitting simply to establish that we did not cause it. For the price paid, the condition unfortunately felt below some less expensive inns/hotels we have previously stayed in. This is not a bad property. The location is good, the service team was responsive, and with better maintenance and pre-arrival quality control it could be a very nice place to stay. Our main disappointment was the loss of informed choice. Had we known the actual condition and service arrangements beforehand, we could have accepted them, requested another available unit, or chosen different accommodation before arriving. Overall: good service, good location and good potential, but room maintenance, quality control and transparency before booking need improvement.

Good service and location, but room condition and pre-booking transparency need improvement We booked two different room types: a one-bedroom unit with living room and a Studio. First, the positives. The service team was responsive and helpful through WhatsApp. The standard check-in was 3:00 PM, but when we asked at around 1:30 PM whether early check-in was possible, they managed to let us check in at approximately 1:45 PM. We genuinely appreciated this. The location was good and the property itself has good potential. Unfortunately, the condition of the units did not quite match what we expected for the price paid. The one-bedroom + living room unit had an unpleasant smell, visible pre-existing damage to the decorative wall below the TV and other wall maintenance issues. The bedroom door also felt unusually thin and lightweight, affecting the sense of privacy and sound insulation. The Studio unit had no usable curtain covering the large glass window/balcony door beside the bed, affecting privacy and rest. We later found what appeared to be the curtain stored in a drawer, but the required holding bar was missing so we could not reinstall it. We also found broken plastic components stored in a kitchen cupboard. More importantly, the entrance-door strike plate was loose and the surrounding frame showed cracking. We sometimes had to manually press the strike plate into position in order to properly close and lock the door. These appeared to be pre-existing maintenance issues. Another surprise was that detailed House Rules were only provided through WhatsApp on the day of check-in. These included no daily housekeeping, no replacement of towels/linen/amenities during the stay, and a requirement for guests to dispose of their own rubbish before checkout. We understand that an apartment/residence operates differently from a full-service hotel, and we do not expect 5-star hotel service. However, important service conditions should be clearly disclosed before booking and payment so travellers can make an informed choice. Likewise, an apartment does not need to be perfect. Cosmetic wear can be acceptable. But known defects or missed maintenance should ideally be addressed before check-in or communicated to the guest beforehand, particularly when they affect privacy, security or normal use of the room. As travellers, we also do not expect to become room inspectors immediately after arrival, photographing every existing scratch, damaged wall or fitting simply to establish that we did not cause it. For the price paid, the condition unfortunately felt below some less expensive inns/hotels we have previously stayed in. This is not a bad property. The location is good, the service team was responsive, and with better maintenance and pre-arrival quality control it could be a very nice place to stay. Our main disappointment was the loss of informed choice. Had we known the actual condition and service arrangements beforehand, we could have accepted them, requested another available unit, or chosen different accommodation before arriving. Overall: good service, good location and good potential, but room maintenance, quality control and transparency before booking need improvement.

Conveniently located in the heart of the city, surrounded by restaurants and massage parlors. The hotel is clean, and the staff are friendly and very helpful when needed. Facilities are also good, and the room is clean. There's a wide variety of delicious food options.

Worth with the price

Staff are friendly and kind. The location is perfect, beside is Alfamart and you can go to Kedai Kopi Harum Manis on foot (5 mins distance)🤩. But, the water heater’s temperature is quite unstable when showering. There are some dust on the rack too. No fridge and hair dryer is the room. Encourage to bring own hair dryer as you might not get it although you requested (too many guests requested).

Perfect location for shopping at malls or wet market, massage, cafes etc. Small hotel with great price point. Has everything a nice stay needs. Staff are very friendly, helpful and accommodating. Buffet breakfast sufficient variety with interesting health juices. Twin room is spacious and clean. Shower has sink top with lots space. Love the wall design and smiley face on door that perks up the holiday mood.

Saw this and it's amenities and felt it was the best for me and my 3 kids. Decided to try this out didn't realize it was further than I'm usually used to. We arrived in the evening but was greeted by a cheerful receptionist. Please note there is a 1 mil rupiah deposit. I wasn't prepared for this so I thought to give this a heads up for future booking awareness. The place was alittle hard to spot from the main road ( there was no signage) but it's landmarks are Cubezone and Ria. Note, there is a laundry service across the road please expect 1-2 days. Express service is 1 day The entrance is a dainty little walkway like a secret hideout into a cactus garden that somehow transports you to what looks like Bali crossed with New Mexico feels. A small but clean pool, well maintained. They have dining table and benches outside for a chill out vibe. There's also a BBQ space where you can engage in their BBQ rental (provides charcoal n pit) with a ceiling fan n sink for your convenience and comfort. Area is nice and spacious. Once again I just emphasize, they keep it very clean. The place it seems is 6 container villas surrounding the garden n pool. Which is perfect if you plan to have a big group in. Inside there's a basic kitchenette with a fridge, pot, kettle. There were 2 rooms. Both equipped with bathrooms and tvs. Ac was perfection.you don't have to worry about the heat. It's so nice and cold. Makes you wanna just not get out of bed. The wifi was laggy alittle, didn't bother us as we had local data but it wasn't so nice to be watching a movie and gettin disrupted. TV is equipped with YOUTUBE and Netflix. Pretty awesome to keep the kids occupied. Be warned they have live bands that play music till 1-2 am in the morning. Definately didn't expect that but it didn't bother us so much. Once again, another heads up. Pool is open from 7am to 9pm. Its also a 15-20mins drive to Nagoya. We normally do Grab roughly about 60-70k. The host has their number in the welcome print and responds pretty fast if you need to enquire on anything. Overall, the place is pretty charming and despite it being alittle far from massages n karaoke, I think I found a new go to place. Certainly looking forward to be back.

Hotel was clean with courteous staff and nice window view. Buffet breakast included and location surrounded with many eateries outside the hotel. Will stay at this hotel again if I am going back there again. Highly recommend.

The staffs are very friendly. We went there quite early and our room not yet ready. The staff offer us to store our bags with them so that we no need to carry so heavy around. By the time we come back i realise the card for deposit bags had lost.The staff is so kind ask the type of our bag and even show us the pic of our bags to confirm before passing to us. The room is not very big but just nice for two of us to stay. wif connection is good.There is a pleasant nice smell in the lobby or even in the room. The only part is the toiletries for bath and shampoo is 3 in 1 which me myself personally dont really used to it. The buffet food ok sitting area not big enough if all come in at the same time. The surrounding area got massages,salon and chinese/hala food credit to the points which no need to go so far from the hotel.