Preferred Hotels in Bintan

The hotel and its facilities are very nice. Here and there a few spots of improvements needed but otherwise a very attractive hotel with lovely features. A very pleasant stay starts with a dedicated lounge at the ferry terminal which is available upon arrival and departure (taking care of your visa and other requirements). Travel to the actual hotel is within short 20 minutes by hotel shuttle bus. You can chose between colonial style suites at the main building or near by or Thai/ Bali style villas on the large ground and a short walk away from the main building. The Thai villas are very nice, filled with all the necessary amenities and some top of the range products. Plenty of storage space, outdoor veranda seating and well kept exterior make it really nice. At the main section, the pool is with its 50 meter in length a true highlight, together with the very easy and close proximity to the pristine and huge beach section. Although facing north, the beach is actually in a bay and can be explored for hours. Also well worth mentioning is the spa which provides truly amazing treatments administered by very experienced therapists who will truly pamper you from start to finish. Regrettably, there are also a number of shortcomings. Although the hotel provides insect repellant for your daily use, even the best of preventions and best of cleaning/ spraying efforts of the staff will not stop billions of sand flees attacking you on the beach, especially after rain or during the evening hours when you become their dinner. However, the biggest drawback is the food and beverage section. For a hotel operating in such a high price category, the restaurant is a true letdown perhaps even the sole reason for not coming back again. Yes staff everywhere is very friendly, attentive and making it their business to know you by your first name from the start, but the entire food and beverage section requires a lot of improvements to even get close to a star rated service. Yes the drinks are well made (guess can be expected at prices of US$20 plus) but the restaurant service truly lacks what it takes. The food, expensive as it is, lacks any sort of imagination, is void of any special touches, and surely does not represent Indonesian cuisine in any shape or form. As said, staff are very friendly and trying their best however, if they are not taught the basics or led by indifferent managers, then things need to change. Management comes from the top. In summary, if you are looking for a nice place to relax in a colonial style building, not too crowded with a lovely pool, then please try the Sanchaya. However, if you looking for cuisine which is anything but poor, not even ordinary, then you better look elsewhere.