[nono1973]

Originally Posted by funboi

CNA version

Thank you for sharing, read those before (and no less than twice). The infected person/s have had corona virus (w/o knowing) BEFORE heading to Batam. Which is why Singapore side categorize them under one of its group cluster (Wizlearn Technologies in Science Park).

I have been reading and tracking (trying to) which ferry this few people is taking and alighting and boarding at which ferry terminal in Batam. But the news not been providing those much needed information (for me). So i am looking at news from Indonesia Batam instead.

Originally Posted by Lingo

...the 3 infected singaporeans help to reduce the prices for chonging in Batam...LT booking may be 30% down...hehe!!

Short time to me has all along been at about 350k rupiah and/or lesser. Last month (February 2020) few of the field reports sent to me by some of the honorable reading bros here via PM was 300k rupiah for short time. One of them even manage to bargained down to 250k rupiah.

I hope to see 200k rupiah in time to come,hehehe...who knows, Batam may eventually goes back to the 600k/700k rupiah LT pricing of yesteryear?

Just a thought.

Originally Posted by biostar

Always wondered why Utama hotel was not a popular choice among the punters here even though it's so near the numerous booking joints and MPs.

A lot has not been updated on Utama Hotel online, eg its being renovated, air con used to be like Formosa, but is not in split unit etc. And their MOST popular room were the Deluxe room. Most of its guests werent I.T savvy, i guess...hehehe...its a value for money hotel. But thats only if only one can find their 265 as in like Formosa.

I havent find it yet and still keeping a close watch. But becos i already found my alternative, hence this will takes me some time.

Then again, like Formosa Hotel. This Utama hotel has no lack of business. Meaning to say, like Formosa..its one of the hotel in Batam that can still make profit.

Originally Posted by biostar

After bro nono's explanation and photos, i could understand why. it feels like it's still stuck in the late 80s era and ciggie smoke can be smelt everywhere. Carpets do trap smoke smells too and over the years the accidental ciggie butt drops have increased the intensity of the odour and stain the carpets more.

To me, there is no such as a perfect girl nor a perfect hotel anywhere. I am so tired of complaining and complaining to those hotels which DO NOT fit my staying criteria when i visit Batam. (if i use Formosa Hotel as a benchmark, no hotels in Batam will suit me)

So one fine day, i decide i will change my staying environment instead to make my stay more comfortable. Environmental issues like room no windows, toilet flush always break down, no hot water in bath room etc, those things i cannot change. Only solution is to get change to better room.

BUT environmental issues like cigarette smell, dirty linen/curtains, in-room flying insects (not cockroaches), poor wifi connectivity, no kettle, poor housekeeping respond etc, i CAN change those.

Over a period of a few years, i create few rooms in some certain hotel in Batam to best suit my comfortability. Takes time, and so far can only create 2 such hotel's room to fit my bill ,thats after 5 years. Hehehe...and i get to play "prince" there too, just like i am in Formosa Hotel. Not as perfect as in like Formosa, but comfortably good enough as alternatives.

Originally Posted by BFOMF5

Used Utama during Newberry time until Hotel 18 comes up. To me I hv no complaints about the location, the king size bed, the bath tub, and Breakfast lay out.

I am guessing, not every room has the hot water issue. As in, the bath room water were often NOT hot enough during the evening.

Dont know who go and complain of Hotel 18 bath room water NOT hot enough...now, its so damn hot that it can even boil an egg in it.

Originally Posted by BFOMF5

FYI there are some old man still like the hotel.

Most of their guest were either Malay families or some older Chinese man,hehehe...usually accompanied by some SYTs or younger MILFs.

Understanding some points of Hotel culture in Batam, it is no wonder why hotels like Lai Lai, Hai Hai, Hai Hai 2, Pagoda hotel can still survive,hehehe...and Formosa, Nagoya Plasa and Utama actually belongs to those same generation of hotels.

Originally Posted by Black Page

Outstanding review of Batam hotels. I am going to bookmark your report for future reference.
I have only one remark: I tried to check prices of Da Vienna for a random week, and I found that for a rate on the order of the membership rate at Formosa (say, 600k) I could book the Junior Suite. This looks definitely interesting.

Finally you are looking in the right direction.

Out of the more than half dozen times i stayed in Da Vienna, only once i stay in Grand Deluxe and once in their Executive room. The rest of the time, i am in their Junior suite.

Since their Junior suite price were pretty much unstable (sometime high,sometime low). Its often good to have alternatives.

Originally Posted by Black Page

The main problem now is the coronavirus. I am in Europe, and now we are the main "infector" of the world: we are in full exponential growth phase, and nobody knows when the increase exponential rate will start to lower (currently around x2 (doubling) every 4 days). This will stop, I hope, in few months.

If we are talking about just Batam alone, then Singaporean (like myself) would probably be more worried than you.

By the way, the Indonesia government is cutting its airline fare (by 20% to 50%) pricing to boost tourism. And Batam being one of the destination,hehehe...

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/...-19-scare.html

Encouraging huh?

Indonesia government on one side says encouraging tourism by pouring tons of rupiah to help its people, but on the other side?

(photo words)

The full links of what was said and why it was being said that way is below.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/...-in-batam.html

Above photo were send to me via email from a bro in this forum. From appearance it do sound contradicting with the main governing body in Jakarta, arent it?

The photo words above of what was being said were cut out a little between the lines tho, hence to get a clearer picture please do read the complete article (on the link stated).

Can i call it fake news? No, they are obviously not. But they are words cut out in between the whole context and posted it in public meant for the purpose to confuse.

So, do read everything online with care, and double check its source.

Originally Posted by Black Page

But in Batam, I bet that the virus is silently spreading. Simply, nobody may notice it, since nobody without money goes to hospital for a check unless very serious, and people is used to be sick and recover or not. Imagine ONE sick person who goes to Newton: how many are infected that night?
So, once spread, it cannot be put back in the box. One day this virus will be endemic in many countries, but before then just moving to a different country is extremely risky, for who travels and for those who welcome. I will wait some months to see how all this will settle.

I am keeping tab on the listings below :

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Just for reference.