Hotels met breakfast in East Java, Indonesia

I stayed here for 3 nights, and this is my honest review. The hotel has recently reopened after a complete renovation and rebranding. The staff were excellent. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. Check-in took about five minutes because the staff member assisting me seemed new and was carefully following the procedures. I didn’t mind at all, and I was served a delicious welcome drink while waiting. After check-in, a staff member escorted me to my room. Pros: 1. The rooms have been fully renovated and feel modern. 2. The bed was comfortable, the air conditioning worked perfectly, even at 26°C. 3. Breakfast exceeded my expectations. Everything I tried was delicious, especially the Indonesian dishes. What impressed me the most was that, even though the hotel was still very quiet and there were only a handful of guests during my stay, they still offered a full breakfast buffet with a wide variety of options. Many hotels would simply serve a limited set menu or deliver breakfast to the room when occupancy is this low, but this hotel maintained a complete buffet from end to end. I really have to give them credit for that. 4. The location is convenient, with Superindo and Indomaret within a 3-minute walk and Pakuwon Mall only about a 9-minute drive away. 5. The lobby is spacious and looks luxurious. Cons: 1. The TV was by far my biggest disappointment. I stayed in a Deluxe Room, and the TV appeared to be left over from the previous hotel rather than replaced during the renovation. It was very small, around 32 inches, and wasn’t a Smart TV, which feels completely out of place for a hotel that claims to be five-star. The selection of TV channels was also very limited, and the picture quality was poor with noticeable static, making it quite unpleasant during my 3-night stay. The Executive Rooms have larger TVs, but based on the information I received, they are not Smart TVs either because I was told that only the Suite Rooms will have Smart TVs, and those rooms will only become available after the hotel’s grand opening. You can even notice that the hotel doesn’t include any photos of the TV in the Deluxe Room images on its booking page, which almost makes it seem like they’re avoiding showing it. Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a genuine five-star hotel still using a 32-inch non-Smart TV in its standard guest rooms. 2. Soundproofing isn’t great. I could hear noise from the next room and the nearby mosque. 3. The Wi-Fi was very slow, and mobile signal inside the hotel was also weak. 4. The shower area had no shelf or storage space for personal toiletries, and the floor was extremely slippery. I almost slipped several times while showering. This is something the hotel should address, as it could become a safety hazard. 5. The power outlet next to the bed was already occupied by the bedside lamp, so I had to unplug it every time I wanted to charge my phone. 6. Although there were plenty of power outlets in the room, about half of them didn’t work, which was frustrating. 7. I wasn’t a fan of the pillow and bed linens. While the bed itself was comfortable, the bedsheets felt rough rather than soft. I even noticed that the underside of my arms became itchy whenever they rubbed against the fabric. 8. The hotel was very quiet during my stay. It seems many people still don’t know it has reopened, and I haven’t seen much promotion or any soft opening offers on its website and Instagram account. Overall: I enjoyed my stay thanks to the friendly staff, comfortable room, excellent breakfast, and convenient location. However, the TV and Wi-Fi were major drawbacks, and there are still several details that don’t quite meet the standard of a true five-star hotel. At the moment, I would personally rate this hotel as 4.5 stars rather than a full 5-star property. It has great potential, and with improvements to the TVs, internet, room details, and overall quality control, I believe it could truly live up to its five-star positioning.

Great place, well maintained, with swimming pools, its own rice paddies!, marvelous service. We've been here for one night, but had to regret our plan did not let us stay longer. Our objective was to trek Ijen, which is just 30 minutes away from here. The frontdesk can help you with the driver, the health check, tickets and supplying breakfast in a box. However, there is much more on site and around to make a longer stay enjoyable.

Hotel is connected to a mall. Great location. Room is clean. Breakfast at Magnolia has an extensive spread. Quality of food is good, nice presentation and service by staff is excellent. Ambience at Club lounge is nice. What stands out most in this 5* hotel is the world class service rendered by all staff consistently. There is no staff that isn’t polite or helpful. Many go the extra mile to ensure that the hotel guests needs are well taken care of. Special thanks to Evan of the Club Lounge who attended to us when we checked in and Tian when we checked out, Bayu and colleagues (Conceige) who assisted us with ordering of Spikoe lapis cake and Bu Rudy, Lita and David (Magnolia) who served us at our table and Bastian and team for keeping the room clean. We highly recommend this hotel.

Our 2nd time staying at this hotel. It was in a good neighborhood (many street food vendor at night). Good service (fast check-in/out), suitable parking space. Overall a great stay for us.

Pro - excellent service from the staff! - We have a baby (＜ 1 yr old), they provided us with baby cot, baby bath tub and water scoop (gayung) - View of the animals from the room is breathtaking - Can throw carrots (3 pieces were provided by the hotel) from the room to the animals - Breakfast is yummy. They have a selection of local and international buffet spread - Can take photo with giraffes if you missed the breakfast with giraffe slot - Can feed the fishes at the lobby for free - Souvenir shopping at the hotel for convenience - there was a bird (cockatoo?) available for photo taking for free too Cons - stinks of animal poops at the lobby - Giraffe, rhino and meerkat feeding are extra charge - Only rain shower head (ie, not moveable)

This is my second time here. The staff are genuinely nice and will greet you every single time. I had an issue with the aircon not being cold enough. The technician, front desk are all very patient and attentive to my request. Reaction was quick and I also had a room change. The room is very spacious with a great view of the city. Amenities aplenty and will cater to your needs. I had a good three nights rest and a wonderful stay here. Would definitely recommend this hotel.

We stayed at Grand Mercure Malang Mirama for our honeymoon for 3 nights and 4 days, and honestly, it was one of the best hotel experiences we’ve ever had. My wife absolutely loved everything about this hotel, and so did I. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality was exceptional. We were welcomed by Wike from the front office, and she truly made our stay extra special. She was always smiling, respectful, kind, and very helpful throughout our stay. She even offered us free activities and vouchers, which was such a nice touch. The biggest surprise was that we got upgraded to the Executive Suite, the highest room category in the hotel. Huge thanks to Wike for making our honeymoon unforgettable! The room itself was unbelievable. Beautiful views, a huge living room, separate bedroom, and an amazing bathroom with a bathtub overlooking the view. Everything felt luxurious and very comfortable. Since it was our honeymoon, the room was also beautifully decorated and we were welcomed with a fruit basket, which made us feel really special. Breakfast was another highlight. The variety was insane so many options that we honestly didn’t know what to choose. Everything we tried was delicious. One thing that really stood out was the staff. I’ve traveled quite a lot, but the service here felt different. Every single staff member we met smiled, greeted us warmly, checked if everything was okay, and helped immediately whenever needed. You can really feel the genuine hospitality here. We also received a complimentary photoshoot from the hotel, which was such a lovely experience. The photographer was great, and we even got a printed photo in a frame to take home as a memory. The only disappointing part during our stay was the Teppanyaki experience at the Japanese restaurant. Unfortunately, it did not meet our expectations at all. The chef only cooked in front of us without any interaction or entertainment, and when I tried making conversation, she seemed annoyed. Considering how expensive it was, it honestly felt very underwhelming. I personally wouldn’t recommend the Teppanyaki experience there. Other than that, everything was truly amazing. Even though I don’t remember everyone’s names, thank you to every single staff member who made our honeymoon so memorable. We absolutely loved our stay and will definitely come back again. And once again, special thanks to Wike you are a star ⭐

Banyuwangi truly is the ultimate ”sanctuary of stillness,” and ÉL Hotel Banyuwangi provides a beautiful, serene backdrop to experience it. I had a wonderful stay overall, and while there are a few areas where the hotel can step up its game, the foundation is absolutely there for this to become an exceptional property. 🏨 The Hardware & Facilities (Top-Notch!) On the physical side of things, the hotel completely delivers. The rooms are comfortable and well-designed, the gym is well-equipped for a holiday workout, and the swimming pool area is beautiful—perfect for soaking in the quiet energy of the region. 🍳 Food & A Soothing Morning Ritual The culinary experience was a highlight. The food quality was solid, and the local flavors were genuinely delicious. But my absolute favorite part of the morning was the outdoor breakfast area, where they offer fish feeding. Watching the fish move gracefully through the water while enjoying breakfast was incredibly calming and set a beautiful, soothing tone for the day. 🌱 Areas for Growth: Service & Sustainability To truly elevate this hotel to a 5-star luxury standard, there are two areas I’d love to see improve: Eco-Friendly Amenities: In a pristine destination like Banyuwangi, sustainability matters. Currently, the hotel is still using single-use plastic containers for bathroom amenities. Shifting toward refillable dispensers or biodegradable alternatives would align beautifully with the natural essence of the area. Staff Guidance: The young team members have incredible potential and are clearly eager, but they just need a bit more structured guidance and hospitality training. With the right leadership, this passionate young staff could easily turn good service into an exceptional guest experience. 🗺️ The Verdict Overall, I will absolutely come back! There is so much promise here, and I have high hopes that the team will take this constructive feedback to heart and continue to polish their service. If you are looking for a peaceful getaway in Banyuwangi, this is still a highly recommended spot. #ElHotelBanyuwangi #BanyuwangiTravel #SanctuaryOfStillness #WonderfulIndonesia #HotelReview #TravelBlogger

The location is a bit out of the way, and access is still limited as it's a new property and hadn't had its grand opening yet when I visited. However, the service was absolutely outstanding; the staff were very open to directly asking guests for feedback and suggestions. There will be more facilities in the future as it's still under development. But the view from the hotel room was stunning, both at night and in the morning. The restaurant's food was delicious too.

Before I begin the review, let me say that the front desk staff of the hotel have been extremely understanding and accomodating. They ensured most of my complaints were addressed. So this review isn't a reflection on them. They graciously changed my room three times due to the following issues I faced. But having said that, the hotel itself is a disaster. The walls were essentially thin cardboard and you could hear everything from the adjacent rooms - from people coughing their lungs out, sneezing, talking to ********** - literally everything. In the bathroom you hear some continuously banging noise coming from somewhere as if there is construction going on - maybe it's from the plumbing. You surely need ear plugs if you decide to get a good night's rest. There were mosquitos in the room I was given on the first night. There was also no hot water in the bathroom at night. It was at best luke-warm. The safe was not working and the sheets and pillow covers were stained. The couch was stained. The worst part about the first room was a serious hygeine issue. The commodes have a retractable bidet. It was covered in faeces. It was too disgusting to take a picture of but I showed it to the manager. After I complained they changed the room but I couldn't sleep properly because of loud neighbours in the adjacent room. You can also see from the pictures that the rooms aren't maintained well. There's water seepage and damaged furniture. I had to request a change of room again but even this room had loud neighbours and a poorly cleaned bathroom with hair everywhere. I just cleaned it myself and adjusted as this was my last night of the stay. I ended up staying in 3 different rooms during my 3 night stay. This hotel needs to be shut down and renovated. They first need to build proper walls in between rooms. Their housekeeping staff also needs proper training.