This is my 2nd time staying at Novotel Batam.
The rooms are clean and comfortable, and we had a good rest on its beds.
The hotel lobby is comfortable and simple looking, and we really liked it.
It is about 5 min from Nagoya Hill mall, and there is a shuttle from the hotel to the mall every 10am, 3pm and 7pm.
However, the only downside was the reservation and paying part.
I booked 3 rooms on its website.
But after that, I realised that I could have booked it at a promotional price under a Citibank credit card. As I just wanted to change the pricing to that of the promotional rate, I tried to contact the hotel through both phone and email, but I could not get through it.
Thus, I had no choice but to cancel and reserve the rooms again.
The promotion allowed us to have a late check-out at 4pm and there was 10% discount.
At the point of checking in, even though I passed the print-out to the staff, I thought it was obvious that I booked under the promotion. But they refused me a late check-out. I was fine with checking out at noon too so I did not make a fuss.
At the point of payment, they charged me a Red Bull which I didn't consume, and they also charged me the original price. Even after I tried to tell them about the promotion by referring to the print-out, they did not seem to understand. I knew that they did not understand because the reservation code was of the 1st booking I made. It was only after some time that the in-charge agreed upon it and charged me the promotional price. It was as if they did not know about this promotion at all. They also cancelled the Red Bull charge.
Although it wasn't a very unpleasant experience, but it did mar a little of my almost-perfect stay at Batam. The lesson I learnt: To always confirm the price of the rooms when checking in (which I thought was obvious though, as the price and T&Cs were already on the print-out).
But in general, the rooms and service are still good and it is really value for money if you are looking for an affordable and comfortable stay in Batam which is near the malls.