Obviously, this is not like the usual bintan resorts that comes with many activities and water sports. I was there with my girlfriend on Oct 27 and have a night stay in the hotel. The staffs are very polite and proactively attend to all your needs. They understand what you want and can speak pretty well. They will make calls to your room to inform you the status of your planned vehicle and will never fail to make eye contact with their visitors.

The American Breakfast was excellent. The options are not many but every dishes were fantastic ( maybe that's why)

In the evening, i happened to meet the hotel manager and he brings me to take look at the buffet dinner they have and showcase the dishes (as they are preparing) . I end of accepting his offer to grab my dinner in the hotel. It was great as well.

The swimming pool was kind of mediocre, was not as clean as i think. I did not enjoy so much as there was a drizzling going on.

Overall, i think i have really enjoy the stay in Aston. I recommend for those people that are looking to stay in the hotel during their trip as the top priority.

This is our first time visiting Tanjong Pinang and we did not do any research of what to do in Tanjong Pinang due to the sudden decision of going for a 2d1n trip. I choose this hotel was due to the good reviews from others. The hotel is clean due to it is quite new. There is a free shuttle service from/to Sri Bintan Pura Ferry Terminal to/from Aston Tanjong Pinang which I think is important as the hotel is quite far (20 - 30 mins driving) from the ferry terminal.

After checking in the hotel, we decided to go to the city area as we thought we can spend lots of time there. The hotel staff said we can go to the Bestari Mall and we decided to use the hotel transport which cost IDR150,000 (2 ways). We realised there is nothing much for us to do here as the Bestari Mall is old and small. We also found nothing we can do in the surrounding area. After settling our lunch near the mall, we decided to go back to hotel to use the facilities there. After spending 2 hours at the nice and clean swimming pool, we also went for the spa (not that fantastic). Then, we also had our dinner at the hotel as the nearby area doesn't seem to have much choice of food and we do not want to walk as the area is quite dark for us. The buffet breakfast doesn't really have much choices and the food are average.

That was our 2d1n trip at Aston Tanjong Pinang. Therefore, I think if you want to go Tanjong Pinang for relaxation, you can choose this hotel and spend all your time in hotel unless you want to spend on the transportation to go to the beach area which the hotel staff informed us is about 40 mins drive from hotel.

It is our second stay at the Aston (first trip was in 2011). In 2011, I was worried that as a new hotel, amenities would be incomplete or that hotel staff would not be able to appropriately serve our needs (we were a group of 200).

However, when we first arrived, we were greeted by pleasant service staff and an accommodating manager. In 2011, my sleep was rather interrupted by the noise coming from an external water pipe. But that was a little inconvenience compared to the "everything is new" happy feeling. The carpets were firm and pretty, the ballroom's carpet was lush, the wallpaper was still fresh and sticking beautifully the way they are supposed to (although I couldn't comprehend the wallpaper choice). The beds were nice and firm, pillows were a bit too soft for me but linen was crisp, clean, and new!

The toilet's door was interesting too.

In 2012, when I knew we had to return to the place, I was worried that it may have slightly or considerably deteriorated (who knows what kind of guests or maintenance plan they had, right?).
Again, we were a huge group of 350 and the staff was still as warm, still as friendly, the manager still flashing a smile at us (even when some of us returned with soiled shoes). They were also quick to respond to our requests and met our needs satisfactorily.

More importantly, the linen was still crisp and clean, the carpets were still plush and unstained, the wallpaper was still nicely on the wall, the staff were even more polite and helpful, my sleep was still uninterrupted but pillows were still rather soft! :)

Anyhow, I got a pool facing room this time and after housekeeping service, they draw the curtains wide open for you to enjoy the view as soon as you open your door to your room. Aaaarrrggghhhh....some serenity despite the travelling madness.

AND, wake up for breakfast! Soft buttery croissants and plenty of tasty choices!

Thank you Aston!

Excellent value for money - only $140 SG for two nights and coming from the UK - that's really cheap...

Nice big pool (although I can't understand its illogical opening hours).

Service was extremely friendly & helpful. The reception staff helped me with taxi transport, wi-fi requests & room service; that was pretty quick too...

Rooms were tastefully done & welcoming.

The downsides:

. A bit far out of the main town (tanjung Pinang)- but easily reached by cab
. Noisy traffic outside on the road; scooters & motorbikes make a lot of noise & it went on pretty much all night
.
Having said that, guests must realise that this IS Indonesia & not some super developed, westernised fantasy island; it's by far the best hotel you'll get in Tanjung Pinang - so all other reviewers should quit whining & - if they're dissatisfied about such things as not having enough shampoo in the bathroom - go & book one of the 5* resorts in the North of Lagoi.

On the whole, a good little base to explore the rest of the island...if you're prepared to spend money on taxi fares...