Short review
Note: 3 is average
Value for money: 4.5/5 – Good value for money for its amenities and location
Services: 5/5 – Generous and personalised welcome gifts
Bedroom: 3/5 – Nicely decorated; lingering smell of smoke
Sleep quality: 4/5 – Comfortable bed; quiet air conditioner; noises from neighbours
Bathroom: 4/5 – Clean and fairly spacious
Facilities and amenities: 4.5/5 – A good gym, a large pool surrounded by a lush greenery, 3 different restaurants
Pros
- Near the city centre
- Reasonable price
- Great service
Cons
- Smell of smoke in the bedroom
Long review
Mercure Surabaya Grand Mirama is located on one of the main roads near the centre of Surabaya. Surabaya Zoo is only about 1 km away from the hotel, while Tunjungan Plaza, the largest shopping centre in the city, is about 3 km away. The hotel has been around since 1973, although it was simply called Hotel Mirama at that time before being taken over by Accor in 2007.
Entering the hotel, there are two statues which become the centre piece of the lobby. I am not quite sure what they represent, but I think they are Rama and Sita, two characters in the Ramayana, an epic of Hinduism. The check-in staff was warm and welcoming. One staff then escorted me to the room, which is located in the new wing of the hotel. The corridor was decorated with more statues and decorative patterns on the wall and ceiling. The glass roof above one corridor allows sunlight to penetrate, bringing freshness and needed light into the space. I also walked around the hotel and saw many beautiful paintings hanging on the walls.
My room is a Premier Superior Twin room. The hotel website states that the room size is 24 sqm, which is not that big of a space. However, when I entered the room, I felt that the size of the room is reasonably spacious. I think the way they used the space, the furniture and interior selection, and the high ceiling work well together to make the room feel larger.
My eyes were immediately drawn to the welcome note written on the written. Very nice, personalised touch.
Entering the room further, I appreciated the traditional design of the room, particularly around the bed. The bamboo arrangement resembles traditional Indonesian food baskets which are usually carried by a bamboo rod over the shoulder of the seller. The orange walls also made the room feel bright and cheerful. I also like the additional two sofas on each side of the bed.
There was another surprise on one of the beds. A welcome note, a couple of origami arts, and an adorable dog made from towels. The beds themselves were comfortable.
The surprise did not end there. When I opened the fridge, there were four large slices of cakes! They were delicious. Even the water bottles were labelled personally. The welcome gifts were indeed generous and thoughtful.
Opening the window … I was presented with arguably the worst view I have ever encountered from a hotel room. Ugly roofs.
The bathroom was clean with a decent size. Following the modern design, the curtain in the shower space can be rolled up to expose a glass wall/window between the bathroom and the bedroom.
The internet in the room was fast and stable throughout my stay. The TV had a poor reception (or the TV’s quality was poor), so all the channels were rather blurry. The air conditioning was quiet, but I could sometimes hear noises from the neighbours. Not overly loud fortunately. The major problem in the room was the lingering smell of smoke even though it was a non-smoking room. I noticed the smell every time I entered the room.
Breakfast was served at the Trimurti Restaurant, which also offers Indonesian and western dishes for lunch and dinner. The hotel has 2 other restaurants. A Chinese restaurant called Lan Hua and a Japanese restaurant called Ebisu. The Japanese restaurant is uniquely decorated with a Torii gate. Back to breakfast, the range of the dishes was good, which was expected from a hotel in Indonesia. The options included Indonesian dishes and snacks, western-inspired breakfast, bread and pastries, and fruit. The dishes were also different every day. Breakfast was a satisfying experience.
The swimming pool has a good size and is surrounded by beautiful, lush greenery. The gym is also well equipped and fairly spacious. The hotel also offers a spa and massage service at their Vous Spa.
Overall, I enjoyed my stay. The services from the staff were great and welcoming. Breakfast was also enjoyable. The only serious negative worth mentioning is the lingering smell of smoke in the bedroom, which was supposed to be a non-smoking room.
