Goodway Hotel Batam

Location

Goodway Hotel is located in the heart of downtown nagoya (now widely known as Lubuk Baja). It is only 20 minutes drives to Hang Nadim International airport, 10 minutes to Batam Centre Point International pier and 20 minutes to Sekupang pier, easy access to shops, restaurants, banks, karaoke and discotheque.
Goodway Hotel is where I stayed during my trip to Batam. It used to be known as the Mandarin Regency Hotel and that is actually pretty obvious because the hotel apparently cannot decide whether should they change their branding completely to the new name (Goodway) or stick with the old (Mandarin Regency). Throughout the hotels, one can find signboards (including a really large one by the main entrance), decorative effects, as well as stationery using either of the labels interchangeably. Of course Goodway Hotel used to be well-known because it used to house one of the better known casinos in Batam island. But that has since been clamped down in February 2005 and apparently, that had hit their business quite a bit. I thought it was interesting that when the receptionist made this known to me during my checkout, she was actually sighing about it. The location of the hotel is not bad. It is not at the center of the shopping attractions in Nagoya Town, but at a relatively accessible (and definitely walkable distance). Because of this, it is quite peaceful and quiet at night. The rooms and facilities are a little cramped and old though, but I was certainly happy the bed used for their rooms, even for twin rooms, are queen sized ones! Do note that this is a low-rise hotel with only 4 levels for those who like to stay on high floors. Being old, there are also some dubious stains on my room's WC unit and bath tub, but not enough to disturb me greatly. In overall, I think it is quite good value for money. But I think I will stay in a newer hotel should I visit Batam again. More details about the hotel can be found in my travelogue here.

It is quite a grand hotel but a little dated. Nevertheless, it is served by a good team of staff who are both friendly and helpful. One nice touch is that the curtains used were of the total blackout variety, which shields the sometimes overly bright daylight well.


# Price: US$40-80 » Currency Converter
# Comparison: more expensive than average
# Address: Jalan Imam Bonjol No. 1 Nagoya Pulau Batam 29432
# Phone: +62 778 426888
# Directions: Within Nogoya Town
# Website: http://www.goodwayhotel.com/
# Other Contact: Fax: +62 0778 458057