MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Too late, I know, been enjoying my holiday and vacations too much, apologies :P

So today, I wanna share about my staycation experience at Vasa Hotel Surabaya (yay!) I stayed there during Christmas, and New Year as well. I think the location of the hotel is quite strategic, as in you can find many restaurants and cafes nearby; such as Briosse, Seaphoria, Madame Chang, Tekko, and etc. 

First off, pictures of the lobby and my check-in experience!

Magnificent Christmas Decoration, a superb photo spot :) Anyway, those chandeliers are just awesome and enchanting isn't it?

The Lobby Lounge

Front Desk / Concierge

The Fancy Elevator Hallway, a little dark due to the gloomy & rainy afternoon weather :(

From the Concierge, I think the service was very nice and satisfying. Me and my family were welcomed with fresh cold towels and a glass of welcome drinks as well, as expected from a luxurious hotel ;)

I also enjoyed looking around the lobby very much as it is filled with bright lights, metallic gold and silver colors, as well as marble floorings and walls. 

Moving on to the (my) most anticipated part, the room!

The first thing that I saw when I entered the room, The Vanity

(Anyway, the brown sliding door at the back of the vanity can be closed to separate the bathroom from the bed. The bathroom also provides shower and toilet only, no bathtub, in case you're wondering 😛)

Amenities

(I LOVE the black matte and gold packaging, lookin' so luxurious)

Slippers & bathrobe inside the cupboard

(I really love the slippers, it's so fluffy and warm and soft 😆)

TV & more amenities

Beds

I just really appreciate hotel that provides speaker inside the room 👏

As I said earlier, I deeply love the combination of cream / brown / beige, gray / silver, and a bit of blue, as it gives off this classic minimalistic luxury feelings, even more with marbles here and there.

Personally, I think the room is clean (maybe due to the hotel still recently opened?) and comfortable, even more with the couch overlooking the window. 

After I finished wandering around the room, I decided to go to the pool.

The infinity pool is quite nice, with the panoramic view of the city, though not as fabulous as I thought it would be. The fitness centre is located nearby, however when I stayed there it is not finished yet so I didn't get to go inside and exercise take any picture. On the other side of the elevator, Vasa is currently building their Wedding Chapel, and also the fine dining restaurant.

Moving on to my (possibly) favourite part during a staycation, breakfast!

So I had my breakfast at 209 dining, and our family is the only one having a breakfast there, and it's a little bit weird yet calming at the same time. I'm glad that I can take a lot of photos freely, though. 

I really love the wood furnitures that decorates the dining room, gold colors here and there, as well as the glass wall facing the street from the restaurant.

Tea and cute Christmas decoration 

That marble wall though ♥♥♥

Salad Bar

The tidy placement of the bread and dessert (and how the meticulously placed dessert are just, omg)

Beautiful Croissants

Best sushi during this breakfast time

First Round 😆 two thumbs up for their Chawanmushi and Salmon Sushi

Didn't expect so much from hotel breakfast's dimsum, but this one is delectably tasty

Second Round 😆 their baked potatoes and penne pasta are exceptional as well

For my last round, I ate cereals and dessert, but sadly their pudding doesn't taste as good as it looks, or maybe it's just different with my preferences, meh. Seriously, though, I gotta applaud the chefs here, cause their Japanese, Western, and Chinese foods did tastes like what I usually ate in a restaurant. I would recommend you to try and have a dine at 209 dining, for sure.

Overall, my staycation here in Vasa Hotel Surabaya has been amazing, I had a pleasant experience. I do recommend you to have a staycation here before the Chapel, Fine Dining restaurant, and Chinese restaurant open because then the price would increase for sure *wink*

Thank you for scrolling this long to read through my staycation experience! I hope you enjoy this blog post, and do share this post for anyone in need of review about Vasa Hotel Surabaya :) Until next blog post, see ya! 

Vasa Hotel Surabaya

Jl. HR Mohammad No. 31

Surabaya, East Java - Indonesia

Reservation: +6281 33021 1221 & +6281 33021 2223

Email : reservation@vasahotelsurabaya.com

http://vasahotelsurabaya.com

https://www.instagram.com/vasahotelsurabaya/

THANK YOU FOR READING!

- Caroline Ongkowijoyo

(Pictures courtesy of Caroline Ongkowijoyo, unless stated otherwise)

(Look at how beautiful Nusa Lembongan Beach are <3)

After arriving on Nusa Lembongan, you can use a motorcycle or a car (a.k.a pick-up in local language) to go to the Yellow Bridge. Note that only motorcycle can be used to cross the bridge.

(Yellow Bridge, connecting Nusa Lembongan - Nusa Ceningan)

From the Yellow Bridge to Le Pirate Beach Club, you can just drive with motorcycles straight ahead following the way until you find Le Pirate, or call Le Pirate employees to pick you up at the Yellow Bridge. Anyway, a little trivia fact, this bridge as well as Nusa Lembongan and their seaweed farming, is featured in the twenty-eighth season of The Amazing Race. 

In Le Pirate Beach Club, they have 10 beach boxes (so you need to book far ahead of time to make sure you get to stay there), and you can choose between the beach box (fit 1-2 person/room) or the bunk bed room (fit 1-4 person/room), both at IDR 800,000 (rate may varies). I stay in the bunk bed for the 1st night, and the beach box for the second, and I'd have to say the beach box is way more comfortable though the bunk bed would be cheaper (for cost/person). 

Before we go further with the review, I would have to say that this would not be a luxurious-few-star resort, so if you're looking for an extravagant stay, this would not be it, and you might not be interested to read further. But if you want to experience a true island exploration stay, do read down below :)

Here is the picture perfect turquoise and white beach box:

(Taken in the early morning)

(Instagram-able much?)

(The Beach Box)

I'd have to say that you can't expect a spacious room, that's why 1-4 person/room would be a little claustrophobic. I forgot to take picture of the bunk bed room, sorry for that. 

(Outdoor private bathroom)

Because the bathroom is outdoor, it can get dirty easily, like a little bit sandy. There is not hot water as well and the water tastes a little bit salty. However, when you brush your teeth at night, you can directly see a sea of stars above you, makes you realize how staring at your phone all the time makes you forget about nature wonders (or is it just me?)

(View from inside)

I'd have to say that you can't expect a spacious room, that's why 1-4 person/room would be a little claustrophobic. I forgot to take picture of the bunk bed room, sorry for that. I do recommend you to bring anti-insect chalk as well (purchase it at the nearest convenient store / drugstore before departing from Sanur) because inside you can find a few ants around, not harmless though. 

There is also a place to sit just right by the sea, where you can just chill out chatting while listening to the waves at night, or watching the fishes down below in the morning and it is my favorite place to be in Le Pirate. You can also see Nusa Lembongan Island as well as how the locals harvest the seaweed there.

(Morning Sea, Before Sunrise)

(Evening Sea, Before Sunset)

The pool is very close to the sea as well, making it very fun to swim in and very pretty to take a pic with. Even more because it is accompanied with the cute colorful chair all around, as well as some bean bags. 

(The Color Combinations are just asdfghjkl <3)

(The sun is still shy)

(Sunrise, finally!)

Upstairs, right above the dining area (the restaurant, forgot to take a picture ☹️) there is also a quite spacious lounge filled with pastel blue pillows, where you can see the whole area from above. 

(Loving the pun here)

(Such a cozy and Pinterest-y lounge, isn't it?)

(Going to miss my hair when it fades later on..)

(View from the dining area, during breakfast time)

Overall, Le Pirate Beach Club is quite a nice place to stay in, but it's very hard to sleep comfortably in the Bunk Bed, because I get the bed that is close to the roof (or the attic) and it is a little bit dusty and dirty on the sides. Also, part of the reason why I can't sleep is because I'm afraid there might be an insect nearby (might be weird, I know). It is also not comfortable to stay inside the room when you're a little bit claustrophobic because it isn't spacious.

Some of the furniture's fabrics, like the chair by the pool and the pillows in the lounge were also a little bit dirty, like having yellow stains, maybe because it has been there for a long time? And the floors of the lounge were dirty as well (even with the barefooted rules), I left from the lounge with dirty black feet :(

Aside from that, my family members were quite paranoid because at night they could hear the waves crashed onto the rocky sides, while for me it was actually quite comfortable to hear the sea while I'm about to sleep. It is also nice to wake up in the morning and just see a picturesque view outside my bedroom door. 

(The sunset, seen right from my beach box front) 

Before I go with the review summary, I'd have to remind you that this island is a little bit secluded so it would feel good for people who look for serenity and an escape from busy city life, but not suitable when you need a dose of productivity or lots of activities daily. You get to watch sunrise and sunset right from this place, the sea is yours for 24 hours, but there will be no good wifi connection there and TV is not available as well. Basically, do go there if you just want to escape the media, take a break from the busy city life, enjoying solitude, and have a good time chilling and bonding with family and friends. It would be a pleasant experience.

Leave a comment down below if you have any question, and I would gladly answer them and help you as much as possible! :)

Review Summary:

Ambience (Cleanliness, Comfortability, Sleep Quality) : 2.5/5 

Aesthetic (View, Layout, Interior Design) : 4/5

Service (Waiter/Waitress, Room Service, Tour Assistance) : 4/5

Value (Cost, Price Worthiness) : 3/5

Experience : 4/5

Le Pirate Beach Club

Nusa Ceningan - Bali

Instagram: @lepiratebeachclub 

Email: rsv.ceningan@lepirate.com

Reservation Phone Number : +62361 487 240 , +62851 0041 6833

Captain Phone Number : +62811 3883 701

www.lepirate.com

- Caroline Ongkowijoyo

(Pictures courtesy of Caroline Ongkowijoyo, unless stated otherwise.)