I am confused - there appeared to be three different ways to identify the Bandung hotel that we stayed in; should it be considered as the La Grande Hotel that is managed by the Best Western group under its Premier category?
Never mind, for the sake of this post, let's just take it by the entire chunk; Best Western Premier La Grande Hotel, a four-star establishment with over 190 rooms / suites that just celebrated its first birthday early this month.
An L-shaped building; i understand that the section with balconies facing us in the above photograph was a condotel which would be different from the full fledged hotel we had booked for.
Reception area was a disappointment given the number of rooms under their care - it was small and can be crowded at times. However, extra points must be given for the decorations put up for the upcoming Christmas!
Not sure what was the reason behind the signpost pointing to renowned Lord of the Rings' locations (Rivendell, The Shire and Fangorn Forest) as the space was insufficient to have even a tiny replica of those famous places.
Within the same reception, the operator had managed to squeeze in two Macintosh for those who need to surf the web, read their emails etc. I couldn't find the mouse though even though i presume i could always request from the friendly, always smiling front desk staff.
That's not all; you could also find a container filled with healthy fruit / vegetable infused water to quench your thirst when you return to the hotel. At night, the infused water would be replaced with a pot of coffee and a pot of tea!
Should you ever feel a slight pang of hunger in your tummy, do help yourself to the tray of cookies! I honestly don't require any definition on cookies, which by the way were rather tasty with a nice, aromatic crunch!
Superior Room
The room on the 16th floor (1611) that i shared with my elder sister as my younger sister would be bunking in with my mom; it was decently sized (said to be 29 square meters) with two super single beds.
Another view to give a better visual representation of the size.
Dressing table and a 32-inch LED television with numerous cable channels (claimed to have 62). There's a stark difference to having Joyce, instead of the usual Alex, as my bunk mate. We only switched on the television on day one and for the rest of the days; it was just a black box staring at us when we went to dreamland.
There's a safe for you to keep your valuables; personally, i don't keep money in the safe, only items like passport, lens, iPad etc.
Complimentary two bottles of mineral water (already taken by my sister who is an amazing water guzzler), sachets of coffee and tea, an electric kettle and a mini fridge right underneath.
Mountain view from our room - for those who have been to Bandung, could you identify the mountain right ahead with a rather flat top? It's the famous Tangkuban Perahu (known also as upturned boat due to the shape).
Spick and span washroom with a bidet spray, hair dryer, hot and cold water shower; common items found in most hotels above three stars. Would have loved it better with a rainfall shower!
I was more impressed with the amount of freebies housed in a box; aside from the usually-given bottles of shower and shampoo, conditioner and body lotion, there were also shaving kit, grooming kit, dental kit and sewing kit!
Before i forget, good-speed WiFi was provided in the room!
Other Amenities
Fitness centre on level four which was mentioned to be small in one of the tripadvisor reviews. I thought it was okay as i had been to an even tinier one at Seoul's Manu Hotel.
One of the main draws for Best Western Premier La Grande Hotel was the swimming pool on the same floor as the fitness centre. As with the hotel, it featured the same L-shaped.
In addition to its sheltered yet open concept, the water in the pool was also heated! As expected, families with children love it and i did chance upon them rather frequently on weekends when the hotel filled up with vacationers.
Breakfast Buffet
Situated on the third floor of the hotel, Parc De Ville restaurant would be the place for our daily buffet breakfast that's scheduled from 6 to 10 am.
Spread was extensive; featuring local delights like Nasi Uduk, stewed beef, local porridge, mie goreng, butter chickens, kuehs, local fried fritters yet maintained the common cereals, egg station, pancakes, breads and toasts, salad bar etc.
Numerous drinks were available; including infused water! And if you are looking for local herbal beverage, you can go for the two pots next to the Nasi Uduk station; one tasted like honey drink while the other has a ginger tinge to it.
My mom enjoyed the breakfast so much; she literally spent two hours there every morning. To be fair, she was also waiting for her lazy bum son to get ready and for her gym-crazy daughter to finish her gym regime.
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Location
Jalan Merdeka No. 25-29, Sumur Bandung,
Babakan Ciamis, Sumur Bandung,
Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40117, Indonesia
Website
Additional Information
There's a KFC that's less than 40 steps from the hotel's entrance!
The hotel is also right across Bandung Indah Plaza; a good sized mall with plenty of dining and retail options. If you are keen to catch a movie, there's a cinema in the same shopping centre and when i checked the pricing for Underworld: Blood Wars; it's only 25,000 rupiah a ticket!
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