Dave

Review of Hotel Majapahit Surabaya

I stayed in the Majapahit in 1998, just a couple o...

I stayed in the Majapahit in 1998, just a couple of years after it re-opened following refurbishment. It was then the most relaxing & peaceful place I had found, which after the hustle of my role as Regional Manager in 7 countries in PacRim at the time, was like an oasis in the desert.
The standards of the refurbishment were tremendous, however this is not what makes a hotel "classy" - it's the attention to detail, the sense of style, a "can-do" attitude & most of all, the people:
The staff during my stays there were of the highest calibre, from the people directing vehicles arriving at the Majapahit, to the reception staff, a helpful & knowledgeable Concierge, those who catered for us & even housekeeping gave a sense of quality to the already-spectacular buildings.
The pool was unique in my experience, being made from local, unpolished tiles which was almost like a trip back in time - certainly unusual but the word "special" is somehow insufficient.
A friend of mine is currently at Surabaya Airport on his way home from a project further east & prompted me to look the hotel up. Writing the review came naturally as my 1998 stay here easily placed the Majapahit at the top of my hotel experiences, a place it remains in spite of some very hefty attempts to remove it by other experiences.
I sincerely hope that some day, I shall be able to return there to compare my previous stay.