Went on an impromptu short vacation (3D2N) to batam with 2 friends and a family member. First day, managed to checked into Hotel 89 within the batam center. Wasnt expecting much from it but was pleasing and comfortable enough for us.. Got a junior suite room (1 double bed and 1 single bed in one room and another connecting standard room. Unfortunately it was the only connecting room available and was located right next to the corridors where all the aircon-compressors are lined up.. so one can imagine the sound a compressor make plus the heat it generated. but it doesnt bother us much (cause we slept right through the noise).. woke up to breakfast (not international breakfast mind you but the one where local cuisines are served).. they even have a spa, gym, massage center and a salon in the same building so you get the convenience of pampering urself without leaving the hotel.. the massage center was a good 1.5 hours.. counter ppl and porters were nice (even sent up additional blankets and pillows without any delay).. overall enjoyed it..

stay duration: 16/04/2011 - 17/04/2011 (1 night)
number of people: 6 adults, 1 teenage & 3 children
number of rooms: 3 (1 VIP & 2 twin)

hotel is not that far from harbour bay ferry terminal.
exterior & interior (lobby area) looks ok.
dont really have much problem with the reception or other staff as we understand their language.
request for connecting room & additional room next door was met without hassle.

room was a little dark with limited warm lights.
furniture arrangement kinda funny as its difficult to move around the room.
VIP... 2 queen size bed & equip with bath.
twin... 2 single bed but only shower head available.

satelite tv... with sports channel
free wifi available at lobby i think

no doubt hotel is airconditioned... people are free to smoke anywhere, even in the lobby!!! i guess this goes everywhere here in batam.

3rd floor was their activities level... spa, salon, pool table, big screen tv & gym... but aircondition is probably not working. i'm sweating just sitting down watching a game on the big screen. no swimming pool.

lots of eating place by the roadside & a couple shopping complex nearby.

The only good thing I can say about this hotel is that it is in a good location. Top100, a shopping centre, is less than a 5 mins walk away. BCS, a larger, newer shopping centre, is about 8 mins away. Nagoya Plaza is a 10 mins taxi ride from Hotel 89. There are loads of food stalls, resturants and fast food outlets all around. BCS is huge in Batam standards, and you can wander around for an hour or so.

Now for the bad:
Hotel staff cannot converse reliably in English. I assume that some of them can speak reasonably well, but most are unable to understand simple English. I assume they would have trouble with spelling as well. Their welcome mat was spelt "WECLOME" or similar. I visited the hotel a few months after and saw that they have rectified the mistake.

The lobby is scruffy and looks old and dirty. You hesitate to sit on the sofa set. I stayed there for a few days a week for several weeks so I noticed when they changed the sofa set. Unfortunately, the "new" set looked second-hand.

Some rooms do not have carpet and sometimes the floor is sticky. Sometimes the rooms have carpet, but that is sometimes sticky too.

Aircon may or may not work. It became SOP (standard operating procedure) to check that the aircon is working before accepting the room.

I have been bitten by bed bugs there before, so it is also SOP to check for bed bugs for about 5 mins before accepting the room. I told the reception and I was shocked that they were not shocked. They did not even apologised, just asked if I wanted to change rooms.

Get a room facing away from the road. Otherwise the noise will hamper your sleep throughout the night.

I had to use the gym. The equipment is falling apart. I literally had to put back pieces periodically in order to complete my set.

The resturant is reasonably priced but expensive when compared to food stalls. Expect a 20-30 mins wait for your dinner even if you are the only one in the resturant.

Breakfast buffet is ok. I would stay away from the fruits and veggies that have not been cooked.

Towels are threadbare and do not look completely white.

Beds are iffy and I would not say that they were comfortable.

Cigarette smells are common.

The hotel is good. The best thing is that most shopping malls are at walkable distance. Service not quite up to mark. They have problem in communicating in English.