This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.
At the end of year 2019, I had a few days of leave to clear and decided to bring my parents on a year-end retreat to Batam. I was looking to book a nice relaxing holiday resort there and Harris Resort Waterfront Batam stood out from the hotels available, which turned out to be a right choice.
How to get to Harris Resort Waterfront Batam?
Harris Resort Waterfront Batam is accessible from both Waterfront City Ferry Terminal and Sekupang Ferry Terminal. Waterfront City Ferry Terminal is just a 5-minute walk to the hotel while Sekupang Ferry Terminal is further away (around 30 minutes travel time). The hotel provides free shuttle bus pick-up service at both ferry terminals. The van that picked us up at Sekupang Ferry Terminal was very clean and the chauffeur was very friendly and helpful.
Arrival and Check-in
After 30 minutes of van ride, we arrived at Harris Resort Waterfront Batam. The friendly staff at the reception welcomed us with a cup of carrot juice and ice-cold towels for each of us, which instantly cooled us down from the scorching heat outside.
The Room
A friendly young luggage boy brought up our luggages and showed us to our room. Our room was called HARRIS Suite Room which came with a Queen-sized bed and an extra bed provided at my request. The room was very spacious, big enough for a family of 3 or 4 people. The decor was modern and contemporary with dashes of orange which not only represented the hotel’s theme colour but also served to brighten up the room. There was a huge drop-down television in front of the bed which was a very considerate design but the channels available were pretty limited. There was even a small dining area with a refrigerator, it would have been perfect if there was a microwave for guests to heat up food.
My favourite part of the room was the private balcony which gave me a great view of the swimming pool and beyond.
The toilet was clean with a huge bathtub and plenty of clean towels. Opposite the toilet was a spacious wardrobe with cloth racks, bath robes, slippers and a safety deposit box. The coffee and tea counter besides the wardrobe even had an espresso machine complete with an espresso capsule.
Amenities and Facilities
Swimming Pool
After a short rest, we set out to explore the hotel amenities and surroundings. Our first stop was its gigantic swimming pool which offers many fun water activities and facilities, such as mini paddle boats and a huge roller ball, among others.
There was a hut beside the pool where roller skates and bicycles were available for rent. We played a game of basketball at the mini basketball court beside the pool and it was fun.
Water Activities
The other side of Harris Resort Waterfront Batam faces the sea. The hotel offers water activities such as banana boat, water skiing and kayaking. Beside the water sports area, there are rattan beds facing the sea, where I had a very relaxing nap.
Spa and Salon
Behind the water sports area was Tiara Mustike Spa, which offered different types of spa and reflexology services. Regretfully, we didn’t have time to try it out. I was surprised to find a mini salon next to the spa which I have never seen in any other hotel.
At its lesisure activity area, we played a game of table tennis while a group of other guests were playing a game of pool.
Restaurants
The hotel has two restaurants of different themes. The sea-facing H-Grill specialises in steaks and is a perfect place to have a romantic sunset dinner with your loved ones.
Harris Cafe, located next to the swimming pool, specialises in pizzas and local Indonesian cuisine. I personally recommend Fish ‘N Wich [IDR80000] and Oxtail Soup [IDR188000] from Harris Signature Menu, which were my favourite picks.
Taxi Service
The only downside to Harris Resort Waterfront Batam is that it is quite far from the main shopping areas in Batam. We had to take a hotel taxi to go to Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall, which cost us IDR260000 (~S$26). Attached above is a chart of the hotel’s taxi charges.
Complimentary Breakfast
Every morning, we had complimentary breakfast at Harris Cafe which operates from 6:00 am to 10:00 am. It had something for everyone. I loved the freshly-baked breads and pastries with 6 types of spreads and (omelette/boiled/fried/scrambled/poached) eggs prepared at the outdoor egg station. My parents loved the smooth porridge with 16 condiments to choose from. Kids mostly went for the freshly-made waffles and there were cut fruits and desserts to end the meal on a sweet note. There were both hot and cold drinks, from fruit juices to coffee and hot chocolate. For something special, I tried Indonesian traditional drinks such as bandrek and wedang jahe.
Events
Harris Resort Waterfront Batam regularly holds parties to celebrate special occasions. My parents and I took part in the hotel’s New Year Countdown Party at a discounted price of IDR425000 per person. The party was held at the beachfront H-Grill restaurant and the whole place was beautifully decorated with fairy lights. The staff dressed up as pirates, befitting the theme “Pirates of the Caribbean”. They entertained us throughout the night with quizzes and lucky draws and the band played beautiful songs. The atmosphere was great but the buffet food could have been better for the price charged. The buffet dinner was followed by fire performance, mass staff dance and finally, fireworks show to mark the end of 2019 and the start of 2020.
For those who are looking for a hotel in Batam, here are the pros and cons of staying at Harris Resort Waterfront Batam:
Pros:
- Spacious hotel room
- Good international breakfast
- A lot of amenities and facilities
- Seaside location
- Friendly and helpful staff
Cons:
- Pretty far from shopping centres
- Some facilities are not in operation or not well-marketed
If I visit Batam again, Harris will surely be my choice hotel.
Harris Resort Waterfront Batam
Address: Waterfront City, Jl. KH Ahmad Dahlan No.1, Tj. Riau, Kec. Sekupang, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29422, Indonesia
Telephone: +62 778 381888
Booking: https://booking.tauzia.com/21/HARRIS-Resort-Waterfront-Batam?utm_source=HRBW&utm_medium=GBHRBW (use the code “travelkudos” to get 10% off your hotel booking, valid till 30th June 2020)”