JW Marriott, Surbaya Indonesia
Believe it or not, I flew to Surabaya expressly to stay at this JW Marriott. Yes, I am fixated aren't I?Arrival
I flew from Medan to Surabaya but through Kuala Lumpur (this was a bit of a misjudgment as I had to then get another visa on arrival after landing in the International Terminal which is a nightmarish distance away from the domestic terminal and access to the city, on a very poor road).After an unpleasant conversation with Indonesia Immigration on having to get a new visa, and being the only person selected to have "extra screening", I was finally back in Indonesia.
A cab from the airport isn't that expensive, but it is a long drive. Traffic is abhorrent, just be prepared to wait and sit.
The Room
I could have checked in at the Executive Lounge, but man, I was tired, so I went to front desk. I was upgraded to a one bedroom suite which is astoundingly huge and way too much for me. I willingly took it anyways!
3D interactive room tour, use your mouse or fingers to move around and see other rooms.
Executive Lounge
A pretty large lounge with a lot of staffing. I had all my requests for cars and services handled quickly and easily here. Plus the evening drink service and food presentations are quite extravagant. There is even a smoking room attached for those that burn their lungs.
Breakfast food, of the local variety
Desserts and sweets which start pretty early compared to a lot of JWs
For a light fare, or canapes, this is pretty extreme in the amount of food
Alcohol is taxed highly in Indonesia, so this is a pretty wide range, even if they're not brands I have heard of
Coke, at a Marriott. I will not complain at the lack of Pepsi
Several areas of seating are in the lounge, allowing you the level of collaboration you may want
Dining
Quite a few places (5 maybe?) to eat and drink at. That meets Rob's threshold for resort level options. The international Pavilion, Chinese Tang, Japanese Imari, Uppercut Steak, Drinking Lobby, Bakery Surabaya Baking Company. Is that it? I think so.
The main place to eat, Pavilion. Huge breakfast spread
Breakfast sushi abounds
Pizza? Ok, we're getting crazy here
Rendang beef is now my go to dish in Asia
Taste the rainbow, of juices
If you read my blog at all you know I got some of this ice cream!
Jalan Pasar, another Indo specialty
It doesn't get fresher than this for French toast
First, I eat the meat
Then I get the sweets
A ridiculously magnificent bakery. TV show quality items
The steak place. I'll have to come back for this one
Uppercut's menus, the prices are reasonable actually
Imari's menu, the Japanese place here. Very high end eating
You just want to have a nice drink? Maybe afternoon tea? The Lobby Lounge is the place
Amenities
Lots of things here, huge gym, massive pool area,
Open 24/7, and much more for strength training than cardio. Someone finally gets me
Beautiful pool and pretty long also
Yoga and wedding events area
A show garden of local produce, ostensibly for the chefs, but obviously too little grown to accommodate all the need. Still cool
All the things and upcoming events, this place really is top notch for a smaller city
Festive Stuff
Holidays are a big business in Asia. Christmas (yes in a Muslim country) is a huge deal. Everyone seems to engage in it in some fashion. Part of that is gifting and parties.
