There are many reasons why people go to Indonesia’s second largest city of Surabaya, located in East Java province. For some, Surabaya is a transit city before going to other tourist destinations in the province like Mount Bromo (popular for mountain desert and sunrise view), Mojokerto (known for its archaeological site) and Batu (there are some world-class theme parks there). Nevertheless quite many people also come to this city for business. Regardless of your purpose coming here, if you want to stay in an affordable hotel in the center of Surabaya with easy access to everywhere, Mercure Grand Mirama is one of the best choices.
A very decent and affordable hotel in the heart of Surabaya
There are many reasons why people go to Indonesia’s second largest city of Surabaya, located in East Java province. For some, Surabaya is a transit city before going to other tourist destinations in the province, like Mount Bromo (popular for mountain deserts and watching the sunrise), Mojokerto (known for its archaeological site), and Batu (there are some world-class theme parks there). Nevertheless, many people also come to this city for business. Regardless of your purpose for coming here, if you want to stay in an affordable hotel in the center of Surabaya with easy access to everywhere, Mercure Grand Mirama is one of the best choices.
Decent stay with affordable rates
Although it is a hotel with decent facilities and located in the city center, the price is affordable compared to other hotels in the area. While other hotel rates start from around 75 USD, in here you can have a clean spacious room with private bathroom, international TV channels, hair dryer and safety deposit box for only 32 USD, with fresh fruit delivered to your room every morning! One thing that is a big plus here is the fast Wi-Fi connection from the bedroom, which is something you can hardly find in other hotels in Surabaya.
Breakfast buffet at Trimurti restaurant
The rate includes a breakfast buffet for 2 (free breakfast for children under 12) at Trimurti restaurant, which consists of mostly Chinese (e.g. mixed veggies, fried rice, sweet and sour fish etc.), Indonesian (try their fresh yellow soup named soto, as they put lemon juice in it, which makes it taste appetizing), and Western (pastries like brownies, and also cereal) cuisines. Everything is tasty, including the salad and beverages (coffee, tea, juice, and a refreshing sweet and sour herbal drink named ‘sinom’), so eat a little bit of everything in order to have a taste of all the different options. This restaurant also serves lunch and dinner, but if you want dim sum (steamed and fried Chinese dumplings), go to the other restaurant inside the hotel building named Lan Hoa.
Swimming pool protected from the sun
Swimming on a hot sunny day in Surabaya might sound like a good idea, but many are discouraged from swimming due to the harmful effects of direct sunlight to the skin. However, that is not the case if you swim in the hotel’s swimming pool (located near the lobby area). You don’t need to worry about getting sunburned when swimming here, as you are well protected by the tall trees surrounding the swimming pool. This is a big plus, because normally you can’t swim during the daytime without your skin being reddened by the direct sunlight. The kiddy pool is also available, and the adult pool is very safe because it just 150 cm (5 ft) deep, which is good for those who want to learn how to swim.
Unique graffiti
Near the swimming pool, you will find an old wall painted with some very unique graffiti. One of the pictures is of a mother and her son riding on an old model bicycle in the old town of Surabaya. I would say it is Surabaya more than 5 decades ago. However, when you get closer to the graffiti, you will be surprised, because the bicycle they are riding is an actual solid bicycle, not a picture of bicycle, attached to the wall to make the picture seem alive. This is one of the oldest hotels in Surabaya and has been through some major renovations; the hotel is trying to depict the the surrounding area, and what life was like several decades ago, through this graffiti.
Car free day
Other amenities include a welcome drink (sweetened iced tea), live music bands (pop and jazz) in the lobby during the evening, and a gym with a sauna and jacuzzi. Every Sunday morning (6-10am), there is something called a car-free day that is held on Darmo street. No cars or motorbikes are allowed to enter the area during that time. People flock here to workout (e.g. bike riding, aerobic dancing, jogging etc.) as this is the only chance to enjoy this part of the city without the air pollution. You may want to join in with the crowd and buy some local snacks like ‘pisang goreng’ (fried banana) and lemper (rice cake with sweet chicken filling) for less than 0.50 USD each. These snacks aren’t available in the hotel’s breakfast buffet, so why not taste of them before leaving Surabaya?
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