Surabaya Vasa: After staying, half paradise, half wet market?
qponx
2026-02-01
Thinking of staying at Vasa Hotel Surabaya? This review paints a "half paradise, half wet market" picture. While it boasts a grand design, friendly staff, and incredible food highlights like Peking duck and A5 Wagyu, it's not without its flaws. Be prepared for a smoky lobby, chaotic breakfast crowds, and long elevator waits. This honest guide gives you the essential pros and cons, plus tips to help you navigate this popular, yet complicated, five-star hotel experience.
Just got back from Surabaya, and the experience at Vasa Hotel this time was really quite complicated, I just have to chat about it with you girls! Stepping into the lobby, honestly, I was truly amazed by the grand design and high ceilings[1], and I was thinking to myself,"As expected of a five-star hotel, Mantap!"
But the next second, a strong smell of smoke immediately choked me awake... Anjay, is this really a five-star hotel lobby? It felt like I instantly traveled from a luxurious palace to some smoky internet cafe, the experience was a total letdown.
Pros and Cons are Equally Prominent
Let's be honest, the hotel still has many advantages. The room design is a simple and clean style, the bedding is also comfortable, and I slept quite well. Most of the service staff are super professional and enthusiastic, always smiling, making you feel very comfortable[2].
Dining was the highlight of this experience!
The breakfast buffet had an incredible variety of choices, from Indonesian local specialties to Western, Japanese, and Chinese styles, I wished I had eight stomachs[3]. But the taste... I can only say it was decent, nothing particularly amazing. For dinner, we tried a few individual restaurants, and these were the real treasures!
- Chinese Restaurant (Xiang Fu Hai): Their Peking duck is absolutely amazing[4], crispy skin, tender meat, totally comparable to good restaurants back home!
- Japanese Cuisine (Nagano): My friend ordered A5 Miyazaki Wagyu[5], and judging by his ecstatic expression, you knew it was worth the money.
- Surprises at the Buffet: Unexpectedly, the best dishes were the ribs[6] and macaroni and cheese[7]! Especially the ribs, tender and flavorful, highly recommended!
Alright, let's talk some hard truths
Enough praise, now it's time to complain! Besides the smoking issue in the lobby[8], the biggest bug with this hotel is — too! many! people!
Especially during breakfast hours, the scene was like a battleground, you had to fight for a seat[9]. And the elevators, during peak hours, you'd wait forever[10], impatient people would literally explode on the spot. If you're driving, that narrow and hard-to-find parking entrance will definitely make you question your life choices[11].
The rooms are also like opening a blind box, our luck was okay this time, but I heard from a friend that she encountered a sewage smell issue during her last stay, and it was only resolved after changing rooms[12].
Heartfelt Tips to Avoid Pitfalls 📝
Finally, here are some practical tips for my dear friends who plan to stay there, quickly grab your notebooks and jot them down:
- Avoid peak hours! Avoid peak hours! Avoid peak hours! If you don't want to wait hungry for a seat at breakfast, either go early or go late.
- Allocate 'elevator waiting time'. If you need to go out for errands or to the airport in the morning, don't cut it close when going downstairs, or you'll really miss things.
- If driving, be Chill about it. Be careful with parking, or just call a car. Valet parking is 50,000 IDR a day, don't forget to factor that into your budget.
- Vegetarian-friendly! The Chinese restaurant Xiang Fu Hai has a dedicated vegetarian menu[13], so vegetarian friends don't need to worry.
- Convenient transportation is a plus. The hotel is very close to the highway entrance, making it convenient to go to the airport or other parts of the city[14].
- Chinese restaurant's Peking Duck was incredible! Crispy skin, tender meat – rivals top spots back home. [1]
- A bite of A5 Miyazaki Wagyu at the Japanese spot? Friend's face said it all: totally worth it, taste buds soared! [2]
- Unexpected buffet find: fall-off-the-bone ribs and rich mac and cheese. So good, a total surprise! [3]
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