Hotel New Merdeka Pati

Hotel New Merdeka was the venue of a seminar we were attending in Pati, Central Java. As we drove up, it looked deceptively small. Actually it’s huge! Long blocks of rooms, three stories high, surround a courtyard parking area, with large pots of colorful bougainvillea hanging from each section. We could park right in front of our door since we were assigned a suite on the first floor. For a three star hotel in a small town like Pati, we were pleasantly surprised by the New Merdeka. We were greeted warmly by a friendly security officer upon arrival, served efficiently at the reception desk, and shown the way to our room. The door opened to a very small visiting area with two half sofas, a side table, and a vase of plastic orchids. Beyond that we found a large bedroom and a purple and white-tiled bathroom. The bedroom was streamlined – uncluttered with lots of free wall space. It contained a comfortable king sized bed, blond desk, small refrigerator, coffee making facilities, low free-standing sink, and large flat-screened TV featuring a number of Indonesian channels. Instead of being attached to the wall, the TV stood on the desk, which certainly limited the functionality of the desk. Without Internet access, the room was more suited for sleeping and relaxing than working. The spacious bathroom was completely empty – perfect if you are looking for wheelchair accessible facilities. It housed only a toilet and open shower – very open indeed with no walls, doors, or shower curtains. The shower had hot water, though, and the bathroom was clean. We ate supper at the hotel restaurant but did not have a chance to see the menu since seminar participants were served a buffet. Judging from that and the Indonesian breakfast buffet, though, we were favorably impressed. The food was hot, fresh, visually appealing, and flavorful. Wi-fi was reportedly available in the restaurant and lobby, but it was down during our visit. We enjoyed the New Merdeka and will certainly stay here again the next time travels bring us this way.