Our stay at Manon Boutique Hotel Semarang was a mix of pleasant surprises and a few frustrating moments.
First, the good things. Since the hotel lobby isn't located on the ground level, the security staff was very helpful in assisting us with our luggage, which we really appreciated. Check-in and check-out were also quick and hassle-free.
Unfortunately, the bathroom could use some attention. The shower drain didn't drain properly, leaving water pooling on the floor and making the shower area a bit slippery. The shower pressure was also quite weak, so it took quite a while to rinse off. The hot water worked, but it was only warm rather than genuinely hot.
Another thing that caught us off guard was our room window. The room had a window, but instead of a view or natural light, it faced another wall. We had a little laugh when we opened the curtains because we weren't expecting that. I suppose it's there to make the room feel less enclosed, but don't expect any morning sunshine.
The most confusing part of our stay was the breakfast arrangement. The night before checkout, my husband asked whether we could have our breakfast packed to go since we planned to leave very early. The hotel staff initially told us it wasn't possible. Later that evening, however, someone from the restaurant informed us that takeaway breakfast could indeed be arranged, so we thought everything had been settled.
The next morning, my husband checked with the receptionist, who had no idea about our breakfast request. He then went to the restaurant, where they also seemed unaware. After returning to our room and calling the restaurant directly, they finally prepared our breakfast. We still have no idea where the miscommunication happened, but fortunately we had already decided to cancel our early morning plan. Otherwise, we probably would have left without breakfast. We also weren't informed about takeaway drinks, and by then we were simply too tired to ask.
Thankfully, the breakfast itself made up for a lot. The Monte Cristo Bliss sandwich was absolutely fantastic and easily the highlight of our stay.
Would we come back? Maybe—for the Monte Cristo Bliss alone. The hotel has many positives, but communication between the front desk and the restaurant definitely needs to be improved. With better coordination and a few maintenance fixes, the overall experience would have been much smoother.
