We stayed here for one night in order to ascend Mount Bromo at dawn. The hotel is qhite a distance from main towns so we were expecting something a bit "rustic". It turned out to be much better than we had expected and we believe it is a good place to stay if you wish to see the mountain.
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You do not have many proper hotel choices in this area so close to the Bromo Vulcano. Java Banana is probably the best place to stay but you pay too much for what you get (we paid 96 euro for a very small room). There are 32 modern, decorated rooms varying in size and with different views on the surrounding mountains. No fitness/ni swimming pool. Beds are hard and the bath rooms small (shower and toilet in a separate room and a small sink in the bed room). Staff is friendly and doing what ever they can to be of assistance (however they are local and do not always speak understandable English). There is no working internet connection. Breakfast and diner ok (we really enjoyed the special mushroom dishes they offered) but the wine is too overpriced. Our suggestions however would be to lay the tables before guests arrive for diner and use candle light in the restaurant in the evening. This would give the restaurant a look (and feel) of a place to eat in stead of an exhibition room. There is also a galley at side with beautiful photo’s of the volcano. Visiting the latter is a must. For 450,000 Rupiah a drive with jeep will bring you to the mountain (3 km away) for the spectacular sunrise and the even more impressive walk to the crater of the Vulcana in the National park (entrance fee 25,000 pp).
Excellent hotel with great views. The rooms are very spacious with a nice big balcony. Staff very helpful and the views from the restaurant balcony are also very good. Food was also very good at the resort. Stayed here for only 1 night but would definitely stay here again.
Although the staff was friendly, our room was situated above the water pump which made noises all day and night. All the staff knew this was a problem and kept telling us they would fix it - but it was not fixable. We were grateful we were only there two nights as it was impossible to get any sleep. At check-out, they offered a 15% discount, which I didn't feel was adequate for the inconvenience. Also, the room was not clean and the walkways were not swept. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. Their rooms were totally overpriced. They did say they would move us but they wanted to charge us another $70. for a different room.
The only reason I booked Java Banana was for the quality of bathroom (from the pictures). The architecture is good, the room is comfortable, but the service is below average. They discouraged us from eating lunch at the restaurant, because it wouldn't open until 1 pm (in the high season!). We had dinner, which was just average, as was the breakfast. The art gallery was interesting, but I couldn't tell whether the cafe was open or closed. I might go back, but only because the other places seem more run down. They take advantage of the fact, and prices are through the roof.
Java Banana is located in between beautiful landscape and traditional villages, where you can experience the traditional Java. The position is good to experience Mount Bromo and meet friendly locals.
Concerning the accommodation, there are different points to consider: The hotel is indeed nice and the garden is beautiful.
But: The price is way to high, not only for Java/Indonesia, but also for what Java Banana offers!
We stayed for one day and one night, these are the experiences: Café and gallery were closed (without any reason), WiFi did not work, food in the restaurant & breakfast were expensive and not good at all, bathrooms are extremely small, there is no heater in the room (nights are quite cold up there).
The staff was actually friendly, but there did not really care.
As we wanted to proceed next day to Ijen, we asked the reception for an advise. They offered help and what we got was more than disappointing: They organized transfer to Ijen and accommodation there, both were a nightmare! The car was nothing else than a scrap heap, we had to stop several times to change broken wheels, the driver did not speak a word (in no language), the whole drive was dangerous to life (concerning the car).
The staff predicted accommodation at Ijen as good and solid hotel, but it was not. Just horrible, don't ask....!
It was very disappointing that they sold us transfer and hotel at Ijen for a high price (in cash), predicting and promising a good quality!
So, this is our advise: As the night will be very short (you need to get up quite early to explore Bromo's most beautiful side), you can easily stay in a cheaper place, you won't miss anything if you don't stay in Java Banana Hotel.
Have a nice trip, enjoy yourself!
