North Sulawesi hotels & places to stay

If you are looking for a base to explore land options around north Sulawesi, this hotel is a very comfortable base to start. 20 mins from airport and located in the main "hotel" street its location is about as good as any other similar rated hotels. Its not the fanciest but the rooms are very comfortable and clean. ( we got a dulux on 8th floor). Wat sets it apart from other hotels I had stayed was the friendly staff. It is the land of smiling people! Everyone from front desk to staff we bumped into ard the hotel were always polite and smily. The friendliest bunch were the girls in the Swiss Cafe during breakfast time. They were very efficient and welcoming. Special mentioning of Astrid who goes out of her way to look after us even we were always struggle to meet the 10 am last order! Thank you. ;) Other tips for travel around the region - traffic is horrible around town. Dont attempt to walk around as there isnt much to see and you will fill ur lungs with diesel fume - very nice fish restaurant just cross the road, actually we had the best meal in Manado whose cuisine is very popular in Indonesia.

Simply amazing! We had the best time we could have in Bunaken. The resort is perfect with really good beach where to swim and snorkel. The dive Centre works perfectly and the dive masters are the best we could wish for. The staff is so friendly that we end up every evening singing with them under the moonlight in front of the bar. Rhomé and Max are the cherry at the top of the cake: they are so nice, friendly and helpful! We were feeling home after an hour we were there. Thank you! We hope to come back soon!

We stayed in this hotel twice on our way to and from our diving destinations. The first room we were given was on the second, that is ground, floor and was a previously smoking room. And the smell was still lurking. The shower was a bit leaky and moldy. Nothing terribly bad, but not perfect. The second room we got was on the fourth floor, spacious and spotlessly clean. Mattresses are decent. Air conditioning well performing. Sleep was quiet and restful. The breakfast is very good, both in quality and variety of food. The restaurant is otherwise a bit pricey and some dishes aren't done properly. Reception staff is very helpful. Overall this hotel is fine choice for staying after or before flights. We went to the Manado city on occasion. And were happy that we choose Novotel. Few tips: there is an excellent restaurant "Tuna House" some ten minutes walk or short taxi ride north. About 400 meters north of the hotel there is a nice shopping mall with kids zone and some nice souvenirs.

The resort is 30 Minutes away from the international Airport and 2 hours away from MANADO city . graet to disconect from the rat race / we took the best sea facing room and ir was BIG ,clean and comfartable . - not 5 star luxary but every thing worked and had space. there are no restraunts around the resort . but food was good ( the portions were generous)and the restraunt service was top notich . we were NOT board with eating at the same place for 4 days . Diving was great but we had to push them to take us to spots that were 45 minutes boat ride away ( but this was because other people on the boat had already dived there) - Diving is a little bit expensive compared to other locations in Indonesia ( try to book a package may work out cheeper) - THANKS Cocotinos we will recomend this place and hope we can come back again

Overall I found the hotel very/overly expensive for fairly standard offering. and I found it odd that the whole stay had to be paid in full 6 weeks prior to arrival. The food (breakfast, evening buffet/bbq) was mediocre. The staff were very nice. We were not lucky with the room where we had no hot water in the room for 75% of our stay despite many efforts by the friendly staff. Location is wonderful and we had a good stay but I would recommend my friends to try one of the other resorts instead (not that I know of the standard elsewhere)

We enjoyed our stay with Diane and Terry and their staff. We dove and snorkeled the house reef, alternating every day. Dive guide Dempsey was wonderful to dive with. He found amazing things like a rare yellow pygmy seahorse, ornate ghost pipefish, robust pipefish and endless nudibranch. I have always liked the Luikan 2 dive but Mike's corner is a wonderful site and new to me. Also enjoyed Siladan dives. Food was really good and plentiful with many vegetarian options. I enjoyed the diverse people we met, young and older. Our cottage was a garden view, but we also had a sea view from the deck. GB3! Wifi in the dining area worked well, but best when fewer people online. We had a fan and mosquito net. We were very comfortable at night. The island had daily power outages, but not really a big problem. The resort is just outside of the main village and easy walk to town. I did appreciate that the filter used for tank fills is changed frequently, as I did not experience any respiratory issues like I usually do when diving with rental equipment. Thanks for a good time and cold beer!

It has a potential to be a good hotel, the location,facilities,room amnenities,etc... But the way the staff handle the problem was very poor, seems that they dont know what to do to solve things... -upon arrival, the security staff asked us to go up to the parking area to unloading luggage instead of the lobby on ground floor,which hotel trolley & bellboy is on the ground floor!! -has 12 floor but only 2 lifts, even there is no service lift for luggage -electricity in 2 rooms (we've booked 3 rooms) off for zillion times -super thin wall, no sound proof at all Won't be back for sure!!

I stayed at Biz Boulevard hotel every time for several good reasons: First of all, it is only took me 5 minutes to go to Megamall shopping complex. If you are looking for super cheap accessories for your phone, head straight to 'Bintang', or even better, visit the IT centre, this is a good place for buying handphone, cameras, laptop etc. close by to Megamall too. Apotek is every where, if you ever needed some medication. The hotel is approximately 30 minutes to the airport, considering there will be less traffic.

Good service in Chacha, everyone is very nice with real smile. The chief is good at Italian food, better than mostly restaurant in China. The food is very healthy and changed everyday. Amazing view in the sea, so many fishes and corals surrounding. Mull, the snorkeling guide, always pull and protect me to preventing the strong flow. Raf, the owner, is very patient and give me much helpful informations before my arriving. It's an unforgettable experience and we hope come back to Chacha in the future.

I needed a room for a night in Manando while changing planes on a diving holiday, and I ended up staying three nights. The room was ideal for me: good wifi, room safe, nicely furnished and perfectly clean. During my stay the staff were attentive and efficient. After I left I realised that stupidly I had left a small and slightly valuable possession behind in the room. I emailed a couple of days later when I realised what had happened and they told me that it had been found and arranged for me to be reunited with it. I was totally impressed with the honesty of the housekeeping staff in recovering it and the efficiency and helpfulness of the front office in helping me to get it back. This would be exceptional service anywhere.

Istanaku Guesthouse was an excellent place to stop over in Manado. We travelled all over North Sulawesi from Manado and it was very easy to get a grab car to and from the airport and to arrange personal pickups to Tangkoko, Tomohon, Bitung and Bunaken. The room is cosy with a modern toilet and TV channels in English and the staff were polite and helpful, seeing to all our needs. Nearby there is a famous Manado cake shop called Christine's Klappertart which is worth a try! All in all we enjoyed our stay in this very thoughtfully decorated place.

This was the second time I stayed at this hotel (first time in 2009). I arrived after midnight after a evening flight from Jakarta, and was greeted warmly by the doorman and front office staff. Besides its convenient location, close to the Manado Convention Center and shopping areas, the rooms were also nice and cosy. I stayed there for 3 nights and was always greeted by the hotel staff with their friendly smiles and warm gestures, whenever I walked in and out of the lobby. Although the breakfast meal was pretty standard for a hotel, but I like the variety which included local dishes, such as bubur Manado. The rooms were nice and cosy. The hotel location is also very convenient, walking distance to the Manado Convention Center and shopping areas, and very easy access to public transportation.

They Just Open arround April-May 2018. The room still Good, and the Staff very Kind. The Food is Okay. Very Unique Theme/ Thematic/ Boutieq hotel at Manado, the First hotel with a great Theme in Manado. They Design by Switzerland interior design. They also “go green” hotel, with all straw from aluminium. And we can Refill mineral Water infinitely, because they profide about 1.5litre of fresh water everyday, and u can refill it if they are empty. Everything was great from this hotel ! Definetly Comeback at this hotel and recomended !

I stayed there for one night before going to Daniels resort in Lembeh. I had a warm welcome and felt like home. The staff organised a transport for the next day to the port of Bitung and made sure that I choose the right boot :), thank you again for offering this service to me. The Hotel itself is situated in a beautiful tropical garden (really well maintained), away from noisy streets and the hotel has a own viewpoint which allows a great overview. Rooms are new, good beds, basic shower and very clean. The food is local with English translation and delicious. I had a lovely, short stay in Botanica and would recommend a stay in this hotel. Regards from Switzerland

We got a family room for 2 nights and it was large and spacious with hot water (a rare thing in Indonesian accommodations). The owners were accommodating with our schedules which saw us leaving very early in the day and was able to prepare breakfast for us at about 6am. The double room was dimly lit due to the bed structure blocking the light. Because of the dim lighting, not much of the room was visible, and to my horror I found out on the last day after using a torch that the area around the mirror and power point was littered with dead insects, lots of them. The kitchen was managed by only 1 person during the day and it took quite awhile to get our meals despite being the only group there. I cannot imagine the waiting duration during peak hours. The food can be a little pricey with limited options, so its best to eat out where possible. Overall Onong's place was a great value for money place to stay in Tomohon and would recommend it. Just do check the room for insects.

We booked the cheapest room for one night. When we arrived very late they upgraded us to their best room which was huge with a great view from the private veranda. Everything about this place was awesome and the staff was exceptionally friendly and really helpful, too. We would definitely recommend the Highland Resort if you plan to explore the Tomohon Highlands. Wish we could have stayed longer!

I had a amazing stay at Two Fish Divers Bunaken! The place is very beautiful, super clean (the bedsheet smell so fresh) and well maintained. Swimming pool and garden are ultra clean too. The shower has hot water and the room provided with fans (we didnt feel hot). We do not dive but joined the snorkeling tour, it was amazing despite the half rainy/cloudy weather, the visibility was still about 20 meters. The day after we snorkeled in front of the hotel, pass the reef and it was magical! Just need to walk carefully when the tide is low not to break the coral. The staff, both local and foreign, is so friendly, helpful and arranging. The other guests were super friendly too, we met very nice people. Transfer from Calaca port in Manado to the hotel was arranged by the staff after I called them and informed them of our venue. The food was also very nice and fresh. I definitely recommend this place for relaxing holidays.

Hello, We had just finished our travels around Indonesia and landed in Manado after a hot and sticky time on Bunaken Island so we were fairly tired and in need of some rest. Having read the reviews about the poor room quality and lack of Wi-Fi I took a chance and booked a Superior room purely on the photos and a quick google earth search. What we found: The hotel is in the process of an upgrade to the rooms and there is a change to the food menu underway through the excellent tutelage of the new French General Manager, Vincent who went to significant efforts to make all the guests feel welcome. The new upgraded rooms are excellent and a sample of the new menu revealed a very delicious serve indeed. Granted, there are many rooms still to be upgraded are in need of some love and the current menu selection (until the new one arrives soon apparently) could be better, but overall we found the hotel to be a welcome oasis from the noise and hustle of Indonesian travel. The AC was good unlike many of the Bunaken Island resorts which rely on a fan. That alone was worth it. The Wi-Fi wasn’t the fastest but better than most we experienced in our travels. The staff are friendly and attentive; it’s quiet; the lush pool is relaxing; and the large grounds and views are fab which make for a good place to stay. It’s not the Shangri La but it also hasn’t got the same price tag. Actually for what you get and pay its well-priced! It’s a mere 25 minutes’ boat ride to Bunaken Island for diving and snorkeling. Remember, this is remote North Sulawesi and not New York or London so things are not going to up to that level but our experience proved that most of the issues reported on the reviews were minor and typically First World Problems (FWP’s) that people get hung up on rather than seeing all the good right there in front of them.