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Originally Posted by Black Page
I will go against mainstream, but I liked it more on my first visits. Poor, essential, even misplaced as a big structure mostly empty in the middle of nothing. It made me feel entering a remote world, wild Fronteer.
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Like a cowboy town in the past (which i prefer)? Hehehe... What's good if they turn Harbour Bay to become like Singapore shopping malls. Other than pricing, most Batam's mall cannot beat Singapore's mall in term of varieties,branding and at times,qualities too. I dont shop in Sillypore,and if they are going to turn it into a mall like those in Sillypore,hehehe...i will just give it a pass.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Page
That's a big bet. How many people who can afford to pay a Marriott, even with lower rates adjusted to Indonesia, will come to visit Batam? Maybe foreign executives coming for business. But is business in Batam taking a downturn up?
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My last trip (Sept),i visit Swiss Bel hotel (Harbour Bay). Believe me,they have their ways of surviving when they price themselves to the sky. The visitors or guests of the hotel were different than that of those staying in 2 to 3 star hotels. They serve these minorities (the richer ones or those who are looking for class).
You know,those mentalities like :
"Hey! i'm driving a Lamborghini here,what the fuck Avanza car are you driving there?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Page
In any case, if this hotel will be successul, it will attract more people with big money to spend. Not really the kind of people who LIKES to spend hours in investigating where to find a taxi which costs 2 SGD less than the one waiting in front of the door, just for the pleasure of finding the cheapest and saving some few dollars, even if it costs hours of investigation. (ahemm... yes, I am teasing you). This kind of visitors will simply push up prices of everything, as drivers might see a request for 100k for a short ride accepted without any complaint.
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For those who are not really looking for the real value and may not know a place like Batam well enough, will mostly stay in Hotels like Marriot, Swiss Bel (Harbour Bay), Montigo Resort, Nagoya Hill Hotel, etc.
Another thing is perspective. I have brought friends from the 3rd world countries like Philippines,Vietnam, Thailand,Malaysia, India ,China etc to Batam before, they didnt like Batam as much as my friends from Korea,Japan, Portugal, UK and some other 1st world countries.
The summarized feedback gathered from my friends who were from 3rd world countries were, their countries already has what Batam has to offer, if not more. The overall ambiance is similar.
If i have a friend called Bill Gate going to Batam with me, i doubt he would like to stay in Formosa Hotel (given a choice) with me ,hehehe... so if i have a Bill Gate look-alike friends,i might house him in Marriot tho.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Page
I am not happy to see Marriott opening in Batam.
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Neither do i,hehehe...not that i cant afford to stay in Marriot but more of the value of what Marriot can offer me. I can spend S$218 a night at Woda Resort hotel, and/or nearly S$400 in Montigo resort, but this 2 places offered me many things Marriot (as well as other hotels in Batam) wouldnt be able to offer me. But on the other hand, what Marriot offers me, Formosa (and many other hotels in Batam too) might probably do better,if not more.
Then again,thats just me. Other bros may differ.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Page
Don't do that in Formosa. I don't want to read that my hotel was destroyed by a big fire due to a group of imprudent Singaporeans.
(what happens if one fires a firework in the room of a big hotel in Singapore, say Marina Bay Sands?)
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Actually this is purely a joke,fireworks in room and fireworks out room is different. Firework out-room needs to use fire,fireworks in-room no need to,hehehe...
Fireworks in-room = bonking and ejaculation inside room
Fireworks out-room = physically firing some firecrackers outside hotel