Batam is a bit of a mystery to me. Its a special economic zone with close access to Singapore, other than that it still seems like a place that is figuring itself out. Without a real cultural center, choosing a hotel is a really guess work. Looking online I saw places for $40 and up but the reality is you can find many good places for less, simply by arriving at the port and making a reservation there.
My choice was Hotel 89, located on Jl. Pembangunan, a large busy road in the Jodoh area. Arriving outside I was impressed by the smart look of the hotel and the polite door staff. Inside the hotel was decorated with dragons for Chinese New Year, all the other guests seemed to be Chinese. For a moment I wondered if this hotel was reserved just for Chinese people. The room was clean and had a large bed, AC, TV, hot water, mini-bar, hairdryer, breakfast buffet.
Around the corner from Hotel 89 is the handy 6-storey BCS Mall, complete with Indonesian and western food places (Texas Chicken), a supermarket and internet cafe.
