After our lovely stay at Holiday Inn Resort Batam, K and I were excited to try something new for our next getaway! HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam looked promising – with more activities and waterfront views. And since we couldn’t go house visiting during Chinese New Year, we figured it was the perfect time to escape to Batam and try this place out. Well, little did we know that our first visit would also be our last. Curious to know what went wrong? Keep reading as I share the ups and downs of this trip~! (´• ω •`)ﾉ
Latest Update (2025)
This post has been refreshed to match my current blog style, but the experience is still based on our stay back in 2014. Just a heads-up – it’s going to be a pretty lengthy read with not many photos, since it was during my early blogging days. I’ve no idea why I didn’t take more. Maybe I was just too upset with the whole experience. Haha!
Your Batam Getaway – First Impressions & What’s Next!
Our initial Batam experiences are below. More guides coming soon!
- Getting to HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam: The Usual Ferry Adventure
- First Impressions at HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam: Warm Welcome, Cool Vibes
- Lunch at HARRIS Cafe: Mixed First Impressions
- Confusing Check-in Experience at the Resort
- Room Review at HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam: Bright Colors, Big Disappointments
- Breakfast Disaster & More Maintenance Horror at the Resort
- The Shuttle Bus Sauna Experience
- Our Honest Verdict: Would We Return to HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam?
- Information about HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam
- Photo Gallery
- Explore Other (and Better) Resort Options in Batam
Getting to HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam: The Usual Ferry Adventure
The journey to HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam follows the usual route – ferry from Harbourfront, clear customs, then hop on the shuttle to the resort. If you’ve been to Batam before, you know the drill!
Since it was the first day of Chinese New Year, the Harbourfront Ferry Terminal was absolutely packed. I mean, I didn’t know that many people were skipping house visits too. Hur. Once we got on the ferry, things were pretty normal. But then came the next horrible bit – the super duper slow customs at Batam.
We already knew it would be a long wait after our last visit, so K and I tried to stay zen. That is, until a group of kids started running around and screaming non-stop for a good 30–45 minutes! Talk about having our patience tested before the holiday even began. ٩(× ×)۶ Also, minor rant, but why is it that parents just can’t control their kids!?
First Impressions at HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam: Warm Welcome, Cool Vibes
Once we finally cleared customs and hopped on the shuttle bus, things started looking up! The staff at HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam greeted us with energetic dancing and music – such a fun touch! (•⩊•) We were then handed welcome drinks, refreshing wet towels, and an info pack with maps of both the resort and Batam.
Check-in was smooth, though unlike some other resorts, our room wasn’t ready yet since we arrived before 2 PM. No biggie – we dropped our luggage off at reception and went off to try the buffet lunch at HARRIS Cafe. ( ´ ω ` )
Lunch at HARRIS Cafe: Mixed First Impressions
The place was surprisingly empty for lunch hour, which should have been our first clue! (・・;)ゞ The buffet spread was pretty underwhelming – the standout items were the chicken wings and crackers with free-flow belachan (shrimp paste). We later discovered (from online reviews) their pizza was absolutely fantastic, so we were slightly regretful that we didn’t just gone a la carte and get that instead. Boo. (´-ω-`)
Since we had time to kill, we decided to try the buffet lunch at HARRIS Cafe. The place was surprisingly empty for lunch hour, which should have been our first clue! (・・;)ゞ The buffet spread was pretty underwhelming – the only standouts were the chicken wings and crackers with free-flow belachan (shrimp paste). We later found out (from online reviews) that their pizza was actually fantastic, so we were a bit regretful that we didn’t just gone ala carte instead. Boo. (´-ω-`)
But here’s where things got weird: the staff kept clearing our table even when our bags were clearly still there! First, K’s utensils disappeared without replacement. Then ALL our plates, utensils, and even our iced water vanished! We had to flag them down to get everything replaced, not once, but twice! I honestly couldn’t tell if they were being overly efficient or just had nothing better to do, or maybe they just can’t wait to chase us out. So weird! I mean, maybe that’s why there was no one there – they chased everyone away. Hur.
Confusing Check-in Experience at the Resort
After our (weird) lunch, it was time to check in! Or not. You would think that with their enthusiastic welcome, the service would be just as good. But nope – fake front alert! It was nearly 2 PM when we returned to the reception, and we were told the room would only be ready in another 10–15 minutes. No biggie – it was peak holiday season after all, and we expected some delays. But what came next was just plain odd.
We collected our luggage and room keys and waited in the lobby, thinking someone would come over to tell us when the room was ready. Uh, no. No one came. No one said anything. We eventually decided it had to be ready by then and made our way up on our own. Oh, and we weren’t even told where our room was during check-in! We had to rely on the directional signs and just wing it through the huge compound. ٩(× ×)۶
And if you think this was bad service, well, surprise! The service ended up being the best part of this whole stay.
Room Review at HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam: Bright Colors, Big Disappointments
After finally finding our way to our room, we were greeted by HARRIS’s signature bright and cheerful colours. It definitely had that vibrant, tropical vibe that screamed “vacation mode!” – bold oranges, fun accents, and a layout that looked lively at first glance.
Honestly, I thought everything would be okay once we stepped in. But wow, were we wrong. Still, let’s start with the positives first.
The Good: Pretty View & Thoughtful Touches
Since it was Chinese New Year, we found some cute little treats placed on our bedside table – a thoughtful gesture, though we didn’t dare eat them because, well, who knows how long they had been sitting there? (´･ᴗ･ ` )
Our room also had a genuinely beautiful waterfront view, which was probably one of the few redeeming parts of our stay. There’s just something magical about waking up to water views – it almost makes you forget your worries. Almost. Because not long after, we started noticing the not-so-cheerful details of the room.
The Bad: Maintenance Nightmares and Bathroom Blues
Just when we thought Holiday Inn Resort Batam wasn’t the best-maintained, HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam decided to one-up them with an even more rundown version! We spotted decaying wood around the bathroom door frame (yikes!), and here’s the kicker – there was only one extra wall plug in the entire room! And where was it located? Right beside the balcony door, miles away from anywhere useful. Why not by the TV or bedside table like literally every other hotel/resort? ٩(× ×)۶
Now, let’s talk about the bathroom – where things really went downhill. Never mind the decaying wood, guess what was missing? Towels! Was our room even ready for check-in?! (x_x) And don’t even get me started on the body wash and shampoo bottles. They weren’t the squeeze type, so we had to shake them like mad just to get anything out. Taking a shower turned into a full-on arm workout!
Breakfast Disaster & More Maintenance Horror at the Resort
If you thought the room issues were bad, wait till you hear about breakfast. We headed down to HARRIS Café the next morning, only to find it absolutely packed. After giving our room number to the cheerful staff, they waved us in – only for us to discover there were zero empty seats! Σ(O_O) Like, how do you let guests in when there’s literally nowhere for them to sit?! This isn’t a hawker centre where you chope tables – it’s supposed to be a resort! We ended up wandering around awkwardly until a group finally left and we could grab their spot.
And the real horror? As soon as we sat down, I spotted ants crawling under the glass panel of our dining table. Ants. On a dining table. At a resort. I was so grossed out I could barely eat – I just wanted to finish up and get out of there. ( `д´*)
As if that wasn’t enough, the public areas were just as bad. Kids were walking barefoot from the pool to the lobby, leaving puddles and wet footprints that made the floor dangerously slippery. The public toilets? Dirty and soaking wet. And this wasn’t just in the old wing – we checked out the newer wing too and saw broken doors, toilet paper holders hanging off the walls, and flush buttons that worked only half the time. Even the corridor doors looked sad and neglected. My goodness, what a disaster.
The Shuttle Bus Sauna Experience
Oh, and I almost forgot the grand finale! After checking out, we waited for the shuttle bus. The resort offers two types – a smaller, cramped one and a larger one. Naturally, we chose the bigger bus, thinking it would be more comfortable. WRONG! ٩(× ×)۶
The bus felt like a full-blown sauna. The air-conditioning barely worked, the seats were scorching, and even the metal handles were too hot to touch. I was genuinely worried we might get burned. How on earth does the resort expect guests to endure that torture chamber on wheels?! Honestly, walking to the ferry terminal might have been better for us. Hur.
Our Honest Verdict: Would We Return to HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam?
To be fair, not everything was terrible. The staff were genuinely lovely – friendly, welcoming, and doing their best despite the resort’s many shortcomings. And that pizza I mentioned? Absolutely fabtabulous! If they fixed everything else, the food could actually be a highlight. The welcome experience was sweet too, and the waterfront location does offer lovely views and easy access to activities around Batam.
But was all that just a nice front to distract from how run-down the place is? Honestly, after this one experience, K and I are definitely not rushing back to HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam. While the service was commendable and the pizza a pleasant surprise, the maintenance issues, cleanliness problems, and overall tired condition make it really hard to recommend this place to anyone.
Oh, and you know what the best part of the trip was? Like really the best part? Popping over to Holiday Inn Resort Batam again for a spa session and dining at Delima Seafood Restaurant. Even at humble-looking Delima, there wasn’t a single ant in sight – just saying!
Should You Stay at this Resort?
Look, maybe I’m being less forgiving than usual, but when you’re paying for a resort experience, you expect certain standards to be met. The beautiful waterfront location and friendly staff can’t quite make up for the maintenance issues, cleanliness concerns, and operational hiccups we faced. If you’re thinking about staying at HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam, just be aware of these potential problems and manage your expectations accordingly.
Share Your HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam Experience!
I’m always curious to hear different stories, so if you’ve been to HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam, or are planning to go, drop a comment below! Sharing your experience might just help others decide whether it’s the right spot for them.
Information about HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam
HARRIS RESORT WATERFRONT BATAM☎️ Phone Number: +62 7 7838 1888
📧 Email: reservation.hrbw@the-ascott.com
🔎 Website | Facebook | Instagram
Photo Gallery
Explore Other (and Better) Resort Options in Batam
Our review details our experience at HARRIS Resort Waterfront Batam from some time ago. If you’re planning a trip to Batam and looking for current, well-regarded resorts, this map showcases a variety of choices. Be sure to check their latest guest reviews and amenities.
Discover More Batam Experiences
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse of Batam! K and I love discovering what this affordable getaway has to offer, from decent hotels to chaotic food courts. For everything we’ve learnt about getting around Batam, where to eat, and where to stay, check out my comprehensive Batam Travel page.
Looking for more Batam inspiration? Here are some of our experiences from this quick Singapore escape:
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