Holiday Inn Resort Bintan Lagoi Beach by IHG — Hotel in Bintan Island

It’s a brand new hotel that opened not too long ago and everything still smells new. There is plenty of pools for the kids to play in but do note that majority of the pools are 1.2m deep. As a Holiday Inn guest, you will also get access to the pools at hotel Indigo (a 5 min walk away) along with the beach. There are also facilities including library with board games, bicycles that you can pick up and cycle around the property, even a small Gondola near the lobby.

But there are definitely big areas of improvement needed too.

Check in and check out process was a nightmare. Even though there were 4 counters and all were manned, the waiting time took way too long. The quickest check in I had experience in other hotels ranged from a minute (Sheraton) to 10 mins (Holiday Inn). Imagine just standing in line with only one guest ahead you. The hotel lobby is also not air conditioned and ceiling fans were way too small for the size of the lobby.

Having bottled water sent to the room was also another adventure. I requested housekeeping to send it to our room from 7am all the way to 7pm, and called no less than 7 times. I had to go to the front desk before they managed to grab a few small bottles under the desk and pass it to me.

Food options were terribly limited. Lunch and dinner option was really either room service or at the one restaurant on the property. Buffet selection wasn’t great. The first night for our BBQ buffet most of the seafood were burnt and I would certainly not recommend to try the noodle soup options (tom yum, laksa, and chicken soup) at the buffet counter. For a hotel of this size, I would expect more food options. Guest can also access the only other restaurant at Hotel Indigo but the food selection was even less than what was at Holiday Inn, and most of the food placed outdoors were covered in flying ants (it was in the evening).

The property is massive. But there’s just not enough trees or shade, especially the walk between the two hotels.

We checked into the Family Suitr and the kids love it but it wasn’t exactly child safe. At least in my opinion. There were just too many sharp edges. The steps leading up to the bunk bed were also very narrow and very slippery. Thankfully my son didn’t need to rush down the bunk bed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night because it is an accident waiting to happen.

I was really contemplating giving a 3 star because of the lack of meal choices and overall guest experience. However, the staff managed to locate my son’s comforter which we left behind after we had checked out. They put the comforter on the next ferry out and I collected it at the ferry terminal in Singapore (S$20 fee for the ferry ride).

It’s a new property and there’s bound to be hiccups. I would think that we will come back again for a weekend as the kids had...

Newly built in 2024. Official opening in end Feb 2025. The good1. Service staff- The best thing the hotel has is its service staff. They are respectful and friendly. The front desk managers, one named Haekal, is really great. He really does his best to solve our issues (see below). Housekeeping and mangrove playhouse staff really did their utmost best for the guest and the rowdy kids. Don’t know how they do it, but they have the heart of the kids. 2.Mangrove playhouse- a clubhouse of children. Suitable for toddlers to primary school children. My toddler adores this place. You can leave your child there from age 4 onwards. They have a range of activities to engage the kids. The staff are really friendly. Sometimes I feel the kids are pretty annoying but the staff just kept their cool. 3. Close proximity to the beach - go past hotel indigo The beach is gorgeous! Fine sand. No sand flies. Absolute beauty. 4. Pool - really lovely. Clean and two areas. Have a waddling pool suitable for toddlers. There this strawbella area where you can order drinks while soaking in the pool. Super cool. 5. Borrow a bicycle - have both single and with child seat behind. Free to use. 6. Cleanliness of the place - good and clean. Towel and all all in good condition. 7. Land transfer- ferry to hotel vice versa as well as to Lagoi plaza. Use WhatsApp to contact hotel for transfer. side note: Lagoi plaza is like a ghost town now after covid. Such a shame! Only a massage place with a few eateries(not even sure if it’s open) However, this hotel comes with quite a bit of teething issues. The not-so-good1. Interconnecting rooms - one per block per level. It’s very limited. 2. Electrical wiring is faulty. They really need to fix the issue from deep within. Essentially structural issue. We had the luck to stay in one where is tripped 3 times and had to change rooms. Technicians that came - no fault of theirs - are not able to solve the issue as I believe is a structural engineering thing. The technicians were only able to do superficial solution to lift the trip flap in the electrical boxes above in the ceiling. 3. Water pressure really lack lustre. Took a long time to bath due to weak water pressure. Again, a structural issue. 4. Understaff at the restaurant- orders given really took a considerable amount of time. Either forget or need constant eyeballing so the food arrives. Other than those above, I must say I really like the resort concept. Seldom or never did a resort thing, but decided to try with my little toddler in tow this time. Would recommend this hotel to families with toddlers and young children. They are quite...

My family's 7-night stay at the Holiday Inn Bintan Resort in April 2025 was nothing short of magical. We traveled from London for my wife's birthday celebration during school holidays, and I must say - what might seem too good to be true was genuinely a flawless experience.

The most remarkable aspect of this resort is undoubtedly the staff. Their service was second to none, with every team member going above and beyond to make our stay extraordinary. Their attention to detail was impressive - they picked up on the smallest nuances in our conversations to anticipate our needs.

This exceptional care was highlighted when our 2-year-old injured himself at a local village. The resort immediately dispatched a van to collect us, and Guest Manager Nurul was already waiting at reception to escort us to their in-house clinic. We felt truly supported during this stressful moment.

Speaking of Nurul, she is an absolute gem! Always bubbly and delightful to chat with, she made our stay extra special by gathering the entire team to celebrate my wife's birthday during breakfast - a thoughtful gesture we'll never forget.

The resort itself is impeccable. The infrastructure is well-maintained, facilities are constantly cleaned, and amenities like sun loungers and towels are always readily available. The kids' soft play and playground areas are spacious and well-equipped, with staff who are genuinely kind and helpful with children. Rooms are of decent size and separate partition with bunk bed and PlayStation for kids.

We dined several times at the hotel restaurant, Warung Pak Lagoi, where the food was out of this world with options for everyone. The restaurant staff were simply fantastic - extremely friendly, engaging in great conversations with us, and wonderfully entertaining our children.

Special thanks to the memorable staff: Ruwanda, Lilis, Eki, Yardi, Tikka, Frida, Aini, Amin, Stefanie, Rhido, Dimas, Natalia, and Okta. The reception team was equally wonderful, including Dhea, Sunna, Jalu, and Windy. And we can't forget the helpful beach bar staff, Feri and Faisal, who assisted with organizing our water sports activities.

We also enjoyed fantastic excursions arranged by the hotel with their trusted driver, Jay. The resort's convenient location, just a short bus ride from the Bandar Bintan Telani ferry terminal, made transportation easy.

All in all, our stay at Holiday Inn Bintan was truly memorable and we left with hearts full of love for the thoughtful, accommodating service that made our family holiday so...