Bobocabin Cikole, Bandung — Hotel in Java

Great forest cabin experience!

It could use some improvements if rated purely as an accommodation, but given the concept, it was a fantastic experience 😊 Stayed in the family cabin 34 with en-suite toilet in early Sept 2022.

Location: You are literally staying in a cabin in the pine forest! The forest looks super etheral, especially when it is foggy after raining. There are a couple of campsites/glamping/cabins in the area.

Check in, BoboBox app: At the lobby, you'll need to download the app Bobobox, verify ID, and check-in. Doors, lights, and window privacy screen can be controlled in-app. QR code scanner is more reliable than the in-app controls, but the latter is very useful as you can control from a distance. There is a chatting feature with the staff for ordering food or general enquires.

Room: Minimalist room, clean wooden floor cabin, big window with privacy blur screen on one side of the room, a smaller window on another wall, and a window in the roof. Dressing area and coffee table are built in on the other end of the wall, beside the en-suite toilet. Toilet was decently-sized, shower screen on the left, sink with mirror and hairdryer, and then toilet bowl on the right.

For a family cabin that sleeps 4, they have an extra pull out queen bed. Mattresses, pillows and blankets are very comfortable and thick. No aircon or fan as weather is already cooling, but it was not stuffy at all. After pulling out the bed there is not much space left. If you require some space, this cabin might be more comfortable for 2 pax.

Each cabin has a porch, with an outdoor table, benches and an attached parasol. Porch is well-lit.

One bonfire pit with sitting area shared among a few cabins. We were lucky to have come at a shoulder period so we did not have to share or move to another bonfire pit.

Insect screen on the door is very helpful for keeping insects out at night.

Quiet hours: 9pm-7am

Facilities: Linen, toiletries, kettle, fire extinguisher, and 4x600ml water provided. No indoor slippers. Hot water is limited, 15L max (around 2 people usage), otherwise needs up to 2h to reheat. With some rationing, we (4 people) could all use it at one time. WiFi available, no problems with signal or WiFi strength.

Food: Breakfast, tea time and dinner available, ordered in the app via chat. Menu in the app with clear prices. A chicken steamboat and beef bbq dinner (on one portable stove) for 4 pax cost us ~ IDR 400k. GoFood delivery is an alternative, pick up at lobby. Bonfire (35k), but they ran out of marshmallows sadly.

Staff: 24/7 front desk. Very accommodating and friendly, generally quick replies via the Bobobox chat. Luggage deposit available at the lobby. Don't expect daily housekeeping as it is not a hotel.

Security: A shared main entrance (Green Grass Cikole) at the base of the hill, one-time entrance fee for 1 car was 10k, per pax 15k. Heard that there is an entrance fee per vehicle per entry into the parking lot near Bobocabin. We just walked out on foot to the main road, less than 5 min. Exits: near lobby; near cabin 16

There is a shortcut to Warung Kopi Gunung via a bridge at the back of the lobby that would spare you the 10min walk along the steep main road.

Tip: sunrise spot at the bonfire pit near cabin 25, we were up at 5am to see the sky...

Will recommend? BIG NO with the current condition.

The surrounding atmosphere was super awesome, literally it's in the middle of a forest. The cabin was nice, the window with Smart PDLC Film is quite a new experience. The view was also nice (forest view). Must do: enjoying the cold natural forest weather outside the cabin/pod above 23:00. It's amazing.

So why the 1 star?

Ok, so when we arrived, the electricity was going on & off like a dozen times, so the head unit inside the cabin/pod restarted a dozen times affecting door lock, PDLC Film (frosted) windows, and cabin light. When we chat the admin from the apps, they literally said to "take turns using the hair-dryer & don't use power drawing electronics", we haven't even touch anything in the room, we just got there and welcomed by all kinds of hassle. Oh and or course guests will surely bring all kinds of power drawing electronics like sound systems & gaming pc sets to the cabin. #sarcasm #intended

The parking lot is a mess. First you park near the lobby, take a long stairs to the reception, then after you take all your belongings to the cabin, you have to move parking to down below at the parking lot, then use your feet to go way up to the cabin area. While from near the lobby parking space going uphill a bit (less than 30meters) there's a very spacious flat area that can be use for parking (it's empty anyway). And i waited like 10minutes in the parking lot because no staff is on parking lot, nor the gate security. When he arrived, he told me literally "parkir aja disini." Like i should know? Because the point he's pointing clearly way too short so the back of my car is sticking out & will disturb the already narrow parking way. STAFF: NEED EDUCATION IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & MANNER. You have made a guest waited but yet you don't feel bad at all & IT'S HARD TO SAY SORRY. VERY BAD ATTITUDE.

Construction in progress, noisy hammer banging non-stop during the day.

Campfire & the advertised BBQ grill/shabu2 IS OUT OF STOCK. We got there quite late & hungry but we can't order advertised food.

The shower drain takes a very long time to flush all the water out. Like VERY SLOWLY. Puddle is unavoidable.

These negative small things adds up really quick and made us NOT HAPPY with the service you offered, it DOESN'T MEET OUT EXPECTATIONS for almost 1million rupiah per night stay.

Cuma menang foto2 (buat IG) di cabin lucu, which i don't even consider it's important the...

The location is inside the pine forest, however we still can hear some noise from the main road. You need to pay for park in the area that managed by Perhutani, before going to the Bobocabin area.

The Bobocabin area is quite large, not only rooms but they provided some of hangout area bonfire-like. They have a hall near the receptionist. The space between rooms is not too far, so if we speak loud, you'll be heard.

The receptionist area is up above, they sell some snack & food. You need to download their app, and register yourself with ID before checking-in. The provider signal around there is quite bad, but you can use their wifi connection. After check-in you'll need to scan the barcode from their app to go inside to yohr room - make sure you screenshot/share it to your partner for back-up. In the app, there's a chat feature that can connect you with the receptionist 24/7, and you can also order menu from the app.

The Deluxe room (with bathroom inside for 2 people) I think is the most great one. The space for the bed is good, the bathroom is fine, and the alley between bed & bathroom is okay. For me, it's more convenient than having a separate bathroom because of privacy, faster reach, and not getting wind while showering (note that the water is freezing-like).

Really like the shade feature in the window, however please note that the window might be facing the pathway of someone passing by or to other rooms, so they can easily see you. It's best if you can get the outer later, because no one can see your big window. We can also change the light color to match our mood. The deluxe room also offer a garden seating area with umbrella and have its own barbeque place.

Inside the room, they provide a water cooker, 2 cup, tea & sugar. Inside the bathroom they provide shampoo, soap, toothbrush, towel, and mat. They provide a tab beside your bed that you can set up the lamp color & brightness, window shade, turn on/off the tab light, connect the in-house speaker to bluetooth (free speaker!), also they have a meditation sound to make the ambience more personalized to you.

The ambience is serene and have cold weather (don't forget to bring warm clothes). The sunray at morning & noon, as well as warm festive lights at night is so magical.

Overall, it was a great stay at Bobocabin. Although the price is quite high, but it's worth...