Hotel Kalang Ulu - Berastagi — Hotel in Sumatra

If you dont mind being serviced by only staff without any supervisor or manager standby or work in the morning till afternoon, maybe you can enjoy staying here, for me? A big no!. First day: my bathroom door cant be locked, have to call engineering guy to fix it. No towel and hairdryer provided. So we asked for those, then they will bring you. I asked them to change my TV since the channel it's not working at all, the new TV also is a bit concerning just like the first so I just use the Internet from TV to watch youtube

Second day is the worst, at the place for breakfast.. yeah. Some random place it was like you mix table and big living room and several outdoor tables. They run out of nasi goreng and mie goreng. 10 people were waiting in the line for 15 minutes. Like i said before, no supervisor to complaint. I was about to give this hotel 3 star since the food for the cafe at top of the hotel is quite good, but wait!!! When we were about to leave the place, the staff that help park our car to leave this random place, did not give the right direction so my car crushed a bit at the back to a pole.

So we experience almost all horrible experiences here except for the Cafe at night since they provide you with live music, good food and very nice view. I recommend you should come here just for the Cafe at the top but dont stay here for more than 1 day, or maybe buy the most expensive Room to get more satisfying experience, I am not so sure either. I am warning you all !!! WE WERE THERE...

Kalang Ulu is like the oasis in Berastagi. The moment you step into this hotel, you are transported into a different world. Beautiful architecture and landscape. Plenty of photo spots. It has the most beautiful cafe on the roof top. A must visit. One of the downsides of this hotel is the noise. Our rooms were next to the entrance. The noise of vehicles coming and out of the hotel was audible. In fact, we could hear the noise from the staff or guests talking loudly at the entrance and the corridor. It was hard to catch a nap after a long day traveling. Fortunately, it was quiet after 10pm. Our twin bedrooms were located on the ground floor. The beds were comfortable. Basic amenities and bottles of drinking water were provided. A hot water dispenser is available at the breakfast area which is right outside the reception area. Do bring your own hot water flasks to help reduce plastic bottle waste. Housekeeping for the room can be better. Especially, the bathroom sink area. Perhaps something can be done to improve the air ventilation in the bathrooms. Although there were mosquito netting, several mosquitoes managed to get into the room. I managed to get rid of them. We managed to get some good sleep. I didn't have much expectation for breakfast as the price was cheap. Good enough for me. The breakfast seating area was outdoor overlooking the greenery and koi pond. A great location to enjoy your breakfast. Overall, with a few improvements, this is a recommended...

Kalang Ulu is indeed a highly-priced hotel with great ambience and aesthetic. Rooms are spacious and it is uniquely designed with earthly landscapes. The shower works on a gas boiler system so on cold days it can get too cold that it doesn't provide hot showers. (Your mileage may vary)

However, poor management of staff and poor quality food really takes away from the experience of a premium hotel such as this. Staff can be pretty clueless at times. Breakfast is disappointing and pretty basic for what you're paying for and dinners at the restaurant have long wait times and even wrong orders. It's really disappointing when the restaurant has such a nice vibe and atmosphere but fails at the basic service. The restaurant can get pretty busy on the weekends, so best to avoid those days if you can.

That said I can only recommend this hotel if you're planning for a quick stopover in Berastagi (max 1 or 2 days) and that's it.

I really wanted to like Kalang Ulu, but it just failed to please me to the standard I am paying for.

To say that the "hotel is trying their best" or to even give the benefit of the doubt is a tall order.

If you can spend a little more on the budget, you may consider proper 4 star hotels...