Bayu Balau Beach Resort (Hotel) — Hotel in Johor

Take note that Bayu Balau Resort has newly managed the hotel which was previously named as Pelangi Balau resort. I booked a 2D1N stay at its hotel during one of the tourism fairs in Singapore with Mdm Norazlina. It was reasonably priced at $55 per person which includes 1 standard room with a buffet breakfast and excursion tours to Ostrich or Crocodile Farm and Fruit Farm or Firefly Cruise. We had a total of 4 family members. ||||Since it was just newly refurbished 4 months ago, you could expect new basic amenities which satisfies our expectations. The hotel was gated and there was a security guard at the entrance. The parking area was spacious. Peaceful ambiance around the hotel. The room was clean upon our check-in and all the amenities like air con and fridge worked well. There was no Wifi access which I think it was the only minus point here. ||||Our itinerary was arranged by Mdm Norazilina so we went straight to Ostrich Farm after check-in. Little did we know that it was a personal tour by one of its hotel staff, Mr Ishak who drove us around as we thought that it was just going to be another mass group tour. He accommodated to our needs as we did not like to rush things through. That impressed us a lot. He also was our driver for the Fruit Farm on the second day. We also visited a museum which was located a stone's throw away from the hotel. It was informative and great for all ages who enjoy learning. Greatly recommend to include this personal tour in your trip if you enjoy hassle-free journey around Desaru especially since the roads were pretty dark at night. ||||Buffet breakfast was pretty alright given the price that we paid. There were local dishes like lontong and Mee Goreng, bread corner and simple fritters like hotdogs and wedges. There was a crowd when we went there around 7.30am. ||||Overall, I feel that this hotel has a lot of good points and with its friendly local touch from the frontdesk, housekeeping staff and even the souvenir shop assistant, they deserve a mention here and hopefully gain more attention in the public. Unlike the other established hotels in Desaru which have garnered positive attention among Singaporeans, I personally think that this hotel is a hidden gemstone and has potential to achieve more. Their staff's sincerity really shone throughout our short trip and hence, this long review of mine. Go and give it a try with...

Spent 3 days 2 nights for a camp event. While I understand this property is catered for budget conscious travelers, some basic stuffs need to be observed.||||1. Room||- I requested for extra bed, which they just left outside the room with my pillow and blanket on the floor! This is unacceptable! Worst still, the mattress is of poor quality.||- Terrible cleanliness, dust / lizard poops / dead flies spotted! ||- Very poor sound proof, I can hear the people next door keep coughing throughout the night, affecting my sleep.||- No make up room, while I understand such service may not be provided at this price point, at least please throw the rubbish away and replenish the toilet paper please.||- There's WiFi throughout the property, however the speed is slow. I only got 3Mbps during off peak and 0.4Mbps during peak hours.||||2. Food||- Food is acceptable for the price point, however, please make your coffee and tea taste right please, it's bland and awful. ||- On our second day of buffet breakfast, they ran out of bread...||||3. Pool||- Again, poor cleanliness standard. Pool water is dirty, and there are a lot of monkeys using the pool when it's closed for the day!||||The only plus point is the staff who are warm and hospitable.||||What a pity considering this property is rather new, with such up-keeping standard, it will become run...

-stayed at: chalet dormitory (8 pax) (room 25) have two toilets (one sitting and one squat). sitting toilet wasn’t working. flush wasnt flushing. shower head was broken (hot water was okay) no towels, thin blanket and small. air conditioning was fine. had two electrical blackouts during heavy rains. no minibar/mini fridge. no closets. no hangers. but got place to hang(?)

-photo attached is during breakfast. saw a small insect inside one of the cups. overlooked by staffs. also got stains. food choice was limited (nasi lemak, mee, porridge; cereal; fruits, watermelon; coffee, tea, orange juice) decoration was ordinary, cleanliness was under average.

pool. area was fine. toilet was excellent. security wasn’t really doing his job. (depth: 0.5-1.6m). there wasn’t any recliners, only gazebos (2) and picnic table (1)

-misc. check-in/out process was swift. also monkeys were wandering around the chalets area. not suitable if ur bringing kids. bbq area was not practical (there was only a few tables and benches which were heavy to lift). access to the beach was not near. have to walk about 5 minutes. lot of dried leaves on the porch and walkway. mosquitos. easy and near access to the surau.

personally would stay again, but not in...