West Plaza By the Sea — Hotel in Koror

We stayed in Palau for a week in May this year. The reason we chose the West Plaza Downtown was for its location and price. We didn't want to stay in one of the what we felt were overpriced resorts, knowing that we would be exploring the islands from morning to evening. ||||The selling point of the 'Downtown' is clearly its location. It's centrally located on the main street in very close proximity to a multitude of grocery stores, smaller shops, and local restaurants. There are some good Indian, Japanese, Thai, and Korean restaurants within easy walking distance (exit the West Plaza, cross the street, and turn left down main street, you can't miss them). You can even check out some of the old abandoned tanks in the neighborhood (there's one behind the local baseball field down main street).||||The hotel itself reminded us of an older motel. We stayed in the room right behind the front desk. The room had two single beds, a TV that didn't work too well (reception?), and a chair/desk. The bathroom was quite old, worn down, and there was a bunch of ants roaming around. Still, the room was kept clean. Make sure you bring your own bathroom amenities though. Breakfast is not provided for, but you can do some grocery shopping nearby and purchase what you need. ||||Since we only stayed in the room at night and spent every day exploring the islands, the West Plaza was a good...

Visitors to Palau typically go to dive, snorkel, or kayak all day, so an expensive hotel doesn't make much sense if all you really need is a hot shower, and air-conditioned room to sleep. This hotel is clean, quiet, and affordable by Palau standards, with friendly staff and on-site restaurant. ||||The restaurant makes the back-street location away from town acceptable. Dining in town is expensive and breakfast choices are limited. The menu is mostly standard Western fare with a few Asian options. I especially liked the Japanese Breakfast as a healthier and more filling alternative. Tuesdays are closed for dinner but a short taxi ride into town is better than walking in the dark. Drivers don't swing wide for pedestrians, and sidewalks, if present are lined by drainage ditches.||||My room was clean with tile floors and air-conditioning. Good hot shower, clean bedding. Tap water is safe to drink. The hallway carpet was musty but that's difficult to avoid in the tropics where it rains a lot. They have a baggage elevator, stairs-only to rooms.||||The hotel is on the water but the area is not suitable for swimming. Sunsets are especially nice from the sidewalk directly in front. Ask front desk for a massage referral, $25/hr includes free shuttle. Ride into town for massage, go to dinner, and they'll...

Overall this hotel was ok. The building is a bit old. The rooms are clean and very basic. The location along the water is nice, but on the other side of the building it is in a kind of run-down, industrial looking area. The setting / atmosphere of the hotel was a bit disappointing. The grounds were not beautiful as you may hope for in a tropical vacation. The door to our room seemed very flimsy and unsafe. There was a large space where you could see through to the outside. There were hotels of similar price range that seemed to have much better grounds, scenery, etc. If we had it to do over again, we would have spent another $20 / night and gotten a hotel with a pool and more tropical surroundings. If you are on a budget or are just using it as a place to stay before getting on a dive boat, then this might be the place for you. If you like your hotel to feel like it is in a beautiful, tropical location, then spend a little more and upgrade to a nicer location. Oh, and the reviews about the internet cards you can purchase are accurate...those cards DON'T work. Don't even bother buying one from the front desk. So, the hotel is clean, but the location/ scenery around the hotel is...