Guest User
March 12, 2023
After leaving the Togean Islands, we needed a place to stay in Gorontalo before we caught a flight back to Makassar. Our island resort noted that many of their customers often stayed in the New Melati Hotel. We arranged for transport from the Gorontalo ferry through the hotel and were met by a tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw) driver who loaded up us and our luggage for the 15 minute drive into the town. The New Melati Hotel is a small complex of buildings on a pleasant street with a wide plaza in front (great for walking out at night when it is finally cooler). Our room was adequately furnished, clean, quiet, and with a comfortable bed. The AC was quite tepid, and the bathroom was open to the outside through vents, so it was important to keep the bathroom door closed so as not to make the AC struggle even more. Management spoke English, and it turned out that this is the New Melati Hotel, owned by the great-grandson of the man who began the first Melati Hotel. We met the owner’s grandfather and had a wonderful chat about his project to renovate the original hotel - now in a food court conveniently located next door to the hotel. There is also a mini-mart immediately adjacent, so besides the breakfast in the mornings, it is quite easy to get your other food/snack options satisfied within steps of the hotel. We also wanted to explore the town further, so used the original tuk-tuk driver to take us around the town. It was a perfect stop over place for us, and certainly budget friendly.