Singapore to Raja Ampat

[chillyinCanada]

More importantly, how do you book your hotel with SwissBell? How do you ensure they keep the room for you until you show up in the a.m.?

 

[Dogbowl]

More importantly, how do you book your hotel with SwissBell? How do you ensure they keep the room for you until you show up in the a.m.?

I booked online via their website, but confirmed with them via email beforehand. However, they are aware of early morning flights so it is common that guests book an extra day. This is what they wrote in a recent email correspondence I had with them:

*Kindly note that due to the high season we do not confirmed any early check-in on the date of arrival. Our normal check-in time is at 14.00 and check-out time 12.00. Should you wish to have early check-in on the date of arrival, we recommend you to have room reservation one day before. All request is subject to avaliability.

Plus, it’s a prepaid reservation so they better hold it for me! I also wrote my arrival time on the comments section when I booked, IIRC.

I’m arriving at 6:35am. I’m guessing I’ll be at the hotel by 7:30-8:00am. There’s no way I can sanely wait until check-in time to get a room, after flying all that way from Hong Kong. I’m admittedly a wimp and am unable (or unwilling) to tough it out.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I booked online via their website, but confirmed with them via email beforehand. However, they are aware of early morning flights so it is common that guests book an extra day. This is what they wrote in a recent email correspondence I had with them:

*Kindly note that due to the high season we do not confirmed any early check-in on the date of arrival. Our normal check-in time is at 14.00 and check-out time 12.00. Should you wish to have early check-in on the date of arrival, we recommend you to have room reservation one day before. All request is subject to avaliability.

Plus, it’s a prepaid reservation so they better hold it for me! I also wrote my arrival time on the comments section when I booked, IIRC.

I’m arriving at 6:35am. I’m guessing I’ll be at the hotel by 7:30-8:00am. There’s no way I can sanely wait until check-in time to get a room, after flying all that way from Hong Kong. I’m admittedly a wimp and am unable (or unwilling) to tough it out.

Lol

Last year, I booked on booking.com . . .er, I think.

I almost hit the button on that tonight especially since didn't require payment until arrival, though secured with cc.

That's when I started thinking maybe should book directly
Thanks for your reply.

@bill4tsf? Do you book direct?

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

Thanks Bill!
This year, I need to go Singapore to Sorong and return, to Bali. Still trying to figure it out. Did find Garuda flight to get there, through Jakarta, sigh, and red eye, though that's starting to look unavoidable also, may not have any choice but to leave 2 days early from what I can tell. Garuda's site won't let me select a multi only one way or return. Annoying

Red eye is really not that bad to be honest. It's a bit exhausting but I find that red eye actually works out a bit better than lugging the gears to the hotel and back - also to bypass all the Indo airport hassles.

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

Hi Chili:

Sorry about the delay in responding.

First off, the part of the airport in CGK that is for Garuda is very very nice! I don't think you'd have a problem waiting there. I believe there is a nice hotel in the airport itself.

When we go from Bali, we use Garuda and take an evening flight to Makassar, get the Ibis hotel for several hours, then continue on with Garuda at around 03.15 IIRC, arriving SOQ at like 6AM. I reserve a room at SwissBell from the night before *and* the next night so we arrive a day before the boat leaves in case there is a delay.

It's either that, a discount airline, or a red-eye from CGK I think. No option is great; however I content myself with the knowledge that, if there *were* a great option, RA would be even more crowded than it is now.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Bill

The new T3 at CGK is pretty good. Nice dining options and free wifi. Also, it is quite clean and spacious. There is a capsule hotel called "Digital Airport Hotel" at the Domestic Pick-Up end of T3 (your left side when facing the curb). it is in the sandwich level between arrival and departure. So take the travelator up or down, depending on which level you are at. The hotel has 6 hour option for around $15 USD and overnight should be around $25-30. It is new and clean.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Red eye is really not that bad to be honest. It's a bit exhausting but I find that red eye actually works out a bit better than lugging the gears to the hotel and back - also to bypass all the Indo airport hassles.

For you maybe, red eye is a misery for me. Might be manageable with 2 days of rest in Sorong.

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

For you maybe, red eye is a misery for me. Might be manageable with 2 days of rest in Sorong.

Haha. Fair enough.

 

[chillyinCanada]

The new T3 at CGK is pretty good. Nice dining options and free wifi. Also, it is quite clean and spacious. There is a capsule hotel called "Digital Airport Hotel" at the Domestic Pick-Up end of T3 (your left side when facing the curb). it is in the sandwich level between arrival and departure. So take the travelator up or down, depending on which level you are at. The hotel has 6 hour option for around $15 USD and overnight should be around $25-30. It is new and clean.

Good info.

I've finally managed to remember how I made the trek last year. They made us run from one end of the airport to the other, change levels and then run back the other way. Then, we just sat there waiting an extra long time. At some point, I noticed a lot of people had disappeared from the gate but hadn't boarded a plane.i said to my fellow runner: "there's something wrong" sure enough, a gate change with no notice, not even on the flight board. How the others found out, no idea, perhaps it helped that the majority of them spoke Bahasa.

In any event, off we went running again but managed to catch our plane before new gate closed.

Yes, I'll be much more aware this year than last.

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

Good info.

I've finally managed to remember how I made the trek last year. They made us run from one end of the airport to the other, change levels and then run back the other way. Then, we just sat there waiting an extra long time. At some point, I noticed a lot of people had disappeared from the gate but hadn't boarded a plane.i said to my fellow runner: "there's something wrong" sure enough, a gate change with no notice, not even on the flight board. How the others found out, no idea, perhaps it helped that the majority of them spoke Bahasa.

In any event, off we went running again but managed to catch our plane before new gate closed.

Yes, I'll be much more aware this year than last.

Yeah. Just keep your ears open and lookout for anything odd. T3 is quite a large terminal and rushing from gate to gate can be a bit exhausting.

 

[chillyinCanada]

9

Yeah. Just keep your ears open and lookout for anything odd. T3 is quite a large terminal and rushing from gate to gate can be a bit exhausting.

Right. I just said that.

Or perhaps implied it. Been there, done that.