For the price I paid, I expected the Ayani to be a much more pleasurable experience. I traveled to Banda Aceh with my girlfriend. We both live in Bangkok and stopped-over at Banda Aceh for one night before catching the speed boat the next morning to our final destination in Pulau Weh. We are experienced travelers and are familiar with conditions in developed and third-world countries. First the good points about Ayani: location in the heart of the market area is excellent and provides good shopping and dining options; hotel is modern and slightly over a year old, but had no charm and was almost antiseptic in aesthetics; and, the service is friendly. The bad news: I booked the business executive room with buffet breakfast to have a larger room with a view overlooking the city and paid twice as much as other hotels in the area (I visited other hotels upon arrival and these hotels had better ambience); the karaoke lounge could be heard from our 6th floor room until after dark; and, we were offered the mini-bar for an additional $4 (USD) at check-in. Don’t waste your money! I was disappointed to find only a package of Oreo cookies, two sodas, and a package of crackers, items that could have been purchased outside for half the price! Finally, the buffet breakfast was mediocre at best and offered little variety, Asian or Western. We will definitely look for other accommodations the next time we travel to Banda Aceh.
