Novotel Bogor Golf Resort & Convention Center is a hotel we got into by chance (thanks to our friend Fran, the General Manager, and Maria) and it could not have been better.

We arrived in Bogor at night, after visiting Jakarta, and the rain so characteristic of the area welcomed us to the small town. The next day dawned clear and we could see part of the golf course surrounding Novotel Bogor.

We had a hearty breakfast in a large lounge which had open doors leading onto the gardens. On weekends different activities, such as film screenings and promoting children’s entertainment, among other things, are conducted in a small pavilion.

Facilities at the Novotel Bogor Golf Resort & Convention Center

Then we took a walk through the hotel gardens and we couldn’t help but be surprised, as they were remarkably well taken care of – the greenery was intense and the gardens extend across 5 hectares of land, full of lawns, native flowers and trees.

Around the garden there are other facilities to please both adults and children, one of which is a fully equipped gym in a small wooden house surrounded by greenery, which should certainly please any guest wishing to exercise surrounded by nature.

The other one is a nice playground where Fabio spent a long time with Noah while I was touring the rest of the property and rooms.

Noah is in a phase when he likes to pretend to be Mowgli in the “jungle”. It is nice to see him playing outdoors, rather than being into video games and TV. Of course he loves his cartoons and TV shows, but he probably realized that we’d rather have him playing outside with us, just like we did when we were kids. The only problem is that sometimes he likes to pretend to be the “real Mowgli”, jumping around trees completely unaware of any sort of danger …

And since the hotel is focused on families with children there are many other activities that children can take part in during their stay.

For instance, they can take a ride on a pony on weekends, enjoy the mini-club overlooking the central garden, or play in the playground which has different sections for a children’s treasure hunt (or one for adults if you dare 🙂 ).

I’ve left describing what I (and probably Noah as well) liked the most until the end: the pool … It was created in a way I personally find ideal, with a romantic bridge to swim under and all this amidst lush vegetation in the gardens of Novotel Bogor Golf Resort & Convention Center. Obviously, Noah couldn’t resist and he practiced his new swimming skills that he picked up in Bali. And the great thing is that the swimming pool is divided, so there’s one long part specifically for adults, which is ideal for those wishing to do a few laps as exercise.

The rooms at the Novotel Bogor Golf Resort & Convention Center

We stayed for one night in a Deluxe Double Room, which was very spacious with everything you need for a pleasant stay, plus a huge Jacuzzi on the terrace. When I say huge, I mean it’s  enormous! It is a pity that we had only one night there, because this is the ideal place to relax after a long day of walking and sightseeing.

All in all the rooms are very large with rustic furniture, which complement the vast and natural surroundings and encourage you to take advantage of the facilities so that you can fully absorb the hotel’s setting.

The other two types of rooms – the Superior and the Standard rooms – are a bit smaller, located in different places in the hotel and therefore with different views from their balconies.

Restaurants and Bars

As we had a lot of catching up to do with our friend Fran – it had been nearly 10 years since we’d seen each other – we had some drinks in the Mahoni Bar while Noah (as Mowgli) jumped, pranced and tried to climb the trees and statues in different parts of the hotel’s public areas.

At night we decided to try the Italian food offered by Capriccio Restaurant. Dinner was delicious and continued for hours until Noah started to show signs of fatigue … Fábio and Fran chatted for a while longer, while I took Noah upstairs to sleep.

Unfortunately we didn’t have an opportunity to try the traditional restaurant Bale Bengong located near the area where breakfast is served. There are eight tables in a small wooden gazebo decorated with traditional statues from the country. They serve Javanese dishes which seem popular with the guests who appreciate and want to try the local cuisine. The restaurant’s environment is also a plus, as it is in a separate area from the large room where breakfast is served.

Other facilities and services at the Novotel Bogor Golf Resort & Convention Center

The Alaya Spa has a finely decorated room that we are sure indulge guests to a world of relaxation.

The hotel also has 20 meeting rooms for conferences and celebrations, ideal for private parties or business gatherings. In fact, after breakfast when we arrived at the other hotel in the chain that Fran manages, there was a large wedding being celebrated. But in the afternoon the party finished and we had a very quiet rest of the day.

The chauffeur service is highly recommended if you want to visit the Botanical Garden in Bogor. The hotel also has a small souvenir shop.

We honestly had no idea what we would find in the hotel when we arrived. Since the idea was to visit our friend Fran, we didn’t even know that he would invite us to stay in the hotel he manages, nor which one was his hotel! So it was a surprise to enter the property and see this little gem in the middle of Bogor. But this is certainly not a place to only spend one night – to truly benefit from the nature and its facilities you need to stay at least a few nights. Unfortunately we had to take our flight to Singapore the next day, so we couldn’t stay longer.

Many thanks to Fran and Maria, not only for meeting up with us and reminiscing about our time in London, but also for giving us the opportunity to discover that lovely little site full of greenery – a real paradise of tranquility.

Novotel Bogor Golf Resort & Convention Center

Family Travel Secrets stayed at Novotel Bogor Golf Resort & Convention Center as guests. All opinions and the oodles of pictures remain our own.