We check out a new hotel in Bintan!

As usual when travelling, I didn’t do much research before heading off for a stay at Hotel Indigo in Bintan. I knew it was close to another a new hotel in Bintan, the Holiday Inn Resort Lagoi Bay, and next to The Sanchaya, where the team has stayed in the past. I was also more generally curious to see Bintan again, having not been there since 2018.

My review of the Hotel Indigo in Bintan

I was a bit wowed by the Hotel Indigo (and the Holiday Inn next door). It’s all very new, so some of the greenery is still settling in, but the foyer is lovely – set in a shallow lake, with artisanal ropes used to section off areas, and lots of light wood and colours found in the fishing villages of the area. Very different to the old style Bintan hotel décor!

There’s a range of rooms and suites at Indigo. My one-bedroom suite felt more like an apartment than a hotel because of the homely mix of décor featuring local arts and crafts and rattan chairs. The living area had a small coffee set-up and fridge, plus a dining table, large L-shaped sofa and huge TV.

The bedroom also had some wow factor, with a large round bathtub near the window, a massive bath and dressing room, and a separate toilet and shower. You could spend time here and not feel you were in a hotel room, or on top of each other.

My suite was on the second floor looking onto the pool with the sea behind it. Palm trees blew in the breeze and I was pretty impressed with the whiteness of the sand and the waves; not all beaches in Bintan or Batam are like this. At low tide the beach is huge and there were a couple of wind-blown go-carts making use of the space.

Most of the time the beach was empty, with a few walkers in the cooler parts of the day. I had a lovely long walk at low tide and a hop in the waves when the tide was in. The water was clean, and the hotels along the bay are all continuously cleaning up the plastic and debris that gets washed up. Hotel Indigo has also done a fair bit on this, including supplying waste to ocean clean-up organisation Seven Clean Seas. (See our November 2024 issue for a story on them.) The team from SCS are recycling these materials into some cool furniture and home décor accessories like coasters.

All the furniture in the hotel’s dining and bar areas is nice and different too, with cool colour combinations. There’s a large pool near Sugarbeats, the main dining area, and a live music trio from sunset onwards playing a mix of styles. There’s also a second pool, which was in front of my room. It has its own bar area and a separate kids pool.

I made the most of being in Indonesia and had nasi goreng one day and mee goreng the second. For dinner I went to Stix, one of three dining options at Sugarbeats. It’s a novel, cook-in-front-of you, bar-style satay restaurant. It was interesting watching the young chef do his thing on the open flames. The prawn satays were slathered in a smoked honey glaze. I also had the rib-eye variety, but I preferred the prawns. Dessert was delicious – I had both the ice cream and the grilled pineapple on skewers! There are Western options in the main restaurant too.

During my stay, I took part in a Bahasa class, which was quite funny as I cannot roll my R’s… There’s also a handicraft class, or if you want something more active you can visit the gym, ride a bike, or take advantage of Bintan’s great golf courses, ATV courses and kayaking spots.

The massage at Sunjivva, the spa at the Holiday Inn just a few minutes away, was the best I’ve had in years – 90 minutes in the hands of Ebna and you’ll feel like a new person! The spa is very nicely decorated too; both the Holiday Inn and Hotel Indigo have the same owners (they’re managed by IHG) and you can see it in the décor.

Hotel Indigo stats

• 120 suites
• Infinity pool and second family pool
• 24-hour fitness centre
• 3 dining options including the satay room below
• 1-hour ferry ride from Singapore
• 10 minutes from ferry terminal in Bintan

There’s also a lovely little wedding chapel with a view of the sea (pictured below).

To find out more or to book, head to the Hotel Indigo website.

This feature on this Indigo hotel in Bintan first appeared in the May 2025 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!

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