Masbro Village Malacca

We stayed at one of the units in late October 2015.

Located at Taman Paya Rumput Indah, Malacca, Masbro Village boasts some A Frame houses within a gated area.

Direction to the location is easy as it is very near a highway exit though you may miss it like I did due to it being assimilated to its surrounding which is absolutely not touristy at all. Google Maps does the job so once you exit the highway and turned right, go slow and look out for colourful houses with sharp pointy roofs on your left.

Parking is limited so should there be no parking lots available, you may have to park outside.

There are 8 units in total but only 6 for rent while the other two are used by the owners as their own residence as well as their office.

Each unit looks nice from the outside with its pebble roads and landscaping.

The lower floor consists of a living area with a small TV, a dining set, a kitchen and a bathroom. There was a good selection of TV channels and of HD quality too.

Some houses are connected with a small additional area in the middle for families to mingle, else it will just be left unused which is kind of a waste.

It is not elderly friendly as the stairs are too steep making the huge sleeping area upstairs inaccessible to the elderly and even small children. As I have two young kids, we have to keep an eye on them almost all the time.

There are two queen size bed upstairs but only a sofa bed for the lower floor. Maximum occupancy is 6 pax but only 4 pillows are provided. We didn't ask for additional pillows so we are not sure if it can be requested.

There is another bathroom on the upper floor with a water heater unlike the one below.  Both are cramped due to its design.

There are no food stalls let alone restaurants in the village but there is one just a short walk outside. I didn't know there's one so did not get the chance to try the food. I drove instead a few kilometers away and had take away. Apart from that the only nearby shopping mall is Tesco.

So, will I visit again? Maybe as a stopover but there is nothing much to warrant a repeated visit so it will be a one off for me.

Pros

Unique
Good TV channels
Nice host.

Cons

Not anywhere near tourist attraction.
Need to drive to have access to food and rations etc.
Not elderly or small kids friendly

Straits Hotel and Suites Melaka

We stayed for a night in a suite and a connecting deluxe room in late October 2015.

The hotel is owned by the same owner of Novotel Hotel which is just next door but managed by a different management team hence the reason why both hotels shares the same car park.

The hotel is very new. Located very near to malls and major attractions, you can practically venture by foot if you are adventurous enough.

Lobby is really small, if that matters to you but service staff was awesome.

The suite is huge. Easily the size of deluxe 2 rooms. The bathroom comes with a huge tub and a separate shower area as well.

There's a comfortable sofa and an armchair in the living area but a small TV with limited channels available and poor signal quality. I didn't bother watching anything.

In the suite's bedroom there was also a long study table and a huge closet space.

The deluxe room is bigger than normal hotel rooms and comes with a kitchen as well.

Both rooms comes with a balcony but it is locked for safety reasons which is a shame but as a parent I kind of understand the need for it.

WiFi is provided and it is really fast with good coverage throughout the whole hotel.

I find it strange that a normal aircon indoor unit is installed instead of the normal vent type but that's hardly a deal breaker.

Rooms either faces the sea or the town so do not forget to request for one facing the sea.

There is an infinity pool on the 23rd floor which we were not able to use as it was drizzling then for safety reasons. There is no other pool for kids etc though.

Other facilities includes a sauna and a gym which we didn't manage to use due to time constraints. The official site states that there's BBQ and Kids zone area but I am pretty sure those are not yet ready when we were there hence no pictures as well on the site.

The breakfast is something you can forget about. As the occupancy is low, the variety follows suit. There are plenty of good food just around the hotel.

Currently on promotion, RM242 for a suite and RM188 for a deluxe room, the price is worth it.

Pros

Bigger than normal rooms
Fast free WiFi
Deluxe room comes with a kitchen
Near to shopping malls and attractions
Plenty of eatery around
Some rooms has the view of the sea

Cons

No pool for kids hence not for families with kids
Abysmal breakfast buffet
Small lobby
Poor TV channels and signal quality

URL - http://www.straitshotelsuites.com/melaka/