Location

Casa del Rio Melaka is located at the river end of Jonker Walk, the famous weekend night market and the heart of Melaka. The hotel sits on the banks of the Melaka River, giving the rooms at the hotel front row seats to the river. The two major shopping malls, Mahkota Parade and Dataran Palawan, are about a 15-minute walk from Casa del Rio. The hotel is also near the major attractions such as Red Square, Christ Church Melaka and Church of St Paul, making the hotel an excellent choice for exploring these sights. There are several 24-hour convenience stores near the hotel, with the nearest one just across the street from the hotel. Being closer to the heart of Melaka also means there is no lack of shopping and eateries within a stone’s throw from the hotel, making Casa del Rio an ideal spot for exploring the culture and the food in Melaka.

The Suite

Casa del Rio has several types of suites. In fact, for the 2-bedroom suite category alone, the hotel has four configurations. We checked into the 109㎡ Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite, which is located in the residence building next to the hotel.

Entryway

Unlike most suite layouts, the entryway to the Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite lies outside the suite. This entryway is enclosed by a metal gate with storage for shoes and a seat for changing into shoes. Unfortunately, this gate, though it comes with a lock, cannot be locked, as we were not issued the key to lock this gate.

Kitchen

The first part of the Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite that we came to when entering from its main entrance is the kitchen. The suite is fitted with a full kitchen, with a kitchen sink, a four-stove induction cooker, a full-size fridge, a microwave oven and even a dishwasher. On top of these, the hotel equipped the kitchen with a Nespresso machine and a kettle for our coffee and tea needs. The kitchen is where we got our first glimpse into the Peranakan theme that is present throughout the suite. This Peranakan identity is evident in the use of the cabinets in the pantry. Equipped with a full set of china and cutlery for four, I am certain that one can whip up a meal in the kitchen.

Living Room

The living room has a split-level design, taking up the space on the lower elevation with a short flight of stairs from the kitchen. The living room is furnished with a European-style three-seater sofa and a matching single-seat armchair, surrounding the round coffee table. The living room has a mix of colonial flair seen in the choice of the sofa, the two chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the wall-mounted lamps next to the TV. The choice of wooden furniture pays tribute to the Peranakan identity that Melaka is well known for. There is no lack of entertainment options from the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall opposite the sofa. Other than local channels, the TV has Amazon Prime, Netflix and iQiyi to keep us entertained at night after a day’s exploring the town. Wedged between the lounging area and the pantry is a small dining area. The dining area is furnished with a small round dining table for four people, great for consuming our takeaways and street food from Jonker Walk.

Master Bedroom

The two bedrooms’ entrances face each other, with the master bedroom situated on the right, facing the Melaka River. The master bedroom mainly takes on the Peranakan decor, seen in the massive use of dark wood in the furniture and the design of the furniture. At the entrance of the master bedroom sits a large wardrobe set. These wardrobes are capable of stowing away weeks of clothing. The shelves in the wardrobe gave us additional space to stow our smaller clothing items. The only flaw in the wardrobe is that there is no in-room safe that we can use to keep our valuables. Further into the bedroom, along the same wall as the wardrobe, sits the vanity table with a large mirror hanging on the wall. This table can also double up as a work desk with the power outlet fitted onto the wall, keeping our laptops juiced up while working. Next to the vanity table, facing the king bed, is the TV cabinet with a 43” flat-screen TV having the same entertainment options as that in the living room. The TV cabinet has a similar Peranakan-influenced design to that in the living room, paying tribute to the Peranakan identity of the town.

The king bed occupies most of the real estate in the master bedroom, topped with a firm mattress that is comfortable to sleep on. However, the pillows are too soft for my liking. On either side of the king bed lies the bedside table that is designed with one drawer and a cabinet. The size of these tables would otherwise be sufficient for us to leave our lifestyle devices to charge overnight if not for the large bedside lamps that took up the entire space of the bedside table. I like how the hotel fitted a window seat by the window in the master bedroom, which not only provides us with a space to relax and look out into the Melaka River, but also gives us additional space to put our backpacks.

Master Bathroom

The master bathroom is located opposite the wardrobe and next to the entrance to the bedroom. The European fused with Peranakan design theme flowed into the bathroom, with the cabinets fitted with Peranakan elements and the European design seen in the mosaic on the wall in the walk-in shower and the floor of the bathroom. The overall space allocated to this bathroom is sufficient. I applaud the hotel for making the right decision in only installing one sink instead of dual sinks due to the space limitation. This has given us sufficient countertop space to place our toiletries. The main functional part of the bathroom lies to the left of the sink, with the toilet fitted next to its entrance and the walk-in shower next to the sink. I like the relatively large space allocated to the walk-in shower and the ledge where the hotel places their shower amenities. The allocated space in the walk-in shower allowed us to shower comfortably, while the ledge gave us space to place our facial wash and dental kits. On the other side of the sink, opposite the walk-in shower, is a large bathtub. Despite not having a jacuzzi function, I was able to get a relaxing soak in the sizeable tub.

Bedroom 2

The smaller Bedroom 2 sits opposite the master bedroom, decorated with a Peranakan theme seen in the details of the furniture. Similar to the master bedroom, Bedroom 2 is furnished with a smaller wardrobe at its entrance. The three-panel wardrobe has a larger two-panel space dedicated to hanging racks and one panel with shelves. Despite being a smaller setup, the wardrobe can still swallow a sizeable amount of clothing. There is a TV cabinet installed next to the wardrobe; however, this furniture seems more like an ornament as there are no TVs installed in this bedroom, though we can use this as an alternate space for storage. The vanity table, the same as the one in the master bedroom, sits in one corner of the bedroom. As Bedroom 2 has a smaller size, the bedroom is furnished with a queen bed that is equally comfortable as that in the master bedroom. Due to the smaller size, the queen bed is only fitted with one bedside table.

Bathroom

The bathroom for Bedroom 2 is located outside between the two bedrooms. The bathroom has a smaller size compared to the master bathroom, fitted with a sizeable walk-in shower, sink and a toilet. The sink in the common bathroom is exactly the same as that in the master bathroom, fitted in one corner of the room. Like the sink in the master bathroom, this sink also gives us ample space to stow our toiletries. The walk-in shower, taking up the space next to the sink, is also quite spacious, so we do not have to engage in an elbow war with walls. The toilet sits next to the entrance to the bathroom.

Balcony

The balcony of the Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite at Casa del Rio Melaka is rather large. Facing the Melaka River, the balcony is furnished with a day bed and a set of outdoor tables for two; this part of the suite is perfect for us to relax while looking out into the city and the river.

Service

We received excellent service from the staff at the hotel, from the check-in to the security guard and the housekeeping staff. Our first interaction with the staff at Casa del Rio Melaka was with the security guard at the carpark, who helped us find a good parking spot and reminded us to get the stamp from the reception for our complimentary parking. Nana was the main person from reception with whom we interacted the most. She was very friendly and welcoming. Despite having arrived 5 hours before the standard check-in time, Nana helped us register our arrival and arranged for our early check-in at noon. When escorting us to our apartment, Nana oriented us around the hotel, pointing out the various facilities. She also gave us a brief room tour and added us to WhatsApp for easier coordination. The hotel staff was very responsive on WhatsApp. When we requested additional items, they were delivered in a short period of time. The staff at The Grill restaurant, where we had our breakfast, were equally welcoming. They ensured we were very well taken care of and were very diligent in clearing our empty plates, despite us sitting in one corner of the restaurant.

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ The River Grill

Breakfast at the hotel was served in The River Grill, the only restaurant in the hotel. The restaurant uses both a buffet system and a small menu of à la carte buffet style during breakfast. There is quite a number of selections from the buffet, mainly local cuisine and a small selection of Western options. There is also a small counter serving à la minute local noodles at the buffet station. The food was delicious and hearty.

Swimming Pool

As we were staying at the apartment complex next to the hotel, we had access to both the swimming pool at the hotel and the one at the apartment. The hotel’s rooftop swimming pool is perched on the 4th floor. The rooftop infinity pool is large enough for one to do some decent laps or to laze to cool off from the Melaka heat. There is also a small wading pool to cater for young guests. This rooftop swimming pool is perfect for guests to relax and get a good tan on one of the eight sundeck chairs, as there is no vegetation or high-rise buildings nearby to block out the sun.

The other pool in the apartment complex sits on level 1 of the apartment building. Here we found a small wading pool and a separate jacuzzi pool. Despite being a lower level, the infinity swimming pool at the apartment complex allows one to do some laps. However, there are limited sundeck chairs. Other than the four sundeck chairs at each end of the pool, we could also use one of the two outdoor tables. Due to the placement of the pool, getting a tan in this pool was a tad more challenging. We also had to bring our towel from the apartment to use the pool (unlike the one from the pool on the hotel side).

Gym

Like the swimming pools, we also had access to two gyms at Casa de Rio Melaka. The hotel’s main gym is also located on the 4th floor, next to the swimming pool. The gym at the hotel is a tad small, equipped with only three cardio machines and a chest press machine. There are some free weights inside the gym for guests to work out other parts of their muscular system.

The other gym is located on the ground floor of the apartment complex. Like the gym in the main hotel, this gym also has a small setup with three cardio machines and a multi-functional strength workout machine. There is also a row of free weights for guests to work out the other parts of their upper body.

Overall

We had a great stay at Casa del Rio Melaka. The location of the hotel is perfect for those who want to explore the heart of Melaka. It is within a 5-minute walk from Jonker Street and 7 minutes from the museums and attractions in the town. There is no lack of eateries around the hotel, and the nearest convenience shop is right across from the hotel. The apartment we stayed in was perfect for a family and was very well-appointed. The beds were comfortable to sleep on, and the entertainment options on the TV kept us entertained in the evening after exploring the town. The service is excellent at the hotel, where every staff member we met was welcoming and friendly. I would return to this hotel the next time I come to Melaka.