Jakarta - Hotels

[Blanquiceleste]

...I booked the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place for 35,000 Marriott Points for a few nights. I never stayed at the RC Pacific Place before, but it looks top notch.

And it is indeed as good as it looks.

Make sure you dine at Ebeya, the finest Teppanyaki experience in Jakarta. Prices are steep, but its only money.

[Member #4698]

Very useful input for me. Thanks a lot for that!!

Update: while planning my next Jakarta visit I noticed the rates at the Shangri La have discounted a fair amount from $111 to $125 / night for advanced bookings. This is very competitive with other 5 star hotels. Maybe they read my review. LOL.

I already booked the Hyatt for a combination of $135/ night and Hyatt Points (12,000 pts / night) for my 1st 8 nights back and I booked the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place for 35,000 Marriott Points for a few nights. I never stayed at the RC Pacific Place before, but it looks top notch. So that leaves my last 6 nights open and I may very well book the Shangri La again. I enjoyed my 2 fer last night in Jakarta there with that BATS girl that much. Now if the Mulia ever gets real I would like to stay there with in house punting at CJ's. The lowest rate I have seen for the Mulia is on Agoda for $173/ night including breakfast for 1 person. I don't think a 1 person booking would be a problem at the Mulia especially if I was bringing a CJ's girl up to my room. No one would care. I think the reduced 1 party rate is simply to account for the lessor breakfast charge.

[Whomer]

My 2018 Jakarta Hotel Review (kind of)

I stayed at 4 very different 5-star hotels during my 18-day visit to Jakarta this last October. Specifially, I stayed at the Fairmont Jakarta for 4 nights. It is an amazing hotel, but more on it later in this post. First a little history: recently Fairmont and Raffles Hotels have become a part of the Accor Hotel Empire. Personally, I think this merger acquisition is fraught with potential problems and I fear that the high quality of these 2 Lines may be eroded over time.
............
The Shangri La is good too and it does house Bats which is very convenient. Ha Ha. On my last night in town after having my farewell session with an 18-year-old Malioboro dancer, I returned to the Shangri La and ran into an attractive, dark skinned Indo FL with a killer body and sexy smile just as we were both descending the stairwell down to the bar. We chatted a bit and then I took her up to my room for my last fling in Jakarta 2018. What a last night and a 2 fer too boot. And in addition to all that the Shang garden pool area is tied with the Hyatt as the best in Jakarta as far as I am concerned. But the Shangri La is an older hotel and it's rooms while still very nice and 1st class are a bit on the small side especially when compared to the other 5 stars in this review. Lastly the Shangri La location is not great. Access to a shopping mall or a supermarket is either a long walk or a taxi away. So, although I still like this hotel and am open to staying here again, I feel that the Shang is a little too pricey for what you get. Thus I would not stay at this hotel again unless it were priced accordingly at the same level as the Grand Hyatt or the Ritz Carlton, but I would pay a little more than Grand Hyatt prices to stay at the Fairmont again.

Very useful input for me. Thanks a lot for that!!

[Smoothy]

steer clear of anything with Sofyan in the name, the first (and only in Jakarta?) hotel chain with Sharia certification.

If you like a challenge, book a Sofyan hotel. There aren't many of them, so you will really have to search to find one. But if you can find one and stay there, a good challenge would be to try to sneak girls in there to fuck. As an additional challenge, make as much noise as possible in the room while fucking so the people in the surrounding rooms can clearly hear.

[MasBule]

Almost all hotels in Jakarta are GF friendly and all Kemang hotels would be without doubt, however steer clear of anything with Sofyan in the name, the first (and only in Jakarta?) hotel chain with Sharia certification.

I can personally vouch for Grand Kemang.
And POP is next door to Eastern Promise, which has a good amount of hookers since the Blok went to crap, many whom go next door with the married expats who don't want to bring someone home.

Are any of these hotels on Jalan Kemang Raya GF-friendly?

GrandKemang.

Monopoli.

Pop! Hotel Kemang.

Or maybe I should just ask if hotels in this areas usually are GF-friendly?

[Blanquiceleste]

Search for properties in "Tanah Abang" near to Grand Indonesia Mall. There seem to be quite a few AirBnbs in the towers around here.

BTW my lovely Indo lady breezed past reception with no issues coming in or going out.

I did just that. Was pleasantly surprised to see the number of well priced options, with good reviews. Several in Thamrin, Menteng, Sudirman, Kuningan, Kemang, etc. Finally settled on a good place in Kuningan for my upcoming August trip.

Thanks for the advice.

[John Traveller]

Are any of these hotels on Jalan Kemang Raya GF-friendly?

GrandKemang.

Monopoli.

Pop! Hotel Kemang.

Or maybe I should just ask if hotels in this areas usually are GF-friendly?

[JamesXFisher]

I went to Hotel Classic last night as I'd never been.

Straight up to the 5th floor, as I walked into the main room a mamasan scooped me up, steered me to a table and took my order.

The trouble is, she wouldn't bloody leave me alone!

She went on and on about the girls "new one, very fresh", "no children, nice and tight" etc. Etc. When my large Bintang arrived I politely explained that I was going to drink it while looking at the girls then make my choice.

She still wouldn't bloody leave me alone!

I was a bit firmer and told her to go away. She came back with the manager, who wanted to know what the problem was. I explained calmly and politely that I had had a busy day, just wanted to sit there and have my beer, then rent a girl, then go home. He was all smiles (friendly bloke as it goes) "that's why we're here" he said, and the two of them walked away.

A minute later, I kid you not, she's only back with a girl in tow - "this one new, very nice"!

So I go up and walked to the other end of the room, was politely accosted by another mamasan but this one clearly had no hearing loss (and sat and drank the rest of the bottle in peace.

By now though, I was pissed off so I paid (102 k for the beer. Not actually that terrible a price) and went to leave. Original mamasan was hovering by the door and made a couple of comments in Bahasa which from the tone I could tell weren't complimentary. In any case, I was out of there so didn't care.

Walked round the corner to Sawah Besa station, jumped on a train to Jayakarta and spent a very enjoyable couple of hours in Starmoon.

Won't be bothering with Classic again.

[JamesXFisher]

Thanks mate. Thamrin is a nice locality, I might look up Cosmo Mansion.

Search for properties in "Tanah Abang" near to Grand Indonesia Mall. There seem to be quite a few AirBnbs in the towers around here.

BTW my lovely Indo lady breezed past reception with no issues coming in or going out.

[Blanquiceleste]

No idea about the legality or otherwise, but I have stayed a couple of times in AirBnb properties at Cosmo Mansion (Thamrin City). Guy on the desk showed absolutely zero interest in who I was letting in: the Hopefully the same will apply for my 3rd stay there next week!

Thanks mate. Thamrin is a nice locality, I might look up Cosmo Mansion.

[JamesXFisher]

I have a couple of simple questions regarding AirBnB in Jakarta. Anyone here that can enlighten me?

1. Is AirBnB allowed to operate legally in Jakarta? It isn't in several places, hence the question.

2. How is the attitude of security staff in the condos where the AirBnB apartments are most likely located towards our hobby. I don't care much for a smirk or a frown. My concern is really about being barred entry, or a complaint to the property owner, or worse yet a quick call to the cops.

Does anyone has any experience with this? If so, would you have recommendations on which apartment complexes to choose. Preferably in Central / South Jakarta.

No idea about the legality or otherwise, but I have stayed a couple of times in AirBnb properties at Cosmo Mansion (Thamrin City). Guy on the desk showed absolutely zero interest in who I was letting in: the Hopefully the same will apply for my 3rd stay there next week!

[Blanquiceleste]

I have a couple of simple questions regarding AirBnB in Jakarta. Anyone here that can enlighten me?

1. Is AirBnB allowed to operate legally in Jakarta? It isn't in several places, hence the question.

2. How is the attitude of security staff in the condos where the AirBnB apartments are most likely located towards our hobby. I don't care much for a smirk or a frown. My concern is really about being barred entry, or a complaint to the property owner, or worse yet a quick call to the cops.

Does anyone has any experience with this? If so, would you have recommendations on which apartment complexes to choose. Preferably in Central / South Jakarta.

[JamesXFisher]

*Moved this thread from Jakarta forum*.

Thanks for posting a trip report.
The Disclaimer in your report is appreciated. It provides an important reason for choosing this Hotel "....the regular travelers that likes to SAVE a buck".

I was curious to learn more about this Hotel. I learned:

-Hotel 55 is listed as a "Bed and Bath". Google gives it a 2 star rating.
-Lots of reviews complain about "weak AC" or "AC being in the wrong place".
-Room has no windows. "Built like a prison".
-Hotel Staff is "helpful" and "accommodating".

For GBP14 (when I stayed there) Hotel 55 did the job, and it's about a 5 minute walk from my fave dive bar Starmoon for example. Staff were friendly and helpful, breakfast (included) was edible, bed was sleep able.

If I'm going to be be picky, then it's true the room was windowless, the hot water was a lukewarm dribble and the A/C asthmatic, but hey. GBP 14!

[BKKguru]

I didn't check any reviews. I just saw some pics, and it had a bed, bathroom, and AC, and that was all I needed. If you want a review, I had peaceful nights in a comfortable bed. I loved the location, so that's what I went with. The staff was also very accommodating. .

*Moved this thread from Jakarta forum*.

Thanks for posting a trip report.
The Disclaimer in your report is appreciated. It provides an important reason for choosing this Hotel "....the regular travelers that likes to SAVE a buck".

I was curious to learn more about this Hotel. I learned:

-Hotel 55 is listed as a "Bed and Bath". Google gives it a 2 star rating.
-Lots of reviews complain about "weak AC" or "AC being in the wrong place".
-Room has no windows. "Built like a prison".
-Hotel Staff is "helpful" and "accommodating".

If you ONLY plan to visit Kota Indah. Then Hotel 55 does offer a strategic location.
However, I am sure there are other choices within walking distance OR a 5 minute Taxi ride to Kota Indah.

Folks who have stayed in this area please provide some name(s). Thanks!

[Papae Noel]

I was actually upgraded into the larger room. Could well be that they guessed my religion. It is a good place to stay, but will try a different property in April.

Looks like JWMarriott will work for me, but I think I get 1 free night at the Ritz Carlton. It is just slightly more than the JW.

Great history on the Sarinah mall and the Hard Rock.