Jakarta - Hotels

[Member #4410]

I'm curious as to the background of the person who wrote those quotes, as it sounds like someone who's 80 years old, has never traveled to a non-English-speaking country before and who wants Ritz-Carlton quality at bargain basement prices.

If I were travelling to Jakarta with a spouse and 3 children on vacation and had a decent budget, I'd pick a better hotel than the Ambhara, but that's not the point. For mongers who are travelling alone to Jakarta and who want a decent, girl-friendly hotel in a good location without spending too much money, the Ambhara is an excellent choice. Near Blok M, near the TransJakarta busway, near Pasar Raya mall, etc, with an excellent breakfast, decent meals the rest of the time and a swimming pool. Who cares if the elevator doors open and close quickly and the rooms are old?

P. S. Still remember an excellent lunch at the Ambhara with esteemed senior member Prof Designer (and a young cutie) back in 2007. After lunch, I went back to the office and the good Prof spent the rest of the afternoon plowing the young cutie.

Agree with you, since recent experience at Ambhara (December 2013) is non compliant with my experience, I noticed reports on other hotels too that I considered to be highly biased, for whatever reason.

Regards.

[Member #4410]

Early June I stayed at the hotel Harris FX Sudirman for 10 days. The hotel had been recommended by various members so I decided to give it a try.

The first time you enter the building, the FX shopping mall, you need a while to locate the hotel's front desk, but after that matters are handled briskly and you soon arrive in your room. The rooms a quite good: decent size and a good bathroom. Since the hotel rooms are located at the top floors of the building, which mostly consists if suites, the view from the room is quite spectacular. My room was at the 45th floor.

A big disadvantage of the hotel is that there is no restaurant. They have a contract with one of the restaurants in the mall, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, to be open for breakfast. This means you go into a deserted and dark shopping mall, locate the restaurant and order your breakfast. Eating breakfast in a dark mall is not my favourite.

One member mentioned the lack of a "walk of shame" because of the location of the entrance to the hotel in the shopping mall. My idea about that is that the "walk of shame" is like a divine being. Some people believe it exists, others don't. I belong to the latter group. An example: some years ago I stayed at the Ibis Slipi and the organisers of a mayor Golf tournament had arranged lodging for a number of players at the hotel. In addition to that they had arranged for girls for each contender for the night. So every morning there was a lot of sweet goodbyes at the hotel entrance. On on of these occasions an elderly Dutch couple said how remarkable it was that so many of the golf players were married to Indonesian women. <GRIN> .

Regards,

Ko.

[Member #4410]

Affirmative. The best breakfast in South Jakarta. Grand Kemang, Arion Swiss Kemang and Gran Mahakam have also great breakfasts, but nothing beats the Ambhara breakfast buffet. The friendly staff is also great. And it has a swimming pool, the Falatehan hotel does not have? Drawback for me in the Ambhara is the internet. It is expensive and I can see the Falatehan hotel offers free Wifi.

There is also this new hotel right in the middle of Jl. Falatehan. Sotis hotel. I don't know what it is like, but if they start offering short time rooms, I bet they'll have a lot of success.

I stayed at the Atlet Century last week and they now have a breakfast that seriously challenges the Ambhara's.

A few months ago they completely and utterly renovated the restaurant and the only thing remaining of the old one is the location of the entrance.

They got rid of the elevated areas in the restaurant, sacrificed a few conference rooms and added them to the restaurant, removed the wall between the kitchen and the restaurant to make it an open kitchen and replaced all furniture. In addition to that they added a live mie station and other live cooking stations.

I was thoroughly impressed by all the improvements and told them so. Recommended.

Regards,

Ko.

[MWong]

The spa there was once recommended to me by an Indonesian who works at one of the convenience stores in PenJay (where Sari Ayu, LA Bar, etc. Are located). There are actually two Orchardz Hotels within about 1/2 a mile of each other (and not far at all from PenJay but a long walk) and both have spas. OTOH, maybe there are other Orchardz elsewhere, so you may want to check whether the one you are considering is one of the two near PenJay and / or the Media Tower Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Media).

The guy who recommended it knew I was looking for a similar experience as at the bars at PenJay, I. E. , full service, so I assume Orchardz offers this. In fact, the reason I was seeking the recommendation is it was one of those holidays--not Ramadan if I remember correctly--where the P4 P places were all closed unless they existed in a hotel. I did not, however, try the place (it turned out it was also closed owing to the holiday when I went there) so cannot state with high confidence it offers full service (but it more than likely does).

LA Guy / ABCinLA, the "spa" at the Orchardz Jl Industri (near Media Tower, as LAGuy says) is full pay for play. IIRC, it was around 650 K for the cheapest package with full service, but they also have blowjob, oily massage + HJ, threesome packages too. If you opt for a package without full service, you can always "upgrade" direct with provider.

If you staying at the hotel, you can order from the spa to your room, and it is slightly cheaper. Also, you cannot pick the girl. I have try Orchardz near the airport and also Jl Industri and have found the quality of the talent (appearance and service) better at Orchardz airport, but YMMV.

[LA Guy 5]

Thinking about staying in this hotel when I get to Jakarta later in the year. What special services do they offer in the Spa. Just HJ and maybe BJ? In my first visit to Jakarta I got a hotel from the.

Airport hotel desk. Just curious is their prices competitive or is it better online directly with the hotel?

The spa there was once recommended to me by an Indonesian who works at one of the convenience stores in PenJay (where Sari Ayu, LA Bar, etc. Are located). There are actually two Orchardz Hotels within about 1/2 a mile of each other (and not far at all from PenJay but a long walk) and both have spas. OTOH, maybe there are other Orchardz elsewhere, so you may want to check whether the one you are considering is one of the two near PenJay and / or the Media Tower Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Media).

The guy who recommended it knew I was looking for a similar experience as at the bars at PenJay, I. E. , full service, so I assume Orchardz offers this. In fact, the reason I was seeking the recommendation is it was one of those holidays--not Ramadan if I remember correctly--where the P4 P places were all closed unless they existed in a hotel. I did not, however, try the place (it turned out it was also closed owing to the holiday when I went there) so cannot state with high confidence it offers full service (but it more than likely does).

[ABCinLA]

Thinking about staying in this hotel when I get to Jakarta later in the year. What special services do they offer in the Spa. Just HJ and maybe BJ? In my first visit to Jakarta I got a hotel from the.

Airport hotel desk. Just curious is their prices competitive or is it better online directly with the hotel?

[Master Diver II]

Jad where do you find Info? Just saw a blog updated to 2011 and of then nothing else.

Maybe you should refer to his website. I think it's www.jakartaafterdark.com if I remember correctly. To be honest I haven't had to look for contact info for years as we do keep in touch when I'm in Jakarta.

MD II.

[Ramon Pillar]

I just have a couple of comments:

1. He really hasn't RTFF if he's talking about bar fines. I've yet to pay a bar fine in Jakarta. Is there any concept of this here?

2. CJs just like BATS is crawling with freelancers, Red Square less so. The chances of meeting "normal" girls in either CJs or BATS is extremely low but not zero. I have gotten lucky a see few times in both places and I've gone to CJs with a normal girl on ladies night (Wednesdays) for the band.

3. You're right, if he needs English speaking FLs, he'd better stick to the hotel bars, and Blok M. Then again ALL of these places get going after 11pm or later so the effects of traffic will be minimised. As long as he stays central to South Jakarta, there should be no issues.

4. I can't recall any FL asking to do a CBJ, all offered BBBJ.

5. There are a lot of hotels so perhaps he should state his budget, or whether there is no limit.

6. Maybe he should ask JAD for a "nightlife" tour.

MD II

Jad where do you find Info? Just saw a blog updated to 2011 and of then nothing else.

[Bkk212]

just returned from a stay in jakarta, part in the novotel and part in ibis sarinah. the novotel is quite far from blok m but that didn't bother me at night it takes about 20 minutes by taxi one way.

novotel staff could sure use an upgrade on service the only persons who were helpful were the bellboys and the room cleaning person. the front staff desk persons were useless when asked any information and quick to tell you that we don't have your booking so you will have to pay full rate (too long a story). the girls working on the desk try their best to ignore you (perhaps they think i want to ask them for personal details).

room is spacious, has a nice layout tv flat screen small but has asn so can watch nhl hockey live, it was clean, this time the room i stayed in had blackout drapes so i guess it's the luck of the draw. the gym has so broken equipment from the last time i stayed there as well as the sauna and steam room doesn't work.

ibis tamarin, good for a short stay, most of the gym equipment doesn't work, pool is small but ok. the rooms are very small, very difficult for 2 persons in the bath at the same time, but it works especially as there is no wos as the novotel has. most nights when i return there is no one around, the front desk staff and one security are usually hanging out at the.

pool, so bringing in a companion (or two) is not a problem. i was worried at the novotel to bring in more than 1 person.

[Bkk212]

Will be in Jakarta over 17 May for a few days, first time visit, Almbhara is sold out, the Falethan hotel by Safin is available. Any other recommendations?

Thanks,

Osaka

I believe that there are two new hotels on Falethan not sure of both names but one about half way down is called Sotis hotel and the other at the end of the street I am not sure of the.

Name it may be Safin.

There is also the Blue Gryadi in front of Jl. Falethan it is facing the main road, it's actually obliquely opposite to Ambhara Hotel.

[Mighty Spearsman]

I've done some RTFF on the forums and have to ask some advice still:

-I'm on a business trip around week of 23 June 2014, I'll be with another overseas colleague, which I don't intend to spend evenings with.

-I'm looking at this RedTop hotel to stay in, 4 stars, USD $70 per night (incl service and taxes), as it seems to be near Classic Hotel (plan to check out Terminal Classic or Terminal 2).

-Classic Hotel, I would not want to stay there as it would be too obvious to my colleague, hence picking a clean hotel that is walking distance to Classic.

-Am also interested in Kimochi Spa I, which seems to be a 12 min walk north from my hotel.

-I have been given advice that it's now IDR 350 k+50 k (tips) for Classic and 500 k for Kimochi for FS.

-also have been warned about drink touting in big establishments and taxi touting (only take blue bird taxi).

-I'm actually rather worried about throat infections so usually I do not go down (tongue on clit / pussy) on a girl, so my thinking is usually P4 P, at least that way the mentality is already 'paid to serve' so I do not have to invest time (and health) into pleasuring the girl.

-What is the system like at Classic when you pick a girl for 350 k? Bring her to your room in classic? Or she can walk with you back to a place 5 mins away?

-Any other comments and advice welcome, feel free to post here or pm me. I don't think I can reply pm yet though, unsure.

Hopefully you did enough RTFF to read that Ramadan begins in late June. In a post that I wrote on April 29th:

"Please keep in mind that the fasting month of Ramadan begins around June 28th, so the Stadium, Kartika and most of the other saunas will be closed from June 25th onwards, to reopen in August."

I may have been too optimistic, most of the spas and MPs may shut down even before June 25th, with the girls leaving town to return to their home villages for 5-6 weeks, which might severely impact your evening activities.

Some of the higher-end hotel spas, such as Hotel Alexis and Hotel Malioboro, should still be open. I'm not sure about Hotel Classic, but in general the mongering scene will be much quieter than you might had expected.

[MochiChoco]

I've done some RTFF on the forums and have to ask some advice still:

-I'm on a business trip around week of 23 June 2014, I'll be with another overseas colleague, which I don't intend to spend evenings with.

-I'm looking at this RedTop hotel to stay in, 4 stars, USD $70 per night (incl service and taxes), as it seems to be near Classic Hotel (plan to check out Terminal Classic or Terminal 2).

-Classic Hotel, I would not want to stay there as it would be too obvious to my colleague, hence picking a clean hotel that is walking distance to Classic.

-Am also interested in Kimochi Spa I, which seems to be a 12 min walk north from my hotel.

-I have been given advice that it's now IDR 350 k+50 k (tips) for Classic and 500 k for Kimochi for FS.

-also have been warned about drink touting in big establishments and taxi touting (only take blue bird taxi).

-I'm actually rather worried about throat infections so usually I do not go down (tongue on clit / pussy) on a girl, so my thinking is usually P4 P, at least that way the mentality is already 'paid to serve' so I do not have to invest time (and health) into pleasuring the girl.

-What is the system like at Classic when you pick a girl for 350 k? Bring her to your room in classic? Or she can walk with you back to a place 5 mins away?

-Any other comments and advice welcome, feel free to post here or pm me. I don't think I can reply pm yet though, unsure.

[Mighty Spearsman]

I got the following in a PM from a senior member who contributes. I'm not entirely qualified to answer so am posting here for more input:

If he wants English speakers and isn't a budget monger, my top recommendation would be Shangrila (where BATS is located) and second choice would be Mulia (where C. J. 's is located). At either hotel, you can take the elevator / staircase to where the hookers are. I've actually never stayed at Shangrila, although I did spend a month at Mulia and liked it a lot. Very nice hotel, reasonably close to Blok M and also close to Senayan, which in addition to having a nice mall has Red Square. They gave me a cake on my birthday.

If he's a budget monger and wants English speakers then Hotel Atlet Century Park would be my favorite of the hotels I've stayed in. Atlet Century Park is kind of next door to the Mulia. It's a little worn but a nice hotel with lots of amenities.

For budget choices close to Blok M, I suspect the last 3 posts below (Master Diver, SpearsMan, TimTim) provide good recommendations and are closer to the the action than anything I've mentioned.

And if he's not so concerned about English, then maybe he should be North of downtown, around Stadium, and I know nothing about hotels in that area.

Anybody want to weigh in?

Since your friend has apparently never been to Indonesia before and probably doesn't speak Bahasa Indonesian, my advice is similar to MDII's.

- stay away from hotels in the northern end, instead stay in the Jalan Thamrin-to-Kuningan-to-Senayan-to-Blok M area.

- definitely consider booking a trip with JAD for a tour, as JAD can give him a quick overview of the different types of places (North / South, higher end to lower end) and help him make the best use of his time in Jakarta.

Something that is obvious but worth mentioning. A first-time visitor to Jakarta can take advantage of JAD's know-how and expertise his first night in town, and then can go off on his own for the remaining evenings of his stay in town, visiting those places that JAD pointed out to him the first night. For example, a monger with a decent amount of cash who is seeking freelancers can rotate between BATS, CJs, Red Square and Tiga Puluh, maybe Ritz-Carlton, while a more budget-minded monger could try the Blok M places, maybe Stadium, while someone who enjoys the MPs / spas can rotate between Maribaya, Kartika, Berlian, Malioboro, Alexis, Travel, etc. However, a short-term visitor wouldn't be able to do so without a guide like JAD to show them the ropes (and where these places are located).

Another possibility is to find a nice girl at an MP/spa, then arrange to have her come to your hotel after her evening shift at the MP/spa is over. Some of the best sessions I ever had in Jakarta were in my hotel room (when I was just visiting Jakarta, not living there) with Cynthia (who I had met at Kartika), Tatik (who I had met at Maribaya, best BBBJ in Jakarta IMHO) and a girl who works at the spa at Mal Ambassador who will remain nameless (I've never posted about her before, will continue to keep things quiet).

Here's hoping your friend posts a report about his trip here on ISG!

[Medanboy]

Well I did not saw it mentionned and as I like it I would like to share. It is next to pasar festival and mmc hospital which helps it for the taxis to find it. It is apartment style which makes sur you have a big room even if you don't like to cook. It is on the mid-higher end tier (1million idr on the official website) but I find it strategical to go to thamrin and not far from casablanca and the south. I used to like the good quality priced kota hotels but they isolate me with the macet. Pasar festival suits the needs for food. Epicentrum mall is close by for movies and has a nice half outside bar called liquid. The karaoke in epimall looks great (none of the conventional brands). Its girlfriendly like almost all hotels and for those who do not like to pass by the lobby desk you can enter through the hospital next door (ye.). Looks brand new.

Breakfast is on the 2nd floor and basic but good as usual.
The swimming pool is rather small but ok for some laps amd located outside between 2 floors.
Taxis are arranged relative fast by the lobby but not on stand by.
An army of ojeks can be found next to the mmc hospital.
Wifi quality is rather bad; not suited for active use.


For those who like dating in the area its perfect. For mongering perhaps a bit more far off but not to far to the known places and it is in a cleaner / greener area. I hope to find a cheaper alternative in the 650. 000 range here as they seem to be building a lot. A new one close by "the grove suits". "5 stars" seems to have opened. Costing 800. 000 idr (tax included seems a good option).

I haven't found local spa's nearby. Thats perhaps a negative issue.

Might be an idea to others.

[Osaka]

Will be in Jakarta over 17 May for a few days, first time visit, Almbhara is sold out, the Falethan hotel by Safin is available. Any other recommendations?

Thanks,

Osaka