Jakarta - Hotels

[Gabacho]

In Jarkarta I would not stay below $17 because the cigarette smell will make me sick, cough up a lung, and burn my eyes out of my head. I am at a $20 and is ok but still has cigarette smell at times. I like the large window big room, refrigerator, and location so I deal with the smoke smell. Next week go to a newish $23.

I believe the higher the cost the higher the smoking enforcement will be. I doubt there will be any problems above the $30 level. WARNING: Stereotype coming soon. Higher cost in general means better clientele.

Nobody talks about the other side of the coin (the down sides) so I do it. I feel bad for guys expecting ABC but getting XYZ instead. Cigarette smell in your hotel room for a non-smoker is huge and can ruin a vacation. I never had it nearly this bad in Colombia, Philippines, or Thailand (countries I am used to for comparison).

Cigarette smoke isn't even a big deal bro. I used to smoke a pack a day of the Starlite cigarettes in Medellin.

[LoveItHere]

Does that apply in the international hotels as well? Like Holiday Inn or Santika?

In Jarkarta I would not stay below $17 because the cigarette smell will make me sick, cough up a lung, and burn my eyes out of my head. I am at a $20 and is ok but still has cigarette smell at times. I like the large window big room, refrigerator, and location so I deal with the smoke smell. Next week go to a newish $23.

I believe the higher the cost the higher the smoking enforcement will be. I doubt there will be any problems above the $30 level. WARNING: Stereotype coming soon. Higher cost in general means better clientele.

Nobody talks about the other side of the coin (the down sides) so I do it. I feel bad for guys expecting ABC but getting XYZ instead. Cigarette smell in your hotel room for a non-smoker is huge and can ruin a vacation. I never had it nearly this bad in Colombia, Philippines, or Thailand (countries I am used to for comparison).

[AddictedToWomen]

... smoke like crazy and it is in the aircon when it blows. If you have asthma or hate smoke like I do you will be miserable and being in a non-smoking room does not mean crap here. The aircon in my room was bothering my eyes and lungs like someone was blowing smoke in my face.

Does that apply in the international hotels as well? Like Holiday Inn or Santika?

[Expat American]

Hi,

Do you know what is the length / depth of the pool at Holiday Inn?

I am a good swimmer, I would like to know if it is big enough for me to practice (2. 5 km / 45 min).

Any other pool option in North?

Thanks.

No idea. Never used the pool. Was busy dipping in some sweet Indo pussy instead.

[Banana Boi]

My view is the cheap hotels are really bad here.

Then shell out another 10 USD per night for a good hotel where non smoking rooms means non smoking. Where else in the world can you clean international hotel chains like Novotel, Holiday Inn, Mercure, Ibis Styles, etc for around 30 USD per night?

Notice the details in my post BB? Almost as if I am actually here.

Clearly you're not in Jakarta because you believe Lokasari is a hot spot to find young pretty girls.

[LoveItHere]

Just pick one and book it for 2 nights. If you like it stay. If not move to one of many in the Mangga Besar area. Even if the hotel you've chosen is awful and you want to leave right away hotels are so cheap you can afford to take the loss and move on.

My view is the cheap hotels are really bad here. I had mites on the bed of my second hotel. I buzz cut my hair that night at the hotel and went to bed. I thought the little prickling feelings were that I had not rinsed all the hairs off well enough. But I was wrong. Had to wash all my clothes down the street and spray my stuff. NOBODY wants to do that on their vacation. Also, these people smoke like crazy and it is in the aircon when it blows. If you have asthma or hate smoke like I do you will be miserable and being in a non-smoking room does not mean crap here. The aircon in my room was bothering my eyes and lungs like someone was blowing smoke in my face.

Notice the details in my post BB? Almost as if I am actually here.

Even if the hotel is showing full on Agoda, Booking etc, just walk down to the lobby. There will be extra rooms that they haven't made available to the aggregators and will be able to reserve for you direct.

All 5 hotels I tested the price on were always cheaper online so booking direct would be best but costlier.

[Goferring]

..it is not often that hotel rooms are sold out in Jakarta. There are always plenty available.

Even if the hotel is showing full on Agoda, Booking etc, just walk down to the lobby. There will be extra rooms that they haven't made available to the aggregators and will be able to reserve for you direct.

G.

[Banana Boi]

Just a few hotels I looked at.

I'd help you in detail but since you posted all my posts are only story telling and I've never been to Jakarta or Thailand you wouldn't take my advice anyways.

But to help other members on this board who have never been to Jakarta who don't think I'm story telling, it is not often that hotel rooms are sold out in Jakarta. There are always plenty available. Just pick one and book it for 2 nights. If you like it stay. If not move to one of many in the Mangga Besar area. Even if the hotel you've chosen is awful and you want to leave right away hotels are so cheap you can afford to take the loss and move on.

[Goferring]

Just a few hotels I looked at. Agoda.com ratings versus my ratings when I visited and asked to see a room..

I've been caught out by Agoda ratings before. Beware that the default list of ratings is by "most helpful". These can be years old and anything pre COVID can be wildly different to today's reality.

Be sure to manually sort ratings by "most recent" to get up to date reviews, if you want an idea of what customers found.

PS. I should have added.... A very handy list

[LoveItHere]

Just a few hotels I looked at. Agoda.com ratings versus my ratings when I visited and asked to see a room.

Hotels near Travel / Lokasari.

8. 8 (7. 0) LEAF listed in many wrong locations. Middle of nothing. Big rooms but dirty pillow cases and walls.

7. 4 (7. 1) 88 HOTEL across from Travel had dirty bathroom and kids playing in the hallways.

8. 6 (4. 5) ARWANA dark and smelled like stall cigarettes and mold.

8. 2 (7. 3) INFINITY good for the price.

8. 3 (0) CITY BIZ Horrible! Dark. Dirty. Smelled like an ashtray. Got mites there like bedbugs.

8. 3 (0) CITY STYLE Horrible! Dark. Dirty. Smelled like an ashtray. You will get mites there like bedbugs. First room was so small I could not even put my suitcase down to open it so they moved me to a slightly larger room at CITY BIZ where I got attacked by mites. I had a doctor see the bumps and she told me there is a problem in Indonesia. Two street girls I saw had the same red bumps which I assume they had the same thing.

INFINTY, CITY BIZ, CITY STYLE are the same owner. All check ins are at the INFINITY Hotel.

Hotels near Classic.

8. 2 (7. 3) COVE Huge rooms but walls and bed sheets are dirty.

8. 4 (8. 8) HEEF was the cleanest I saw but very small rooms for the price.

Listen the hell up! If you are staying at the high end hotels I am sure you are fine. But all you guys that stay at the cheap hotels like me. You need to stay at a higher level hotel than you normally do or you will be sorry! The ratings by the travel sites and pictures are so off the mark. Basically anything under IDR 270,000 ($18 US) is a no-no.

I have read many times about the pollution here but I have never been out walking when the streets are a parking lot so it has not been bad in my view. What is bad is the cigarette pollution in the hotels. I stayed in a room and it smelled fine whenever I left for a few hours and came back. But as soon as I turned on the air conditioner I could smell cigarettes. I am in a better hotel on a non-smoking floor. Every day for 5 days straight there is some "A"-hole smoking on my floor. To get away from this issue I probably would need to stay at a Holiday Inn or Hyatt level hotel where I am sure they enforce the no smoking rules.

[InTheClouds]

1. I would want to go to places other than Classic. 2. See 1. You have to ride a taxi somewhere anyway. 3. Air goes everywhere. 4. Theres and ATM in the Holiday Inn Lobby. I load up with about 1 M IDR and it lasts me the night. Or pay by CC at Classic Spa.

But to each their own. Where I sleep is very important to me. Clean, comfy bed, good aircon, no cigarette smell, room service, gym, pool and breakfast. Holiday Inn gives all that for $40/ night.

Hi,

Do you know what is the length / depth of the pool at Holiday Inn?

I am a good swimmer, I would like to know if it is big enough for me to practice (2. 5 km / 45 min).

Any other pool option in North?

Thanks.

[YngMong]

Yes, if you book a room for TWO people, you will pay a higher price at the Holiday Inn Gaja Madah.
I have never this before. Let's hope other Hotels don't copy this.

I believe the Holiday Inn is charging more to cover the second breakfast.
If you change the reservation to one person, the price drops by $7 to $10 per night.

~BKKguru

Hey BKK I tried to respond to your message, you inbox is full also your whatapps info doesn't seem to register.

[Thampi62]

Yes, if you book a room for TWO people, you will pay a higher price at the Holiday Inn Gaja Madah.
I have never this before. Let's hope other Hotels don't copy this.

I believe the Holiday Inn is charging more to cover the second breakfast.
If you change the reservation to one person, the price drops by $7 to $10 per night.

~BKKguru

And don't bother about multiple occupants.

[BKKguru]

I tried to book two nights in Holiday inn through Agoda and Hotel. Com on Feb last week for double occupancy. They are showing an extra charge for second person. I double checked it. Same thing. But for Novotel and Millenium its showin as usual before. Do the over booking in Holiday inn is leading for this upselling?

Yes, if you book a room for TWO people, you will pay a higher price at the Holiday Inn Gaja Madah.
I have never this before. Let's hope other Hotels don't copy this.

I believe the Holiday Inn is charging more to cover the second breakfast.
If you change the reservation to one person, the price drops by $7 to $10 per night.

~BKKguru

[CodeName47]

Stayed two nights in Millenium hotel and two nights in Novotel.

In my experience Millenium come top in my list. Good spacious rooms, friendly staff. Easy to travel to North, Central and South Jakarta. Totaly guest friendly. Can hold as many girls as in your room, but breakfast only for booked numbers. Jakarta hotels are awesome.

Novotel is having smaller rooms than Millenium and holiday inn. For late night food depend on Grab food. Its fast and pay on delivery. I used grab food even at 3 in the morning.

My over all experience with hotels in Jakarta in my last three visits are top notch.

I have stayed in grand mercury in harmony. Pretty good rooms and it doesn't have rooftop. Food is pretty good. I haven't tried massage bar inside but I spent most of the time in the bar that shares the massage reception with bar. Girls seems friendly. As I had enough contacts meeting me didn't have a desire to venture further.

This will be my prefered hotel moving forward. And it's close to both classic and travel that's a plus.