Jakarta

This post should be in the hotel section.

Why would you want a hotel near a mall. The malls here are cold, pretentious, overpriced places.

Anyway if you want GI. Then there is a hotel behind it in that price range- it is amaris in thamrin city. Small plastic rooms start at around 400 k, or there are a few new ones popped up near the UOB building these are All seasons, Neo etc Or alot of hotels on Wahid Haysim, which is a little stroll to GI and PI, and close to many cheap food and drink options.

Clubbing in Kota is mostly hardcore. Often drug fueled, some safe some not. Lots of fun, if you like that scene. Be prepared for the unique Kota music style. Do some goggling on it, also some tribal trance in some places (used to be stadium, not sure these days), some like some don't. Many more hookers than Kemang area, almost all clubs have hookers. Eg. Look up mille's on 100 bars.

Kemang is younger crowd, less drugs, some expats, lots of fun, much safer IMHO eg. Look up triple 9 on 100 bars.

For both look at 100. Bars website and check the area 'kemang' for south Jakarta and 'hayum waruk', 'mangga besar / lokasari' for kota / north Jakarta.

[QUOTE=CaliPro;1604868]Guys,

What is the best hotel option in walking distance to Grand Indonesia Mall (or one of the other malls) for around 50-60 USD?

Also, can someone break down the clubbing scene in the North (Kota) and South (Kemang)?

Cheers[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Utd1980;1605256]So after coming back from a boring conference at around 10 completely drained. I decided to just head down to the le meridien Tigah downstairs and voila saw 10 gals already there and 2 guys. Took a chair had a beer, rejected 3 of them. Then walked in a PYCT and my eyes just could not get off her. Her day job is in some super market. After buying 3 drinks for her and chit chatting. Up to the room. Thank god I did not do the walk of shame second time.

DFK, After stripping she asked me to switch off the lights as she was shy. BBBJ, CG, missionary, she rode me till she came. Flipped her, laid her flat, spread her ass cheeks, finished with COF and some in hair. Grabbed some tissues to clean off.

Second round was same but much longer.

Tonite is my last night. I might go out or same place. I really liked her attitude and might end up going with her again. Not really sure..[/QUOTE]Enjoy my friend. Happy for you.

[QUOTE=Utd1980;1605277]Oh no Freebie, you got it wrong. One member below has mentioned that walk of shame is the walk where you walk alone to your room. So thank God I did not do that. I am not ashamed of taking to a gal to my room. Thats what I meant basically.

.[/QUOTE]LOL. Yeah that really is shameful.

Have had many funny situations in that hotel previously.

Once, dating a particularly paranoid but gorgeous girl. Ended up getting a second room in same hotel so that Miss Paranoid couldn't find a single hair from the others I was seeing, that didn't belong to her, and she totally checked the pillow / sheets / bathroom every time. Than goodness for those SPG points.

Another time a hottie that I knew. Great shape, corkscrew hair, part time stripper, was arriving at door. At same time as she arrived, two non playing muslim colleagues arrived. Now THAT was interesting.

Keep walking.

[QUOTE=Hilo77;1605299]This has become a real bugbear of mine of late, what is the point of live bands? Even the finest cover band is never going to be as good as the original. If I really want to listen to Rolling Stones songs (and I don't, I fail to understand the reverence for pop music written half a century ago, several years before I was even born) I can listen to superb high-definition recordings on my ear phones in the peace of home.

That's not what I go to bars for, I go to bars to meet people and to talk to them, I don't want to have to shout over the over-amplified warblings of some bint singing "geeve me, geeve me a honkee tonk woman". Bands add nothing to a night out, we've been programmed to believe they do, but actually they utterly detract from the entire point of going to the bar in the first place which is to meet and talk to other people be they male friends, dolly-birds or the bar maids.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant but I recently met a colleague for a drink the other night in a city-centre pub, great place, nice decor, good food, pretty waitresses, good service, they get everything right and the after-work crowd gathered there for drinks and a chat proved it, then at 9 pm two geezers set up the AMPs and start strangling Rolling Stones numbers (Jeez what is it with the Rolling freakin' Stones?) within 30 minutes the place was empty. We gave up and left at 10 pm having got fed up trying to hear each other over the din. Having to cup your ears as you try to listen to your mate's anecdotes does not add to the pleasure of an evening, a sore throat from shouting isn't what we look for in an evening. And to think the management paid these guys to drive away their business.

Enough with the bands in bars already, unless it's Cherry-belle and they promise to get their tits out after the interval they ain't worth a damn thing.[/QUOTE]This post should be in the Hall of Fame! I couldn't agree more.

[QUOTE=FreebieFan;1604468]Like many of us travellers weve stayed in 1 to 5 star properties many many times. The bill always just shows room, tax, service charge. Never a mention of one or two people. It really doesn't matter to hotel billing whether its one or two. If there was ever a mistake a smile and " could you please indicate one person" would suffice.
Theres only a walk of shame if you allow there to be. If you hold your head up act confident and smile, who cares what a bunch of strangers think about your playmate.[/QUOTE]I always say that I have breakfast meetings (sometimes it's work and sometimes it's not;), but they're still meetings:D). It's only the cost of breakfast that distinguishes the cost between single and double occupancy so it's easy to justify as half the time the breakfast meetings are "unofficial" but still necessary for work.

I've never worried about the walk of shame. Don't remember being ashamed having someone attractive next to me. I have been spotted by someone I know from KL while in the Jakarta Le Meridien, but fortunately he knew the meaning of discretion. Then again, he's just as promiscuous so I bet he was up to no good himself. The only time I had to be more subtle was when we brought some other staff with us to Jakarta. The MD and myself had a couple of interesting companions and we arranged to have them leave in the morning without being accompanied by us through security. It was interesting to watch some of the staff members having a good look at them (cuci mata as we say in Malaysia:)) and it was clear what they would have like to have done to the girls, given the opportunity.
[QUOTE=Ekspat;1604605]The one and only walk of shame in Jakarta is, when you're going back to your room alone.[/QUOTE]LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL absolutely agree with this. I can't imagine that happening to you bro. You seem to manage quite nicely wherever you are. How are things down your neck of the woods? Still in the Philippines?
[QUOTE=KoperenKarel;1604769]If anybody can explain it more succinct I will be surprised.[/QUOTE]I doubt it. I would trust Smoothy's assessment.
[QUOTE=KiJang;1605004]CJ's was rocking last night with hardly any place to move around. Odd for a weekday. Or may be I am missing something here? There was lots of eye-candy about but I could not partake. I was there with my regular gf after a dinner and movie date. Looking for a buzz before heading back to the hotel for boom boom. Quite a few Turki airline crew partying their asses off. Nice.[/QUOTE]Wednesday would be Ladies night for CJs so the girls don't have to pay for entrance and get a drink for free. It's also one the most likely nights to find "normal" girls who come for the music and the "party" - but they'll still be in the minority, and a very small minority to boot.
[QUOTE=Smoothy;1605291]It depends what she looks like. If she's very hot, you underpaid. If she's average, you were fair. If she's ugly, you overpaid.[/QUOTE]
You've been giving some very concise and precise comments of late Smoothy.
[QUOTE=Utd1980;1605277]Oh no Freebie, you got it wrong. One member below has mentioned that walk of shame is the walk where you walk alone to your room. So thank God I did not do that. I am not ashamed of taking to a gal to my room. Thats what I meant basically.[/QUOTE] :D:D
[QUOTE=Hard Hat Mate;1605304]This post should be in the hotel section.

Why would you want a hotel near a mall. The malls here are cold, pretentious, overpriced places.
[/QUOTE] Nice reply HHM except I also like to be near a mall, as it's easy to set up a meeting with a girl in some cafe or another. Meeting over coffee gives you an easy exit if she's not what you expected. You can also have dinner at a simple resto nearby your hotel and it's convenient to get back to your room. That's worked for me with Manhattan and the nearby malls, Akmani and Sarinah Thamrin, Aryaduta Suites Semanggi and Plaza Semanggi, Grand Kemang and the cafes/restos nearby.
[QUOTE=FreebieFan;1605350]Once, dating a particularly paranoid but gorgeous girl. Ended up getting a second room in same hotel so that Miss Paranoid couldn't find a single hair from the others I was seeing, that didn't belong to her, and she totally checked the pillow / sheets / bathroom every time. Than goodness for those SPG points.
[/QUOTE] Yup I know that situation too bro, but I just made sure the room was cleaned again. I normally tip the houskeeping staff whenever I see them and let them know which room I'm in. So It's normally quite easy to get them to give your room a once over, and replace towels too, before you have to entertain someone else. Word gets around the staff and they will be only too happy to oblige when they know you'll be leaving them a decent tip - and it works out a lot more economically than getting another room!:)

MD II.

[QUOTE=CaliPro;1604868]Guys,

What is the best hotel option in walking distance to Grand Indonesia Mall (or one of the other malls) for around 50-60 USD?

Cheers[/QUOTE]Artotel is about 15 minutes walk.

There are more on Jl. Wahid Hasyim (Ibis, Cemara etc.) Probably 20 min walk in your price range. You have to be an ultimate cheap charlie if you cannot afford the 1 USD taxi fare from here to Grand Indonesia. Ibis has a Blue Bird taxi stand right in front and lots of street food stalls within a 5 minute walking radius.

One girl I picked up from CJ's a few nights ago pointed to Jalan Jaksa (off Jl. WH) and remarked. This is where "pure" bule's live. Took me a moment to realize she meant poor bule, and not pure blooded aryans. Haha!

[QUOTE=FreebieFan;1605271]If someone wants to be with a woman, paid or otherwise, and chooses to stay with them in a hotel, where's the shame?[/QUOTE]One of the esteemed members here once said. The only walk of shame is when you return alone.

BATS and CJ's security have always asked me if everything was okay when I walked out alone, looking a bit disappointed.

Last night I was minding my own business in a corner in BATS, scanning the scene, when the Indian manager walked over to me telling me to go out there (pointing to the women) and have a good time!

[QUOTE=HardHatMate;1605297]Could be post-ramadan feever.

All these hotties back from the kumpung looking for some cash to replenish themselves from their overspend on oleh oleh. Or newbies from the kumpung into Jakarta for the first time lookign for some cash.

It seems the city swells a bit after ramadan as lots of people come to try their luck in the big smoke, after hearing tales from their village friends who come back bearing gifts and from highly paid jobs and showing they have 'made-it' (most of its borrowed money of THR. But why ruin a good story).[/QUOTE]To answer my own question, it was ladies night Wednesdays at CJ's, free entry and drink. Info found through research on jakarta 100 bars review site. Edit: Just read MD2's post below confirming the same.

The foreign band (with the blonde female singer) at CJ's does a superb cover of a popular dangdut mix.

[QUOTE=MasterDiverII;1605373]I normally tip the houskeeping staff whenever I see them and let them know which room I'm in. So It's normally quite easy to get them to give your room a once over, and replace towels too, before you have to entertain someone else. Word gets around the staff and they will be only too happy to oblige when they know you'll be leaving them a decent tip - and it works out a lot more economically than getting another room!:)

MD II.[/QUOTE]The best cleaning still won't get rid of hairs which any hawk-eyed bimbo can spot in seconds: the Out in Africa, one time I "pre-conditioned" a girlfriend by telling her I was not happy about the quality of housekeeping and how I keep finding hair that does not belong to me, sometimes even on fresh laundered sheets.

[QUOTE=KiJang;1605394]The best cleaning still won't get rid of hairs which any hawk-eyed bimbo can spot in seconds: the Out in Africa, one time I "pre-conditioned" a girlfriend by telling her I was not happy about the quality of housekeeping and how I keep finding hair that does not belong to me, sometimes even on fresh laundered sheets.[/QUOTE]You'd be surprised what they can do when they have an incentive. It makes a world of difference - just let them know why you need the room cleaned, and they'll know what to do.

MD II.

[QUOTE=KiJang;1605383]One girl I picked up from CJ's a few nights ago pointed to Jalan Jaksa (off Jl. WH) and remarked. This is where "pure" bule's live. ![/QUOTE]The funny thing is most of these girls aren't much richer either to be making a comment like that.

They live in 500 k kosts sharing with other hookers and borrow money from each other to get in on non-ladies nights. In fact, as I go to CJ's and Bats sometimes 3 or 4 nights in a row, I've noticed that a great deal of them wear the same clothes / handbag every time they go there. That little Gucci handbag they have on their shoulder gives them such an elevated status that they go nuts if you try to point out there are thousands of younger girls out there in this city particularly Kota area getting 150 k for each client.

[QUOTE=MasterDiverII;1605373]It depends what she looks like. If she's very hot, you underpaid. If she's average, you were fair. If she's ugly, you overpaid.

You've been giving some very concise and precise comments of late[/QUOTE]We need to see more pictures! .

[QUOTE=Utd1980;1605253]You are right Tim. I reached there around 9:45 or so and very few girls.

.[/QUOTE]The problem doesn't occur when you arrive at the end of the day shift. Most girls don't mind extending their shift when you arrive arround 16:30 or thereabouts, since you are an addition to their income for that day (especially if you are a regular). The bar doesn't object too for the same reason.

Regards,

Ko.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;1604930]<SNIP> Then again, I haven't been in a couple of years because the quality of the looks of the girls there has gone down so much in the past 10 years. And they never renovate the rooms.

<SNIP> [/QUOTE]I agree with you up to a point but the occasional gem still surfaces. Shella is a recent example of a thoroughbred (alas, retired already) and until recently there was Wulan for those who liked the Kampung girl (but pretty hot nonetheless). I had a few other good looking girls there but they are becoming a minority. Lets hope for sisters' day.

Regards,

Ko.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;1605531]We need to see more pictures! .[/QUOTE]Hear hear!

There has been a dearth of pictures over the last few months. It's a bit early for hibernation, my fellow posters! Go for it.

Regards,

Ko.