Colonial and modern flair combine at Hotel Batang Arau<\/p>\n
Swallows' nests have long been known as sources of income, as
\nthey are part an ingredient in some Chinese soups. These little
\nblack oscine birds (family Hirundinidae) often productively make
\ntheir nests in big, dark spaces with some cooling water nearby.<\/p>\n
Those spaces are usually available at old colonial houses,
\nwhich are very expensive to preserve. Besides, their style does
\nnot correspond to the taste of many Indonesians.<\/p>\n
It can be seen in the old Chinatown of Padang, the capital of
\nWest Sumatra, where huge colonial buildings have been ruined, due
\nto a lack of preservation, with darkened windows and an amazing
\namount of these birds inside -- which earn probably around the
\nsame amount of money for the owner, as any profit there would be
\nif the owner sold the house after renovation.<\/p>\n
However, there is an exception. Walking along Jl. Batang Arau,
\nright beside the harbor of Padang, not all of the old buildings
\nare ruined. There is suddenly a white glance in between the old
\nbuildings with flaked off color. Obviously here was somebody
\noverwhelmed by a nostalgic feeling and put all her love and
\nenergy into fix up the house at number 33.<\/p>\n
It was in 1994, when the German woman Norma Duelfer fell in
\nlove with this colonial heritage and opened a hotel in the former
\nDutch Spaarbank building.<\/p>\n
Despite all the necessary efforts, not to mention dealing with
\nthe Indonesian bureaucracy, Duelfer could not be stopped from
\nspending a lot of time and money to start her own hotel in the
\nbig house at the riverside. Carefully, she fitted out every room
\nin a different style to give each of them a very personal touch.
\nIt was reflected not only from the furniture but also her warm
\nattitude of making the guests at home, which gives them an
\nunforgettable feeling.<\/p>\n
This spirit lives on in the Hotel Batang Arau up to the
\npresent -- even if there has been a lot of change since 62-year-
\nold Norma left Padang last year for Bali, where she found a new
\nhome and a new love. Her successor is a 34-year-old American
\nwoman, Christina Fowler, who began working with Norma since 1999.<\/p>\n
Hotel Batang Arau is still a small jewel among the mainly very
\nfunctional and not very snug, modern hotels in Padang. With only
\nfive rooms, it is never crowded enough for one to get a sense of
\nimpersonal anonymity. And, there is a lot of space. Each of the
\nrooms is the size of a small apartment with a big bathroom,
\nincluding a bathtub and hot water. Even if a lot of the original
\nfurniture was replaced, Fowler keeps the principle that every
\nroom has its own individual character.<\/p>\n
There is the all-in-pink room with a big four-poster bed,
\nreminding one of the luxurious version of hotels in the old west
\nfilms. Another one is in the style of Europe around 1900 with
\ncolorful window elements and a creamy-white background. There is
\na huge family room in the Japanese style with red and black
\ntextiles, as well as a whole suite with a half-open-air bathroom
\noffering a beautiful view of the Batang Arau river. Or the old-
\nfashioned, plush greenroom with a sofa, four-poster and a big
\nbalcony looking out over the riverside.<\/p>\n
The biggest change since Duelfer left is probably the young
\nand trendy lifestyle which moved in with Fowler's connection to
\nPadang's surfer community. Entering the huge entrance hall with
\nthe the wall-to-wall chess-board floor, the visitors are normally
\nwelcomed by a pile of surfing equipment and modern music beats.
\nThe wide open terrace overlooking the river invites mainly
\nexpatriates and foreign surfers to spend hours and hours
\nchatting, playing games and having a beer and a pizza or other
\nWestern food.<\/p>\n
If one cannot find his or her favorite food on the small menu
\nthey are welcome to take over the kitchen -- while the friendly
\nIndonesian cook will eagerly write down all recipes to remember
\nhow to do a chocolate cake or noodles with tuna sauce.<\/p>\n
The same atmosphere of being in your own living room prevails
\nwhen relaxing on the large couch in front of the television set,
\nwatching videotapes or reading one of the books other travelers
\nleft behind in the small library. At no time does the feeling of
\nbeing in an official or public space hit you, like it often does
\nin other hotels.<\/p>\n
During the years, the Hotel Batang Arau obviously turned out
\nto be \"the meeting point\" for foreigners in Padang. It is here,
\nwhere the surfer groups stay before they leave or after they come
\nfrom their tours to the Mentawai islands or other surfing spots.<\/p>\n
It is here, where the expatriates who live in Padang celebrate
\ntheir birthday parties. And all this without any marketing or
\nadvertising. All the promotion it needs is done by word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n
The open secret of this success is with Fowler and her team:
\n\"Here we are all like a big family. There is no other place like
\nthat in Padang.\"<\/p>\n
Hotel Batang Arau, Jl. Batang Arau 33, Padang 25118;
\nTel: 0751-27400; E-mail: batangarau@yahoo.com;
\nRates: Single room Rp 225,000, Double Rp 275,000, Extra bed Rp
\n75,000<\/p>\n
-- Christina Schott<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/colonial-and-modern-flair-combine-at-hotel-batang-arau-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }