Borobudur Hotel reopens

Borobudur Hotel reopens

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto inaugurated yesterday the newly renovated Borobudur Inter-Continental Hotel on Jl. Lapangan Banteng Selatan, Central Jakarta.

The official reopening of the 674-room, five-star hotel also marked a return to business after 22 months of renovation which cost US$65 million.

"We can promote our hotel as a brand new hotel at a grand old address," Jusuf Indradewa, the president of PT Jakarta International Hotels and Development and owner of the hotel, said.

The 19-story hotel, located on a 9.3 hectare plot of land, was opened by Soeharto in 1974 and used to accommodate participants in the Pacific Asia Travel Association conference in the same year.

During the renovations, 75 percent of the rooms were closed -- only 110 suites in the Garden Wing were available for guests -- while everything from the air conditioning to water supply was overhauled.

Other work included the renovation of the hotel's main entrance, the redesign of the restaurants, bar and entertainment facilities and the improvement of the function rooms and sport facilities.

"With our new and attractive facilities and well trained staff, we are determined to play a role in the tourism sector," Jusuf said at the ceremony.

The hotel offers a wide range of amenities, including eight tennis courts, two squash courts and one basketball court.

The conference and banqueting rooms can accommodate up to 8,000 guests.

During yesterday's ceremony, the hotel donated Rp 500 million to the national foster parents' movement.

The money was accepted by the movement's chairperson Halimah Bambang Trihatmodjo, Soeharto's daughter-in-law. (prb)