Country's oldest hotel going strong at 40
Country's oldest hotel going strong at 40
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A Balinese businessman who was here for a business trip had a
pleasant surprise upon his arrival in the city on Tuesday
morning. When he checked in at Hotel Indonesia at 8:05 a.m., he
was told that the room was free of charge.
Putu Purwata, chairman of the Bali chapter of Real Estate
Indonesia, got the complimentary room because he was the first
guest the day.
The day itself was special as Hotel Indonesia (HI) was
celebrating its 40th anniversary.
In celebration of the event, for a whole year, the hotel's
public areas and gardens will be decorated with paintings,
sculptures and mosaics by some of the country's most prominent
artists. The hotel has also organized a series of architecture
and art workshops, performances, films and music concerts as well
as an international seminar on restoration of old buildings.
HI, the nation's first hotel of international standard, is
located on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. Its construction
began in 1959 and it was inaugurated in 1962 by the country's
first president Sukarno. In the same year, Jakarta hosted the
Sixth Asian Games and many foreign guests stayed at the hotel,
which helped nasi goreng (fried rice) and chicken porridge go
international.
The establishment of the hotel was followed by the
construction of Sarinah department store, Gelora Senayan sports
complex, the National Monument (Monas) and several skyscrapers.
Now, there are many luxury hotels in the city. Compared to
other five-star hotels in the city, especially the new ones, HI
looks quite modest. Yet, HI is still going strong with a 40
percent occupancy rate.
Hotel Indonesia General Manager Nyoman Megeg is optimistic
about the hotel's future.
"We have our own market," he said.
The hotel with 570 rooms and suites targets people of the
middle income bracket. Around 80 percent of the guests are locals
while the rest are foreign tourists. Of the locals, some 40
percent are government officials.
While some five-star hotels charge foreigners more than
locals, the state-owned Hotel Indonesia charges all guests Rp
350,000 per night for a standard room.
The four-star President Hotel, which is just at a stone's
throw from HI, charges foreign guests US$66, while locals pay Rp
332,000.
Bram Schram, a retired branch manager of shipping company
Jakarta Lloyd who comes from Manado, North Sulawesi, said he felt
at home in the hotel.
"I feel safe here," said Bram, who has been a faithful visitor
for 22 years. He said he enjoyed the comfort and hospitality and
hardly ever had any complaints.
However, he said the hotel furniture needed refurbishing and
some parts of the building needed renovation.