Homey touch added to hotel living

Homey touch added to hotel living

Text and photos by K. Basrie

JAKARTA (JP): The city's newest five-star hotel promises its
patrons a real "home away from home" with no check-in counter or
flashy hotel entrance.

Of course, guests at The Dharmawangsa hotel on Jl. Brawijaya
in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta will not go without.

The hefty room rates, among the highest in the capital,
include 24-hour personalized butler services and rooms nestled in
a plush residential complex just a short distance from the
bustling heart of Jakarta.

The Dharmawangsa, which is owned by PT Binapuri Lestari, a
joint venture between PT Tridaya Esta and the state-owned
securities paper and bank note printing company (Peruri) offers
several unique luxury services.

For instance, the hotel -- operated by the U.S.-based Rosewood
Hotels and Resort Inc. -- inquires about guests' preferences
prior to their arrival so that the hotel can provide a truly
personalized service.

In keeping with Rosewood style, there is a 24-hour butler
service, packing/unpacking services, suit pressing, shoe shine
and personalized business cards are even printed for the guests.

According to managing director Alphy Johnson, the hotel --
which hires 340 personnel including three expatriates -- is
committed to providing good service across the board.

"We're here to provide special treatment for everybody who
comes in. At many big hotels, you'll get nice service only when
you get to the executive floor but when you come down (to the
less expensive floors) you get a different level of service,"
Johnson told The Jakarta Post recently.

He hopes The Dharmawangsa, which is Rosewood's first hotel in
Asia, can become a peaceful oasis for visitors.

Unlike other hotels, The Dharmawangsa also has a spacious
library lounge with a wide collection of books and publications.

"It's an approach to service, ambience and product that is new
to Indonesia," Johnson, who has spent almost two decades in the
industry and was general manager of The Westin Surabaya hotel in
East Java, said.

For neighbors

The hotel has tried to blend into the elite Dharmawangsa
residential area and decided against erecting a giant front gate
or huge hotel sign.

"We don't even want to put noisy speakers (for car call) in
the open parking lot in an attempt to respect our neighbors,"
Johnson said.

"We like the Kebayoran Baru area because it's very, very
residential. People visiting this hectic, bustling city also want
to relax at a place similar to their own home.

"It's so quiet and tranquil here but still not far away (from
the heart of the city)."

The five-hectare, US$390 million project in the Lingkungan
Dharmawangsa luxury apartment and hotel complex was opened by
President Soeharto on Dec. 1.

The 100-room hotel attempts to incorporate the spirit of
Indonesian culture and art in its modern facilities.

Its theme, surya (sun) -- a recurring theme for numerous
tribes across the country -- is reflected in the timeless
architecture and the hotel's interior design.

The traditional cloth and artifacts from various Indonesian
ethnic groups color the rooms, which are also complete with
marble bathrooms and private balconies or terraces.

Old touch

The hotel's design is embellished with ancient artifacts, most
of which are copies, from several Indonesian empires and
sultanates, including Majapahit, Sriwijaya and Ngayogyakarta.

It also has an old Kebayoran Baru feel and a Betawi (native
Jakartan) influence in parts of the hotel and its furnishings.

The Dharmawangsa, the newest edition to the array of luxury
hotels here, offers 64 large rooms (which start at 66-square-
meters) and 36 suites, including the 443-square-meter
presidential suite.

The room rates are among the highest, ranging from $260++ to
$800++ but a penthouse suite can cost $3,000++ and guests will
pay as much as $5,000++ for the presidential suite.

It looks as though there may be a waiting list for hotel's
presidential suite which, according to sales manager David
Akilie, will be occupied by a German businessman for at least a
month.

So what is so special about this $5,000-a-night room?

Its design was inspired by Central Javanese courts so the
living room ceiling looks like the underside of a pendopo roof.
In the study there is a 17th century cabinet from the Dutch East
India Company. The master bedroom is predominantly red and cream,
in keeping with the taste of the sultanate of Ngayogyakarta,
whilst the green and cream colored guest bedroom pays homage to
the princedom of Paku Alam.

And the balcony even has a small swimming pool with a view of
Jakarta's skyscrapers.

Despite the nation's ailing economy, the management has high
hopes for the hotel.

"Before, we were looking at a 40 percent (occupancy) of
domestic travelers and 60 percent international. Now, due to the
financial situation, we have shifted it to 80 percent
international and 20 percent domestic," Johnson said.

"We see a stabilized occupancy rate of 74 percent in four
years," he said. "And we're quite sure of achieving that." (bsr)