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)