Hotel Sultan Building to Be Demolished, Prabowo to Transform It Into This
The CEO of the Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara) Investment Management Agency, Rosan Roeslani, has revealed plans for the management of Hotel Sultan, located in the Blok 15 area of the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) complex. This area was previously subject to a dispute regarding management rights between the government and PT Indobuildco, a company owned by Pontjo Sutowo.
Rosan explained that the management of Hotel Sultan and the Blok 15 area is intended to be handled by state-owned enterprises, specifically Injourney or The Meru. This plan will proceed once the dispute is resolved within the Ministry of State Secretariat.
“Indeed, our management could utilise Injourney or Meru. Meru is very good. That is the current plan,” Rosan told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex last Monday.
Rosan further explained that the GBK area, including Hotel Sultan, will become a new icon for Indonesia, necessitating a complete redesign. He noted that the development could encompass up to 200 hectares, including the golf course and other GBK areas. Consequently, it is possible that the hotel, which has stood since the 1970s, will be demolished.
“At this moment, I cannot say for certain, but the plan is to transform it into a new district. Eventually, yes, it will be demolished,” Rosan stated, confirming the possibility of demolition when pressed.
A grand concept has been prepared by the government for this area. Rosan stated that President Prabowo wants the GBK area to serve as a new Indonesian icon that delivers a tangible impact on the national economy and the Indonesian people.
“There will certainly be hotels, and more than just one. However, the President’s message is that this must become a new icon for Indonesia, so the planning must be comprehensive and provide a real impact on the economy and, most importantly, the Indonesian people,” he said.
He mentioned that the proposed concept will likely focus on sport tourism, leveraging the existing sporting activities within the GBK area, albeit with significant upgrades.
“GBK will remain GBK, but we will enhance and perfect everything to meet international or world-class standards, so that this can also serve as a new economic centre in Jakarta,” he added.
During the briefing, the man who also serves as the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM emphasised that Indonesia’s tourism potential is vast. However, he noted that improvements are needed in terms of comfort, logistics, transport, accessibility, and cleanliness.
To this end, Danantara will play an active role in identifying new tourism destinations. He noted that current tourist arrivals to Indonesia still lag behind neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. The government also aims to increase the average expenditure of tourists visiting Indonesia.
“Therefore, we can capture all segments of tourism, from the mass market to high-end, experience-based tourism,” he concluded.