Hotels fully-booked for tonight's fiesta

JAKARTA (JP): Hotels along Jl. Thamrin have been fully booked by people wanting to see tonight's fireworks display, which is part of the Kenduri National gala party, held at the National Monument (Monas) square to celebrate the country's 50th Independence anniversary.

Staff of the five-star Grand Hyatt and Hotel Indonesia and the four-star President Hotel, located on Jl. Thamrin, an area which is about one kilometer from Monas square, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that their rooms are fully-booked for today.

Dian, a public relations officer for the President Hotel, said that her hotel is fully-booked by visitors not only from other cities, but also from Jakarta.

Renata Sofjan, public relations officer for the Grand Hyatt hotel, and Maya Kosasih of the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta, supported Dian's statement, saying that most of their hotels' guest are from Jakarta and its surrounding areas, including Bandung.

Henny Puspa Sari, public relations manager of Hotel Indonesia, said guests who want to see the fireworks are also coming from many places in Indonesia, including Surabaya, East Java, and Menado, North Sulawesi.

The high occupancy rate at the hotels along Jl. Thamrin, including the President Hotel and Hotel Indonesia, is apparently partly caused by a 50 percent discount on room prices, offered to those staying at the hotels during this month.

The Kenduri Nasional party, which is organized by the Jakarta administration, will start today at 2:30 p.m. It will feature music, dances and a pyrotechnical spectacle, which is a gift from the French government to Indonesians. The fireworks will start at 8:30 p.m.

To celebrate Kenduri Nasional, PLN, the state-owned electricity company -- whose office is located in the same neighborhood at the National Monument -- will instruct its employees to attend the party.

As today is a holiday for PLN employees, they are urged to go to the party. The company has given them a transportation allowance to enable them to be able to go there.

The West Jakarta Office of the Education and Culture Ministry will also see that 5,200 students and 2,400 teachers join the party, which will be attended by President Soeharto, First Lady Tien Soeharto, Vice President and his wife Mrs. Try Sutrisno. (als)