Jakarta hotels dress up for Ramadhan
Jakarta hotels dress up for Ramadhan
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A replica of the At-Tin Mosque -- a mosque in the complex of
the Taman Mini Indah Indonesia (TMII), East Jakarta -- is placed
in the lobby of the Shangri-La Hotel. The replica, which is made
of chocolate, exquisitely decorates this deluxe hotel.
Meanwhile, replicas of a camel and a bedug (a huge horizontal
drum) enhances the Nikko Hotel on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central
Jakarta.
These ornaments are part of the hotels' efforts in celebrating
the festive side of Ramadhan.
"It is our annual tradition to glorify the fasting month of
Ramadhan with a replica of mosques," Shangri-La Communications
Coordinator Gloria Vera Kristie said, adding that a replica of
the Khulafa Mosque in Iraq was made last year.
The replica of the At-Tin Mosque measures 2.55 meters high,
3.66 meters long and 2.44 meters wide. It required three weeks to
finish.
Shangri-La has also put a bedug in front of its Satoo
Restaurant.
Aside from replicas of a camel and a bedug, the Nikko Hotel
also decorates the pillars of its restaurant, The Olive Tree,
with ketupat (rice pack made of young coconut leaf), a food
traditionally associated with Ramadhan in Indonesia.
Arabic calligraphic scripts are also displayed to give more
accents.
"Our guests will not only enjoy the ornaments. They can also
listen to Islamic songs and savor snacks from the break-the-fast
meal," said Sugeng Purnomo, Assistant Public Relations Manager at
the Nikko Hotel.
According to Sugeng, his hotel is also ready to serve any
business meetings or breaking-of-the-fast event.
With a minimum booking for 30 people, the hotel will serve
them with a choice of snacks. Customers can also have prayer
sessions in a special room next to the ballroom.
Like Shangri-La and Nikko, many other hotels also decorate
their places and offer Ramadhan Packages to their customers.
The five-star diamond Mulia Hotel in Senayan offers a special
Ramadhan Buffet for the break-the-fast meal. It includes fruit
juice, snacks, chicken soup, main dish and dessert. Prices start
from Rp 145,000 per person.
Sahid Jaya Hotel on Jl. Jend. Sudirman meantime offers a pre-
Ramadhan Package and a Lebaran Package. With this package,
customers get a superior room, pre-dawn meal or breakfast at Kafe
Solo, and free access to the swimming pool, fitness center and
children's play room.
This package is offered at Rp 400,000 (US$40).
Meantime, the Borobudur Hotel in Lapangan Banteng, Central
Jakarta, also offers a room package and delicacies at special
prices.
For a global-chain hotel like JW Marriott, the holy month of
Ramadhan is also a special occasion that needs specific
treatment.
Starting from Oct. 3 through Nov. 2, the hotel is offering
Middle East cuisine. Chef Mustapha Hallal was directly flown in
from Lebanon to ensure the authenticity of the dishes.
Lebanese cuisine includes an abundance of starches, fruits,
vegetables, fresh fish and seafood.
Calling its program the "Magic of Ramadhan", the Millennium
Sirih Hotel offers its own "break-the-fast buffet". At only Rp
65,000 per person, customers can taste 30 types of snacks, from
kolak pisang (banana in sweet coconut milk), es campur (mixed
vegetable with syrup and ice) and pudding.