Rosewood plans to operate a new hotel in Bali
Rosewood plans to operate a new hotel in Bali
JAKARTA (JP): Luxury hotel operator Rosewood Hotels and Resort
Inc. of the United States plans to operate a new hotel in Bali,
its second hotel in the country after the newly opened
Dharmawangsa in Jakarta.
Rosewood's chairman and chief executive officer, Atef N.
Mankarios, said here yesterday that his company was holding
discussions with its Indonesian partner to develop the property
in Ubud, Bali.
"Hopefully we can finish the negotiations soon with the same
partner who owns the Dharmawangsa," he said, adding that the
property in Bali would be similar in size and area to the one in
Jakarta.
The five-star Dharmawangsa, opened by President Soeharto on
Monday, is part of a luxury complex on Jl. Brawijaya, Kebayoran
Baru, South Jakarta. The US$390 million complex comprises the
hotel, Klub Bimasena and two apartment towers, one of which has
been completed.
The 100-room hotel and the 84-unit apartment tower are owned
by PT Binapuri Lestari, a joint venture between PT Tridaya Esta
and the Peruri Foundation.
"All hotels in the Rosewood collection are created to blend
with their local environment. Each hotel had its own name,
characteristic and personality and Rosewood has never had any
concept transferred between any of its hotels," Mankarios said.
The Dharmawangsa is Rosewood's first hotel in Asia, he added.
Mankarios and Dharmawangsa's managing director Alphy L.
Johnson refused to give any comment about the new hotel's
location in Kebayoran Baru, an area which is not designated for
commercial buildings.
"When we were looking for a location for the hotel in Jakarta,
we found that most hotels are located in the golden triangle," he
said. "We were looking for a quieter area. It's very congenial
for travelers being in Kebayoran Baru," Johnson said, adding that
the hotel hired 340 personnel including three expatriates.
The Dharmawangsa offers oversized rooms, ranging from 66
square-meters (executive rooms) to 443 square-meters (the
presidential suite).
The room rates will likely be the capital's highest varying
from $260 for junior executive class, to $300 for senior
executive, $800 for a junior suite, $3,000 for a penthouse suite
and as high as $5,000 for the presidential suite.
"Our goal is 76 percent occupancy rates two years from now,"
Dharmawangsa's marketing director Reid James said.
Johnson said that the Dharmawangsa saw a 96 percent occupancy
rate last week when the hotel hosted the 103rd OPEC Conference.
Rosewood, incorporated in 1979, is based in Dallas, Texas. It
currently runs 10 properties.
Out of the 10 hotels, Rosewood owns two properties in Dallas,
Mankarios said.
"There are four hotels under construction in Egypt, Brazil,
Puerto Rico and Beirut," he said, adding that his company was
also negotiating to develop seven more hotels, including those in
Bali and Kuala Lumpur. (icn)