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)