Rosewood to make its debut in Jakarta

Rosewood to make its debut in Jakarta

DALLAS, Texas (JP): Rosewood Hotels and Resorts Inc. is
expanding by adding a Jakarta hotel to its international hotel
and resort chain. The new hotel in South Jakarta will be managed
by the company that also runs the Lanesborough hotel in London,
Bel-Air in Los Angeles, Seiyo Ginza in Tokyo and Hotel Rose in
Wiesbaden, Germany.

Owned by PT Binapuri Lestari, the Rosewood hotel being
constructed on Jl. Dharmawangsa will have 100 residential style
rooms and a 4,500 square-meter spa and fitness complex they want
to be one of the world's best.

"It just fits with the Rosewood residential concept. We will
manage a small but luxurious hotel. And, we're glad that it will
be located in a residential area," said Rosewood's president Atef
N. Mankarios.

Similar to other boutique hotels -- a concept which is now in
vogue in the hotel business -- the hotel will feature rooms no
less than 55 square meters, said Michael Sumarjanto, an executive
consultant on the project management team.

The hotel, expected to open early in 1997, will also include
local colors because "we want to blend well with the Indonesian
atmosphere," said Rosewood's director of marketing Mark Petersen.
"A good hotel is one which is well-accepted by the local people."

The local colors will be translated in design, ambience,
service and even cuisine.

"One of Rosewood's trademarks is its restaurants. We are going
to feature Indonesian cuisine too in Jakarta. It will not be
difficult because Indonesia has a great variety of food,"
Sumarjanto said.

Dean Fearing, an executive chef of Rosewood's Mansion on
Turtle Creek's in America, has been assigned to research
Indonesia's rich cuisine. A team of Indonesian and American
architects are working on the design. Spa expert Tony Beck has
been appointed to provide technical advice for the spa and
fitness complex.

"As for the service, actually we already have a strong
foundation. Indonesians are known as friendly people, it's a
benefit for us," Sumarjanto said.

"And a good thing of cooperating with Rosewood is that we can
also introduce our cultural and traditional aspects to the world
because this hotel is going to be the mirror of local culture and
tradition," he added. (als)