Sahid Jaya responds

In reference to Mr. Piers Gillespie's letter in The Jakarta Post on July 16, 1999, Hotel Sahid Jaya was definitely not uncaring in regard to his predicament and, indeed, we offered to assist in any way possible, such as in obtaining a police report, etc. The comfort and safety of our guests is of paramount importance to us.

Hotel Sahid Jaya is strategically located near several major office buildings, so without a parking charge we would be inundated with vehicles from people other than our guests. The charge does not cover all risk insurance, and we have ensured that our parking tickets clearly warn guests -- both in Indonesian as well as in English -- that we cannot be held responsible for any damage or loss and articles of value should not be left unattended in the car park.

While we do our best to police our extensive parking facilities, it takes only a moment or two for a professional thief to break into a vehicle. In times like these, where unemployment and crime levels are on the increase, a special effort needs to be made to minimize temptation.

We hope our guests will understand the position we are forced to take under these circumstances as well as accept our assurance that we will, at all times, do our best to provide the best service possible.

SHINTA LANGKA

Public Relations Department

Hotel Sahid Jaya

Jakarta