Soeharto inaugurates Sheraton Solo hotel

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto inaugurated the Sheraton Solo yesterday, the first five-star hotel in Surakarta, Central Java.

The 114-room hotel is managed by ITT Sheraton Asia Pacific, an affiliate of the Boston-based ITT Sheraton hotel chain.

The US$22-million Sheraton Solo, located on a 3.5-hectare plot, was developed by PT Hotel Anomsolo Saranatama, which is controlled by Agus Sugiarto and Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo (Tommy) Mandala Putra.

The hotel is the ninth ITT Sheraton property in Indonesia and the 35th in the Asian region. There are currently a number of star-rated hotels in Surakarta, including the Kusuma Sahid Prince, Cakra, Agas International, Dana and Indah Palace. The Sheraton Solo is the first property managed by an overseas hotel chain.

Sheraton plans to open two other hotels in Indonesia this month -- the Sheraton Media Hotel and Towers in Jakarta and the Sheraton Mustika in Yogyakarta.

Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave said that Indonesia would need many more hotel rooms by the year 2005.

"It's not true that there is an oversupply of hotel rooms," he said after attending the Sheraton Solo's grand opening.

Indonesia expects to see 11 million foreign tourist arrivals by 2005 with an 11-day length of stay per visitor.

Last year, 4.32 million tourists visited Indonesia, spending close to $5.2 billion in the country, Joop said, adding that 24.4 percent of tourism revenues went to garment shopping.

"Surakarta is popular for its Batik and has great potential."

Surakarta, also known as a souvenir supplier to several luxury hotels, will have its Adi Sumarmo airport inaugurated next year as an international gateway. The airport was expanded by a private firm controlled by Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, Tommy's elder sister. (icn)