Getting There: There is Uber in Jakarta but I could not connect with my driver. From the airport, I suggest taking our favorite card of yesteryear, Bluebird. It cost 180,000 rupiah or $13.49 to get to the hotel.
Have you ever been to Jakarta? Do you want to go? If so, be prepared for traffic, and lots of it. I went to Java to check it off my country count list for my quest to reach 100 ‘countries’. I had no expectations of what the city would be like. Many people who had been there did not have anything to say about it, one way or another.
The Location
As a launching place for my adventure, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt. That proved to be the best idea as everything I did was near the hotel. That is very convenient in a city where gridlock never ends.
The Security
Bomb sniffing dogs, reinforced gates, and metal detectors are the norm in many hotels in Jakarta. There is intense security to get into the Grand Hyatt from the main entrance. On the other hand, the entrances from the mall have lax security. I’m not sure if the extra security makes a difference or if it’s for show but it’s definitely visible.
The Hotel Itself
It’s a massive property that was lavishly decorated for Christmas.
The Suite Upgrade
I used a diamond suite upgrade and received a room that was too big. My friend was staying with me in this gigantic space and they brought him a roll away hospital bed. It did not match the grandeur of the room.
The Bedroom
The Closet
There was a walk in closet that connected the master bedroom to the bathroom. It was a huge waste of space unless you are planning on moving in.
The Bathroom
The bathroom was very nice. The rain shower is something I need at home. Why live better on the road?
The Gym
I’ve finally been able to travel and workout. The gym at this hotel was fully equipped. It even had a leg press.
The Pool
Like the Park Hyatt Saigon, the pool at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta provided solitude from the madness outside the hotel.
The Mall
As I said, there is a luxury mall connected to the hotel and two other malls next to that. I’ll never understand the fascination with malls but there are many near the hotel in case you want to drop $5000 on a Hermes handbag.
The Club Lounge
Some people think that bloggers have a duty to take pictures of the included breakfast. TPOL is not a fan of breakfast and I often skip the most important meal of the day. What I did not skip was the happy hour at the lounge which had a great selection of food. From mini burgers to noodles, the food made going to dinner superfluous. Since it was Christmas, the hotel brought in a choir of children to perform a Christmas concert, the only time I’ve enjoyed kids in the lounge.
The Breakfast
Unable to sleep, I checked out the breakfast on the club floor. I like when hotels offer either the club lounge or the standard buffet as the club selection is very limited. Here, the club lounge breakfast was great but not spectacular.
Overall
The convenience of the location and the amenities make the Grand Hyatt the clear choice for where to stay in Jakarta.
Will be there in 3 weeks in the same hotel with the same diamond upgrade. What room did you stay in and what else is there to do around the hotel? If email is easier, as2298@georgetown.edu
I’ll put what i did in the coming days but feel free to message with follow ups. No idea the room number but it was above the club lounge floor.
the Plaza Indonesia mall next door has some good food down at the lower level – if you ever get tired of the lounge food (which is usally quite good). I hope you are heading over to Borobudur before leaving Indo. Dance the night away in JKT!
Blog is on a two week delay. I’m in Sanya but we hit up Immigrant in the mall and a good local restaurant. Review tomorrow.
I stayed at this Hyatt twice for work and loved it. The service was the best, even the standard rooms are large and there is great shopping nearby. I’m actually not much of a shopper, but one time I was in town was also near Christmas, so I got a lot of gifts for my family. I’d highly recommend Alun-Alun (#2 on the linked list), which is in a mall across the roundabout from the hotel and came highly recommended by several locals with whom I met. I didn’t find the traffic to be too bad getting to/from the airport or around town either.
http://www.whatsnewjakarta.com/where-to-find-handicrafts-souvenirs-in-jakarta/
Great comment. Thanks for the link too!