The Diary of a Hotel Addict
Mandarin Oriental Jakarta: Deluxe Monument
© yohanes.budiyanto, 2010
LOCATION
The 26-storey landmark circa 1978 sits on top of a small triangular prime land at the city's main thoroughfare fronting yet another city's landmark, the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout. Despite its central location and adjacency to two of the nation's swankiest shopping malls (Plaza Indonesia and Grand Indonesia Mall), MO's island-like location and Jakarta's harsh pedestrian condition makes the hotel isolated from the crowd as there is no direct passages connecting to these commercial and entertainment centers. With constant traffic jam; 3-in-1 policy designated around the area; and popular public demonstration venue by the roundabout; some guests may find the location to be inconvenient.
HISTORY:
It is interesting to learn that MO Jakarta is 96.9% owned by its legendary parent company in Hong Kong that also wholly owned the flagship Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. This means that the hotel's performance is directly related to the legendary group's namesake; and therefore underpar performance here means a big slap to the brand.
During its heyday after its inauguration in 1978, MO was the undisputed leader and the nation's most luxurious hotels. At that time where hotel room's sizes are shoebox, MO offered the most spacious rooms in the city at 37 m2 for years, until the 90s where Jakarta saw the construction booming and the birth of newer hotels, i.e. the Grand Hyatt in 1991, which took Indonesia's hospitality scene by storm. Grand Hyatt single-handedly revolutionized the city's hospitality sector to an unprecedented new height. By that time, old-fashioned MO seemed to have lost its charm; identity and competitive edge. Several cosmetic refurbishment programs transformed the rooms and public areas to a minor effect without momentum.
Fortunately, all that came to an end in 2007 when MO announced its full closure for extensive top-to-toe refurbishment, lasting 2 years. MO finally emerged from the much-needed rejuvenation in late 2009 with a Grand Opening in October. It was certainly one of the most eagerly-awaited moments amongs many Jakartans who are fans of the hotel.
ROOM:
The most striking feature from the full-scale renovation program is the redesign of the rooms and suites. MO reinvents itself as a smaller, boutique size hotel and henceforth decided to cut down the total room inventory from 500+ rooms to just 272 rooms now. During the renovation, the rooms are expanded by coverting three rooms into two room configuration, which resulted in ultra-wide rooms. LTW Designworks (Lim Teo Wilkes) was commissioned again for the renovation after transforming other MO hotels in the region, including flagship MOHK and MO in Singapore.
There are 5 room types on offer: Superior; Deluxe; Deluxe Monument, each at 47 m2; and then there are Mandarin Deluxe and Mandarin Deluxe Monument, each measures at 64m2. On top of that, MO only has 2 type of suites on offer: The Oriental and a Mandarin Suite.
Entry level rooms come with two distinct designs and three views to choose from. All Superior Rooms are located on the corner and actually appears larger, thanks to its open plan layout. Deluxe Rooms have great layout and more spacious bathrooms a separate Walk-in wardrobe; and separate lavatory. Standard features in all rooms include latest technology offerings, such as 42-inch LCD TV, inncom (energy) management system and Ipod connectivity. Unfortunately, MO's signature in-room interactive entertainment system offered at sister properties such as in Hong Kong and Tokyo was not available here.
Mandarin Deluxe is technically a suite room, with separate wall dividing the living and bedroom. The bathroom here is particularly spacious, with stand alone deep soaking tub as the focal point. Mandarin Deluxe is quite an ideal venue to entertain small gatherings. It also comes with an open plan study area and foyer.
ROOM TO BOOK:
Mid-tier Deluxe Monument Room for its elegance; great views of the roundabout; couple's bathtub with glass partition to the bedroom; and great layout.
DINING:
Everyone was relieved to learn that the popular Mandarin Cake Shop and Xin Hwa (Chinese Restaurant) are back with a more glamorous surrounding. MO has just also revealed a new chef for Xin Hwa, Chef Foong in July.
The popular Italian restaurant, Zigolini, has been re-conceptualized into a new dining experience as Lyon, a French restaurant. The old coffee shop, KafeKafe, has been reinvented into a new all day dining restaurant aptly called Cinnamon, which also adjoins the Cake Shop. The previoius Oriental Bar has been glamorously transformed into MO Bar. A new poolside cafe, Azure is re-introduced in a garden setting.
LEISURE:
Leisure facilities here is quite limited and consists of a fish pond-like pool on the rooftop with great city views; a small but up-to-date Fitness Center and a Spa with 4 treatment rooms. In the past life, the pool was already small; and in its new reincarnation, the pool becomes more of an oversized "jacuzzi".
MEETING & CONVENTION:
A total of 1,060m2 of newly redesigned event spaces are on offered here, including a Ballroom for up to 700 persons; 3 Banquet rooms and an-85m2 Esquire Room with its own separate pre-function; breakout room and outdoor patio garden, capable to accommodate up to 90. Additional event space is also offered on the rooftop garden by the pool.
X-FACTOR:
Club Floor; MandarinDeluxe and Deluxe Rooms with Welcome Monument Views; In-room check-in procedure; Acqua di Parma amenities for Suites;
SERVICE:
Generally, service here is somehow inconsistent. My first stay here during its Grand Opening week was a disaster to a point where I was directed to a one-way carpark building that was still a construction zone. There was no way down, except to reverse the car 3 storeys down. It was chaotic, ill-prepared, poorly coordinated and the hotel was simply not ready to open. All these have been well-communicated with the GM.
Second visit was better without the above chaos, but realized that after all the previous dramas, my profile was not recorded in the history; and upon check-in, the reception staffs still asked if it was my first stay at the hotel; and nothing was said or done to bridge what was happening from the first stay.
The plus side? The only other hotel in Jakarta aside from The Dharmawangsa that offers in-room check-in. Service at both Cinnamon and Xin Hwa were examplary, some of the best in town.
PERSONAL RATING:
1. Location: 80
2. Room: 95
3. Quality of Bed: 90
4. Bathroom: 90
5. In-room Tech: 80
6. Service: 75
7. Dining: 85
8. Facilities: 75
9. Wellness: 75
10. Design: 85
11. Value: 95
12. View: 90
Overall: 84.50
MANDARIN ORIENTAL
Jl. M.H. Thamrin
Jakarta, Indonesia
General Manager: Andrew Abram
Executive Chef: Thierry Le Queau
Head Chef (Xin Hwa): Foong Wai Loong
Architect: P&T Architects
Interior Designer: LTW Designworks / Lim Teo Wilkes
Mandarin Oriental Jakarta: Deluxe Monument
© yohanes.budiyanto, 2010
LOCATION
The 26-storey landmark circa 1978 sits on top of a small triangular prime land at the city's main thoroughfare fronting yet another city's landmark, the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout. Despite its central location and adjacency to two of the nation's swankiest shopping malls (Plaza Indonesia and Grand Indonesia Mall), MO's island-like location and Jakarta's harsh pedestrian condition makes the hotel isolated from the crowd as there is no direct passages connecting to these commercial and entertainment centers. With constant traffic jam; 3-in-1 policy designated around the area; and popular public demonstration venue by the roundabout; some guests may find the location to be inconvenient.
HISTORY:
It is interesting to learn that MO Jakarta is 96.9% owned by its legendary parent company in Hong Kong that also wholly owned the flagship Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. This means that the hotel's performance is directly related to the legendary group's namesake; and therefore underpar performance here means a big slap to the brand.
During its heyday after its inauguration in 1978, MO was the undisputed leader and the nation's most luxurious hotels. At that time where hotel room's sizes are shoebox, MO offered the most spacious rooms in the city at 37 m2 for years, until the 90s where Jakarta saw the construction booming and the birth of newer hotels, i.e. the Grand Hyatt in 1991, which took Indonesia's hospitality scene by storm. Grand Hyatt single-handedly revolutionized the city's hospitality sector to an unprecedented new height. By that time, old-fashioned MO seemed to have lost its charm; identity and competitive edge. Several cosmetic refurbishment programs transformed the rooms and public areas to a minor effect without momentum.
Fortunately, all that came to an end in 2007 when MO announced its full closure for extensive top-to-toe refurbishment, lasting 2 years. MO finally emerged from the much-needed rejuvenation in late 2009 with a Grand Opening in October. It was certainly one of the most eagerly-awaited moments amongs many Jakartans who are fans of the hotel.
ROOM:
The most striking feature from the full-scale renovation program is the redesign of the rooms and suites. MO reinvents itself as a smaller, boutique size hotel and henceforth decided to cut down the total room inventory from 500+ rooms to just 272 rooms now. During the renovation, the rooms are expanded by coverting three rooms into two room configuration, which resulted in ultra-wide rooms. LTW Designworks (Lim Teo Wilkes) was commissioned again for the renovation after transforming other MO hotels in the region, including flagship MOHK and MO in Singapore.
There are 5 room types on offer: Superior; Deluxe; Deluxe Monument, each at 47 m2; and then there are Mandarin Deluxe and Mandarin Deluxe Monument, each measures at 64m2. On top of that, MO only has 2 type of suites on offer: The Oriental and a Mandarin Suite.
Entry level rooms come with two distinct designs and three views to choose from. All Superior Rooms are located on the corner and actually appears larger, thanks to its open plan layout. Deluxe Rooms have great layout and more spacious bathrooms a separate Walk-in wardrobe; and separate lavatory. Standard features in all rooms include latest technology offerings, such as 42-inch LCD TV, inncom (energy) management system and Ipod connectivity. Unfortunately, MO's signature in-room interactive entertainment system offered at sister properties such as in Hong Kong and Tokyo was not available here.
Mandarin Deluxe is technically a suite room, with separate wall dividing the living and bedroom. The bathroom here is particularly spacious, with stand alone deep soaking tub as the focal point. Mandarin Deluxe is quite an ideal venue to entertain small gatherings. It also comes with an open plan study area and foyer.
ROOM TO BOOK:
Mid-tier Deluxe Monument Room for its elegance; great views of the roundabout; couple's bathtub with glass partition to the bedroom; and great layout.
DINING:
Everyone was relieved to learn that the popular Mandarin Cake Shop and Xin Hwa (Chinese Restaurant) are back with a more glamorous surrounding. MO has just also revealed a new chef for Xin Hwa, Chef Foong in July.
The popular Italian restaurant, Zigolini, has been re-conceptualized into a new dining experience as Lyon, a French restaurant. The old coffee shop, KafeKafe, has been reinvented into a new all day dining restaurant aptly called Cinnamon, which also adjoins the Cake Shop. The previoius Oriental Bar has been glamorously transformed into MO Bar. A new poolside cafe, Azure is re-introduced in a garden setting.
LEISURE:
Leisure facilities here is quite limited and consists of a fish pond-like pool on the rooftop with great city views; a small but up-to-date Fitness Center and a Spa with 4 treatment rooms. In the past life, the pool was already small; and in its new reincarnation, the pool becomes more of an oversized "jacuzzi".
MEETING & CONVENTION:
A total of 1,060m2 of newly redesigned event spaces are on offered here, including a Ballroom for up to 700 persons; 3 Banquet rooms and an-85m2 Esquire Room with its own separate pre-function; breakout room and outdoor patio garden, capable to accommodate up to 90. Additional event space is also offered on the rooftop garden by the pool.
X-FACTOR:
Club Floor; MandarinDeluxe and Deluxe Rooms with Welcome Monument Views; In-room check-in procedure; Acqua di Parma amenities for Suites;
SERVICE:
Generally, service here is somehow inconsistent. My first stay here during its Grand Opening week was a disaster to a point where I was directed to a one-way carpark building that was still a construction zone. There was no way down, except to reverse the car 3 storeys down. It was chaotic, ill-prepared, poorly coordinated and the hotel was simply not ready to open. All these have been well-communicated with the GM.
Second visit was better without the above chaos, but realized that after all the previous dramas, my profile was not recorded in the history; and upon check-in, the reception staffs still asked if it was my first stay at the hotel; and nothing was said or done to bridge what was happening from the first stay.
The plus side? The only other hotel in Jakarta aside from The Dharmawangsa that offers in-room check-in. Service at both Cinnamon and Xin Hwa were examplary, some of the best in town.
PERSONAL RATING:
1. Location: 80
2. Room: 95
3. Quality of Bed: 90
4. Bathroom: 90
5. In-room Tech: 80
6. Service: 75
7. Dining: 85
8. Facilities: 75
9. Wellness: 75
10. Design: 85
11. Value: 95
12. View: 90
Overall: 84.50
MANDARIN ORIENTAL
Jl. M.H. Thamrin
Jakarta, Indonesia
General Manager: Andrew Abram
Executive Chef: Thierry Le Queau
Head Chef (Xin Hwa): Foong Wai Loong
Architect: P&T Architects
Interior Designer: LTW Designworks / Lim Teo Wilkes