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Luxury travel inspiration from the Asia-Pacific region

DestinAsian


<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why stay?</strong></h5>



<p>Taking up the highest floors of a somber 32-story tower, The Orient Jakarta is an ode to traditional Indonesian culture as seen through the eyes of Bangkok-based architect/designer Bill Bensley. His signature whimsy comes to the fore in the exuberant public spaces and guest rooms with sweeping vistas of the cityscape. You don’t have to be a design aficionado to appreciate the quirky boutique feel, thoughtfully designed pool, and convenient downtown location.</p>
<h5><strong>The neighborhood</strong></h5>







<p>The hotel sits in a glassy, jet-black structure set back from Jalan Sudirman—an eight-lane boulevard running through the heart of Jakarta. It stands at the edge of the low-rise residential area known as Bendungan Hilir, whose namesake MRT station lies a few steps down the street. Guests at The Orient will find themselves just one stop away from the upscale shopping malls and restaurants of the Sudirman Central Business District.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-133621 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-6.jpg" alt="A view of the fanciful infinity-edge pool on the fifth floor of The Orient Jakarta." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-6.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-6-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-6-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>







<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The feel</strong></h5>



<p>Bensley’s maximalist style makes for a stark contrast to the Brutalist-leaning facade by famed Indonesian architect Andra Matin. Inside the compact lobby, Javanese shadow puppets and an antique bell adorn a small seating area, while capiz-shell chandeliers cascade from peacock statues perched atop the lattices framing the concierge and check-in desks. Elsewhere, reproductions of colonial-era prints and old photographs add visual interest to the textured stucco walls. Also on show are artifacts from the owners’ private collection, including Dutch mailboxes, framed muskets and pistols, and a handful of bronze Malay <em>lela</em> cannon.



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<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><strong>Guest quarters</strong></strong></h5>



<p>Spanning the 26th to 30th floors of the building, the rooms and suites have been done up in colorful fabric wallpaper that blends batik with pop art. King Koil mattresses, high-powered rain showers, and Bulgari bath amenities are guaranteed, not to mention Chromecast-enabled Smart TVs. Unusually for an urban hotel, the toilet is sometimes positioned at the opposite end of the room from the washbasin and shower booth. Booking a 40-square-meter Grand Deluxe room will give you a better chance of getting a standalone bathtub by the floor-to-ceiling windows.</p>





<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><strong><strong>Food and drink</strong></strong></strong></h5>



<p>The culinary lineup at The Orient Jakarta is anchored by two ground-floor establishments. Valencia-born chef Rafael Martínez Millán presides over <a href="https://casparjakarta.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caspar</a>, a double-height Spanish restaurant dishing out tapas and heartier options from pan-roasted baby chicken with cheese Parmentier to an enormous squid-ink seafood paella, enough to feed at least four or five people. Caspar’s kitchen also supplies snacks for the mezzanine-level Whisky &amp; Cigar Club upstairs. Excellent Japanese fare awaits at <a href="https://furusatoizakaya.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="broken_link">Furusato Izakaya</a>, whose traditional wood-and-tile exterior appears to have been transplanted from the streets of Kyoto. Must-tries include the crispy sweet chicken <em>nanban</em> topped with creamy egg salad, and mixed <em>yakitori</em> dipped in egg yolk and soy sauce. The fifth-floor Library Lounge and its attached bar—arguably the two most beautiful spaces in the hotel—host private dinners and locally inspired afternoon tea sessions, which are open to non-resident guests and can be booked a day in advance. On the rooftop, Cafe Cali consists of several open-air spaces around a whitewashed hacienda-inspired structure: there’s a pool with sunken daybeds along one side, a corner Jacuzzi flanked by cabanas, a DJ booth and dance floor, a bar beneath a vaulted ceiling, plus a separate dining area. Here, Tex-Mex and Cajun favorites, Japanese-Peruvian bites, and Thai-inspired <em>krapow</em> pizza are served from late afternoon well into the night.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-133622 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-7.jpg" alt="A stone sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha overlooks the cozy bar of the Library Lounge." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-7.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-7-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Orient-Jakarta-7-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Wellness factor</strong></h5>



<p>An in-house spa with four treatment rooms is still in the pipeline. For now, the main draw is the fifth-floor infinity pool equipped with hydrotherapy jets: grownups can soak up the resort-like ambience as they overlook the city-center traffic, while children will want to splash out in the connected wading pool with a waterslide. Down the corridor, the split-level gym has cardio equipment downstairs and resistance machines—alongside a studio for yoga, HIIT, and Pilates—on the mezzanine.</p>





<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Family matters</strong></h5>



<p>While The Orient Jakarta welcomes guests of all ages, the hotel is geared more toward couples and solo travelers by virtue of its design: there are no twin rooms and access to the main lift lobby is via Caspar, which transforms after dark into a dimly lit entertainment venue with live music. That said, seasonal stay packages may include activities such as painting and bouquet-making workshops for moms and their kids.</p>
<h5><strong>Sustainability cred</strong></h5>
<p>Restaurants rely on sustainably sourced ingredients, and drinks come with compostable cornstarch straws made by local company Ecofrenbag; used cooking oil and glass are collected for recycling on a regular basis. Efficient chillers for the air conditioning system help reduce the hotel’s electricity consumption. The Orient Jakarta is currently creating an in-house sustainability division to take things further.</p>









<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><strong>What else?</strong></strong></h5>



<p>Don’t skip the delicious semi-buffet breakfast at Caspar: the à la carte menu includes a selection of hearty Indonesian, Japanese, and international entrées. Weather permitting, you’ll have the chance to dine outdoors on an expansive terrace raised well above the pavement, insulated from busy Jalan Sudirman by a profusion of greenery.</p>
<p>Reviewed by <strong>James Louie</strong></p>





<p><a href="https://www.barcelo.com/en-ww/the-orient-jakarta-a-royal-hideaway-hotel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">barcelo.com</a><br />+62 21 3970 7777<br /><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/KgZrxC7EHLtWrqJm8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No. 36, Bendungan Hilir, Jakarta, Indonesia</a></p>






A view of the fanciful infinity-edge pool on the fifth floor of The Orient Jakarta.

The Orient Jakarta, a Royal Hideaway Hotel

Jakarta Hotels

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