Fairmont Jakarta

BACKGROUND Fairmont’s debut in Indonesia came as recently as 2014, with an all-suite and villa property in Bali. Another Fairmont is scheduled to open on the holiday island in 2016. Earlier this year, the brand became the flagship hotel in Senayan Square – a one-stop complex in Jakarta’s business district, where the Fairmont Jakarta was soft-opened in January and officially launched in August.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? You know you’re in a prestigious part of town when you spot a fleet of black Mercedes-Benz from the Silver Bird taxi service in the driveway. The lobby is magnificent and expansive, with the Barong Bar to the right and the Peacock Lounge to the left. After the luggage x-ray and security check, which is carried out with the utmost courtesy and is a standard procedure in Jakarta, the general check-in area is positioned further in from the plush seating of the main lobby. A separate check-in is available on the 21st floor for Fairmont Gold club members. The owners have ploughed against the boutique trend of hotels and gone for grandness.

WHERE IS IT? Get used to those black limo taxis. You may be sitting in them for a while en route to meetings, unless you have enough clout to take a backstep from the Jakarta gridlock and summon meetings at your hotel. The key to making Jakarta work for you is to choose a hotel adjacent to a mall with retail and offices. In this case, there is a secure underground walkway connecting the Fairmont Jakarta to the Senayan City mall. There is also a golf course across the main thoroughfare that links central Jakarta to the airport.

ROOM FACILITIES The Fairmont Gold Suite is remarkably spacious at 113 sqm with a lounge more suitable for families or members of an entourage. Individual business travellers might find themselves adrift at the distance between lounge and bathroom, (though it could be argued that the space matches the ego size of some C-suite executives). Just in case of that, a butler service is available on request. When there is this distance, it’s also good to learn that the lighting and curtain controls are close at hand and easy to master.

Bathroom amenities are from Le Labo with the Rose 31 line exclusive to Fairmont. Like the hotelier, the brand hails from North America, so guests get a dose of New York humour in the form of witty and risqué messages on the bottles to brighten up the morning.

Japanese design and décor comes through in comfortable, understated tones. A happy convenience was the dining table having plug points discreetly fitted. From the lounge, views stretch towards Jakarta Convention Centre, with the mall and the golf club on the other side.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS Spectrum is the all-day dining restaurant with “live” kitchens where you can see the chefs in action. At the time of my stay – Ramadan – there were ample spare tables during the day, but these were fully booked by early evening for a buffet of Indonesian, Chinese and Western favourites, plus a busy pizza oven. The lively-coloured Peacock Lounge offers afternoon tea while the harder stuff is available at the Barong Bar and K22 – a covered terrace offering views of Jakarta’s sunsets. Alongside K22 is View, where diners can take in the skyscape from floor-toceiling windows.

BUSINESS AND MEETING

FACILITIES The scale of Indonesian wedding celebrations is the stuff of legend, and the 1,200 sqm ballroom not only meets this requirement, but does so for corporate events too. The Ballroom is in a separate block on the ground level, around the corner from the lobby and with a dedicated driveway. Guests staying on the Fairmont Gold level also have access to eight other meeting rooms.

LEISURE FACILITIES The Willow Stream Spa is becoming a prized urban retreat, located on the fourth floor of the hotel. On the same level is a gym and an outdoor pool.

VERDICT The Fairmont has been given pride of place as the only international luxury hotel in these southern reaches of Jakarta’s CBD. With high hopes of improvements to the capital’s infrastructure, along with the country’s standing in Southeast Asia, it has come at the right time.

TESTED BY

Martin Donovan

HOW MANY ROOMS?

There are 380 spacious guest rooms and suites starting from Fairmont Room (49 sqm), Deluxe Room (69 sqm), One Bedroom Suites (113 sqm) and a range of Fairmont Gold rooms and suites. Sizes range from 49 sqm for a Fairmont or Fairmont Gold Room to 172 sqm for a Fairmont Gold Signature Two Bedroom Suite. The Presidential Suite is 303 sqm, while the Sky Suite extended-stay section comprises 108 one- and two-bedroom suites.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Spectrum all-day dining restaurant was vibrant during the soft-opening period and the colourful environs of the Peacock Lounge can’t be missed for coffee or afternoon tea. The sanctuary that is Willow Steam Spa.

PRICE

Internet rates for a Fairmont Room in mid-November start at US$325 per night including room taxes.

CONTACT

Fairmont Jakarta, JI. Asia Afrika No.8, Gelor Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia; tel: +62 21 2970 3333; fairmont.com

3 RESTAURANTS

1 DELI & CAFÉ

1 TEA LOUNGE

2 BARS ROOM SERVICE

WIFI

GYM

POOL

SPA