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Hotel Indonesia to return after reconstruction
The historical first five star hotel in Southeast Asia, state-owned Hotel Indonesia, will be back in operation this year after being under reconstruction since 2004
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The historical first five star hotel in Southeast Asia, state-owned Hotel Indonesia, will be back in operation this year after being under reconstruction since 2004.
After the reconstruction, the hotel, on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta, will be renamed Hotel Indonesia Kempinski.
Kempinski Hotels, an international chain, said it would retain the historical facade of the old Hotel Indonesia.
The hotel was completed in 1962 and was officially opened by President Soekarno.
Hotel manager Patrick Ritter said the group wanted to fuse the esthetics of the 1960s with the modernity of 2008.
"We're proud to manage this hotel because Hotel Indonesia is an Asian icon," general manager Gerhard E. Mitrovits said at a press conference, adding the group would retain the hotel's original architecture as well as the artworks.
With 289 rooms, director of sales and marketing Collin Chan said the new hotel set a target of 60 percent occupancy from the launch date, Aug. 10, until the end of the year.
"We are very optimistic about expanding our hotel business in Jakarta. Jakarta is very vibrant. There's always prospects in the hotel business here," Chan said.
Hotel Indonesia Kempinski offers rooms ranging from 68 square meters to 412 square meters, with grand deluxe beds, a 42-inch flat screen TV with USB connections and in-room entertainment. Wi-Fi and broadband access is also available.
The room rates range from US$280 for its deluxe rooms to $12,000 for its presidential suite, targeting the upper class market.
"We're targeting around 60 percent of our guests will come from the corporate market," said Chan.
He also said the hotel was mainly targeting business people from Singapore and Hong Kong from the Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) market.
The hotel has large meeting and banquet facilities, including a 3,000-square meter grand ballroom.
"As a capital with many direct flights to and from the city, Jakarta has the potential to develop its MICE market," he said.
He said the offered many benefits. "We should promote Jakarta as a good alternative place to conduct meetings in Asia."
Kempinski Hotels operates 58 hotels worldwide and is planning to expand with 15 more hotels by the end of 2008. (rff)
