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View all search resultsHotels in demand for couples on Valentine's Day
Valentineâs Day is fast approaching and couples are gearing up to celebrate the special day
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Valentine's Day is fast approaching and couples are gearing up to celebrate the special day.
For couples, sharing love during the day entails special conditions when it comes to selecting a venue to make their celebrations memorable.
A wide range of options for venues are available in culturally-rich Indonesia. Some may prefer to celebrate the day with their loved one on a remote but gorgeous beach, while others may find peaceful mountainous resorts to be the perfect setting.
Jakarta is growing as a cosmopolitan city, and with scattered modern hotels, malls, plazas, cafes and restaurants, more venues for this special day are at hand.
Maria and her boyfriend have decided to celebrate Feb.14 at a city hotel.
'A hotel creates an intimate ambiance that fits us because through the day, we are eager to enhance our intimacy,' said the 26-year-old employee of a private company.
'Hotels are less crowded than shopping malls. The quietness they offer is ideal for couples to enjoy one another's company during the special day.'
Maria said the hotels' softly-lit restaurants also helped create a romantic ambiance, 'in which lovers can share their affection for each other in comfort, undisturbed by the feeling that someone might be watching them.'
'Other people might disapprove of what we do if we openly display our affection for each other in public, like wrapping our arms around each other. If we whisper words in each other's ears, other people might think that we are kissing,' she said.
'The last time we celebrated Valentine's Day, my boyfriend took me to a restaurant at a hotel in Ancol Beach, North Jakarta. The dinner was very special because we were sitting by a window so we could see the sunset, which was very beautiful,' she recollected.
She said the restaurant's tranquil setting also allowed them to be romantic in a comfortable setting.
'Once during our dinner, my boyfriend took three sheets of tissue paper and placed them in the shapes of the letter 'I', a heart and the letter 'U'. Together they formed the words 'I love you'. It was romantic and funny,' she said.
Many other lovers also find hotels suitable for Valentine's Day celebrations.
'My boyfriend and I want to discuss private affairs concerning our relationship during our upcoming dinner on Valentine's Day. We don't want other people to eavesdrop on our conversations,' said Razu, also an employee of a private company in Jakarta.
'That's why a quiet, comfortable and intimate venue is our most preferable option. It suits our needs,' the 24-year-old said.
Meanwhile, most top-star-rated hotels in Jakarta are upbeat about the growing interest among couples in using hotels to celebrate the day. The hotels are taking advantage of rising demand for a venue by offering intimate dinner packages for couples that want to enjoy romantic moments.
The Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta, Hotel Borobudur Jakarta, Hotel Mulia Senayan, Jakarta are among hotels ready to welcome couples.
Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta communications manager Felicia Setiawan said her hotel offered an intimate dinner package with a romantic ambience for couples during Valentine's Day.
'Take our Italian restaurant Rosso as an example. Although the restaurant has a maximum capacity of 100 people, it's located in a very wide room, so it is not crowded. The lighting isn't too bright, so we have an intimate atmosphere,' she said.
Aside from being intimate, the restaurant also offers a romantic ambience through its decorations.
'The restaurant's ceilings are decorated by Italian fresco [mural] paintings and its walls are painted in red. Both add romantic senses,' she said.
Grand Hyatt Jakarta assistant public relations manager Agnes Ferisia said couples could take advantage of the hotel's garden and pool view.
'Couples can celebrate their Valentine's Day here by having a quiet conversation at the poolside,' she said.
'Imagine having conversations late at night while looking at the stars being reflected by the swimming pool's water. The couples often ask waiters or waitresses to take a picture of them to preserve the memory of the special night.'
Couples may want more than just an intimate dinner to make it through the evening. Grand Hyatt is also offering a room package for couples which, aside from including the dinner, also boasts a massage treatment for two.
For the adventurous, the Shangri-La is offering an exclusive 30-minute helicopter ride across Jakarta during Valentine's Day evening. The helicopter will take off straight from the hotel's rooftop on its 32nd floor.
'We offer a helicopter ride package that comes at Rp 88.88 million [US$8,115.53], for one couple only. We will close the offer once it is booked,' Felicia said.
Hotel Kristal assistant public relations manager Intan Purwaning said her hotel sprinkled rose petals on the tables of its restaurants to add to the atmosphere. According to her, pastel-colored decorations also grace the restaurant.
'Red and pastel-colored objects are often associated with love. We want our guests to feel the love immediately as they walk into our rooms. Every woman who visits our restaurants on Valentine's Day will also get a free rose,' she said.
(Sebastian Partogi)
