As the pandemic loosens its grip on the hospitality industry, hotels return to business. Some do so in stellar fashion.

Luxury retreats, as the name implies, are rarely meant for work. But some hotels believe that work-related business can be done within a lavish surrounding. In some cases, work may even benefit from such surroundings.

“When you let your mind travel, inspiration will follow,” is what the Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel, located in the Northern Ring Road, Condong Catur, promises its guests. Located near tourist spots such as Malioboro Street and Tugu Monument, this classic Marriott International boasts a serene atmosphere and a birds-eye view of Yogyakarta – a welcome getaway for burned out visitors looking for fresh air or managers and higher-ups looking to brainstorm in a comfortable state.

Comfort: Yogyakarta Marriott's deluxe double guest room with a pool view. (Courtesy of Radhiyya Indra) (JP/Courtesy of Radhiyya Indra)

The Jakarta Post was invited for a two-night stay at the hotel from Nov. 24 to 26, 2021, to experience first hand what the hotel had to offer.

The trip

Thanks to Marriott’s partnership with Garuda Indonesia (presenting a special offer if a guest uses both services), my companion and I were able to fly with the airline to and from Yogyakarta. Not only were its premium check-in and high-end health protocols swift (with HEPA filters and hand sanitizer everywhere), but Garuda’s executive lounge equaled those at luxury hotels.

Seats with extra legroom were provided and service from the staff came quickly on the Boeing 737-800. Health protocols during the flight were also strict: Food and drinks came in a simple paper bag consisting of wrapped meals and sanitizing wipes – a sensible package for a short flight of only 45 minutes.

Plush seats and warm lighting allowed me and most of the passengers a restful quick nap.

The leisure part

Before reaching the hotel, visitors to Yogyakarta Marriott will first be met with Hartono Mall, arguably the biggest mall in Yogyakarta. The mall is one of Marriott’s major quality entertainment points as the building is directly connected to the mall.

The deluxe double guest room that Marriott provided was spacious with a clear view of not only the swimming pool, but also the bar, the mall and hundreds of acres of greenery stretching far and wide. The room has the usual amenities: beds, a sofa, a small dining table and TV. But the comfort and quality needs to be mentioned, as it is more than satisfying even for a luxury hotel, from the fresh bed linen to the velvety armrests. The hotel boasts warm wooden floors and furniture as they merge with chilly marble tiles on some parts, whereas lavish carpeting covers the main halls and corridors.

Unorthodox: Yogyakarta Marriott's bathroom that opens from two sides with sliding doors. (Courtesy of Radhiyya Indra) (JP/Courtesy of Radhiyya Indra)

Odd as it may sound, the bathroom was a huge part of the leisure factor. Seemingly inspired by Japanese aesthetics, it uses two sliding doors with wooden frames and flowery patterns. With luxury-hotel-standard amenities and design, this aesthetic continues inside the shower, where a seat protrudes from the deep blue marbled wall, like a modern Japanese sento (communal bathhouse) but with two showers next to and above it instead of a water ladle.

Service and food were also factors Marriott excelled at. Visitors were welcomed with free drinks vouchers upon arrival. Room service was meticulous in its cleaning. Tasty sweets in the form of pandas and becak (pedicabs) awaited me in the room. But the hotel’s Taman Sari Bar & Grill, located next to the pool, might just steal the show. Tucked behind tall bushes and draped in glimmers, one can enjoy the wide variety of food here accompanied by live music. The open evening sky served as quite a spectacle for those who wished to see Yogyakarta’s city lights.

The business part

With 347 rooms, Marriott’s building is separated into two wings: one for guests to sleep in and one for businesspeople to have meetings in. Thus, people can conduct business discussions comfortably without the nuisance of children and other hotel guests roaming around the corridor.

The business wing flaunts the same luxury as the leisure wing despite consisting of only (large) meeting rooms. The ballrooms and wedding halls are decked with lanterns and diamonds for lighting. There are long, comforting sofas outside the rooms. Even the huge corridors are adorned with carpet that resembles an impressionist painting; a splash of Van Gogh’s yellow in some spots and a stroke of Monet’s navy blue in others.

There is also a “collaboration space” where people can use free computers located in the center of the hotel, exactly between the leisure and business wings so all guests can use them freely.

The swimming pool is an exotic escape above the hotel’s canopy. The spa and the fitness center are also noteworthy. And it takes zero time to walk over to Hartono Mall from the hotel’s palatial lobby.

The food

What unites both the meeting room guests and the sleeping room guests has to be the quality food. Marriott’s breakfast menu, aside from the usual hotel breakfast, has a praiseworthy variety of cuisine, from a complete English breakfast (beef bacon, grilled tomato, baked beans, scrambled eggs), Asian dishes (noodles and assorted sushi), Southeast Asian best hits (kwetiaw pad thai and laksa) to local greats (Solo liwet rice, traditional beverage wedang bajigur, jamu and street food snacks).

Picturesque sweets: The snacks that Yogyakarta Marriott provides in the room. (Courtesy of Radhiyya Indra). (JP/Courtesy of Radhiyya Indra)

Businesspeople get their share, too. All throughout the meeting wing corridors are variations of food served like the daily breakfast in the hotel’s Yogya Kitchen. Even the chefs and waiters are there to provide them with the meal.

A fine dining experience at Taman Sari Bar & Grill is also a must-have. I enjoyed a miso-glazed salmon with ratatouille for the appetizer, sous vide tenderloin angus for the main course, and a reimagined klepon cake twice its original size for dessert – a hybrid, modern take on a traditional snack, which few luxury retreats would dare to serve.

All in all, Yogyakarta Marriott has all the basics one would expect from Marriott International, but while other luxury retreats usually highlight the glitters of their hotel, Yogyakarta Marriott pushes the grand designs and fanciness to maximize the comfort of their visitors’ stay or work.