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Marriott opens Sheraton Belitung Resort
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The lobby of the Sheraton Belitung Resort features burnt granite rocks as flooring and local Lenggadai wood for the ceiling. (Courtesy of//Sheraton Belitung Resort)
United States-based hotel chain Marriott International has opened the Sheraton Belitung Resort in Bangka Belitung Islands province.
The hotel is surrounded by more than 100 small islands on the eastern coast of Sumatra. Although it is located very close to wildlife, it is also 45 minutes away from Hanandjoeddin International Airport in Tanjung Pandan.
The hotel, which is the eighth Sheraton-brand hotel to be opened in Indonesia, features Lenggadai wood on the ceiling of its lobby. Lenggadai is a tree from the Rhizophoraceae family that grows locally. Belitung granite, cut and burnt on site, is showcased in the lobby’s flooring.
Three restaurants and lounges, offering views of the ocean, have local and international delicacies.
The nearby wildlife reserve has more than 1,000 types of flora and fauna in a lush 200 hectares. Lucky guests may spot the karamunting flower, which only grows in Belitung, or the tarsius, one of the smallest primates in the world, which can be found only on certain Southeast Asian islands.
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Reservations can be made on the hotel’s website.
Previously, this article quoted a release sent by Marriott International that said the resort was “located within a wildlife reserve”.
The Environment and Forestry Ministry stated its objection by saying that Sheraton Belitung Resort, situated on Jl. Pantai Penarikan in Timur Jaya village, Belitung district, was located outside the country's conservation area. The ministry added that the only wildlife reserve on Belitung Islands was Mount Lalang Forest Park, managed by the Belitung administration. Based on a field inspection, the ministry also did not find any animal conservation area.
On Sept. 5, the general manager of Sheraton Belitung Resort, Yvonne Wan, sent a statement correcting this information: “We are aware of the recent statement made by the Environment and Forestry Ministry […] We have verified this information and sincerely apologize for the inaccuracy in the information provided. Our resort is located nearby the conservation area.” (gis/wng)
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Editor's note: This article has been updated to include clarifications from the Environment and Forestry Ministry and Sheraton Belitung Resort.
