Ascott Jakarta: A luxury stay for family and friends
Updated: Jun 8, 2020
It’s been 10 years since I last been to Jakarta. Yup, it's been long. But when my friends decided to go and invited me to come along, I said why not. Right away I searched and found the best accommodation at the heart of Jakarta for a group of friends.
So there we were, checked in at The Ascott Jakarta, a luxury serviced apartments for 3 nights. The property is located at Jalan Kebon Kacang Raya in Central Jakarta, just a walking distance to 3 shopping malls: Grand Indonesia (a major mall with wide variety of fashion labels and eateries), Plaza Indonesia (a luxury shopping mall) and Thamrin City (local plaza for all your batik and cultural clothing); which is exactly what I need - to avoid the traffic.
Despite being an ‘ageing’ property (built in 1995, just like many of our 5-star hotels in KL), Ascott is an award-winning brand for the best serviced residences and remain one of the popular accommodation choice around the world. And once you entered the lobby, you are greeted with a luxury feeling and welcoming staffs. It doesn’t take long for us to get checked in too!
By the way, I’ve got a good rate for being an Ascott Star Rewards member. You can sign up here and earn 2,000 bonus points!
Serviced Apartments
There are several types, from 1-bedroom to 3-bedroom apartments, but since there are four of us, we got ourselves a 2-bedroom premier apartment.
2-Bedroom Premier
At around 1,517sqf (141sqm), it has a spacious living hall, a dining area, a complete pantry/kitchen, 2 spacious bedrooms (a king-size plus two single beds) with its own adjacent bathrooms - complete with bathtub, separate shower room and toilet. And there are additional water closets in the living room and at the back.
Here’s a 2-minute tour video of our apartment:
*correction: In the video I mentioned 1,500sqm but it's actually 1,500sqf. Whoopsie!
In the rooms, the beds were comfy, there are enough plug points (including 3-pin plug points for Plug type-G, the one we use in Malaysia, Singapore and UK), a safety box, iron and ironing board. The bathroom has complete amenities, with complete towels, bathrobes and slippers. There is no rain shower but the separate shower room is still good, and the bathtub is large. Oh and good enough, all toilet comes with non-electric bidet seat. (Don’t you just hate it if the toilet doesn’t come with any bidet? Like the hotels I stayed in Singapore recently, none - ergh!)
Meanwhile, the kitchen has a full fridge, a complete electric stoves and utensils (pot and pan included), a microwave and a hot/cold water dispenser. There is also a washing machine cum dryer too (with complimentary detergent) so you don’t need to carry all your laundry back home with you and this is perfect for a long stay.
Breakfast
One of the thing I always look forward to when staying at a hotel is their breakfast. It’s like a deciding factor to whether it will be a fully satisfied getaway or not. And yes, we were happy with their breakfast.
Despite reading all the negative reviews online regarding the breakfast prior to my check in, I am very much surprise to where the negativity came from.
They complained the food lacked variety: I’d say they do have enough variety. I’ve stayed in various luxury hotels around South East Asia, and breakfast at Ascott Jakarta was not bad at all.
For all the 3 mornings, the food rotation was good. They had standard continental breakfast with an egg station, local food, fresh juices, cut fruits, cereals and good coffee (in my case, it's always a cappuccino). I had different things to eat every single morning.
And many complained about it is hard getting a table: I suggest you to come down early cause we never find any trouble getting tables for four throughout our stay here (we came down around 7:30am, latest was 8:30am - still plenty of space).
Amenities
On the ground floor, you can find yourself a swimming pool and a dip pool, a complete fitness centre (with wide variety of weights, weight-bar and -machines as well as several cardio machines, aerobic room, separate changing room and sauna), a spa, a tennis court, children playroom, a breakfast room and a convenient store.
Gym
I came down twice to the gym to keep up with my fitness. And it doesn’t disappoint. The fitness centre has a good collection of weights and machines. Even an aerobic room too. The locker room was a tad old looking but there is a sauna. But I didn’t try the sauna and I had my clothes change at the convenient and privacy of the apartment we're staying in.
Meanwhile, if you are a member of Fitness First or Celebrity Fitness like my friends who were there with me, you can always get your FF/CF passport ready and head down to your respective gym at Grand Indo or Plaza Indonesia.
Swimming Pool
It wasn’t big but it comes in two, a standard pool and a deep pool (165cm). I didn’t get a chance to swim since it was drizzling but I did manage to get a quick dip and a photo to prove haha!
Spa
They have 2 spa rooms and you’ll need to make a reservation with the front desk. Unfortunately I didn't had the chance to try the massage, but the rate is quite good and affordable. Perhaps I'll try it next time.
Around the Area
Food
There are plenty of options you can find around the area. If you like Nasi Padang, I suggest you walk over to Restoran Sederhana (it seems like a favourite restaurant amongst Malaysians); or take a Grab car / taxi for a short ride to Salero Jumbo - where there were less people but serves good Gulai Tunjang and Fish Head Curry). If you want some local food, Sate Khas Senayan in Grand Indo / Plaza Indo (or any malls for that matter - cause they are everywhere) has some good food and variety.
For coffee, do check out the local upmarket cafe Djournal (The Kopi Susu Batavia is a top choice). However, the branch at Grand Indo is currently closed for renovation); or for must-try cakes go to Union Deli (Grand Indo) - they serve their famous Red Velvet Cheesecake and it’s the best I’ve ever eaten! I also had their specialty cake of the month, Kue Pulut - it was marvellous! Mind you, you may need to make a reservation cause it is always packed, especially on weekends.
If you fancy to dine at a restaurant, I suggest you try the famous GIOI in Senayan or the newly opened branch in Menteng. They serves farm to table Asian cuisine and yes, it is good! The food serving is large, so it's good for sharing.
Shopping
Like I said earlier, Ascott Jakarta is just a walking distance to 3 shopping malls: Grand Indonesia (a major mall with wide variety of fashion labels, Hard Rock Cafe and plenty of eateries), Plaza Indonesia (a luxury shopping mall placing boutiques from Dior to Bottega) and Thamrin City (local plaza for all your batik and cultural clothing).
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Stay From/To: 01 February 2020 – 30 April 2020
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Ascott Jakarta full address:
Jalan Kebon Kacang Raya No. 2
Jakarta 10230 Indonesia
T: (62-21) 391 6868
E: enquiry.jakarta@the-ascott.com
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