[Hotel Review] The Westin Jakarta

12:12:00 PM

It has been several months since I wrote my last blog entry. Things happened in the meantime and I think it is overdue for me to be back on track and write! I have learned some insights and gained knowledge that 'hopefully' could help me create better contents. Fingers-crossed that I could post more frequently and well, enjoy and give your thoughts!

Recently, after I moved to Jakarta and landed myself on an internship I am pretty interested in, I had a chance to indulge in a very short staycation with my mother and brother in one of the newest hotel in Jakarta. Opened for reservation in August last year, The Westin Jakarta has been regarded as the highest hotel in Jakarta for occupying 50th to 69th floor of the tallest building (at the moment) in Jakarta, perhaps Indonesia — Gama Tower to be exact. The Westin Jakarta is located on one of the busiest intersection in Jakarta's CBD, moreover, the hotel has been very crowded lately for hosting countless top tier events.

The Westin Jakarta housed in the tallest building (at the moment) in Indonesia at 280 meters.

Entering the building, a strict security screening greets every guests to make sure nothing dangerous passes into this haven. As how this is the highest hotel in the vicinity, the lobby is located on the 52nd floor, hence it is called Sky Lobby. Checking in was swift and since I booked through The Westin Jakarta website directly as an SPG member, I could request for an early check-in and late check-out in accordance to the hotel's availability. Lucky enough, I could check-in at 12 pm and have more time to enjoy the room.

Premium Room - The Westin Jakarta
I reserved a Premium Room, a tier higher than the basic rooms, which is also specified as a corner room that I found somewhat misleading. In my thought, a corner room would be a room with two sides of windows, yet, to my finding, it was just a room at the end of the building's middle side. Nevertheless, I am quite satisfied by the size of the room. Measured at around 58 square meters, this beautifully appointed room has quite a distinctive layout compared to other oversized hotel rooms I have ever stayed. Living and sleeping area is set near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Jakarta, while the working desk, open wardrobe, and the bathroom is located near the entrance.

The expansive Premium Room of The Westin Jakarta

Pretty similar to The Westin Langkawi I stayed earlier this year, in terms of design standards, the hotel room boasts its natural, in this case, floral painting similar to the carpet pattern. With two double Heavenly® Beds, I truly couldn't wait to tuck myself in and enjoy the night! Across the bed, there is a living area equipped with somewhat 50-ish-inch Smart TV that fits the room pretty well — still a good size to be watched from the beds.

On the coffee table, three granny-smiths was presented on a wooden leaf plate as a welcome gesture from the hotel. There was also a lifestyle magazine sitting around, which I though would be better if it was a portfolio book of Westin hotels around the world. The working desk at the corner of the room screams sophistication with is touch sensitive desk lamp, edgy table design, and the deluxe looking office chair. What was missing for this ample workstation is a complete office stationery I found pretty useful most of the time.

The hotel room also provides Mitaca Nespresso Machine, which to my surprise is an Italian brand. There are a couple of disposable coffee cups, a nice touch, and a handful of TWG teabags and illy capsules. Strangely enough, for SPG Category 5 property, this hotel only provides Aqua as the complimentary drinking water. I was expecting fancier brand to be honest.

Nespresso Machines with a couple of coffee cups.

Bathroom
Lets talk about the most essential part of a hotel room, yes, to me, it's the bathroom. There were some disappointment regarding the bathroom design. Frankly speaking, the toilet is so outdated compared to the older luxury hotel in Jakarta that has been using electronic toilet for years! On the other hand, the way the glass doors of the toilet and the shower room are swinging to the wrong direction — resulting in uneasy situations and scuffed walls beside the toilet glass doors.

Full Marble Bathroom with separate toilet, shower, and bath area.

Yes, it is a very lavish bathroom with all the marble finish, and those flaws were tolerable by how I enjoyed the rainshower very much, thanks to the superb water pressure as well as the presence of two different shower knobs that control the water outlet and temperature respectively. The sheer size of the bathroom is also a plus point that pampered me to the point of indulgence. Bath amenities provided were the basic Heavenly Spa brand, a standard in Westin hotels, which was not memorable at all.

Heavenly Spa bath amenities.

In The Westin Jakarta, conventional wardrobe with its door is absent. Instead, they introduce a walk-in closet or more likely an open wardrobe to bring more spaciousness to the room. Without having any wardrobe compartments, this open wardrobe really suits the needs of travellers to easily organize travellers' luggage.

Newly introduced open wardrobe.

Finished exploring the Premium Room, I looked through the window and found out that the weather was delightfully cloudy! The sun's spectrum of orange came through the thick clouds and created gradient of yellow and blue-ish color. As the the room was located on the 59th floor, the cityscape appeared minuscule. Sure, gazing through the windows on this height was one of my most favorite moments staying here.

Jakarta overlooking Tanjung Priok.

In the evening, I wandered around the lobby area and impressed by how detailed was the interior design. The nature and local floral species took form in the magnificent chandeliers as well as the carpet finish. As the building's core is located in the center of the building, the property is able to provide a 360 degree view of the surroundings. To compliment this fascinating feature, The Westin Jakarta provides an ample lounge area for the guests.

Hotel lift lobby.

Lounge area of The Westin Jakarta.

I really enjoyed staring at the city panorama at night — by how the glass facades of the towering building reflects the gleaming lights of the busy traffics, road lights, and the opposite building illuminations. While the lobby is located on the 52nd floor, again, it brings a distinct experience to be able to observe the city from a unique perspective.

Busy street of Rasuna Said, Central Business District of Jakarta.

Morning in The Westin Jakarta was a blessing. How not, Seasonal Tastes restaurant delivered scrumptious breakfast in a very contemporary yet natural ambiance. Patches of green wall, monumental white marble columns, and hints of wooden furniture transported me from a lavish and opulent setting of the hotel to a somewhat tropical sanctuary.

Seasonal Tastes is always well-known for the multitude choices of cuisine. Starting with the Asian fares, the restaurant provided Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, Japanese, and Korean foods with a very authentic taste — well, maybe because it suited my taste bud. But, the point is, they were all delicious and consistent during my two-night-stay. There were also numbers of cook-to-order menus for those who want their foods cooked as how they liked.

Vast selections of Indonesian delicacies as one of the numerous spreads at Seasonal Tastes.

Cold tofu salads and kimbap at Seasonal Tastes.

A couple of highlights of all the dishes served are the modest looking tofu salads and the bitterballen, a Dutch mini meat fritters. The tofu salad was so refreshing with the umami flavor that exploded inside my mouth, while the mouthwatering goodness of the bitterballen was so crispy yet so delicate in the inside. Seasonal Tastes also provides numbers of SuperfoodRx™ such as curated nutritious veggies and freshly juiced fruits to keep the guests healthy. On the second and last breakfast in my stay, I ended my culinary experience with a cup of exquisitely yummy Raspberry Muesli. Surely, the breakfasts was the highlight of my stay in The Westin Jakarta.

Stuffed with all the nourishment, I explored the lounge area again and startled by the incomparable quality of the spaces between night and day, especially in a sunny day. The finishing of one part of the lounge — the glass ceiling (see in the image below) — was what intrigued me the most. At first I thought it was some printed random texture, but when I moved towards that spot, I realized it was the reflection of the surrounding house roofs 50 floors below the lounge, what a thoughtful design!

Looking at Jakarta cityscape, I realized how different the city is compared to other metropolis around the world. As you could see, the sporadic appearance of landed house and the randomly designed skyscrapers somehow distorted the definition of the typical megacities with all the crowded towers. That is why, some of the urban expert named Jakarta as an enormous village. You could check out my travelogue in Jakarta from my last visit here.

Jakarta cityscape.

Sky lift lobby at The Westin Jakarta.

The Westin Jakarta, as the highest hotel at the moment, clearly brings a very different experience of hospitality in the city. I could enjoy this haven, even for the quality of being in this particular height. Even though there are some questionable flaws in the room design, their Sleep Well slogan for an unprecedented sleep experience actually did make sense, not to mention the wonderful breakfast experience. How the hotel staffs catered all our needs in this stay was also a very nice touch to elevate this wonderful staycation. The Westin Jakarta is truly a haven for those business travellers, as this is a business hotel, but is also exceptionally enjoyable for those seeking a short escape from the city bustle.