Review: The St Regis Jakarta, a stunning city hotel

This is our review of The St Regis Jakarta hotel.

After a brief one-night stopover at the Fairfield Jakarta Airport, we made the St Regis Jakarta our base for the remaining 2 nights in the city. I arrived shortly after Indonesian Independence Day so the city was kitted out in red and white.

The St Regis brand is generally well represented in major Asian cities. The St Regis Jakarta is one of the newest in the portfolio, having opened in December following a conversion from the Four Seasons. I’ve also stayed at the St Regis Bangkok (review here.)

St Regis is arguably the hotel chain with the most character and history at Marriott – our guide to the St Regis brand is here – but usually you can expect dedicated butler service as well as a number of ‘Rituals’ including afternoon tea and champagne sabering (weekends only here, unfortunately).

The hotel website is here. Marriott generously provided my room for review purposes.

Where is The St Regis Jakarta?

Before I begin, it’s worth reminding ourselves that Jakarta is a city with a metro population of over 30 million. It is a big place, and traffic can be challenging, so it is worth staying close to where you need to go,

The St Regis Jakarta is located in the city’s Golden Triangle. This is the central business district for the city and also where you’ll find the majority of the international hotels and embassies.

Traffic-permitting, the hotel is about 45 minutes from the main international airport. The hotel is not currently easily connected to the metro, although I believe that will change in the future as they are extending the network.

Note that the hotel is not in a particularly walkable neighbourhood.

Inside The St Regis Jakarta

First impressions of The St Regis Jakarta are bombastic, with a stunning golden entrance that truly impresses as you exit your vehicle. The photos really don’t do it justice:

and

This has got to be one of the most beautiful hotel entrances I have ever seen!

The St Regis Butler team are on hand to assist with any luggage whilst you make your way through the security scanner, which seems to be common at international hotels in Indonesia.

You then head through a mini marble-clad atrium with concierge and digital ceiling art before entering the hotel lobby proper:

This is a beautiful space with a grand piano and custom-designed mega-chandelier at the top. This is called the ‘Sound of Light’ and is synchronised to the music of Indonesian composer Andi Rianto, with a special light show at 6pm every day.

A pianist plays on the piano in the afternoons. Here is a view from the top:

Whilst there are check-in desks on the right, the staff come to you at one of the tables. Cold towels and a welcome drink of coconut water, rose and tonic was also provided, which was very tasty.

Rooms at The St Regis Jakarta hotel

Whilst previously a Four Seasons hotel, a full top-to-bottom renovation took place when it became a St Regis.

I was given a Grand Deluxe room on the 17th (top) floor. This is the a category up from the entry-level Deluxe rooms which come with either king or twin double beds.

You certainly aren’t short of space here: plenty of hotels would sell this room as a junior suite.

St Regis hotels tend to feature more traditional luxury styling as you can see from the chandelier with locally inspired batik motifs.

Up on the left is a large marble bathroom with wash basin, bath and separate shower:

It seems like a missed opportunity not to squeeze another basin in here, but it does at least mean there is plenty of room for toiletries!

There were bath salts and a loofah for the bath. Toiletries were a little muddled, with three different brands: REN Skincare hand soap, Sodashi Botanical body wash and Sachajuan hair products. I’m not quite sure what the logic behind that is.

Annoyingly, there were almost no towel rails or hangers in the bathroom – a pet peeve of mine.

The room itself is equally spacious. Overall, Grand Deluxe rooms are 49 sqm with a large king bed at the centre:

I find the St Regis bed to be exceptionally comfortable, and the St Regis Jakarta is no different. There are sockets on both sides.

To the left of the bed is a built-in luggage rack and wardrobe space, including dressing gowns, safe and a steamer. There is no ‘proper’ ironing board but The St Regis Butler Service will press two items of clothing per person, for free.

On the right hand side of the bed is a chaise longue:

Opposite the bed you’ll find a Nespresso machine and fully stocked mini bar underneath the 65″ TV:

I do mean ‘fully stocked’. There are a range of soft and alcoholic drinks, including spirits, as well as snacks (all chargeable).

Whilst, to the left is a small round table perfect for room service or as a desk to work at:

As far as I know, all the rooms come with balconies. These are winter gardens, with separate windows that can be opened and closed. Here is the view:

Overall, the rooms are impressive: more on the traditional luxury side but still modern and well equipped, with features like electric curtains that you only tend to find at the upper end of luxury rooms.

Butler service

The signature St Regis Butler Service is available in all rooms and suites at the St Regis Jakarta. (This is not always the case – at some St Regis hotels only certain room categories get Butler Service).

There are generally three things the butler can help you with:

• Beverage service: you can ask the butler to bring you tea or coffee on your arrival, and to come after your wake up call to open your curtains, deliver your tea or coffee and bring the day’s papers and weather forecast
• Unpacking service: you can ask the butler to unpack (and repack, at the end of your stay) your luggage
• Pressing service: you can ask the butler to press up to two items of clothing per person per day, free of charge. This is done promptly.

Whilst you don’t get a specific butler assigned to you at The St Regis Jakarta, I do find them useful when it comes to ironing clothes and sorting out small things as well as answering any queries I have.

Pool, spa and gym at The St Regis Jakarta

There are, of course, extensive facilities at The St Regis Jakarta. Let’s start with the large outdoor pool on the ground floor, which is in the beautifully landscaped gardens around the hotel:

There were plenty of loungers and cabanas to choose from, with only a couple of other guests ever there at the same time.

There is a swim up bar as well as in-pool jacuzzi loungers. The wall-mounted statues also spray a fine mist.

Also on the ground floor is the extensive spa, which spreads over two floors. In addition to the usual assortment of treatment rooms it also features gender-segregated saunas, steam rooms and hot tub.

The gym is on the third floor and features plenty of cardio machines as well as some weight-training equipment. There are windows, although you’re basically facing a landscaped wall:

Restaurants at The St Regis Jakarta

The St Regis isn’t short of dining options. Anchoring the offering is Bel Etage, which offers a breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet.

This is supplemented by various outlets throughout the hotel including:

• The Drawing Room lobby lounge which serves afternoon tea
• Rose Gourmand Deli
• St Regis Bar
• Pool bar
• and JJA, the a la carte fine dining venue.

Breakfast and dinner at Bel Etage

Breakfast is served at Bel Etage is is impressive, with a full buffet supplemented by a la carte options (included in the price). Bel Etage overlooks the gardens (and features some outdoor seating, should you want that):

There is a huge range of hot and cold Asian and Western choices served from a series of buffet tables. The pastries were top notch:

…. as was the rest of the selection, with a range of cold cuts including smoked salmon and mahi mahi:

Grilled vegetables and sushi, salads and cheeses:

and

When it came to hot food, there was a full range of local dishes as well as a noodle bar, plus a selection of Western options including beef and pork bacon, sausages, potatoes and more.

Fruit juices were artfully displayed like so:

…. whilst staff would routinely circulate around the tables offering additional items to guests.

The a la carte menu featured items such as poached egg crab royale:

Bel Etage also serves an excellent buffet dinner for 688,000IDR per person (just under £35). That is, frankly, exceptional value given you have a full selection of fresh sea food including oysters, prawns and lobster:

There is lots to choose from at the buffet and I won’t go into full detail. You can also choose from one of the signature mains in the a la carte menu which includes eight Indonesian options ranging from duck to sate to steak or barbecue short ribs. There are a number of East Asian options and a handful of Western choices including chicken supreme, an Angus ribeye steak and Tasmanian salmon. In short, you won’t be going hungry.

JJA – fine dining

If the choice at Bel Etage is overwhelming then you can also dine at JJA, which offers a more select, Meditternean cuisine and is the hotel’s signature restaurant.

It sits on top of the St Regis bar with a stunning, jazz-inspired chandelier that connects both floors and lets the live music from the bar filter up:

It is a nice space, although we were the only guests there which was a bit odd.

The focus is mostly on meat and sea food. We had the steak tartar and the scallop carpaccio:

And, to share, the lobster:

The food was good although, to be perfectly honest, I preferred the buffet at Bel Etage. Service was slow at JJA, especially given we were the only people there, and I thought the food in the buffet was just as good.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is one of St Regis’ signature ‘Rituals’ which you’ll find at every St Regis hotel. In this case, the afternoon tea is inspired by local Indonesian flavours with a selection of sweet and savoury canapes:

It was very delicious, although I did leave craving a classic cucumber sandwich!

Conclusion

This is my third stay at a St Regis hotel and I have to say the brand consistency is very good. I know that when I stay at a St Regis I am getting service that goes above and beyond the standards of most internationally branded luxury hotels. The signature butler service, in particular, can be a big help.

The rooms, freshly refurbished, are luxurious and spacious and befit the heritage of the St Regis brand; public spaces are equally impressive, particular the large lobby with the ‘Sound of Light’ kinetic chandelier.

The staff are universally excellent, with the butler team particularly good. The Indonesian service is friendly and professional – everyone is very welcoming.

Room rates start at around £150 per night in January with redemptions as low as 33,000 points. At those prices, you certainly can’t complain!

The hotel website is here if you want to learn more.

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