Hotel chain Kempinski Hotels Opening 5 August 1962 Number of suites 11 | Location Jakarta, Indonesia Number of rooms 289 | |
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Management Alexander Pichel (General Manager) | ||
Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta, commonly abbreviated as HI, is one of the oldest and best known hotels in Indonesia. Located in Central Jakarta, it was one of the first 5-star hotels in the country and remains a major city landmark; its fame is often linked to the country's political pride. It is located by the famed Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, which gets its name from the hotel.
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Occupying 25,082 m2 (269,980 sq ft) of land, Hotel Indonesia was designed by a Danish architect, Abel Sorenson, and his wife, Wendy. The hotel was inaugurated on August 5, 1962 by Indonesia's first President, Soekarno in preparation for the 1962 Asian Games. The building was declared as national heritage by the local government, Pemda DKI, on 29 March 1993.
In 2004, the hotel underwent a complete renovation, which was completed in 2009, reopening as the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, managed by Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group, Kempinski Hotels.
History
Hotel Indonesia first operated in 1962, inaugurated by the first President Soekarno as the first five star hotel in Southeast Asia to offer international standards. In front of the hotel, located in the heart of the capital, stands the “Welcome Monument”, intended to welcome the guests who were visiting Jakarta for the 4th Asian Games in 1962. Following the games, the hotel was used by President Soekarno to host state guests, and also official events.
During its heyday, Hotel Indonesia was the center of many cultural activities. Musical and theatrical performances were routinely staged at the hotel, serving as a launch pad for several renowned Indonesian artists to stardom, notably, among others, Teguh Karya who was the hotel’s stage manager, Slamet Rahardjo and Rima Melati. In 1969 Hotel Indonesia hosted Miss Indonesia pageant, won by Irma Hadisurya. By the 1970s, the Nirwana Supper Club on the highest terrace of the Ramayana Wing was the venue of choice for Jakarta elites to enjoy a fancy dinner, complete with live entertainment by popular musician, local and international.
Hotel Indonesia was designated as a cultural heritage site by the Decree of the Governor of Jakarta No. 475 dated 29 March 1993. The decree commanded that the building and all of its historical assets should be well preserved and maintained.
In 2004, the government decided to completely renovate the hotel, and HI stopped operating that year. After the renovation was completed, the Hotel Indonesia became the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski on 20 May 2009, managed by Kempinski Hotels SA, the oldest luxury hotel group in Europe.
Facilities
The landmark of Indonesia consists of two wings, the Ramayana Wing and Ganesha Wing. Ramayana Wing featured two types of guest rooms: Deluxe room (44 square metres) and Grand Deluxe room with range size of 58-62 square metres with total of 129 rooms. Ganesha Wing, a wing designed for premium business travelers operates a total of 160 rooms consists of 1 super secured and bullet proof Presidential Suite, 4 Diplomatic Suites, 6 Salon Suites, 90 Executive Grand Deluxe, and 59 Deluxe room complemented by a Lounge at the 7th floor.
The hotel originally boasting a large Olympic-size swimming pool in its backyard. But after its renovation in 2004, it is replaced by smaller swimming pool. While a large shopping mall stood on the site of the original pool.
Located at the Bundaran HI (Hotel Indonesia Roundabout) Hotel Indonesia Kempinski facilities consist of five-star facilities, dining and services. Starting from the 3,000-square metre Kempinski Grand Ballroom, opened in March 2008, has held various corporate activities, exhibition wedding and events. The historical oval shaped 1,000-square metre Bali Room, has been operated since September 2008.