In this guide, I will answer all the questions I received from readers regarding the best hotels to choose for a stay in Jakarta.
What is the best area to stay in Jakarta?
Pick any hotel located along or near Jalan Sudirman, between Plaza Senayan and Sarinah Mall.
Read my full answer: What is the best area to stay in Jakarta?
Is there a backpacker area in Jakarta?
As you will read in any guide books about Jakarta, the backpacker district is located in Jalan Jaksa. It is nothing compared to other popular traveler hubs in Southeast Asia like Khao San Road in Bangkok or Bui Vien in Saigon. You will only find a handful of guesthouses, usually not well-maintained and not very clean. Nearby, Jalan Wahid Hasyim has more choices but the prices are higher (at least 30$ per night for a room).
To find a decent room in Jalan Jaksa, you need to go inside the gangs (small streets) and look for guest house signs. The prices are currently set at around Rp70,000 per night for a room with a fan. AC will cost you at least double.
In the past few years, there has been an increasing number of backpacker hotels that have opened elsewhere in the city, sometimes with higher standards. Wonderloft in Kota Tua, Konko in Thamrin, or Six Degrees in Cikini are good options.
Which hotels in Jakarta offer the best location and best value for money?
These are the hotels I usually stay at or recommend to my friends:
Under 30 dollars per night: Odua Thamrin, Upscale Suites
Under 70 dollars per night: Four Points by Sheraton Thamrin
Which 5-star hotel should I choose to be close to the nightlife?
Near Plaza Indonesia (shopping and hangout area): Mandarin Oriental, Grand Hyatt or Mandarin Oriental
Read a longer answer: Which 5-star hotel should I choose to be close to the nightlife?
Which hotels in Jakarta have their own bars?
Shangri-La Hotel has B.A.T.S. (live music)
Mulia Hotel has CJ's (live music)
Le Méridien has XXX by Goldstein (lounge)
Artotel Suites Mangkuluhur has Boca Rica
Oakwood Premier Cozmo has Loewy
The Westin has Henshin (rooftop)
The Orient has Caspar and Café Cali
More info here: Best Bars in Jakarta
Can I invite a guest to sleep over in my hotel room in Jakarta?
Almost all hotels in Jakarta are girl-friendly/guest-friendly.
The only places where you may have problems are family-run guest-houses or syariah hotels located in residential or conservative areas.
If you stay in any hotel with at least 3 stars and a 24-hour reception, you will be most certainly allowed to bring guests overnight.
Which hotel do you recommend near the airport?
Which hotels in Jakarta have massage parlors?
Almost all 3-star to 5-star hotels in Jakarta have spas or at least massage services. Beware that some of them may offer extra, x-rated services, for instance those belonging to the Orchardz group (Orchardz Industri, Orchardz Jayakarta, Orchardz Hotel Airport).
Hotels in red-light districts may also be hidden brothels, for instance Hotel Malioboro, Classic Hotel (that you can actually book on Agoda), or B'Fashion.
Long Answers:
What is the best area to stay in Jakarta?
There isn't one best location in Jakarta, it all depends on what you are planning to do in the city.
You can also read my article Where to stay in Jakarta for a more detailed answer.
Traffic jams should be your main consideration. During peak hours, it may take over an hour to drive just a few kilometers. For this reason, you should choose a location as near as possible to the attractions/places you intend to visit.
If you are in Jakarta for professional reasons, choose a hotel close to your office. Don't be afraid if you are not exactly in the city center. There are now good malls everywhere in Jakarta so wherever you'll stay, you will be close to a fair number of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, gyms, cinemas and hang out spots. And you can always visit trendy areas like SCBD/Senopati in the evening, once the traffic has improved.
If you are having meetings all over the city, then choose a location near the major roads such as Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Thamrin, Jalan Gajah Mada or the Jakarta Inner Ring Road.
If you are in Jakarta for fun or for partying, it would be best to stay anywhere near Jalan Sudirman, Plaza Indonesia, Mega Kuningan, Jalan Rasuna Said, Plaza Senayan.
If you are in Jakarta as a tourist, then I would recommend staying near Thamrin or Wahid Hasyim. Alternatively, you could also stay near Mangga Besar or Kota, but if you are not familiar with Jakarta you may feel uncomfortable as those areas have a more local vibe.
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Which 5-star hotel should I choose? Which one is the closest to the nightlife?
5-star hotels in Jakarta are almost all located within the Golden Triangle (Sudirman - Rasuna Said - Gatot Subroto). For this reason, all are rather close to any happening places.
For clubbing, SCBD is better, while Mega Kuningan has more expat bars. The area near Bunderan HI is also great if you want to visit some rooftops or hangout in malls.
Personally, within these areas, I prefer choosing a hotel attached to a large and popular mall. It will make your stay much easier as you won't need to go outside and face traffic jams whenever you want to eat something. Among the best ones in the city, I recommend:
- Kempinski, attached to Grand Indonesia
- Grand Hyatt, attached to Plaza Indonesia
- Ritz Carlton SCBD, attached to Pacific Place (there is also a Ritz-Carlton in Mega Kuningan)
- Fairmont, attached to Plaza Senayan (2 minutes walk)
- Pullman Grogol, attached to Central Park
- Sheraton in Gandaria City
- Raffles Hotel in Lotte Shopping Avenue - Ciputra World
The Shangri La and the Mulia are also popular with guys because of their infamous live music bars, BATS and CJs.
- Kempinski, attached to Grand Indonesia
- Grand Hyatt, attached to Plaza Indonesia
- Ritz Carlton SCBD, attached to Pacific Place (there is also a Ritz-Carlton in Mega Kuningan)
- Fairmont, attached to Plaza Senayan (2 minutes walk)
- Pullman Grogol, attached to Central Park
- Sheraton in Gandaria City
- Raffles Hotel in Lotte Shopping Avenue - Ciputra World
The Shangri La and the Mulia are also popular with guys because of their infamous live music bars, BATS and CJs.
Conclusion
I hope this Jakarta hotel guide will cover all your questions about where to stay in Jakarta. Again, if you have any questions, just type them below and I'll answer them.