The Best Hotels in Jakarta for Every Traveller

Scraping the skies of Kuningan – Jakarta’s business, shopping and nightlife district – Raffles pulls out all the stops: think luxurious suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, a decadent pâtisserie and an outdoor pool with bar. The spa is one of the highlights of an indulgent stay here, thanks to hydrotherapy facilities galore (steam rooms, vitality pools, ice fountains) as well as techy facials to magic away real-life stresses. Make for the Writers Bar and order a Singapore Sling, invented in the original Raffles in Singapore.

The lobby ceiling of the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta – a geometric jumble of white swirling above a central mirrored column – impresses as soon as you walk through the door. From there on in, this glam stay in the central business area continues to deliver the wow factor. City views spread from suites, dressed in dark woods and sophisticated accents of colour, and a top-notch fitness centre has a Kinesis Studio and the latest tech. As for dining? There are half a dozen options, from a Cantonese restaurant, Li Feng, to Saturday brunch at the Gallic-inspired Lyon.

There’s plenty to entice shoppers within a five-minute drive of the Grove Suites: Epicentrum Mall and Kota Kasablanka Mall included. But these hotel rooms, equipped with kitchenettes, also suit business travellers thanks to in-room writing desks and a clutch of meeting rooms. On-tap wellness facilities provide a way to unwind after a hard day, with a dip in the swimming pool or a workout in the compact gym.

Polished floors and soaring ceilings, decked out with a wave-like chandelier, add a glam atmosphere to the Luminor from the moment you arrive. Perfect for couples or business travellers, bedrooms star feature walls of geometric-print wallpaper, white sheets and floor-to-ceiling windows in a distinctly modern lilt. A 24-hour restaurant means you’ll never go hungry, and a free co-working space lets you catch up on emails over a coffee or kick back with a book.

Friendly service, views over the city, a cute breakfast space and vending machines in the lobby in case you need a pick-me-up treat – Juno Hotel Jakarta has all the essentials to make a boutiquey stay in Jakarta great. Minimalist rooms with blonde-wood floors, grey bathrooms and bedframes are crowd-pleasing for couples who want to be within striking distance of Jakarta’s main sights – as well as a quick walk away from restaurants, shopping and a cinema.

Design fiends will love Kosenda Hostel – from the open-plan bar and restaurant space, flecked with mid-century modern furniture, to the banana-yellow bedspreads in rooms, everything looks like it’s been perfectly styled for a glossy interiors’ magazine. The al fresco rooftop bar, ringed in greenery, overlooks the city and dishes up crispy fried eggplant, diablo chicken wings and frosty beers. The National Museum of Indonesia and landmark National Monument are both walking distance to the north.

A pool table for evening games, a quaint coffee corner, a free kitchen for making your own thrifty meals – Six Degrees has everything you’d look for in a hostel. But it doesn’t stop there: with an on-site gym, plus a rooftop garden with a barbecue, it goes above and beyond your typical cost-conscious crashpad. Ascend with a chilled beer and watch the sun set over the city, then bed down in shared dorms, sleeping between four and 10 in a bunk-style beds.