The Griyadi Blue Pacific forgoes extras like hot tubs and swimming pools to focus on the essentials: comfortable rooms and facilities at a reasonable price. (Photo courtesy of Sahid Hotels)
A lot of business travelers do not really need luxurious rooms, a spa or even a swimming pool,” said Nugroho Sukamdani, chairman of the Sahid Jaya Foundation. “All they need is a nice comfortable room, Internet connection and strategic location from which they can easily access the office, restaurants and shopping area.
“Griyadi Blue Pacific, with its prime location in the Blok M area, is an answer to all these needs,” he said.
Opened this month, the establishment owned by Nugroho and managed by the Sahid Hotels group operates on the concept of a “smart” hotel that provides the essential bed and breakfast for a reasonable price: Rp 350,000 to Rp 1 million ($33 to $110).
“We conducted three years of research before we developed this hotel,” Nugroho said. “Smart hotels like these, with value-for-money services and facilities, are now needed by business travelers in Indonesia.”
It is the third smart hotel operated by the Sahid group, with others in Solo and Malang. Unfortunately, the new lodgings, on busy Jalan Sultan Hasanuddin and a stone’s throw away from the Blok M bus terminal, is not easy to find. Coming from the Sudirman area, our driver twice missed the five-story building, which is sandwiched between office buildings. The third time around, however, we spotted its shimmering golden facade, which was quite a contrast from the dull grayish blocks in the neighborhood.
Instead of the usual glass exterior, the front of the hotel is embellished with intricately woven golden steel plates in the pattern of parang rusak (broken knives), a regal symbol of batik.
“Sahid is an Indonesian hotel chain,” said Warso Irianto, corporate architect of the Sahid group. “Thus we used batik, which symbolizes Indonesian culture, for the hotel’s facade.”
For Warso, redesigning the 600-square-meter lot between tall office buildings was a challenge. It was not easy for his team to convert the five-story building, which once housed offices and apartments, into a decent hotel. With Griyadi, however, they appear to have done a good job.
Everything about the hotel exudes practicality and functionality. The main driveway leads to underground parking. The main entrance, at the left of the driveway, leads straight to the reception area.
“It’s designed with a contemporary minimalist concept,” Warso said, speaking of how the hotel maximizes the use of a limited spatial area with a creative interior design that allows maximum comfort for its guests.
The reception area is spacious and elegant. The floor is covered with granite tiles in soft creamy hues. Indirect lighting from drop ceilings generates a warm and welcoming ambience about the lobby. Floor-to-ceiling windows also allow soft natural light to seep into the area. The reception desk slants slightly and is designed to look as if it is hanging a few centimeters above the floor. “The design makes it look lighter and more dynamic,” Warso said.
Uniformed receptionists bade us welcome to the hotel. Fresh magenta-hued orchids in a china vase that adorned the reception area swayed slightly as we made our way inside.
Adjacent to the lobby is the Solo Lounge, which also functions as a 24-hour coffee shop, serves light meals and snacks, such as nasi goreng, mie goreng and sandwiches. Although a bit spartan, the lounge is warm and friendly, with polished wooden tables and soft-padded chairs. A narrow strip of garden in front of the lounge with palms and ferns in earthen pots is also a refreshing addition.
Across the lounge is a small bar, highlighted in electric blue, at which guests may enjoy a nightcap before retiring for the night.
“What makes us so different from the other smart hotels is the meeting room,” Warso said. The meeting room, across from the reception desk, can accommodate as many as 40 people in boardroom or classroom settings. Most smart hotels, Warso said, would not even think to offer a such a conference area.
There are 55 guest rooms, divided into three types: deluxe, deluxe superior and deluxe corner.
Deluxe rooms, which are a petite 18 square meters, appear larger thanks to a floor-to-ceiling mirror at one corner and an oversized sliding window. Each room is nicely appointed with a plush double or twin bed, a work desk, a 26-inch television and a comfortable armchair.
The bathroom is simple yet convenient, consisting of a shower, a toilet and a wash basin. Clean white towels tied in red ribbons and bathroom amenities such as soap and shampoo are also provided.
“Efficiency doesn’t mean we have to forgo comfort, right?” Warso said.
All rooms are also equipped with international-direct-dial phones and broadband Internet for business travelers.
The largest room, the 28-square-meter deluxe corner on the fifth floor, boasts an unobstructed view of the Blok M area.
“We imagine our guests will love to walk around, go shopping, dine out or go to the cinema after work,” Warso said. “It’s all within walking distance from our hotel.”
like this hotel.......
ReplyDeletevery unforgettable experience