Experience Colonial Ethnic Opulence at The Hermitage

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, Jun 15, 2014

Nestled in the quiet elegance of Menteng, Central Jakarta, The Hermitage
invites guests to visit the past. (Photo courtesy of Arselan Ganin)

Since colonial times, Menteng has always represented the exclusive, “old money” face of Jakarta, with it’s traditional yet upscale homes.

The leafy neighborhood, which is dotted with age-old trees and colonial government buildings, has always been the abode of the capital’s rich and famous.

Among the area’s historical structures was Telefoongebouw, a Dutch colonial telecommunication company, which occupied the two-storey mansion on Jl. Cilacap. The building, which was originally erected in 1923, changed hands after Indonesia’s independence to house the country’s ministry of education and culture, before it became a campus of the Universitas Bung Karno.

The 91-year-old building has recently undergone another major transformation to become The Hermitage, Jakarta’s newest luxury hotel.

 “We realize the provincial government is now working hard to revitalize old buildings in Jakarta,” said Heri Wijaya, commissioner of the hotel’s operator, Menteng Heritage Realty.

 “That’s why, in the same spirit, we support the government’s program by restoring this old building to its prime condition … to attract tourists from all over the world,” said the commissioner.

The five-star hotel was officially opened by Jakarta’s acting governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, earlier this month.

“We’re so happy, because there are many heritage buildings in Jakarta that are left to ruin, before [the owners] tear it down and build something completely new,” Basuki said. “In fact, if we can [renovate and restore] one old building every year, Jakarta would be a wonderful city to visit and live in.”

Renovations

Jakarta-based firm KIAT Architects was assigned to restore the old building to its former glory, a process that took roughly two and a half years.

“The building was entirely restored [to its original condition],” said Eleonore Astier-Petin, general manager of The Hermitage. “We actually kept a lot of the original marble floors, all of the window fittings, doors and architectural details.”

The designers also built a new nine-storey building next to the former Dutch telephone company office and managed to seamlessly connect the two to form a unique architectural blend of old and new.

“They’ve made the new building as similar as possible to the old building,” said Putri Pratiwi, the hotel’s marketing and communications officer. “We can’t even tell where the old building ends and where the new one starts.”

Although the hotel is not very large, its interior was carefully designed to convey a homey ambiance, courtesy of high-profile architect and designer Thomas Eliott.

Yellowing old pictures of Jakarta line its cream-colored walls; Chinese vases and jars of various colors and sizes highlight almost every corner of the room. In the lobby, a large 200-year-old china vase from the Sultanate of Cirebon, West Java, stands proudly as a centerpiece.

Rooms

The hotel offers 90 rooms in six different categories, each boasting quaint “colonial ethnic” decor that will make visitors feel like they have stepped back in time.

Hand-dyed batik by Indonesian textile designer, Josephine Komara, adorn the accommodations, which are also equipped with modern amenities and facilities, such as 40-inch LED HD TV, satellite channels, electronic safe and Illy coffee machines.

The superior, deluxe and executive rooms offer luxurious bath amenities by Italian fashion house Etro, while the suites provide amenities by French luxury brand Hermes.

The two presidential suites have a distinctive elegant decor: the floors and walls of the Diplomat Room are paneled with dark wood and exude an aura of power, while the Batavia Room offers a lighter ambience with its whitewashed walls and minimalist decor.

Facilities

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the hotel’s ethno-brasserie restaurant L’Avenue, which offers French cuisine infused with Indonesian ingredients and spices. Large windows throw soft natural light onto the restaurant’s taupe walls feature pictures of Jakarta in the 1920s.

The restaurant’s private dining room boasts a life-sized painting of Nyai Dasima, a character of the famous Indonesian silent movie from 1929, standing and facing the diners as if she is entertaining the guests herself.

Adjacent from L’Avenue is the Hermitage Lounge, which offers premium wines, spirits and cocktails. The room exudes a strong masculine aura, with floors that boast the original tegel kunci (key-patterned tiles) from colonial times. Its walls are adorned with paintings of Nyai Dasima in various alluring poses that urge guests to linger on the lounge’s plush sofas and armchairs.

The cigar lounge at the far end of the Hermitage Lounge is designed to resemble a library, with antique bookshelves featuring old encyclopedias, history books and short-stories compilations by French writer Guy de Maupassant.

Pictures of famous newsmakers from all over the world smoking cigars, including former president Soeharto and legendary American president John F. Kennedy, complete the historical ambiance.

The hotel’s swimming pool and gym are located on the ninth floor rooftop, where guests can also climb up a wooden flight of stairs towards the observation deck. Chairs and sofas invite visitors to sit back and enjoy a romantic, 360-degree view of the Menteng area.