Stay at the Mandarin if you like a quiet place, with efficient service, in a handy location. (Hotels in Indonesia in general)

Member Name: ray_moth

Product:	Hotels in Indonesia in general
Date:	25/07/02 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Strategic location, friendly and courteous staff, efficient service

Disadvantages: No gardens, poor foreign exchange rates

I have stayed many times at the Mandarin Hotel in Jakarta, always on business trips. It is a fairly compact hotel, situated in a very handy location for traveling to just about anywhere in the city and there are always taxis available on call.

I would say that quality of service was probably the Mandarin Hotel's strongest point. The staff go out of their way to help. I got to know a number of them quite well and was always greeted in a friendly and polite manner.

The bell captain service was always prompt and efficient, including the reconfirmation of flights. Room service was good and there was a good choice of food on the menu, including dishes from several of the hotel's restaurants. The maid service was also very thorough and I never had any complaints.

The rooms were good sized, with a choice of twin beds or king-size beds although why anyone would prefer twin beds beats me! Rooms had the usual amenities for an international 5 star hotel and seem to be well sound-proofed.

There was a choice of shops in the hotel but, apart from the drug-store, they were rather expensive gift shops and, frankly, one would do better to go out to one of Jakarta's many modern shopping malls. The business center seemed well equipped, although I didn't have occasion to use it.

All major credit cards are accepted and foreign currency can be exchanged. As with most hotels, though, it's best not to change money there if possible. The exchange rate offered is considerably worse than at a bank and changing money at most banks in Jakarta is extremely easy. The best exchange rates, in my experience, are at local banks such as Bank Danamon, Bank Bali and BCA. Just make sure the banknotes you want to change are in perfect condition. I don't know why, but Indonesian banks turn their noses up at the slightest sign of use in a foreign banknote, even including a fold or a crease in the paper! Travelers checks are OK, though
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The Mandarin offered a choice of good restaurants and lounges, including the usual bar, a rather pricey Italian restaurant (used to be French), coffee shop, pool-side terrace, a lounge area on the mezzanine level and the "Spice Garden" Szechuan Chinese restaurant, which is considered by many to be the best Chinese restaurant in Jakarta. One word of warning about eating at the Spice Garden: items on the menu in red ink are very spicy indeed and even the ones in black ink are more spicey than I am used to. The food, though, is excellent.

The only thing I didn't like about the Mandarin was the fact that, owing to its location at the roundabout at the junction of Jl. Jendral Sudirman and Jl. H. Tamrin, it doesn't have enough space for any gardens, so you can't just go for a stroll in the grounds. It has a reasonable swimming pool, though, on the roof at the third floor.

Summary: