How cool! A new hotel for me!

I’ve been in and out of Bali before, but this was my first trip to Jakarta. First impressions of the airport were positive. Nicely designed, tropical looking, and clean.

I had the JWMarriott folks (at Corp Security’s insistence) meet me and walk me through immigration and customs. They met me at the gate with my name on a sign, and walked me through the Crew lane at immigration- saved a good 45mins of queueing, easily. The gentleman from the JW waited at baggage for me, and, as we were exiting Customs, warned me to stay close to him. Excellent advice! The crowd of people at the Customs exit was worse than Mumbai, Colombo and Mexico City all put together… an absolute scrum.

He walked us through the crowd with me almost holding his jacket tail… people were literally grabbing for my bags- “taxi, taxi!”. I’m stunned that an ostensibly-now-security-conscious city allows this to continue. The JW guy, though, was unflappable, and we made it curbside, where “Taxi, taxi, mister, cheap taxi” continued until I was comfortably seated in the JW’s car service and we drove away. This service was USD40 or so, and highly, highly valuable from a speed-through-immigration and a safety-through-mob perspective.

We headed onto the airport access freeway at a good 100km/hr speed. For five km. Then, we stopped. And started. And stopped… and, you get the picture. Traffic was stunningly bad… It was a full hour from the airport to the JW, all on heavily clogged streets. First trip to Jakarta, so this was news to me.

We finally pulled up to the JW, and the heavy security was quite visible. First, your car pulls into a shed, and stops in front of very heavy metal gates. The shed has lights above, on the side, AND underneath. Hood and boot/trunk were both opened, all four doors were opened, and a mirror on wheels was rolled around under the car. I haven’t seen security like this since the Hilton in Colombo. Then, the metal gate is lifted, and you pull forward to another metal gate. Once the gate behind you closes, you proceed. Now you’re at the drive-through… but not the front door!

Here, you and your bags get out, and bellmen are in quick attendance. Next, your handbags get a visual search, and there’s a guy handy with a puffer machine. I walked through a metal detector, and had a further wanding. NOW you can progress to the Lobby… a good 75m walk from this point. Bellmen, of course, already had my bags, so all I had to do was wander to the front desk. Net of all this, very, very tight security… and no vehicle can even get within 75m of the front door of the hotel. Well done, and made me feel very, very comfortable.

Once inside, check in was speedy and crisp. I think the desk agent spoke better English than me. I was put onto the Concierge Floor. The lounge spans the width of the hotel, and had a really impressive spread of foods and beverages. Breakfast was a particular stand-out… WOW. Really, really good.

My room was very nice, fully up to JW standards. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Ritz and it’s (currently vacant) green space. Standard Marriott Revive bedding without the annoying jumbo square pillows. Separate shower and tub… and the shower was very large, with excellent pressure. Large desk, and the wired internet access was terrific. Laundry was especially reasonable (shhhhh…) and well-done. Toiletries were a no-name, same as the JWM in Hong Kong.

I ate dinner at the buffet in the lobby restaurant, and it was very nice, and a good value for the Rupiah. Not raving about it, but a filling meal, well-prepared.

The gift shop was fine for grabbing a couple of postcards, but I was disappointed that they quoted me a postage charge, and then explained that they had a 100% upcharge… yes, they doubled the postage amount. Assuming someone from the JW is reading this, you really, really must manage your vendors. This is embarrassing. Your concierge told me only the gift shop sold stamps, so you’ve abdicated something simple to a greedy vendor. A small, but quite annoying, blight on a very, very nice property.

Security in the lobby was thorough, though they seemed to try to blend into the shadows. I was at a meeting at the Ritz across the street, and was surprised to find an armed somebody-in-uniform escort me across the street. Whatever.

For reference, my company’s driver took me back to the airport (early afternoon drive) and the traffic was just as bad as arrival. Frankly, Jakarta now takes my Worst Traffic Award, coming in ahead of both Mumbai and Bangkok… and making Atlanta or LA downtown look like Kiddo on her bike in our cul-de-sac!

The JW is apparently in the Embassy district, and a new Oakwood tower loomed nearby. I felt absolutely safe here, and will happily return.

I've stayed at this hotel twice. It's absolutely perfect. I must admit that I was a little worried to work in Jakarta for a couple of months, but this hotel made all my worries subside. Few hotels abroad make you feel at home when you're there for an extended amount of time, but this one does.

My first stay was shortly after the bombing. When I learned that I was booked into this hotel, which was bombed, I wasn't very pleased. My first stay was a few years ago. Most recent was a couple months ago. I must admit that both were amazing. My experience recently was just as secure and comforting as it was a couple years ago. This hotel is consistent.

Anytime I need to be in Jakarta for business, or if I visit leisurely, I will stay at this hotel...

JW Marriott in Jakarta is simply outstanding. From the moment you arrived, check-in, the room, the service, the cuisines until you check out, everything was awesome. Except for one thing, which is the swimming pool and gym. For a 5 stars hotel, the swimming pool and the gym are unacceptable! The swimming pool was small compares to other 5 stars hotels in the city. The gym was also small. I was dissapointed by this. The swimming pool looked uninteresting. Although, this hotel is located perfectly in the heart of Jakarta.
Walking in Jakarta itself ain't really something that tourists can enjoy, except in some locations. One of the locations is where this hotel is located. So, nearby the hotel there are many restaurants to dine in, and I enjoyed walking in Jakarta. The streets were clean and modern. So the location is something that the hotel can actually be proud of.
The staff and service were excellent, they brought our luggage when I checked in and checked out, they were polite and attentive to your needs. There's a restaurant here called Sailendra, and the buffet was awesome! The excecutive lounge was also a nice place, while you can enjoy the view of the city.
Overall, this hotel is nice and among the best in the city, but the pool and gym really need to be improved in scale and quality.

I had a relaxing stay in busy Jakarta. I recommend the executive lounge on 29th floor with views on the city and quality breakfast / dinner service. Front-desk and concierge services were excellent and timely. I was told by colleagues staying with me Chinese and Japanese restaurants are good but I did not try them as I went outside the hotel to the nearby mall with good offerings.
Dinner and breakfast in the lobby restaurant are of acceptable quality and choice but, you cannot expect personal service in a large facility serving hundred of guests. I was also disapointed by the small overcrowded gym, the tiny pool next to noisy ventilators and the undergorund spa - none of these deserve a good rating beyond "better than nothing".