My first experience staying at this hotel started with them putting me in a smoking room without asking my preference first. I told them to record that my preference is non smoking room with a king size bed. Then they moved me to a room on the 18th floor next to the elevator shaft. Mind you this is a high rise property of around 30 floors with hundreds of rooms, so you can imagine the frequency, the speed and the noise those elevators make on their ways up or down. I was awakened in the night thinking that I had heard an airplane. After that sleepless night I complained and they moved me to another room on the same floor. This time it was good but this came after moving through three rooms in two days.

A few weeks after that first stay, I checked in again at this hotel only to be disappointed again. In this age of information system it seemed as if they had not put me in their database at all. I was put in a room with two twin beds on a lower floor. Be aware that rooms on the lower floors have not been refurbished and they are old! After complaining I was moved into a room on the higher floor and it was a newly refurbished room.

If you check in at this hotel, ask for a room on the higher floors and avoid at all cost any rooms next to the elevator shaft.

This is my second stay in this hotel. I spent one night here on business. The check in was very smooth. I arrived at 8.30 am after an early flight from the US. The guy at the reception checked me in so early without any questions. The lobby is very nice with a view of the garden. There are sevaral restaurant choices. I love the breakfast buffet at Shangri La hotels, and this is no different. The room was quite basic though. Nothing to complain about, but nothing exceptional. The valet service was exceptional though. I had my suit dry cleaned really fast. The spa and the gym is really good. I will stay here again for my next business trip to Jakarta.

1. Room size and bed are so-so. Pillows below par. 2. Shower cubicle is too small. 3. Service was above average 4. Good range of restaurants. Tried Rosso, BATS, Satoo and Nadaman. Nadaman is expensive though. 5. Overall not particularly outstanding value.

(The Background: I was checked in for 2 weeks in Intercontinental - but I wasnt happy with their security so managed to get moved. A very pleasnt surpise to find I was then in booked into the ShangriLa - RESULT!)

Like all ShangriLas - Excellent Rooms, Excellent Food, Excellent Venue and Excellent Staff. Walking around the gardens and pool area help you forget you are in the hustle and bustle of a congested city.

Breakfast buffet is spectacular. Eveining buffet is spectacular too - with amazing range of choice of highly presented dishes..
Rooms are large and spacious and modern.

The only downside to the trip as the twice daily entertainment of the thrill seeking (eg: risk taking) trips being driven around the crazy crazy traffic.

If you are in Jakarta, the ShangriLa Hotel helps you retain some sense of sanity and serenity...