The Aryaduta Hotel is one of the original international hotels developed in Jakarta in the late 70s early 80s. It is managed by Hyatt International and is located in the centre of the city not far from Monas, Menteng, Gambir Railway station, the President's Palace and the US embassy.

I have stayed at the Ayraduta many times over the years and it is an old favourite. I would like to say that it has aged gracefully but that would only be partly true. The hotel is burdoned by the limitations of a small site and a building that was not well designed.

Recently there has been a major upgrade performed on the rooms. The new rooms are very stylish and quite comfortable. The main problem is their size. They are small but the refit has introduced some clever touches to make them feel bigger. There is also now a very good working desk with connections for broadband internet.

My biggest gripe with the rooms is the bathroom. The bathrooms are tiny. Large people may find the bathroom particularly uncomfortable.

Despite this the Aryaduta offers one of the best Italian restaurants in Jakarta, Ambiente. It is consistently good. The Tavern, located in the basement, has not changed much in 20 years and is a nice place to have a beer and pub food.

The Aryaduta has no gardens but there is a pleasant pool and a good fitness centre and spa.

I still find the Aryaduta to be a comfortable place to stay and due to some of the limitations mentioned above the prices can be quite reasonable.