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.

The buffet was awesome and the rooms were great. Also I loved the pool and gym gacilities, and the staff was absolutely courteous. Additionally the band inside the hotel totally rocked.

I got a very discounted fare and I think that it was worth what I paid for. The staff is very courteous and friendly and the hotel is not that bad, but it is definitely not five-star, as it claims, and far below the average Hyatt standard. The premises badly need refurbishing both in the rooms and in the common areas. The buffet breakfast does not offer much of a choice, which is fairly uncommon in the top hotels of SE Asia. Overall, it is fine if you are on a business trip and do not spend too much of your time in the hotel. I would however not make it my favourite choice if I were on holiday.