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The hotel has a place in Indonesian history along with Monas, the National Monument, and Istiqlal Mosque (which are all within walking distance of Hotel Borobudur) as they were all projects conceived in the 1960s by Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, yet were not completed until Suharto was in power. The three share the same architect, Friedrich Silaban (to a point), although Hotel Borobudur was begun in 1963 by Silaban who designed the ground floor, but political events disrupted plans and it it was later completed by other architects.

Sleep in here. Photo: Sally Arnold

Hotel Borobudur was intended to be the second international-standard hotel in the new republic (after Hotel Indonesia) and was designed to accommodate guests of honour of the nearby Presidential Palace, and when it opened it was the largest hotel in Indonesia. The International Style design has aged well, and the classic elegant interiors are comfortable and well maintained. Hotel Borobudur boasts six restaurants and bars (including a cigar salon) as well as eight tennis courts, a luxurious spa and if you want to beat Jakarta’s traffic in style, they have a helipad too.

The most impressive feature of the hotel however is the several hectares of beautiful landscaped tropical gardens—a wonderful escape from the chaos of the city streets, complete with a miniature replica of Borobudur temple and a massive swimming pool that you would have had all to yourself the day we dropped by.

Terrific views. Photo: Sally Arnold

Well appointed spacious rooms feature plush carpets, classically styled furnishings, all mod-cons and marble bathrooms with deep tubs. The style is refined but not stuffy, (although same may say dated) and any comforts you may require are at your fingertips. Some rooms offer fabulous city views, staff advised to book a high floor and request a good view—the charming staff are obviously well trained, but this place is busy and you may have to put up with demanding other guests.

Today with so much competition, you can often find rates well under 1,000,000 rupiah, which is an excellent deal for a hotel of this standard, but also consider the club rooms which allow access to the club lounge with afternoon tea, cocktails and other extras, and if you drink alcohol, this can be excellent value in this land of high taxes on drinks.

Leafy grounds. Photo: Sally Arnold

Although staff will think you are mad, it’s an easy walk to Istiqlal Mosque, Monas and several historic churches. For a more modern take on classic style, The Hermitage offers luxury (for a price) in a recently constructed hotel incorporation a heritage building. Or if your pockets are not so deep, Cordella Norwood is a decent classily styled midrange hotel with a fabulous rooftop cafe.