Review: The Hermitage, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia

December 8, 2019February 17, 2023 Koen 0 Comments

In this review, we will stay at The Hermitage, a Tribute Portfolio hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Jakarta

After a comfortable flight in Saudia business class from Riyadh, I had finally arrived in the capital of Indonesia.

For my two-night-stay in Jakarta I decided to splurge a little bit and book a hotel above my usual budget for some luxury and quietness in this overcrowded, chaotic city.

I am generally not a fan of most of the big hotel chains as most of such hotels are rather soulless, with hotel interiors being interchangeable with not that much different between a hotel in Newark or in Burma.

That said, I do love a bit of luxury (who doesn’t!) and I simply adore hotels which have a bit of historical or local charm. I do not mind paying a bit more for for such hotels if they still fall within my budget.

And while in Jakarta you can easily get a good, centrally located hotel for 40-50 EUR, I decided to spend a bit more and stay at the Hermitage.

To be precise, I booked a standard room with king-size bed at the Hermitage for 140 EUR for the night, with breakfast being included in the rate.

saudia business class cabin boeing 777 b777 — *The business class cabin on the Boeing 777-300 to Jakarta. ©Paliparan*

Tribute Portfolio

The Jakarta Hermitage is a so-called Tribute Portfolio Hotel, which is a collection of independent upscale hotels and one of the Marriott group portfolio of brands.

What makes the Jakarta Hermitage unique is its history. The hotel consists of an older Dutch colonial building and a modern annexe.

Back in the days when Indonesia was a Dutch colony, the building used to be a PTT (post and telegraph) office located in the posh Menteng neighbourhood known for its old colonial villas.

If you want a historic luxury hotel with a bit of local flavour, then the Hermitage is clearly the hotel to seek out in Jakarta.

But is the hotel as good as it sounds on paper and does it live up to its reputation? Let’s find out!

Hermitage lobby — *A giant colonial map of the Menteng area of Jakarta in the lobby of the Hermitage hotel. ©Paliparan*

Arriving at the Hermitage

Due to the madness of Jakarta traffic and the inability of my taxi driver to find the hotel, it took almost two hours to reach the Hermitage from the airport.

When I finally arrived, I got my first taste of the astonishing service levels at this hotel.

Even though friendliness and a smile is the norm in Indonesia, I found the staff at the Hermitage exceptional from the start.

A bellboy brought my trolley from the front entrance to the wonderful reception area, where I was swiftly checked-in.

The same bellboy – who during my entire stay had a constant smile on his face, remembered my first name, and would often inquire how I liked my time in the hotel and if there was anything they could do for me – then escorted me to my room.

The historical hallways, large staircases and corridors and all the wonderful paintings and decorations on the wall really made me feel like walking back a century in time.

hermitage stairs jakarta review — *A staircase at the Hermitage hotel. There are however modern lifts too. ©Paliparan*

hermitage corridor — *A corridor in the Hermitage hotel. ©Paliparan*

Hotel room

Even though I booked the cheapest room available, it did not disappoint at all. My standard room at the Hermitage had a large kingsize bed, tons of storage space. The room was tastefully decorated and looked stately and elegant.

As a welcome present, a fruit plate was placed on a table in the room.

I also appreciated the tea and coffee making facilities in the room as well as a few complimentary bottles of water, which could be replenished upon request.

The air conditioning worked like a charm, which is something which comes in handy in Indonesia.

I managed to have two perfect nights of sleep in the comfortable bed, so I really cannot complain about anything at all when it comes to the room.

Also the bathroom was great, being spacious and having a large walk-in shower.

standard room Hermitage jakarta review — *My standard room at the Hermitage Jakarta with kingsize bed. ©Paliparan*

hermitage storage space — *The standard room had plenty of closets and storage space for luggage and clothes. ©Paliparan*

Hermitage seating corner — *A small seating corner in my hotel room. ©Paliparan*

hermitage bathroom jakarta review — *The large bathroom with walk-in shower. ©Paliparan*

The swimming pool

After unpacking a bit of my luggage and changing into swimming attire, I headed to the rooftop swimming pool and bar for a refreshing dip to recuperate from my long flight to Jakarta.

The pool itself is decently sized and has a few loungers with umbrellas next to it.

At not a single time were there more than two or three other guests making use of the pool, making it a lovely place to relax.

For those who feel the need to do some exercise while on holiday, there was also a large fitness room next to the pool which seemed to be well-equipped.

pool hermitage jakarta — *The pool area and pool bar of the Hermitage. ©Paliparan*

hermitage swimming pool jakarta — *There were never more than two or three other people in the pool, making it easy to secure a lounger and to relax for a while. ©Paliparan*

hermitage jakarta review — *The Hermitage swimming pool as seen from the rooftop deck. ©Paliparan*

La Vue pool and rooftop bar

Of course, what I needed perhaps more than a refreshing swim was a cold beer, having spent the previous day on Saudi Arabian Airlines flights without any alcohol available.

The ‘La Vue’ pool bar also serves the rooftop deck one level up from the pool area. The rooftop deck has some cosy seating bays with couches and sofas, as well as some bar stools along the rooftop railing.

Unlike the pool, this was a popular area of the hotel and was often packed.

Whenever I went up to the rooftop deck, at least 50 percent of the seats seemed to be occupied, with occasionally some tables having ‘reserved’ signs placed on them. Especially when you want to have a good table at sunset, it pays off to reserve in advance.

That said, there were always some seats available whenever I checked, so even if you feel like going up to the rooftop spontaneously, you will have no problem getting a seat.

La Vue has a large cocktail menu as well as some small bites.

On recommendation of the staff I ordered their in-house speciality, a lemon and tequila flavoured cocktail. It was indeed very good and refreshing, and did pack quite some punch.

I stayed for a bit to watch the sunset, although Jakarta sunsets aren’t really as spectacular as elsewhere due to the immense amount of smog and pollution in the city.

That said, views of the Jakarta skyline were great from the rooftop deck!

hermitage jakarta review pool bar — *The lovely pool bar at the Hermitage hotel in Jakarta. ©Paliparan*

hermitage beer — *Enjoying my first ever Indonesian Bintang beer at the Hermitage pool. ©Paliparan*

hermitage jakarta review rooftop deck — *The rooftop deck of the Hermitage hotel overlooking the Jakarta skyline. ©Paliparan*

hermitage cocktail — *La Vue’s in-house speciality, a lemon and tequila flavoured cocktail, which was beautifully presented and absolutely refreshing. ©Paliparan*

hermitage sunset jakarta — *Sunset view from the rooftop bar of the Hermitage. ©Paliparan*

Hermitage restaurants and food

The Hermitage has several restaurants and cafés where you can get a drink, bite or full meal.

Besides the La Vue rooftop bar, these are the Courtyard Café, L’Avenue Restaurant and the Hermitage Lounge, all located on the ground floor.

L’Avenue is the main restaurant and serves Italian and modern international food.

I however opted to sit at the Hermitage Lounge, which is described by the hotel as “atmospheric and elegant” and “the perfect all-day-venue for light bites, late lunches, casual meetings and supper”.

The Hermitage Lounge was beautifully decorated in colonial style and oozed tons of charm.

For dinner I ordered the nasi goreng, which came with satay, chicken, fried rice, prawn crackers and some small sides.

It was beautifully presented and tasted absolutely delicious. At around 10 EUR it was also perfectly affordable.

To drink I opted for another beer – a Bali Hai – which tasted way better than the more watery Bintang.

Service was top notch throughout the meal.

Upon request, the friendly waiter even showed me the beautifully appointed cigar lounge, which was unfortunately officially closed for the public during my stay.

That would have been one amazing room to sit down for a cigar and whisky!

hermitage jakarta review hallway — *The hallway in the Hermitage Lounge bar and restaurant. ©Paliparan*

hermitage drink — *Drinking a Bali Hai beer in the Hermitage Lounge. ©Paliparan*

hermitage jakarta food — *A yummy nasi goreng at the Hermitage lounge. ©Paliparan*

hermitage cigar room — *The cigar lounge at the Hermitage hotel in Jakarta. ©Paliparan*

Some late-night drinks

After dinner I decided to go for an evening swim followed by a late-night cocktail at the rooftop bar.

I forgot exactly what the ingredients were in the inventive cocktail which I ordered, but it had some whiskey, berry juice and a cinnamon stick in it.

It tasted absolutely delicious – and I might even had one or two more of them the following night!

hermitage skyline night jakarta — *A view over the Jakarta skyline from the Hermitage rooftop bar. ©Paliparan*

hermitage pool night — *The Hermitage swimming pool at night. ©Paliparan*

Hermitage Hotel breakfast

Breakfast at the Hermitage is served in the gorgeous colonial surroundings of the hotel’s L’Avenue Restaurant.

The food spread was pretty impressive, and consisted both of Western and Indonesian favourites, all beautifully presented.

There were plenty of cold-cuts, breads and pastries, savoury snacks, sweets, as well as cooked Asian dishes available.

Eager-to-please staff came within seconds after I sat down to ask for my choice of coffee and to inquire whether or not I might want the chef to prepare some eggs for me, an offer I gladly accepted.

I tasted small bits of both the western and Indonesian options and ended the meal with some chocolate pancakes in vanilla sauce and fresh fruit. Food quality overall was outstanding.

I only found the coffee a bit weak and watery for my taste – but that was something which would unfortunately be rather common all over Indonesia except for a few specialist coffee shops.

Overall, it was certainly a great, highly enjoyable breakfast buffet.

hermitage jakarta review breakfast room — *The lovely breakfast restaurant at the Hermitage. ©Paliparan*

hermitage breakfast spread — *Breakfast buffet at the Hermitage hotel. ©Paliparan*

hermitage breakfast — *Breakfast buffet at the Hermitage hotel. ©Paliparan*

hermitage buffet — *Breakfast buffet at the Hermitage hotel. ©Paliparan*

hermitage breakfast buffet — *Breakfast buffet at the Hermitage hotel. ©Paliparan*

hermitage breakfast eggs — *The Hermitage has made-to-order eggs at its breakfast buffet. ©Paliparan*

breakfast food — *The Indonesian breakfast staples tasted great as well. ©Paliparan*

breakfast hermitage buffet — *Chocolate pancakes in vanilla sauce and fresh fruit to finish the breakfast. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

The Hermitage in Jakarta is truly a fantastic hotel. The Hermitage oozes colonial charm, is located in a quiet and safe neighbourhood of town, has great facilities, comfortable rooms and great food and beverage services.

I also adored the swimming pool, pool bar and rooftop deck, which is a great place for some sundowners.

Most of all, I found the staff at the Hermitage to be exceptional.

I have seen great service and seen true hospitality before – but this hotel managed to kick both to such high levels I wasn’t even aware did exist in the first place.

From restaurant staff to bellboys to barkeepers, all employees were just exceptional in anticipating all your needs and providing true hospitality.

Sure, Indonesian hospitality levels are generally very high, but the Hermitage staff seemed genuinely interested in their guests, happy to do their jobs, and proud to be welcoming you to their city and country.

I would absolutely love to visit this hotel again and won’t even think about staying in another hotel next time I will find myself in Jakarta. I can’t recommend it enough.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Journey to Java‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Review: Wizz Air Bucharest to Rome Ciampino (Airbus A321)
2. Half a Day in Rome: A Walk Around the Eternal City
3. Review: Casa Alitalia Lounge ‘Piazza di Spagna’ Rome Fiumicino Airport
4. Review: Saudia Business Class Rome to Riyadh (Airbus A320)
5. Review: Saudia Alfursan Business Lounge Riyadh Airport
6. Review: Saudia Business Class Riyadh to Jakarta (Boeing 777-300)
7. Review: The Hermitage, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia (current chapter)
8. A Day in Jakarta: Exploring Indonesia’s Bustling Capital City
9. Review: Garuda Indonesia Domestic Business Lounge Jakarta Airport
10. Review: Garuda Indonesia Business Class Jakarta to Yogyakarta (Boeing 737-800)
11. Review: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta – Mgallery By Sofitel
12. A Magical Sunrise Visit to Borobudur Temple
13. A Visit to the Great Hindu Temple Complex of Prambanan
14. Review: Yogyakarta to Surabaya (Indonesia) by Train
15. Review: Majapahit Hotel, Surabaya, Indonesia
16. A Day in Surabaya: Exploring Indonesia’s Second Biggest City
17. Review: Concordia Premier Lounge Surabaya Airport
18: Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class Surabaya to Singapore (Airbus A330-300)
19. A Short Singapore Stopover: Into the City or Stay at the Airport?
20. Review: SilverKris Lounge Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2
21. Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class Singapore to Manila (Boeing 787-10)
22. Review: PAGSS Business Lounge Manila Airport Terminal 1
23. Review: China Airlines Economy Class Manila to Taipei (Airbus A330-300)
24. Review: China Airlines Business Lounge Taipei Airport Terminal 1
25. Review: China Airlines Economy Class Taipei to Rome (Airbus A350)
26. Review: TAROM Economy Class Rome to Bucharest (Boeing 737-700)