Hotel Borobudur Jakarta — Hotel in Jakarta

Did a staycation with my relatives at this hotel and I don't think we'll return until they do a huge improvement on the hotel. This is an old hotel (like, super old) and it's actually super huge. It was one of my cousins who booked the hotel and also checked us in. I was arriving late and my relatives were already at the hotel and it took my cousin a few hours to finally get our rooms. Despite the fact they claim to be a 5-star hotel, I don't think this should be considered a 5-star hotel because I've stayed at a few other 5-star hotels around this city and they were much better than this. There were a lot of flaws, from cleanliness, service and room conditions.

The room that I got was so old school. The TV was an older model too, like, from the late 2000s and we couldn't hear it loud and clear despite the fact that the volume was already at max! There was a strong odour from both the wardrobe and the refrigerator and there was also this "old" smell throughout the room. There were dirts on our bed sheets too. Not to mention the wi-fi was like on-and-off which was inconvenient because there was hardly reception when I used my mobile data. There were a lot of mosquitoes too, especially in the outdoor area, and I got a lot of bites all over my body.

Our stay didn't include breakfast so we only had dinner at Bogor Cafe and food was so-so. The spaghetti aglio olio was so tasteless as if it was just boiled spaghetti with no seasonings and chili (you could only taste the chili) because it was still spicy. The risotto mushroom, sushi and dessert were so good though. The "Club & Spa" building was more modern and the equipments in the changing rooms and the gym were more modern. The sauna room was pretty spacious. The staff at both Bogor Cafe and the Club & Spa were very nice and friendly though, and they served us with a smile.

We were dissatisfied with the hotel service mostly. During our last hour at the hotel, we needed more mineral water bottles so that we could cook Indomie and also because my sister was literally dehydrated after spending 15 minutes in the sauna. My sister first called the Concierge and said they'd come, but no one came at all. I then proceeded to try calling Room Service, but Room Service told me to dial 4 for Housekeeping instead, so I did and asked them for water bottles and they said they would deliver them to our room. But still, no one came to our room at all.

And a few mins after that, my cousin called us to tell us we needed to check out and we were already late because she had just got a call from the concierge that it was already time to check out because the check out time was at 11 a.m. actually and we had to check out of the hotel by 11:30 a.m. It was already 11:20 a.m. when she called. My sister had just started eating her Indomie when she got the call (she just used whatever water to cook). Imagine having to rush to leave in less than 10 minutes. I think they should've told us about the check out time the moment we checked in and most hotels' check out time is at 12 p.m. and that sort of ruined our mood at the end. My nieces had fun with the kids activities...

Hopefully these review points can be noticed by the hotel management to improve. I took my family to staycation here, but it not end up well as we imagined.

First, we came on December 24 at around 15 o'clock to check in, and the queue at the front desk check-in counter was very long. After queuing for about half an hour, we and some of the guests queuing at the front desk were finally directed by the officer to check-in at the Timor Ballroom. The ballroom was converted into an impromptu check-in counter due to the large number of guests that day. Unfortunately, when we was taking a queue number at the Timor Ballroom, the system was broken, many guests who had been queuing for a long time at the Timor Ballroom became angry with the officers. Some of them, including us, finally comeback to the increasingly long check-in counter queue at the front desk, as shown in the picture. It took about 3 hours until we finally arrived at the counter and got the room. 3 hours! Can you imagine how was the family with elderly and babies? We stayed for 2 nights anyway. The management supposed to be gave some compliments for this, maybe cake, dinner, souvenirs, or maybe late check-out compliment.

Second, at the breakfast time. I've been travelled all around the world , this is the first time in my life, we have to queuing again to enter the breakfast area as shown in the picture. I mean, is the management, which is a five-stars hotel, seriously about paying attention to their guests comfort?

Third, the elevator in the Garden Wing II building was currently under repair. It's a shame that the hotel put up beautiful Christmas decorations that went viral on social media, but it wasn't in line with the infrastructure.

Fourth, checking out time. We thought everything would be fine without any more problems. Instead, it turned out we had to queue again at the check-in counter just as we checked in. A five-star hotel should be a place to unwind and get comfort, but this is very unreasonable.

Nevertheless, I still admit that the Christmas decorations in this hotel are very beautiful, that's why they went viral on social media. The facilities like gym, sauna, the playground, light market, and the garden are also quite pretty.

This is my honest review, but I think I would think twice if I was offered to...

My experience at Hotel Borobudur Jakarta was a mixed bag. On the positive side, the hotel itself is quite nice and comfortable. It offers many attractive amenities such as a gym, tennies court, pool, and various restaurants, which are definite plus points for guests.

However, my initial encounter with the hotel was extremely disappointing. As a guest arriving on a motorcycle, I was treated very rudely and unprofessionally at the entrance.

The signage about motorcycle restrictions was incredibly unclear, with warning text too small to be easily noticeable. As a result, I was unaware of this rule until I reached the front entrance.

The security staff at the entrance overreacted, yelling at me that motorcycles were not allowed. Their attitude was very rude and unprofessional. There was even a guard with a dog who was shouting, making the situation feel intimidating and uncomfortable.

They could have informed me politely and offered assistance. However, after being yelled at, I was merely told to go far around to find motorcycle parking, with no further help or directions provided.

The flow for motorcycle parking is poorly designed and needs significant improvement. This, combined with the unfriendly front-of-house staff, seriously marred what could have been a great stay.

While the hotel's facilities are good, the lack of hospitality and poor planning for motorcycle guests are major drawbacks. A star-rated hotel should offer better service across all aspects of the guest experience. It's disappointing that such a well-equipped hotel falls short in basic customer service and accessibility for all types of vehicles.

If you're not arriving by motorcycle and can overlook the possibility of rude staff, you might enjoy the hotel's amenities. However, for those on two wheels or expecting consistently professional service, you might want to consider...