Pullman Jakarta Central Park — Hotel in Jakarta

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to the entire team at Pullman Jakarta Central Park, who extended unwavering care, compassion, and professionalism during what was a physically challenging and emotionally taxing time in my life.

I recently had the misfortune of contracting Dengue Fever while on business in Jakarta. Far away from home, weakened and unwell, I found myself confined to my hotel room — physically drained, emotionally vulnerable, and medically in need of constant support. What transpired over the next several days was nothing short of extraordinary. The team at Pullman Jakarta, across every department — from front office to housekeeping, concierge to F&B, and especially the duty managers — rose above and beyond the call of duty to care for me, not as a guest, but as family.

What struck me most was not merely the operational efficiency or the hotel’s adherence to five-star hospitality standards — though both were undoubtedly impressive — but the genuine empathy and human warmth that permeated every interaction. The team did not just provide services; they offered solace. They did not merely respond to my needs; they anticipated them.

At my weakest moments — struggling with high fever, severe nausea, body rashes, and dehydration — they brought me comfort, calm, and reassurance. Their presence was not clinical, but compassionate. It is rare in the hospitality industry, especially at large chain hotels, to find such a depth of personal connection and commitment to duty.

Although Pullman is not a medical facility, the way the team coordinated with local clinics, arranged for medical consultations, and ensured that medication, isotonic drinks, and food suitable for my condition were always available — often even before I asked — deserves particular mention.

Special appreciation must go to the Duty Managers, who checked in on me regularly with genuine concern, offered practical help when needed, and followed up consistently — always present, never intrusive. In doing so, they not only gave me peace of mind but also provided a layer of emotional support that made the experience feel far less isolating. Their attentiveness brought both structure and comfort during a time of physical uncertainty.

An equally heartfelt thank-you goes to the onsite nurse who went with me to the hospital, provided support throughout the registration and treatment process, and remained by my side with quiet reassurance. In a foreign setting, with unfamiliar procedures and medical personnel, her presence was not just helpful — it was deeply comforting.

Among the many wonderful staff who cared for me, I must give special thanks to Michi and Joshua, whose kindness, consistency, and attentiveness were truly exceptional.

Michi took personal ownership of my well-being. She checked in regularly with sincere concern, coordinated special meals suited to my condition, and even made sure that my room was stocked with essentials before I had to ask. Her calm, reassuring presence brought me tremendous comfort — a reminder that I wasn’t alone.

Joshua, too, showed immense dedication and professionalism. He made himself available at all hours, helped coordinate logistics with clinics and pharmacies, and went out of his way to make sure I was cared for. His composure, responsiveness, and warmth made a deep impression on me. Both Michi and Joshua are outstanding ambassadors of Pullman Jakarta’s culture — service from the heart, delivered with humility and grace.

Despite the linguistic and cultural differences that often exist in international travel, the team displayed exceptional emotional intelligence. They never overstepped boundaries, nor did they ever seem detached. Every word, action, and service was imbued with genuine kindness and respect for the emotional toll of falling ill while abroad.

It is clear that the culture at Pullman Jakarta is one that is led from the top — a culture where care is institutionalized, not incidental. Every staff member, regardless of rank or role, seemed empowered to take initiative, make decisions in the guest’s best interest, and work with pride.

Too often, hospitality is measured in stars, amenities, and luxury fittings. But true hospitality, the kind that reveals itself in times of crisis, is about people. And Pullman Jakarta has some of the very best.

In hindsight, I cannot imagine enduring this period in any other setting. What could have been a frightening and deeply unpleasant experience — being alone and severely ill in a foreign city — became, through the efforts of the Pullman Jakarta team, an experience filled with warmth, dignity, and humanity.

Their care quite literally elevated my recovery, kept me from hospitalization, and reminded me of the power of kindness in times of adversity.

As a frequent traveler and a Diamond member of the Accor Live Limitless programme, I have experienced a wide spectrum of service across countless properties worldwide — from flagship hotels to boutique resorts. Yet, in all my years of travel, I have never felt more compelled to write a commendation than I do now. This is, in fact, the first time I have ever written such a letter — a testament to how deeply moved I was by the care, empathy, and professionalism shown by the team at Pullman Jakarta.

What you delivered was not simply excellent service; it was grace in action — a reflection of the highest ideals of hospitality, shown not when things are easy, but when guests are most vulnerable and in need.

I offer this commendation not merely in praise, but in recognition. You deserve to be celebrated — not just for how you serve when everything is going well, but for how you show up when everything is not.

I look forwarding to returning.

With sincere and enduring...

The room is rather small, but the complimentary items are sufficient (toiletries, hair dryer, slippers, iron & iron board). Not happy with the shampo & shower gel's smell, too woody. I did not look forward to smelling like a dude after a shower. The beds are high with an empty space under it, into which I can just shove my luggage and stuff so it wouldn't get in the way.

But what's with the lack of covering of the bathroom stall just 50 cm off the floor? I mean, if my roommate is showering, I can still see their legs from outside.

The interior design is not my cup of tea, from the lifesize lower-body female statues, the bikini baby statues, to the moving ants hologram on the floor--especially the ants, trigger goosebumps and overall disgust for me. First time I realized there was one, I mistook them for cockroaches. No ants should be that huge.

I don't get why the restrooms are so far apart. Had to walk about 100 m just to get to the nearest restroom. And the toilets near the ballrooms? Appalling. I went in one of the stalls to find out the sprayer didn't work. Turns out the fawcet below wasn't opened. Some didn't flush strong enough. The sensor-activated trash didn't work. My office used some of that too but when there's any with malfunctioning sensor, we replace them with a manual one where you just step on to open. Easy peasy.

One person got stuck in one of the stalls for over 30 minutes. That's what you get when no one staff minds the restrooms.

And the musolla near the ballrooms is... sigh the washroom is only one, outside, totally OPEN, none for women who wear hijabs. I don't, but I don't prefer taking wudhu among the men. Right next to it is a place for men to smoke. Yeah. You gotta pass men smoking ciggies to take wudhu. The musolla is just one tiny room with no separate section for the women.

When dealing with events with over 100 staying guests, I figured the hotel would set up all key cards in advance. After all, the committee had everyone paired up in rooms and given them the list. But no, had to wait for that too and give resident ID cards for them to scan. Maybe I'm too spoiled, I've never had to do that when staying in hotels for events as a committee member. I usually only need to say my name and get my key cards, that's it.

During events, the AC in ballrooms and smaller rooms are cranked up, to me it felt like winter in Melbourne outdoors. I Asked the hotel staff to lower the temp & fan force in the committee room but it was still quite cold. I saw hotel staff chatting among themselves right outside of ballrooms. Not even bothering to check with us if we need anything (we needed the committee room to not feel like a winter day outdoors).

The staff need to be more proactive. I asked one to bring us water bottles to the desks in the corner right before the big event in one of the ballrooms. He pointed out to me the bottles. That's it. Didn't even offer to bring them and give me glasses for them. Nope, I had to bring them from the committee room. Four of them. By myself.

The food is ok, a little too bland, needs more oomph especially because not every dining table has a salt shaker on them. But there's enough variety for a 90% vegetarian like me, so at least there's that.

The gala dinner food was great, obviously, given the price.

I wouldn't recommend my team to host any event there again, though. Maybe Pullman HI, not Pullman Central Park.

The perk is that it's adjacent to the mall, so you can shop next door while you're there. But if you're shopping a lot in the supermarket, you can't bring the shopping cart up to the hotel. You can't even go with the cart to the mall lobby next to the hotel lobby, since the convenient travelator is on the other side. Gotta cross the mall bringing every item you purchase, go through a checkpoint without your cart....

Overall, it has been a disappointment. As a Marriott Platinum Life member, I am well familiar with business hotels, and I can judge if they are run well or not. This Accor property isn't. Let's start with the positives: (some of) the staff are super friendly and helpful; breakfast is truly amazing with Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Western options, as well as a marvellous selection of Indonesian food. Without any exaggeration, it is one of the best I've ever seen in any hotel. This is where is starts and stops, unfortunately. The issues that Pullman Central Park has are numerous and serious. staff are overstretched and undertrained. You can ask for your coffee at breakfast, and then spend - literally - 40 min waiting for it because the staff are badly organised, the coffee machine is broken and your coffee had to be brought up from another corner of the hotel etc; rooms are small and very badly designed. You won't have a proper wardrobe, the electric socket in your bathroom won't be working (so, there will be no way to charge your toothbrush), the bidet won't be working well, the shower won't be well-designed, so it will be a pain to shower because the shower handle is of a weird shape and half-clogged; when you place an order at the bar and a wrong order is brought to you, you will be told that you'll still have to pay for it as 'it was already put into the system and I don't know how to change it now' and they won't bother to bring you the correct order after that; these situations repeat and actually become comical. The list of what can go wrong and does go wrong on a daily basis is endless.

Pullman Central Park is a 5* hotel. Well, it claims to be one, but in fact, it isn't. Forget the ghastly design of public spaces, which is reminiscent of a kindergarten; it is not about taste or design. You need to print your boarding pass, but there is no printer in the business centre, and there is no one in the business centre to help you. You end up at the reception who are very apologetic and print it out for you - but only after you sent it to their email address as they can't print it from the memory stick. You want to book a massage at their spa, but you are told no masseurs are available. I can go on and on and on... The hard product (the overall design, the fact that, if the conference you attend is big enough, you might spend up to 10 min (literally!) to get into the lift as there is no other way to get to the conference venue but through the lifts, and there are only four of them, and they are always very busy, the cramped rooms, the badly designed bathrooms, the lack of amenities - and those that are still there are the cheapest possible, which even a 3* hotel will hesitate to put out), the overstressed, overworked and undertrained staff - all that speaks volumes of how bad the hotel's management is. I won't recommend staying there. There are many better places in Jakarta, the...