JW Marriott Jakarta, 2019
In October of 2019, I took a trip to Jakarta because it was cheap and I hadn't been there before.Arrival
After 28+ hours flying through Hong Kong, I landed at 4:00am local time and went out to get a cab. Tip: Never use a non-branded cab. They will screw you blue and tattooed.Anyway, at that hour, I missed all the notorious traffic, and arrived at the JW Marriott Jakarta at 5:00am. Obviously WAY too early to check in, right?
Nope! They had a suite ready for me (thanks to my Bonvoy Status for that upgrade!) and I was in the room before 6:00am, allowing me to shower and change before the lounge even opened!
The Room
When I arrived at my room and opened the door, I was stunned. A full suite, with guest bath and master bath. The bedroom was huge, and it had a dressing room (one of my favorite things to have in a hotel room) where I could also store all my clothes and bags.The bathroom had a tub, and separate shower. Very large, very nice.
The Lounge
As previously mentioned, the Lounges at JWs are just the best, and I get access as part of my Bonvoy status. The food is exceptional for breakfast and the offerings in the evenings are usually pretty darn good as well.As usual, there is a chef making food to order, along with a plethora of offerings, including pork sausage and bacon (It is a Muslim country).
The only minor thing is the alcohol in the evening was a bit lower grade. Absolut and some wine that was rather weak. Again though - a Muslim country serving it at all? Impressive.
Facilities
Swimming pools in the tropics are awesome, but I didn't take advantage of this one. Also not the gym, as I forgot sneakers and I was not allowed in with street shoes. The shame...Surprise
As another benefit at the property, I was able to have my choice of breakfast in the lounge, or for myself and a guest (traveling with me has its upside) breakfast in Sailendra, the restaurant. I opted one day to go there for breakfast instead of the lounge. It was amazing, the amount and variety of food is just astounding. So many different stations of Indian, Indonesia, Malay, European, Japanese, Filipino, and more!I'll allow you to salivate over the photographs as now I'm hungry myself and running off to get a cookie from the kitchen.
Summary
A complete 5 star hotel with a nightclub, drinks lounge, and spa at the property. They have treated me exceptionally well at this property, and the general manager is great with an amazing staff. It's only my second favorite because the Bangkok one is so extreme, but it is a hard choice between them sometimes.Tips: Book a room that contains lounge access if you do not have Bonvoy status to get you in already. Only use badged cabs to get around.