Hotel Kristal Jakarta

Hotel Kristal (or Kristal Hotel) is located in South Jakarta, near the Jakarta International School. It is rather big with 328 rooms. Many people know it for its bar "Satu Lagi", located near the main entrance, close to the pool. This is a very friendly bar with good music and many expats.

Hotel Kristal is located in the South of Jakarta (Jakarta Selatan), close to Pondok Indah Mall, the most popular luxury shopping center in the area. Kristal Hotel is very convenient if you work in TB Simatupang. Many of the customers actually come from Oil & Gas companies whose head offices are in South Jakarta. It is often used for a business trip as it is only one of the 2 biggest hotels around with Mercure Jakarta Simatupang (232 rooms). The other ones are mostly in Kemang: Grand Kemang, Swiss-Belhotel, Amarrossa Hotel or Fave Hotel/Pop Hotel for budget travelers.

1-Bedroom Suite in Hotel Kristal

2-Bedroom Suite in Hotel Kristal

Lobby of Hotel Kristal

The design of the rooms is modern with wood furniture and wide spaces. The decoration is similar to other contemporary hotel chains, with no eccentricity. The lobby of the hotel is not too big, even though it has more than 300 rooms. It makes it a more cozy place with easy access to the Front Desk, the Coffee place "Kafé", the Restaurant and the Pool.

3-Bedroom Suite in Hotel Kristal

Hotel Kristal used to be an apartment building, the rooms are thus more spacious than in other similar 4-star hotels. That's the first thing that struck me when I entered my room. All rooms have a kitchenette which make you able to cook something. The kitchenette area does not really match with the rest of the room and would need some refurbishment. There are 3 types of rooms in Hotel Kristal: 1-Bedroom Suite, 2-Bedroom Suite and 3-Bedroom Suite. The last one being actually like a real apartment and is advised for long-stay in South Jakarta.

The Kafé at Hotel Kristal

During my stay here, I went to the restaurant a couple of times, and I found it very good. The lunch buffet offers a wide variety of food, mostly Western but also Japanese. The Kafé has a very modern look and is very busy during lunch time, mostly with businessmen and expats. The pool, which you can sea while seated at The Kafé, is also a nice addition to this restaurant.

Overall: I would recommend Hotel Kristal for the huge pool, the Satu Lagi Bar, the friendly staff (the GM is a foreigner and has been in charge for 19 years!) and the size of the room which are pretty generous. This hotel is very convenient if you work in Simatupang area (mostly Oil & Gas companies) or in South Jakarta in general.

Drink in the area ? Satu Lagi Expat Bar (within Hotel Kristal) or De Hooi Café (Pondok Indah Plaza)