Originally Posted by
grayland
I am going to be in Jakarta for about 7 days in late January.
There really is a big difference in the rates between the Aryaduta and the GH.
How about the location of the two? What is the immediate area like?
I have spent about 200 nights at the Aryaduta and around 60 nights at the GH. In this case, you do get what you pay for.
Immediate area in Jakarta generally doesn't matter because you don't walk anywhere -- even to something just a few hundred yards away you will generally take a taxi. GH is a nice exception to that because it is connected to Plaza Indonesia and EXcenter -- lots of restaurants, shops, etc.... A new mall was just coming online across the street when I was there last and should be fully up to speed by now. Any other hotel in Jakarta will require a taxi ride to go anywhere.
They are ten minutes apart without traffic, but in Jakarta there is almost always traffic. It would generally figure 30 minutes.
If you are working at the US Embassy, the 'duta will be perfect for commuting. If you are working anywhere further south, you would probably be better off at the GH.
The redone rooms at the 'duta are as nice as anything you will experience at the GH, but the comparisons end there.
Both have nice pools, GH is better.
GH has a fantastic gym, duta has a gym.
Both have good restaurants, GH restaurants are pricier.
GH is a premier hotel -- certainly one of the top three or four in the city. Even after its remodel, the 'duta is still second tier in the minds of the locals.
Particularly if you haven't been to Jakarta before, I would recommend the GH. It just makes the trip a lot easier to have everything just a short, air-conditioned walk away instead of a taxi ride through the chaos.
TJ