Cikini, an artsy hangout in Central Jakarta is the house of a plothera of boltholes. Kitchenesia team tested drive one of them, a four-starred Mercure Hotel.
Kitchenesia.com - Cikini seems, at first, a very typical part of an old town, with its scattering antique shops selling old telephones, gramophones to vinyl albums, even colonial-era ceramics and weaponry. The district is also known throughout Jakarta for its great food, stretching across hippyish waterholes to mouthwatering street foods.
Thus, boltholes flock around here. From backpacking lodgings to upscale hotels, tourists surely find a fitting room to stay overnight. Mercure Hotel is one out many hotels nestled in Jalan Cikini Raya that gives me an impression of "most favorite hotel" in the area.
This four-star hotel just screams boutique from the outside. Pushing open the doors, the lobby singlehandedly broke my assumption. The lobby is spacious enough to fit receptionists table, PC spaces, longue, and main restaurant without being too compact. Thus a lot of people gather here. For tourists looking for a lively hotel, Mercure Hotel Cikini is on top of the list, but not for serene seekers.
My room was the superior type but positioned on the third floor, my room didn't give me much view to look at.
Style-wise, the room design is commonly found in today's hotels - a painting above headboard with achromatic shades of greys.
But it is done right.
The minimalist furniture are done in style: aptly arranged and aptly formed. My favorite part of this room is the 2-in-1 bluetooth speaker-cum-alarm clock. While the room size is not the type where people can hole up in room, at least the bluetooth speaker can give you a bite-size fun.
The bathroom is divided into two parts equally: sink and shower room. With brick-effect tiles on walls and greyish color sceme, the bathroom feels bright and handsome. The amenities could be better, though, in order to scale with the great ambience of the room.
One activity that stands out is the rooftop swimming pool. Here, the refreshing coolness of water meets the stunning view of the heartbeat of the city. I'd suggest you head to the pool before evening for the best stunning view.
At one end of the pool, there is another pool for kids only. Another standout here is the cooking class for kids, though the activity is done on weekends only so that I didn't get a glimpse of it. I believe it must be fun and educational. The activity is overseen by Executive Chef of Mercure Hotel Cikini, Chef Herwan. Thus, it would be a rather serious but still exciting for kids.
As a place to stay, however, Mercure Hotel Cikini delivers.
There are many hotels with the same class which sells room for shockingly high price without giving anything to remember about.
Mercure Hotel Cikini is no doubt much better.
