Lawrence Anderson burley, United Kingdom
"Rooms: if you like the calm panelled elegance of a London club (as you imagine it - without the creaky floors and odd plumbing of the real thing!), you'll love the Mandarin Jakarta. Rooms exude peace. Best are on 17th floor; they have a warm dark red carpet. Lighting arrangments not properly centralised but hey, it's an older hotel and you're getting excellent vlaue for money. Facilities: good without being transcendant although personally I love the breakfast buffets and Zigolini, the Italian resto is pretty good though v fully priced. Swimming pool however is small and that terrace has seen better days. Business centre functional sans plus. Service: superb among the core team of old timers, you can tell they love their hotel. Younger lot do ok. It's my favourite Jakarta hotel by far, although the CBD has "moved south" since the early 90's which was the Mandarin's heyday.. so check the location of your business meetings. The M.O. can't compete with the OTT luxury of the newer palaces, if it's bling you're after, and it's constrained by its small footprint, but it has a style and elegance all its own. Try it!"
