Hotel O Gayatri Residence

Getting around is easy: there’s a bus stop about a 5-minute walk away, and the ride to the center takes 35 minutes. The rooms are spacious, clean, and nice, and the air conditioning works well. This hotel/kost is in a good spot in South Jakarta. There’s no kitchen or water, though, and the pool is closed. Booking through OYO’s app is frustrating because the price keeps changing. A flat rate for direct bookings would be better.

The route here was confusing. The residence is well away from the main road, and the inner streets don’t show clearly on gmaps, so I had to guess which way was open. The approach road is narrow, with only a small Airy Room sign, which was the listing I’d booked before. It seems to have shifted from a themed resting place into a cheap hotel with standard rooms. I arrived in the middle of the night and the owner hadn’t told the employee about my transaction. I was too exhausted to complain or call, so the employee let me stay without further instructions and gave me a BACKUP room at the far end of a side aisle, a long way from the lobby. It was very old, with a creepy, antique feel. The furniture, smell, and bathroom all seemed worn out and not updated. I just needed sleep, but then I found a small one-door refrigerator by the bed. It was empty, smelled awful, and had fungus inside, so I shut it right away. In the bathroom, I opened the door and the water sprinkle suddenly turned on by itself, splashing a little water onto the floor. That gave me chills. I tried to sleep, but the bathroom door suddenly opened, and I heard a chirp outside and knocking at the window. I stayed awake until morning. I was exhausted and my phone battery was dead and needed charging, so I didn’t take photos. In the morning, I thanked the employee but didn’t complain about the night. Maybe the very cheap price meant I got what I deserved, but I hope the owner takes customer comfort seriously, since this residence is listed for online bookings near Central Jakarta.

For around 10usd, this is a comfortable, very cheap room for a backpacker. It measures 4x4meters and has a big wardrobe, TV, refrigerator, and dresser. There are also lots of restaurants and offices nearby. I’d recommend it.

The price didn’t match what I’d found online, and the interaction was one of the worst I’ve had. The receptionist/guard was drinking alcohol when we arrived. Very disappointed.