Cipta Hotel Wahid Hasyim

The atmosphere is fairly calm despite the busy main road around the hotel, and the staff are excellent. The rooms can look a little old, though they’re sturdy and surprisingly comfortable. Some seem to have been renovated. Just check that the air conditioning and water heater are working properly first. I like staying here.

Once we’d cleaned the room ourselves, the rest of our stay was perfect: lovely staff, a peaceful room, good Wi-Fi, and a decent location. But the first room was dirty and smelled strongly of cigarettes. The second smelled less, but it was still dirty. We had to wipe down the fridge, wardrobe, drawers, and bedside table. The wardrobe was especially bad, with thick dirt on the surfaces, and these spots clearly aren’t cleaned. We also found an opened, used condom wrapper on top of the bathroom sliding door. That’s why I’m taking off a star.

The staff were the only good part. Being a two-star hotel doesn’t mean cleanliness and hygiene can be ignored. The toilet bowl was outdated and unpleasant, the air conditioner was noisy all night, and the Wi-Fi was so bad it was practically unusable. I couldn’t even get a roaming internet signal. There was no hair dryer or mini fridge, and breakfast was basic, with only two meal options.

We were there just for one night, but it seemed like a good place to stay in central Jakarta. It’s near the well-known Jalan Jaksa, where we found good street food and friendly people who were always ready to help. The hotel restaurant had good prices, and our room was very clean and had all the facilities.