Verse Luxe Hotel Wahid Hasyim

The self-check-in machine made the process quick and easy, and the location was great. Those were about the only good parts of my 3 days and 2 nights here. A hotel in Jakarta with a bathtub for under IDR 2 million sounded too good to be true, and the stay was a major disappointment. The hygiene was the worst part. There were stains on the bedsheets and towels, and the towels and pillows smelled like they hadn’t been changed in weeks. I could smell other people on the pillow. When I asked reception to change the pillowcases during room cleaning, they ignored me. I also saw small red bugs crawling on the table and bed. The place badly needs repairs: the desk phone was broken, the soap and shower shelves were falling apart, the Wi-Fi didn’t work at all, and the hot water took ages to come through. They wanted to charge IDR 50k for an extra towel. At checkout, staff pushed me to review the hotel on specific sites and insisted on taking a photo of my phone screen as proof. It felt intrusive and strange. With the grime, broken facilities, and pushy service, I won’t return.

The room was decent and comfortable for 2-3 nights, and the housekeeping was good. Service was good too. They easily approved my request for a late check-in after I arrived around midnight. The location is handy for visiting major tourist spots, a few minutes from the main road and about a 10-minute walk from the MRT. The aircon took a while to cool the room, even on its lowest setting. There were a few hairs on the toilet seat, but I could clean those myself. Overall, it was a good room and I’d recommend staying here again.

The location is great, but after staying here a decade ago and loving it, I came back for my Jakarta trip and found a lot of problems. There were bed bugs, a clogged toilet, missing bathroom tiles, and lights and plugs that didn’t work. I could hear people coughing in the next room, and the towels were dirty. At breakfast there were tiny flies and cockroaches. They even charged IDR10,000 for an extra towel. I don’t think I’ll come a third time. This isn’t the luxury hotel they’re trying to sell, though I guess you get what you pay for in this economy.

After four days traveling solo in Jakarta, I was really comfortable staying here. Tanah Abang, McDonald's, and Starbucks are all nearby. They supply shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, and a toothbrush, so just bring your own face cleanser. I'd happily come back with my family. Highly recommend!