Anandamaya Residences is a luxury residential complex located in the Central Business District of Jakarta. Completed in 2018 on 1.3 hectares of land, it features 3 towers:

– Anandamaya One (114 units on 46 floors): The most exclusive tower with larger units, some of which have a private pool, and a private lift.
– Anandamaya Tower 2 & 3 (197 and 198 units on 44 floors each): These two twin towers have smaller units and they do not have private lifts.

It was developed by a joint venture between Astra Group and Hong Kong Land, both subsidiaries of the conglomerate Jardine Matheson. Next to Anandamaya, you also have the Menara Astra, the headquarters of the firm in Indonesia.

I visited a 2-bedroom unit in tower 2 in May 2019, and this is my full review of the property:

Location:

Neighborhood and Transportation

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Anandamaya Residences located?

Location of Anandamaya in Jakarta

Anandamaya is part of Tanah Abang, a large and diverse district with both poor and rich areas. The complex is in one of the latter, with a perfect location right on Jalan Sudirman, in the heart of Jakarta’s business district.

It is near most of the major office buildings in the city, as well as the most famous malls and restaurants. The main drawback is that if you have a family, it is a bit far from most international schools.

How does it look like around the apartment?

The surroundings of Anandamaya are quite modern, especially near Jalan Sudirman where a sidewalk has been recently built:

Sudirman Street in front of the entrance to Anandamaya Residences

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is it from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 60 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 10 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 1 minutes
– Kota Tua: 45 minutes
– Kemang: 45 minutes

Public transportation and access to highways:
Even though I doubt that the residents of Anandamaya will take public transportation, it is still interesting to know that there are some options very nearby:

– Nearest Transjakarta halt: In front of Menara Astra (100 meters away)
– Nearest MRT station: Setiabudi Astra (250 meters away)
– Nearest train station: Sudirman Station (1 km away)
– Nearest toll road: Toll Semanggi (2 km away)

Landmarks Nearby

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Nearby, there are a few landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
Citywalk Sudirman is about 5-10 minutes away walking distance: It is a boutique mall, with many affordable restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and a bar. There is also a supermarket Papaya (a Japanese brand, quite expensive), a Gold’s Gym, three hairdressers, an ATM center, a private school (Raffles Institute) and a function hall. Note that there are no retail shops. At lunchtime, Citywalk is always packed with office workers, but it is quieter in the evening. If you enjoy street food, there are at least 30 stalls just outside the mall.

You can also go to Grand Indonesia (10 minutes by car), one of the largest upscale malls in Jakarta. It has pretty much anything you may need, including 2 supermarkets, a huge cinema and 3 department stores (Sogo, Seibu, Central). It is also a popular hangout spot with plenty of coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. Next to Grand Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia is another option, more luxurious.

Supermarkets:
The nearest ones are the Daily FoodHall in Istana Sahid Apartments and Papaya in Citywalk Sudirman. For more choice, you can check Ranch Market in Grand Indonesia or FoodHall in Plaza Indonesia.

Restaurants:
The nearest places to eat are within Menara Astra (3-minute walk). There, you have two upscale Japanese restaurants and a food court.

If you go a bit further, you will find plenty of other options: In Ayana Midplaza Hotel, in Sahid Sudirman Residence (Misticanza), in Grand Sahid Jaya (Bengawan Solo, Bushido), in MidPlaza (Rasa, HonZen), in Sahid Sudirman Center (Johnny Rocket’s), in Citiwalk Sudirman, etc.

Bars and Nightlife:
Nearby nightlife areas are around Grand Indonesia (Skye, Cloud), in Mega Kuningan (Basque, Loewy) or in SCBD (Fairgrounds).

Education
This is not the best area if you have kids or if you are a student. There are not many universities or International schools. Here a few within a reasonable distance:

– Universities: Atma Jaya Semanggi, London School of Public Relations, Sahid University, LaSalle College
– High schools: Only local schools (SMA)
– Preschool: Little Ants, Da Little School, Kinderfield Sudirman Park, HighReach Sudirman Park

Hospitals and clinics:
Sahid Sudirman Memorial Hospital
Takenoko Clinic (inside Sahid Sudirman Residence – Japanese)
SOS Medika Clinic (expensive – international quality)
Siloam Semanggi

There is a Guardian pharmacy in Menara Astra.

Parks:
The closest ones would be the Monas or Bung Karno.

Offices:
Plenty of offices nearby: Sahid Sudirman Center, MidPlaza, Sampoerna Strategic Square, IFC, World Trade Center, Indofood, etc.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

Who is the developer?
Anandamaya Residences is the first property project from PT Brahmayasa Sejahtera, a joint-venture between Hong Kong Land (owner of Jakarta’s World Trade Center) and the conglomerate Astra International. The latter is involved in various industries, but it is mostly known as the manufacturer of Toyota and Honda in Indonesia. The majority shareholder of both these companies is the Jardine Matheson group.

Who is the architect?
The main architect of Anandamaya Residences was the Singaporean firm SCDA. It is a prestigious company that has designed buildings all over the world, including the W Hotel in Bali, Casa Domaine in Jakarta, the Park Royal in the Maldives, and the National Design Center in Singapore.

They were assisted by a local architect consultant, Anggara Architeam (behind LaVie, Casablanca Mansion, Pondok Indah Residences, etc).

Who is the contractor?
It was Tata Mulia, a large company that has constructed some prestigious buildings in Jakarta, such as the Gama tower (tallest tower in Indonesia), Four Winds Senayan, and the Four Seasons (tower 3).

What is the situation with the land certificate?
The developer has a Hak Guna Bangunan Murni, which means the property was built on its own land. As an apartment owner, you get a “Strata Title di atas HGB Murni”.

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From Outside (Facade):

Architecture Anandamaya

Architecture of Anandamaya Residences

Entrance and Lobby:

You can enter the property through one of their two gates: The first one is on Jalan Karet Pasar Baru Timur 5 (opposite the Ayana Residences) and the second one is directly on Jalan Sudirman.

Entrance gate to Anandamaya Residences (via Jalan Karet Pasar Baru Timur 5)

Entrance to Anandamaya (from Jalan Sudirman)

Car drop off in Anandamaya Residences

Car drop off to Anandamaya Residences

Lobby and reception of Anandamaya Residences

Landscaping and Public Areas:

The landscaping was designed by Bill Bensley, a Bangkok-based, American consultant that has worked on many luxury projects such as the Four Seasons Koh Samui or the Capella in Ubud.

It occupies a large space on several floors, with various areas and styles:

Garden of Anandamaya Residences

Day beds in garden of Anandamaya Residences

Sculpture in the garden of Anandamaya Residences

Pergolas in Anandamaya Residences

Garden in Anandamaya Residences

Path in garden of Anandamaya Residences

Path in the garden of Anandamaya Residences

Sculpture near the lobby of Anandamaya Residences

Corridors and lifts:

Only the units in Tower 2 and 3 have a common lift and corridor:

Lifts in Anandamaya Residences

Size and Types of Apartments

The apartments’ size is approximately the following:

In Anandamaya One (private lift):
3-bedroom unit (3-4 bathrooms, maid room): 217-268 m2
4-bedroom units (4 bathrooms, maid room, private pool): 363 m2
Penthouse (4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, maid room): 1000m2

In Anandamaya Tower 2 and 3:
2-bedroom unit (2 bathrooms, maid room): 131-150 m2
3-bedroom units (2 bathrooms, maid room): 174 m2

You can see the exact floor plan here: Types of Units in Anandamaya.

These are the picture I took from the unit I visited (standard furniture from developer):

Door to apartment in Anandamaya Residences

Living room in Anandamaya Residences

Master bedroom in Anandamaya Residences

Kitchen in Anandamaya Residences

Bathtub in Anandamaya Residences

Bathrooms in Anandamaya Residences

Materials and Equipment

What is the quality of the materials, furniture, and equipment used in the construction?
This is an evaluation of the quality I observed (ranked from 1 – worst – to 10 – best):

In common areas:
Tiles lobby: 8.5
Painting (wall, ceiling): 8.5
Lighting fixtures: 8
Doors: 8
Windows: 8 (soundproof)
Ceiling: 8
Elevator: 8.5
Gym equipment: 9
Pool equipment: 9
Furniture: 8
Artwork: 8.5

In the apartments:
Tiles/Parquet: 8.5
Bathroom equipment: 8.5
Kitchen equipment: 8

Overall Quality: 8.5/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming Pool: There are several pools, including an Olympic-sized basin, a jacuzzi, and a kids’ pool.

Pool in Anandamaya Residences

Sun beds at the pool of Anandamaya Residences

Pool in Anandamaya Residences

Day bed at the pool of Anandamaya Residences

– Indoor pool:

Indoor pool with turquoise walls in Anandamaya Residences

– Sauna and hammam

Sauna in Anandamaya Residences

Steam room in Anandamaya Residences

– Gym

Gym of Anandamaya Residences

Fitness room in Anandamaya Residences

Aerobic and Yoga Room in Anandamaya Residences

– Kid’s playground

Kids games in Anandamaya Residences

Kids playground in Anandamaya Residences

– Other facilities:

Billiard room in Anandamaya Residences

Private home theater in Anandamaya Residences

– Other facilities and services not pictured here: Tennis court, Badminton court, BBQ area, ATM, laundry service.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
None that I know about.

Are there issues with parking?
None that I know about.

Are there enough lifts?
Yes.

Atmosphere

Is the property busy?
Anandamaya was sold out several months before being completed. The handover of the apartments is currently underway, so you can expect it to be full within a year.

There are over 500 units in total, which is quite a lot. You can expect the gym or the pool area to be reasonably crowded on weekends or after office hours.

Is it noisy?
The apartments are soundproof so you should hear much noise from the outside.

I saw that there is a local neighborhood (kampung) just in front of the property. There is a mosque, but I don’t know if it is loud enough to be a disturbance.

One thing you might want to take into consideration is that this kampung will probably be replaced by high-rise towers in the near future. This will mean at least 2 years of construction work and an obstructed view.

Kampung in front of Anandamaya Residences

What is the background of the residents?
From what I read, 30% of the buyers of Anandamaya were related to Astra International or Hong Kong Land: Employees, families, friends, investors, etc.

I didn’t see many residents, but the agent told me there were a large number of Japanese expatriates.

Management

Maintenance

Are there visible damages?
No, it’s still brand new.

Overall maintenance rating: 8.5/10

Cleanliness

The property was very clean.

Overall cleanliness rating: 9/10

Gardening

The maintenance of the garden was excellent.

Overall gardening rating: 9/10

Security

– Guards: There are 24/7 guards at both gates of the property and at the entrance of each tower.
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby, in the lift and in the corridors.
– Access: You need an access card to reach your floor.

Overall security rating: 9/10

Hospitality

The staff is friendly and professional.

Overall hospitality rating: 9/10

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Anandamaya Residences may vary depending on many factors such as the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings.

Be aware that you may also need to pay for additional fees: Service charge, parking fee, electricity and water bills, etc.

Here are a few examples of prices and ratios for this property:

2-Bedroom Deluxe (131m2) in Tower 2 or 3 – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 480 million (or IDR 40 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 8,000,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 16.6 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 61 million/m2

3-Bedroom Suites in Anandamaya One (217m2) in – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 720 million (or IDR 60 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 16,000,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 22.2 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 73.7 million/m2

The service charge per month is around IDR 35,000 per m2.

Investment Potential

Reasons to buy:
Best location in Jakarta
Developed by a famous conglomerate
Popular with expat residents
High quality construction and design
Prices on the property market in Jakarta currently rather low

Reasons NOT to buy:
All apartments have already been sold. The ones available on the market are from investors speculating.
There are still many luxury projects under development in Jakarta, and many empty plots of land in prime location as well. This limits the potential increase of prices in the city.

Would I buy this property? (On a scale from 0 = “not at all” to 10 = “yes absolutely” ):
6/10. It’s a rather safe but large investment.