GP Plaza is a high-rise tower located in Gelora, Central Jakarta. It features 26 floors and 2 wings, each of which has either apartments or offices. It was completed in 2013.

It was developed by the Gapura Prima Group, who is also the owner of The Bellezza Permata Hijau, Bellagio Mansion and Bellagio Residence. I tried several of their properties and I noticed that they usually make buildings that look prestigious, yet plagued with poor maintenance.

I stayed several nights in GP Plaza and this is my review of the complex.

Location

Neighborhood

The position of GP Plaza is very interesting and strategic. It is not in the heart of Jakarta, but slightly in the outside which means the prices are more affordable. The main interest is that it is close to the toll road S. Parman, which links the airport to Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Rasuna Said in the Central Business District. This means you are only 40 minutes from Soekarno-Hatta Airport and less than 20 minutes from the CBD. It is also relatively convenient (when the traffic is reasonable) to go to South Jakarta, for instance to Senayan, or to go to North Jakarta, for instance to Kota Tua.

Officially, the location of GP Plaza is in Gelora, Central Jakarta, but it is just across the street from Palmerah and Slipi neighborhoods in West Jakarta. These are local, middle-class and mostly residential areas which are slowly getting more expensive as the land becomes rarer in the center.

If you walk around GP Plaza, there won’t be too many things to do apart from your typical, everyday Indonesian businesses. Still, it is useful to know that, within a few minutes, they are convenience stores, warungs, a bakery, a pharmacy, etc.

Within less than 10 minutes by car, you can reach the following points of interest:

– Gelora Bung Karno Complex, where you’ll find the biggest stadium in Indonesia, a major convention center and a park (perfect for running). This is interesting if you plan on renting your apartment to short-term visitors as you will be able to increase the price every time there is an event.

– Several hospitals: RS Harapan Kita, RS Bhakti Mulia, RS Pelni, RS Darmais

– Binus University (one of their main campuses)

The closest malls are 10-15 minutes away by car: Taman Anggrek, Central Park, Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, Plaza Semanggi.

 Transportation

There are quite many means of transportation available from GP Plaza Apartments to the rest of the city.

If you decide to go by car, you’ll notice that you are 100 meters away from an important intersection between the toll road Jalan S. Parman (from the airport to the east) and Jalan Tentara Pelajar (going to Pondok Indah). The Semanggi interchange, maybe the largest in Jakarta, is only 1 kilometer away and from there you can head North or South rather easily.

Going by car is not your only option as there are both a train station and a Transjakarta halt within a short walk from GP Plaza.

The train station, Palmerah, is useful to go to Bintaro or Serpong, or to go to Tanah Abang Station.

From the Transjakarta station, Slipi Petamburan, literally just across the street, you will be able to go directly to Grogol, Pluit, Kalideres, Pinang Ranti, Cibinong, Cikarang and Pulo Gadung.

Walking is possible, but not on long distance. Still, you can access a few warungs and shops by foot. Since this area is not upscale, don’t expect to find stylish restaurants or bars, though.

Transjakarta Station as Seen From GP Plaza

Building Quality

Design and Architecture

GP Plaza’s tower resembles an office or a hotel more than a residence. It looks rather modern and neat, with glass windows from floor to ceiling. For Jakarta, it is not so common. This gives an executive feel that will certainly please young professionals or expats.

Airconditioning units are not visible. There are no balconies and the windows cannot be opened at a wide angle. To be honest, since there is a major highway just in front of the residence, it’s best to keep them closed both for the noise and the pollution.

There are only 3 types of apartments: Studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom. This choice seems consistent with my impression that it is a residence for young professionals and not for families.

GP Plaza Apartments and Office Jakarta

Building Materials

The materials used in the building of GP Plaza are generally decent and they correspond to what you could expect from a modern 3-star hotel. The lobby is spacious, with a high ceiling, and tiled with marble. The corridors are more simple and they were made with cost-effective materials. The fitness equipment in the gym is OK, but it is not from one of the top professional brands.

The floors are served by 3 elevators, from the Korean brand Sigma (which is a lower cost subsidiary of OTIS).

Corridors GP Plaza

Elevators GP Plaza Apartments

Lobby Area GP Plaza

Comfort

Facilities and Services

Since GP Plaza is a rather small residence, the number of facilities and services is limited. Here they are:

– A nice, lagoon-shaped swimming pool with a rather spectacular view of Jakarta’s traffic jams. Since there aren’t many families in the residence, the area is generally peaceful. There are a few sunbeds and some plants all around. A bit noisy unfortunately and not long enough for swimming properly.

Swimming Pool View

Swimming Pool Area GP Plaza

– A small gym, with enough equipment for a basic training: Treadmill, bike, and free weights.

Gym GP Plaza

– Some games for kids

Games for Kids

– A convenience store and a laundry in the basement

Londré Laundry Service

Convenience Store in Basement GP Plaza

– An ATM

There used to be a restaurant/café in the lobby floor but it was closed when I visited. This means that if you want to eat something, you’ll either need to walk outside and find some Indonesian warung, or take a taxi to go elsewhere. Personally, this did not bother me as I generally love eating street food.

Atmosphere

Since GP Plaza is both an office building and a residence, you have a certain “executive” atmosphere. This is not the place for people who want to forget about work, forget about the traffic, and forget that they are living in a big city.

I didn’t meet a lot of other residents during my stay, but I noticed there were a lot of smart looking girls in their 20s. I guessed that they could be flight attendant, which would make sense considering it is less than 40 minutes from the airport.

For me, this residence is suitable for young people with no children who enjoy going out in Jakarta and who frequently travel by plane.

Management

Maintenance

As I mentioned before, I’ve often observed that the properties belonging to Gapura Prima are not maintained as well as they should. That said, GP Plaza looked fine overall, apart from a few areas.

The main issue I saw was at the swimming pool level. There, a few rooms seemed to be abandoned and it looks pretty bad.

The residence is still quite new, so we will see if they can maintain the quality in the years to come.

Cleanliness

I thought that the public areas of GP Plaza were clean.

Security

There are security guards 24 hours, every day in the lobby. Also, to access your unit from the elevator, you will need a private pass. Finally, there are CCTVs in all key locations.

Hospitality

My contacts with the staff were limited but they all seemed nice and professional. My impression is that they know everyone who is living in the building.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at GP Plaza may vary depending on the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings. Be aware that you may also need to pay the service charge, the IPL (Iuran Pemeliharaan Lingkungan), the parking, the electricity, the water, etc.

On average, you will pay the following:

Studio (29m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 6M per month
• Buy: IDR 900,000,000

1-Bedroom Type (42m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 7M per month 
• Buy: IDR 1.100.000.000

2-Bedroom Type (52m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 8-9M per month
• Buy: IDR 1.300.000.000

Which units are the best?
I would say that it is better to rent or buy units that are facing the West as you won’t get the noise from the toll road. This is unless you want to see Jakarta’s skyline from your room. In that case, you should choose a unit facing the South/East.

Investment Potential

The current prices for apartments in GP Plaza is reasonable in my opinion. The property is not well-known but people will slowly realize how good its location is. A nice apartment there shall quickly find short-term or long-term tenants.

I don’t think the selling or renting price will increase significantly in the next few years, though. There is still empty land in the area, and there will be strong competition from bigger players (I’m thinking about the nearby Podomoro City) who have the advantage of offering a closer access to malls and better facilities.

Another thing that could worry me is that the management company does not have an excellent track record of maintaining the quality of their properties in the long term.