Royal Mediterania Garden Residences (also called “Royal Medit” or “Royal MGR”) is a midrange apartment complex featuring 2 towers of 36 floors (Lavender – L, and Marigold – M) with a total of 1,619 units.

It is one of the best residential complexes in Podomoro City, a 25-hectare superblock belonging to Agung Podomoro Land that also includes, among others, Mediterania Garden Residences 1 & 2 (MGR1 & MGR2), Mall Central Park, Central Park Apartments, APL Tower, Soho Mall & Apartments, Pullman Hotel and Madison Apartments.

I stayed there for a few days and this is my honest review of it. If you know about this property, please add your own comment and rating at the end of the article.

Location

Note that the following section is partially copied from my review of Mediterania Garden Residences 1.

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
As I wrote above, Royal Mediterania Garden Residences is located in Podomoro City, opposite Central Park Mall. The drawing below will help you get an idea of how it looks like (some projects are missing, though):

Podomoro City

Podomoro City itself is in Grogol Petamburan, a middle-class district of West Jakarta. It is partly residential, with a strong Indonesian Chinese community, but it is also a commercial and transportation hub due to its strategic location at the intersection of important highways (Jakarta-Tangerang and Jakarta Inner Ring Road).

Toll Roads in Front of Podomoro City

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 40 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 40 minutes
– Kota Tua: 60 minutes
– Kemang: 70 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
Podomoro City is a modern area that does not look at all like a typical Jakarta neighborhood. It is made of wide streets, such as Jalan Podomoro Avenue, that are bordered with malls and residential complexes.

If you don’t mind the heat, you can walk along those streets, shop in rukos (boutiques) or eat in various coffee shops. It is cleaner and more pleasant than elsewhere in Jakarta as the city is managed privately and not by the government.

Podomoro City View from Madison Park

Rukos in Podomoro City

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Nearby, there are several landmarks you can go to:

Malls:

Central Park Mall: A middle-class mall, popular with young people, with an outdoor area (called Tribeca Park) and a large number of affordable fashion shops (Sogo, Mango, Guess, Marks and Spencer, Pull & Bear, Topman, Stradivarius, H&M, etc.). Also a cinema, a supermarket, a gym, cafés, restaurants, bars, salons, banking and travel services, etc.

Central Park Mall and Tribeca Park

Neo Soho: One of the newest malls in Jakarta, it is connected to Central Park by a bridge. It is not too crowded at the moment and the main attraction there is the Central department store. There is also an aquarium.

Taman Anggrek Mall: It is not part of Podomoro City but you can reach it by foot in less than 10 minutes. It is a middle-class mall as well, very busy, with an ice-skating rink on its last floor. It also has a cinema and a gym.

You can also reach a few more malls nearby in less than 10 minutes by car (for instance Ciputra Mall or Seasons City, both for low-to-middle income customers).

Supermarkets:
There is a Giant Express supermarket inside MGR1, a Transmart Carrefour in Central Park Mall and a Hero Supermarket in Taman Anggrek Mall.

You can also go to several 24-hour minimarkets in the ground floor of MGR1 and MGR2 (Alfamart, Indomaret).

Restaurants:
There is plenty of choice for eating out, from cheap canteens to upper-class restaurants. Most of them are in Soho and Central Park mall, serving Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese or Korean food.

Bars and Nightlife:
While Podomoro City is not the best area of Jakarta for nightlife, there are enough bars to have a pleasant night out. I recommend going to Central Park Mall and visit Hog’s Breath Café, La Bière, Pizza e Birra, Bistreau and People’s Café.

Universities:
There are 4 large private universities within less than 2 kilometers: Universitas Podomoro (within Podomoro City), Universitas Kristen Krida Wacana (UKRIDA), Universitas Trisakti and Universitas Tarumanegara. Note that all of these universities have a high number of Indonesian Chinese students.

A bit further, you also have Universitas Esa Unggul and BINUS (Anggrek campus).

Schools:
SMAK 1 BPK Penabur, a reputed Christian high school.
SMP Negeri 69

Preschools:
There are quite many in Podomoro City. The most reputed are Kidea and Little Giants Preschool.

Hospitals:
There are some specialized hospitals nearby, such as Dharmais Hospital (Cancer), Harapan Kita (Heart Disease) or Grogol Hospital (Mental Illness). Hospital Royal Taruma is the closest one with multi-specialties. Siloam Kebon Jeruk is 4 kilometers away.

Parks:
Taman Cattleya (or Taman Toman) is a free park on 3 hectares just 2 kilometers from Podomoro City. Nearer, you can go to the tiny Tribeca Park which is part of Central Park.

Offices:
There are not that many office buildings for the moment near Podomoro City, except APL tower. If you are a young professional, this means you will probably need to go to the Sudirman area every day. On average, you will need at least 30 minutes (double if there are a lot of traffic jams).

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
On paper, the location of Royal MGR is great. The Jakarta Inner Ring Road is within a few minutes and it circles the city. It goes to Sudirman, Rasuna Said, Gatot Subroto, Pluit, Mangga Dua, Cililitan and the Airport. The center of Jakarta (MoNas) can also be reached via Jalan Tomang Raya.

Nearby, you can catch the Jakarta – Tangerang highway, going to Puri Indah, Alam Sutera, Karawaci up until Merak.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
While the location of Podomoro City is strategic, its access is often difficult because of massive traffic jams near the toll gate exit and Jalan Podomoro Avenue entrance. If you go to Central Jakarta, you will also need to do a long U-turn (or make a significant detour through smaller streets in Tanjung Duren).

Naturally, the worst time is in the morning or evening, when people go to or come back from work. It is also terrible on weekends, especially Sunday afternoon. Sometimes, you’ll need 30 minutes only to exit or enter Podomoro City.

Something worrying is that thousand more apartments are planned in the future in Podomoro City. The traffic situation is likely to get worse.

Is it easy for taxis/GrabCar to find the location?
Yes, it is a very famous location.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
There is a stop on Jalan Toll Letjen S. Parman, opposite Central Park Mall. You need 10 minutes to go there by foot. It is served by 8 different lines going to many important places in Jakarta (Pluit, Senayan, Karet, PGC, etc).

Is there a train station nearby?
Grogol station is 2.5 kilometers away. It is a stop on the brown line from Tangerang to Duri.

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rapid Transit)?
An LRT line is planned between Grogol-Palmerah. It is the third phase of the project and you cannot expect it to be operational before 2020. The exact location of the station is unknown at the moment.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
Yes, there are decent sidewalks but they are narrow and you cannot walk too far.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer, Agung Podomoro Land (though its subsidiary PT Tiara Metropolitan Jaya), is one of the most famous in Indonesia for midrange apartments. They have a large portfolio of completed projects, many of which I’ve reviewed here already (Metro Park, Thamrin Residences, Sudirman Park, Kalibata City, etc).

While they are generally trustworthy, the quality of the maintenance of some of their properties is not adequate. This is especially true with the oldest ones such as Mediterania Gajah Mada.

Who is the architect?
While MGR1 and MGR2 were designed by Megatika International, it seems that Royal Mediterania was the work of the architectural consultant Airmas Asri. The latter has a better reputation as it has been involved in many high-end projects such as The Pakubowono Signature, The Pakubowono View or The Capital Residence.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Nusa Raya Cipta, a large Indonesian group that has a significant experience building midrange and upscale apartment towers (Cosmo Terrace, Thamrin Residence, Royale Springhill, Regatta 2, etc).

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:
The external appearance of the towers is quite bland, looking like any budget apartment complex. It is nothing more than a massive concrete building, with a uniform paint, small windows and balconies.

Royal Mediterania Garden (View from Madison Park Apartments)

Royal Mediterania Garden Facade

Main entrance and main lobby:
The main entrance is rather prestigious, with a high-floor lobby, marble tiles and comfortable sofas.

Main Lobby Royal Mediterania Garden

Lobby Royal Mediterania Garden (at Christmas Time)

Main Reception Royal Mediterania Garden

Second lobby:
There is also a smaller reception for each tower which is more common. I actually accessed my apartment from there most of the time. What I didn’t like is that you have to walk through the parking to go to the lift, which is not a pleasant experience.

Smaller Reception in Royal Mediterania Garden

Landscaping:
There is a large central area with a well-maintained garden and a huge swimming pool in the middle. It is well-designed, but unfortunately often in the shade because of the towers all around it.

Pool in Royal Mediterania Garden

Corridors:
Clean, but basic and without anything superfluous. The area near the lifts is more interesting with a false ceiling and marble around the elevator doors.

Corridors Royal Mediterania Garden

Lifts Corridor Royal Mediterania Garden

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments are generally larger than in MGR1 and MGR2, with at least 9 different combinations available:

– studio or 1-bedroom units range between 27 and 33m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units range between 41m2 and 83m2 (1 or 2 bathrooms)
– 3-bedroom units range between 100m2 and 110m2 (3 bathrooms)

Materials, Equipment, and Finishes

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):

Tiles Lobby: 4 to 6
Tiles Corridors: 4
Tiles Apartment: 4
Painting: 4
Lighting: 4
Doors: 5
Ceiling: 4
Elevator: 5
Gym equipment: 6
Pool equipment: 6
Furniture: 6
Artwork: 3

Overall Quality: 5/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Satisfactory, I didn’t see too many paint or cement drips.

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: It is very large, half-way between a resort pool and an Olympic pool. Great for swimming though it can be too crowded on weekends and evenings. There is shade from the towers most of the day.

Swimming Pool in Royal Mediterania Garden

– Sauna: I didn’t try it but it seemed to be working properly.

Sauna Room Royal Mediterania Garden

Sauna Royal Mediterania Garden

– Jacuzzi: It was working but the water is cold.

Jacuzzi Royal Mediterania Garden

– Kids Pool:

Kids Pool in Royal Mediterania Garden

– Artificial Beach for kids:

Beach Pool in Royal Mediterania Garden

– Fitness room: Not too big, all machines will be taken in the evenings after work. During the day, it was quiet and perfect for training.

Gym in Royal Mediterania Garden

Fitness Bicycles in Royal Mediterania Garden

– Squash Room:

Squash Room in Royal Mediterania Garden

– Reflexology garden: A fun feature, you just need to walk barefoot on the path to get the benefits of this reflexology.

Reflexology Garden in Royal Mediterania Garden

– Pergola:

Pergola in Royal Mediterania Garden

– Kids Playground:

Kids Playground Royal Mediterania Garden

What are the services available within the property?
Unlike Mediterania Garden Residence 1 & 2, there are not many services on the ground floor of Royal Mediterania. For this reason, I was often going to MGR2 as there is a direct access. It takes 3 minutes to arrive and there, you have minimarts, warungs, ATMs, pharmacies, salons, laundries, property agents, interior designers, etc.

There is also an underground tunnel between Royal Mediterania Garden and Central Park Mall, where you will find hundreds of shops and restaurants. It takes less than a minute to go there!

East Tunnel to Central Park Royal Mediterania Garden

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

Are their issues with parking?
None that I know of.

How many lifts are there in each tower?
There are 4 lifts per tower. Some units also have a private lift.

Lifts in Royal Mediterania Garden

Does the apartment have running hot water?
No, you will need an electric water heater.

What is the air-conditioning system used?
There is no central air-cooling system so each unit has its own individual electric AC.

Atmosphere

How busy is the property?
It is less busy compared with MGR1 and MGR2, which is normal as there are much fewer units. Still, I would guess that the occupancy rate is high as you can always see many people in the lobby or in the public areas.

Is it noisy?
My apartment was facing Central Park and I didn’t have any issues with noise.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are Indonesian Chinese from the middle to upper-middle class. Many are young professionals, singles or couples with no kids. Families are a minority. Many Pribumi Indonesians also, but very few foreigners.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed at the end of 2010.

Are there visible damages?
I didn’t notice any maintenance problems or damages.

Cleanliness

The property is clean.

Security

– Guards on duty at the gates and reception: 24/7
– CCTV cameras: Yes.
– Access card: Yes, you need an access card to enter the lift area and to reach your desired floor.

Hospitality

The staff was friendly and professional.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Royal Mediterania Garden 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:

Studio Type (27m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 55 million (or 4.6 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 880,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 16 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 32.6 million/m2

2-Bedroom Type (53m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 88 million (or 7.3 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 1,500,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 17 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 28.3 million/m2

3-Bedroom Type (100m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 168 million (or 14 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 2,800,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 16.7 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 28 million/m2

Which units are the best?
Lavender tower is considered the best as it is closer from Central Park Mall and it has a view on Podomoro City.

Investment Potential

Is there a potential for a price increase in the future?

A normal price increase would be around 5% per year. Here are some of the factors that may affect this rate:

– Factors pushing the prices up:

• The reputation of Podomoro City as a desirable location to live.
• New SOHO mall just 200 meters from Royal MGR.
• Agung Podomoro Land has a fairly good reputation.

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• Competition from new projects in Podomoro City like Grand Madison Park Apartments or elsewhere in Jakarta with better access to the MRT/LRT.
• Traffic jams are likely to increase as more apartments are added to Podomoro City.

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
The buying price in Royal Mediterania Garden is high, with a return on investment of at least 16 years not including repair costs, running expenses, taxes, interests, and fees. That’s quite long by Jakarta standards, probably because the complex is seen as a safe investment: The management is seen as trustworthy and the area is seen as strategic. For sure, you should have no difficulties finding a tenant or reselling if necessary.

I would feel comfortable investing there, knowing that it is not too risky and that I would receive a reasonable income from it.