Pondok Indah Residences is a luxury apartment complex of 3 towers for a total of 784 units. It was completed in 2018 on 2,8 hectares of land by PT. Metropolitan Kentjana (Pondok Indah Group), the owner of Pondok Indah Mall.

The towers are the following:

Maya: 24 floors with 1 and 2-bedroom units (common lift) for a total of 336 apartments
Kartika: 32 floors with 3-bedroom units and 4-bedroom penthouses (2 private lifts) for a total of 232 apartments
Amala: 31 floors with 3-bedroom units (2 private lifts) for a total of 216 units

I stayed about a week in Pondok Indah Residences, and this is my complete review of it:

Location

Neighborhood and Transportation

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Pondok Indah Residences located?

Location of Pondok Indah Residences

Pondok Indah Residences is located in the sub-district of Pondok Pinang, which is in the Kebayoran Lama district. More precisely, it is in the neighborhood of Pondok Indah, which is one of the richest residential areas in the city (along with Menteng and Senopati).

This neighborhood is mostly low-rise, except for a few apartment complexes. The houses in Pondok Indah are known to be massive and extravagant, especially in the smaller streets near the Pondok Indah golf course. It is not uncommon for rents to reach USD7,000 or USD8,000 per month for the nicest properties.

Even though this location is far from the business district, it is popular with families for several reasons: Less traffic, better air quality, reputed schools and hospitals nearby, a large expat community, and the convenience of the mall Pondok Indah.

How does it look like around the apartment?
Pondok Indah Residences is within 5 minutes, walking distance, to Pondok Indah Mall 2.

The immediate surroundings of the property are currently a bit messy as Pondok Indah Mall 3 is under construction just across the street.

Surroundings Pondok Indah Residences

Surroundings Pondok Indah Residences

Surroundings Pondok Indah Residences

Public transportation and access to highways:
– Transjakarta: Pondok Indah 2 (500 meters away)
– Train: None nearby
– MRT: Lebak Bulus (6 kilometers away)
– Toll road: Jakarta Outer Ring Road (4 kilometers away)

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is it from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 50 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 60 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 40 minutes
– Kota Tua: 80 minutes
– Kemang: 30 minutes

Landmarks Nearby

These are the important landmarks nearby:

Malls:
Pondok Indah Mall is just 5 minutes from the complex. It actually consists of several malls that are interconnected: Pondok Indah Mall 1 (PIM1), Pondok Indah Mall 2 (PIM2) and Street Gallery. It is the largest in Jakarta and extremely popular with mid-to-upper class Jakartans. You can find anything there: Fashion shops, supermarkets, cinemas, restaurants, bars, etc.

A new extension, Pondok Indah Mall 3, is currently under construction just across the street from Pondok Indah Residences. When completed, a tunnel or a bridge should connect the two entities.

Another nearby mall is Gandaria City (3 kilometers), which is smaller and targets a younger crowd. I often go there because it has an IMAX theater.

Supermarkets:
There are two supermarkets in Pondok Indah Mall, Hero in PIM1 and FoodHall in PIM2. Both are similarly expensive and they have plenty of imported products. Another option is Ranch Market (1 km away).

Restaurants:
There are many restaurants in Pondok Indah Mall, especially in Street Gallery.

Bars and Nightlife:
Pondok Indah is not the most happening location in Jakarta for nightlife, but you still have a few decent options. In Street Gallery, you can go to Union, to Monolog or to Havana Café. A bit further, in Pondok Indah Plaza, De Hooi is a popular expat bar which has live bands on weekends.

For better bars and clubs, you will have to go to Senopati (25 minutes) or Kemang (30 minutes).

Education
Access to quality education facilities is one of the main reasons Pondok Indah is popular with expats. In particular, it is near the JIS (Jakarta Intercultural School), the most prestigious international school in Jakarta.

Other nearby reputed schools are Raffles, Lentera, Jakarta Islamic School, and SMA Al-Azhar.

For preschools, Tutor Time is recommended.

Hospitals and clinics:
Pondok Indah Hospital
Siloam TB Simatupang

Offices:
TB Simatupang is about 10-20 minutes by car. It is considered the second business district of Jakarta and it is growing rapidly. However, it is still small compared with the Sudirman/Rasuna Said business district (40 minutes away).

Parks and golf courses:
Pondok Indah Golf Course (5 minutes)
Pondok Indah Water Park (8 minutes)

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

Who is the developer?
Pondok Indah Residences was developed by PT. Metropolitan Kentjana (Pondok Indah Group), the owner of Pondok Indah Mall 1 and 2, Puri Indah Mall, Windsor Apartments and Pondok Indah Golf Apartments. They are also currently building Pondok Indah Mall 3 and Puri Indah Mall 2.

The most important (47%) shareholders of this group are Siti Hartati Murdaya and her husband Murdaya Poo (owner of JI Expo and the World Trade Center in Sudirman).

Who is the architect?
Pondok Indah Residences was designed by DP Architects, a firm from Singapore whose portfolio also includes Senayan City, Central Park Jakarta, Kemang Village, LaVie Kuningan and The Peak.

They were assisted by a local consultant, Anggara Architeam (LaVie, Casablanca Mansion, Casa Domaine, etc).

The interior design was done by Genius Loci and the landscaping by Belt Collins International (both from Singapore).

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Total Bangun Persada, a reputed Indonesian company that has undertaken hundreds of large projects such as Kemang Village, The Peak Sudirman, Verde One, the Pakubuwono Residence, Mediterania Garden Residences, 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 (Facade):
The towers are not particularly pretty and they look average:

Pondok Indah Residences from pool

Pondok Indah Residences Architecture

Entrance:

Entrance to Pondok Indah Residences

Fountain at car drop off Pondok Indah Residences

Fountain car drop off Pondok Indah Residences

Reception/Lobby:

Entrance to Maya tower in Pondok Indah Residences

Lobby sofa in Pondok Indah Residences

Lobby in Pondok Indah Residences

Reception desk Pondok Indah Residences

Lobby Pondok Indah Residences

Landscaping and Public Areas:

I really liked the spacious public areas and the garden in Pondok Indah Residences. It feels relaxing walking around surrounded by plants and trees, especially after spending a day in the madness of Jakarta.

Landscape in Pondok Indah Residences

Garden in Pondok Indah Residences

Path in garden of Pondok Indah Residences

Pondok Indah Residence pool

Corridors and lifts:

These photos are from Maya tower, the only one with a common lift. I don’t have pictures of the private lifts in Kartika and Amala towers.

Lifts in ground floor of Pondok Indah Residences

Lift Pondok Indah Residences

Lift apartment Pondok Indah Residences

Corridors in Pondok Indah Residences (still under construction)

Door entrance Pondok Indah Residences

Size and Types of Apartments

The apartments’ size is approximately the following:

Tower Maya:
1-bedroom units (1 bathroom): Semi gross = 80m2, Net = 64m2
2-bedroom units (2 bathrooms, maid room): Semi gross = 110m2, Net = 88m2

Tower Amala:
3-bedroom units (3 bathrooms, maid room): Net = 132m2 -147m2

Tower Kartika:
3-bedroom units (3 bathrooms, maid room): Net = 132m2 – 147m2
4-bedroom units Penthouse (5 bathrooms, maid room): Net = 280m2

Here are some photos that I took from a 1-bedroom unit:

Living room apartment Pondok Indah Residences

Living Room Pondok Indah Residences

Kitchen Pondok Indah Residences

Bathroom in Pondok Indah Residences

Balcony Pondok Indah 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
Tiles corridors: 7
Painting (wall, ceiling): 8
Lighting fixtures: 7
Doors/windows: 7
Ceiling: 7
Elevator: 8
Gym equipment: 7
Pool equipment: 7.5
Furniture: 7.5
Artwork: 7

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

Overall Quality: 7.5/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– There are 3 pools: The main one is Olympic-sized and a dream for swimmers. There is also a kids pool and a covered pool.

Swimming pool of Pondok Indah Residences

Second pool in Pondok Indah Residences

Kids pool of Pondok Indah Residences

Pool area in Pondok Indah Residences

– The gym is fine, but I was a little bit disappointed as it only has few weightlifting machines. This is a problem if you train at 7 PM as there will be many users at this time.

Gym in Pondok Indah Residences

Gym Pondok Indah Residences

Gym in Pondok Indah Residences

– Other facilities:

Tennis court Pondok Indah Residences

– Facilities not pictured here: Kids playroom, sauna, jacuzzi, hammam.

What are the services available within the property?
ATM, laundry, minimarket.

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

Are their issues with parking?
None that I know about. Residents get 2 parking spaces per unit.

Are there enough lifts?
Yes.

Atmosphere

Is the property busy?
It is still quiet but I’m pretty sure the occupancy will reach nearly 100% within a couple of years.

Is it noisy?
My apartment had a view on the Pondok Indah Mall 3 project, which was quite noisy. Fortunately, the windows were soundproof so it didn’t bother me that much. If you are sensitive to sounds, I recommend choosing an apartment facing the swimming pool as they are quieter.

Note that there is also a large mosque that can be heard from the units facing north.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) of residents?
The residents are a mix of expats and Indonesians.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
The property was completed in 2018.

Are there visible damages?
No. It is still new.

Overall maintenance rating: 9/10

Cleanliness

I found the property to be very clean.

Overall cleanliness rating: 9/10

Gardening

The garden is well-maintained.

Overall gardening rating: 8/10

Security

– Guards: On duty at the entrance and lobby 24/7
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby, public areas and lift
– Access: You need a 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 Pondok Indah 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:

1 Bedrooms (80m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 288 million (or 24 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 4,300,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 14.9 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 53 million/m2

Investment Potential

Reasons to buy:
A popular location for expats
Soon to be connected to Pondok Indah Mall 3
Near Jakarta International School
Luxurious facilities and spacious public areas
Near TB Simatupang’s business district

Reasons NOT to buy:
There is still some empty land in this area, meaning more towers can be built (thus putting pressure on the price of Pondok Indah Residences)

Would I buy this property? (On a scale from 0 = “not at all” to 10 = “yes absolutely” ): 8/10