Puri Casablanca is an upscale apartment complex featuring 4 towers of 32 floors each for a total of 988 units. Completed in 1997 on 17,690m2 of land, it was developed by the PT Angkasa Interland, a subsidiary of Indonesia Prima Property (owner of Novotel Surabaya and Blok M Mall).

Some of the apartments in Puri Casablanca are independently-owned and managed, while some are considered serviced apartments. In that case, they are rented directly by the complex’s management (see contact details below).

I stayed in a serviced apartment 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:

The following section is partly copied from my review of Casablanca Mansion, another apartment complex just 1,000 meters from Puri Casablanca.

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Puri Casablanca is at the entrance of Tebet, a middle-class, mostly residential neighborhood. It has become more upmarket recently, especially since the mall Kota Kasablanka was built. It has also benefited from the completion of the Casablanca flyover, which makes it easier to reach Central Jakarta (via Tanah Abang).

Technically, the business district of Kuningan is not far from Puri Casablanca (1 kilometer away), but because of complicated U-turns, it can take at up to 15-20 minutes by car to get there.

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 75 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 30 minutes
– Kota Tua: 70 minutes
– Kemang: 50 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
The area around Puri Casablanca is a bit strange as it is bordered by two cemeteries (Menteng Pulo and Ereveld).  For me, it was not a big problem, but I’m sure it can make some people uncomfortable. If it is the case, you should know that there are only a few units that do not have a cemetery view.

This means that the neighborhood around Puri Casablanca is not very interesting. As you exit the complex, you have an empty street, then the cemetery. The only interesting thing to do is to go to Jalan Casablanca and walk to the mall Kota Kasablanka.

What are the important landmarks nearby?

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

Malls:
Kota Kasablanka is the nearest mall and you can go there by foot in 5-10 minutes (or 3 minutes by car). It is popular and busy, especially on weekends. It targets the middle to upper-class, with a good selection of shops, restaurants and services. The anchor tenants are Sogo, Carrefour, XXI, H&M, Informa, Ace Hardware and Electronic Solution.

You have several more shopping centers in Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio, for instance, Lotte Avenue, Kuningan City, Ambassador and ITC Kuningan. You need about 15-20 minutes to reach them.

Supermarkets:
You have a convenient, yet expensive, Daily Food Hall inside Puri Casablanca that has a rather large choice (imported meat, fruits, vegetables, imported products like pasta, cereals, cans, etc). For a bigger and cheaper supermarket, you can also go to Carrefour in Kota Kasablanka.

Restaurants:
There is a handful of warungs walking distance (behind the cemetery). For more choice, you’ll need to go to Kota Kasablanka. There, you have everything from expensive Western food to cheap Asian snacks.

Bars and Nightlife:
Several restaurants in Kota Kasablanka serve alcohol, for instance, Munchies. For better nightlife, you can go to Mega Kuningan as well, 20 minutes away by car.

Universities:
Tebet is a popular area for student accommodation, but there aren’t many major universities there.

Schools and Preschools:
Playdough Preschool is located inside Puri Casablanca.
A local SMA/SMP is just 3 minutes away from the complex.

Hospitals:
None is really near, but several are within reasonable distance. Rumah Sakit MMC is the most recommended (10-15 minutes by car).

Parks:
None is nearby. If you don’t find that too creepy, you can always go to the cemetery for a walk.

Offices:
The Central Business District starts in Jalan Rasuna Said, at least 10 minutes away. Mega Kuningan is 20 minutes away. Sudirman is 25 minutes away.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Puri Casablanca is 200 meters from Jalan Casablanca, an important street linking East Jakarta to Kuningan. It is also close to Jalan Rasuna Said, a major road going from Menteng to the highway in Gatot Subroto.

Despite being close to these streets, you often need to make very long U-turns, sometimes even if you just need to go nearby.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
The traffic is often congested around the apartment, even during weekends. Jalan Casablanca is used by thousands of commuters from East Jakarta and Bekasi every day.

Is it easy for taxis/Grab to find the location?
Yes. There are always at least 5 blue bird taxis waiting just outside Puri Casablanca.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
There is a stop in front of Kota Kasablanka but not a dedicated corridor. This means you will get stuck in traffic like everyone else. Only 3 small lines are available (6C, 6D, 6E), going to Tebet Station, Mega Kuningan and Karet Sudirman.

Is there a train station nearby?
Not really. The nearest is Tebet Station, still 5 kilometers away (at least 15 minutes by car).

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rapid Transit)?
The LRT will have stops on Jalan Rasuna Said. The exact location is unknown but it should be several kilometers away from Puri Casablanca.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
The sidewalk is decent enough to walk up to Kota Kasablanka.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer,  PT Angkasa Interland (Indonesia Prima Property Tbk), is not very well-known. The same company also owns Novotel Surabaya Hotel & Suites, Grand Tropic Suites in Jakarta, and Blok M Mall.

After some research, it seems that the owner is the family of Sjamsul Nursalim, the founder of Gajah Tunggal (GT, the largest tire manufacturer in Indonesia).

Who is the architect?
The architect for this project was Architect Pacific Ltd, a Hongkong firm headed by Stephen F. McKelvey. They also designed various apartments in the USA and Indonesia. In Jakarta, they were responsible for Apartemen Casablanca, Batavia Apartments, Taman Rasuna and Executive Menteng.

The interior design was done by Design Ideas, a Singapore firm.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was PT Waskita Karya, a huge Indonesian conglomerate, government-owned, that has a solid experience building major bridges and toll roads.

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)
I liked the design of Puri Casablanca. The towers are thin, painted in white with large glass windows and balconies. Aircon units are visible but discreet. On the rooftop, there are penthouses with a huge glass roof.

Entrance:
The entrance to Puri Casablanca is well-marked, with a separation for cars and pedestrians:

Reception:
The reception of each tower is quite small and it is often busy with guests. There is only a few seats for waiting. The style is quite old, but still ok:

Landscaping:
The garden of Puri Casablanca is spacious, with a long walking track and a neat maintenance (sculpted plants). There are plenty of facilities and games for residents to enjoy:

Corridors:
A bit disappointing, the tiles are small and damaged. The walls are narrow and they could use some paint.

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments’ size is rather generous:

– 1-bedroom units = 70m2 (1 bathroom) with LCD TV (63 channels), separated living room, kitchen, and service area with washing machine.
– 2-bedroom units (1 master bedroom + 1 single bedroom)  = 93m2 (2 bathrooms) with LCD TV (63 channels), separated living room, kitchen, and service area with washing machine.
– 3-bedroom units (1 master bedroom + 2 single bedrooms) = 110m2 (2 bathrooms) with LCD TV (63 channels), separated living room, kitchen, and service area with washing machine.

There are also penthouses on the last floors.

Note that only all the serviced apartments have the same layouts. However, those belonging to individual owners may be different.

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: 7
Tiles Corridors: 4
Tiles Apartment: 4
Painting: 4
Lighting: 5
Doors: 6
Ceiling: 6
Room Condition: 6
Elevator: 7
Gym equipment: 6
Pool and Garden equipment: 6
Furniture: 6
Artwork: 6

Overall Quality: 6/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Good quality but there were a few traces of paints remaining from the construction.

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: It is not too large, unfortunately, and quite crowded. Not ideal for swimmers but fun for kids with its lagoon shape and toboggan. The pool area is surrounded by a nice garden and you have several lounge chair to relax. There is also a kids’ pool next to it. Something enjoyable was that there isn’t too much shade like in many other apartment complexes in Jakarta.

– Jacuzzi (I didn’t try it but it was functioning well):

– Kids’ Playground: There are two of them in the garden:

– Golf practice:

– Walking/Running/Bicycling path (around 500 meters, all around the garden):

– A reflexology path:

– Three tennis courts in an excellent condition:

– A gym and an aerobic room with old but functioning equipment (Startrac brand). Some rare machines like a rower and a leg press. The changing rooms have a sauna.

What are the services available within the property?
A few services are available on-site: A supermarket (Daily Food Hall) where you can also buy alcohol and prepared food (roast chicken, fried rice, pasta, etc, open until 11 pm), ATMs, laundry, massage, pre-school, restaurant. You can also walk to the Mall Kota Kasablanka in 5 minutes if you need more.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
Not that I know of.

Are their issues with parking?
The parking has 1020 spaces, 1 per apartment units + 100 for guests. It is normally sufficient unless you own two cars.

How many lifts are there in each tower?
There are 4 lifts per tower. I never had any issues with the lifts.

Does the apartment have centralized hot water?
No, but each unit has an individual 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.

Quality of WIFI?
It was pretty weak. Enough for checking emails but not ideal for working.

Atmosphere

Is the property busy?
Yes, it is rather busy, especially the lobby of the hotel/serviced apartments (Dahlia tower) as there are many daily check-ins and checkouts. The swimming pool and the garden are also crowded. According to Puri Casablanca’s management, the official occupancy rate is 76%.

Is it noisy?
There is a mosque on the north side of the complex. Apart from that, it is pretty quiet all around (thanks for the cemetery).

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are Indonesian families (both Indo Chinese and Pribumi). In Dahlia tower, I notice there are a lot of Arabs. So many that the menu of the restaurant is translated in Arab actually. There are also foreigners from other nationality, most of them short-term guests.

Overall, residents are from an upper-middle-class background.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed in 1997 (started in 1994).

Are there visible damages?
Honestly, considering the property is more than 20 years old, I thought the condition of the apartments is satisfactory. For sure, the furnishing is old and there are plenty of small damages, but it is still reasonable overall. A few things that bothered me were chipped tiles, torn tapestry, paint flaking off and some traces of humidity on the ceiling. For instance near the elevator:

Cleanliness

I found the property to be clean.

Gardening

The garden is well-maintained.

Security

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

Hospitality

The staff was friendly and professional, but they were quite busy at the reception.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Puri Casablanca 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:

Individual owner – 2-Bedroom Type (93m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 168 million (or 14 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 1,700,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 10.1 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 18.2 million/m2

Serviced Apartment:

• 1 month in 1-bedroom = IDR20,000,000 per month
• 1 month in 2-bedroom = IDR25,000,000 per month
• 1 month in 3-bedroom = IDR33,000,000 per month

Which units are the best?
You have to be aware that almost all units have a view on the cemetery. If you stay on a high floor, though, especially in a unit facing the East, it will be better.

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:

• A hypothetical refurbishment plan by the developer could boost the value of the property

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• The property is already 20 years old. It is still in a fair condition but there is still a risk.
• If the developer needs to renew the HGB, apartment owners will probably need to pay their share

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
The buying price for apartments in Puri Casablanca is reasonable while the rental price is still quite high. On the paper, it seems like an interesting investment. However, before buying there, I would recommend asking in details about the cost of the renewal of the HGB, the cost of the service charge (old buildings need more maintenance) and whether a refurbishment is planned or not.