Kempinski Residences is a luxury residential tower of 58 floors with 263 units in total. Completed in 2008 by the group Djarum, it is just above the mall Grand Indonesia and it is connected to the Hotel Kempinski and Menara BCA.

I stayed in this property for a couple of days in 2019 and this is my full review of it:

Location

Neighborhood and Transportation

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Kempinski Residences located?

Location of Kempinski Residences in Jakarta

Kempiski Residences is just a hundred meters from Bundaran HI (Hotel Indonesia Roundabout), which can be considered the most central location in Jakarta. It is a perfect area to stay for those who are working in the business district near Jalan Sudirman or Jalan Thamrin.

Roundabout Bunderan Hotel Indonesia

It is also a fantastic location for those who enjoy going out and partying. Indeed, walking distance from Kempinski Residences, there are two big malls (Plaza Indonesia and Grand Indonesia) and 5 luxury hotels (Grand Hyatt, Keraton at the Plaza, Mandarin Oriental, Kempinski and Pullman). You can walk from one place to another, even though it can be quite hot, polluted and messy.

How does it look like around the apartments?
This is the street in front of the entrance gate of Kempinski Residences on a quiet day.

Surroundings of Kempinski Residences in Jakarta

How far is the property from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 60 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 0 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 5 minutes
– Kota Tua: 35 minutes
– Kemang: 45 minutes

Public transportation and access to highways:
Bunderan HI is a hub for public transportation in Jakarta. You can easily use buses, trains and even the metro to go to almost anywhere in the city.

– Nearest Transjakarta halt: Wisma Nusantara, Plaza Indonesia or Tosari (all are less than 300 meters away)
– Nearest MRT station: Bunderan HI (200 meters away)
– Nearest train station: Sudirman Station (1.1 km away)
– Train station to airport: Sudirman Baru (2 km away).
– Nearest toll road: Jakarta Inner Ring Road (20 minutes away)

Landmarks Nearby

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Malls:
Grand Indonesia, just below Kempinski Residences, is probably the most famous and most popular mall in Jakarta. It is a medium-to-high-end complex where Jakartans love to hang out. You can find almost everything there, and particularly three large department stores (Sogo, Seibu, Central), some popular fashion brands (Zara, H&M), a great cinema, and at least a hundred restaurants. It is packed on weekends.

Plaza Indonesia, opposite Grand Indonesia, is the most luxurious mall in Jakarta. It is home to brands like Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, etc. On the higher and lower floors, there are also some more affordable shops, a supermarket, a cinema, bars, restaurants, etc.

Thamrin City is 5 minutes walking distance. This huge center is targeting the Indonesian middle-class with many cheap, non-branded shops, most of which sell Muslim wear (Hijab) and batiks. There is also a Hypermart supermarket, a food court, and many affordable restaurants (including fast food chains like Burger King, Lotteria and Domino’s).

Supermarkets:
Ranch Market and FoodHall in Grand Indonesia (expensive, imported products), FoodHall in Plaza Indonesia, or Hypermart in Thamrin City (cheap).

Restaurants:
There are hundreds of restaurants in Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia. They offer any kind of cuisines that you may like, at every price. Some are very expensive (like Tatemukai or Caffe Milano), while in some others, you can have a meal for less than US$5.

If you enjoy street food, you will find hundreds of warungs and “kaki limas” near Jalan Kebong Kacang Raya, 5 minutes away from the residence.

Nightlife:
While Mega Kuningan or SCBD are more happening in terms of nightlife, you still have a fair number of nice bars near Grand Indonesia. For instance, you can check Skye, Cloud, Paulaner Brauhaus, Social House, Cork&Screw, Ninety-Nine or Burgundy.

Education:
– University: Jakarta International College
– High school: SMA Santa Theresia
– Preschools: The best ones around are Jakarta World Academy in UOB building and LEAP Preschool. Check also Cimplik Preschool and MyMall (in Thamrin Residences).

Hospitals:
The nearest one is Brawijaya Clinic in UOB building.

Otherwise, the following hospitals are recommended within 15-20 minutes:
SOS Medika Clinic (expensive – international quality)
Siloam Semanggi
Takenoko Clinic (Japanese)
Sahid Sudirman Memorial Hospital

Parks:
The closest is the park surrounding the Monas (National Monument), about 2 kilometers away.

Offices:
Many office buildings are nearby, especially the ones located on Jalan Thamrin and Jalan Sudirman: The Plaza, UOB, Wisma Nusantara, etc.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

Who is the developer?
Kempinski Residences was developed by PT Grand Indonesia, a subsidiary of the Djarum group. The company is also the owner of the Kempinski Hotel, Menara BCA, and Grand Indonesia Mall.

Djarum belongs to the brothers Michael and Budi Hartono, who happen to be the two richest men in Indonesia. They also have shares in BCA (Bank Central Asia).

Who is the architect?
The architect of Kempinski Residences was the firm RTKL, which has now changed its name to CallisonRTKL. It is an international company with a huge portfolio that has designed 100s of buildings worldwide. In Jakarta, they worked on Raffles Hotel, Menara BCA and DBS Tower.

For the interior design, it was the firm Mink Architects that was involved.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Nusa Konstruksi Enjiniring, a company previously named PT Duta Graha Indah. It has been involved in several prestigious projects such as Botanica, Casa Domaine, or the French Embassy in Jakarta.

What is the situation with the land certificate?
The land on which Kempinski Residences was built is owned by the Indonesian Government (more precisely by PT Hotel Indonesia Natour).

This means that Djarum only has a land certificate called “HGB di atas HPL”, which is not full ownership (Hak Milik). This certificate was originally valid for 50 years, and it will expire in 2035. After that, there is an uncertainty about what will happen to the apartments owners.

If you plan on investing in Kempinski Residences, it is essential to enquire about the date of expiry of your ownership certificate. Read more about this in this article: Demand for Kempinski apartments drops over contract case.

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From Outside (Facade):

Kempinski Residences in Jakarta

Facade of Kempinski Residences in Jakarta

Entrance and Lobby:

The main lobby is quite disappointing for such a luxury property (especially if you compared to Four Seasons Residences or Shangri-La Residences). It is rather small, with old furniture, and there was nobody at the reception desk.

Reception desk at the ground floor of Kempinski Residences in Jakarta

Ground floor lobby area in Kempinski Residences

Ground floor lobby in Kempinski Residences in Jakarta

Lobby of Kempinski Residences at pool level

Landscaping and Public Areas:
The garden of Kempinski Residences is just above Kempinski Hotel. The facilities (gym, pool, bar, jacuzzi, etc) are shared between the two properties.

Rooftop garden and pool area in Kempinski Hotel and Residences in Jakarta

Garden area in Kempinski Hotel and Residences in Jakarta

Garden in Kempinski Residences

Corridors and lifts:
To go to the residences, you need to use two lifts. The first one will take you from the Ground Floor to the pool level, and the second lift from the pool level to the apartments.

Elevators to apartments in Kempinski Residences in Jakarta

Lift in Kempinski Residences

Entrance door to apartment in Kempinski Residences Jakarta

Size and Types of Apartments

The apartments’ size is approximately the following:

2 bedroom unit (2 bathrooms): 126-155 m2
3-bedroom units (2-3 bathroom): 225-252 m2
5-bedroom Penthouse (4 bathroom): 690 m2

All the units have a maid room and a semi-private lift (private for the most expensive).

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
Painting (wall, ceiling): 7
Lighting fixtures: 7.5
Doors: 8
Windows: 7.5
Ceiling: 7
Elevator: 7
Gym equipment: 8
Pool equipment: 8
Furniture: 7
Artwork: 7

In the apartments:
Tiles/Parquet: 8
Bathroom equipment: 8
Kitchen equipment: 7.5

Overall Quality: 7.8/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

Swimming pool:

It is not very big, and there are quite many people since you have to share it with hotel guests.

Restaurant near the pool of Kempinski Hotel and Residences

Kids pool and adult pool in Kempinski Hotel and Residences

Sauna and Hammam in Kempinski Hotel and Residence in Jakarta

Jacuzzi and pool in Kempinski Hotel and Residence in Jakarta

Gym:

It is medium-sized, with professional machines. It’s ok for casual training, but lacking some free weights.

Fitness in Kempinski Hotel and Residence in Jakarta

Gym of Kempinski Hotel and Residence in Jakarta

Kids playground:

Kids playground in Kempinski Residences in Jakarta

What are the services available within the property?
Since Kempinski Residences is connected to Grand Indonesia, you have access to hundreds of shops and services (supermarkets, banks, salons, spas, restaurants, ATMs, etc).

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?
The garden and the pool area can be quite busy with hotel guests. I found it to be a bit annoying at times.

Is it noisy?
I didn’t hear any noise from my apartment.

What is the background of the residents?
From what I saw, the residents were a mix of rich Indonesians, Indonesian Chinese, and foreigners (Asians, Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Western).

Management

Maintenance

Are there visible damages?
Some areas of the property look old, but there aren’t any “damages”.

Overall maintenance rating: 8/10

Cleanliness

The cleanliness was excellent.

Overall cleanliness rating: 9/10

Gardening

The maintenance of the garden was good.

Overall gardening rating: 9/10

Security

– Guards: There are 24/7 guards at the main gate of the property and at the lobby entrance.
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby, in the lift, and outside.
– Access: You need an access card to go to your unit

Overall security rating: 9/10

Hospitality

The staff is friendly and professional.

Overall hospitality rating: 8.5/10

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Kempinski 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 (123m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 480 million (or IDR 40 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 5,500,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 11.4 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 44.7 million/m2

Investment Potential

Reasons to buy:
– Fantastic location
– Prestigious brand name

Reasons NOT to buy:
– Uncertainty about the land certificate which is supposed to expired in 2035

Would I buy this property? (On a scale from 0 = “not at all” to 10 = “yes absolutely” ):
6/10.