Sudirman Suites is an upscale residential tower on 21 floors for a total of 400 units. Completed in 2018 by the Pikko Group, it is part of an upcoming complex on Jalan Bendungan Hilir that will also include a shopping center, a hotel, restaurants, and offices.

Even though it has a fantastic location right on Jalan Sudirman (and only 100 meters from an MRT station), it is moderately-priced compared to the other nearby condominiums.

I stayed there for 10 days in a 1-bedroom apartment, and this is my full review of it.

Location:

Neighborhood and Transportation

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Sudirman Suites located?

Location of Sudirman Suites Jakarta

Sudirman Suites is located in the district of Tanah Abang, at the corner of Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Bendungan Hilir. That’s right in the heart of the business district, just halfway between Plaza Indonesian and Plaza Senayan, and within 10 minutes from both Mega Kuningan and SCBD. It’s hard to find a better location if you are a young executive with no kids who enjoys eating out, partying, and shopping.

How does it look like around the apartment?

There is a large sidewalk just outside Sudirman Suites on Jalan Sudirman that can be quite pleasant to walk in the evening.

Surroundings of Sudirman Suites (from Jalan Sudirman)

Surroundings of Sudirman Suites (from Jalan Bendungan Hilir)

Outside Sudirman Suites

Sidewalk outside of Sudirman Suites

Entrance gate of Sudirman Suites

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is it from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 55 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 15 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 1 minute
– Kota Tua: 45 minutes
– Kemang: 40 minutes

Public transportation and access to highways:
Sudirman Suites has one of the best locations in Jakarta. It is walking distance to many useful Transjakarta bus lines, and more importantly, walking distance from the MRT. This means you can go rapidly and cheaply to almost anywhere in the city.

– Nearest Transjakarta halt: Bendungan Hilir (150 meters away)
– Nearest MRT station: Bendungan Hilir (150 meters away)
– Nearest train station: Sudirman Station (1.5 km away)
– Nearest toll road: Toll Semanggi (1.5km away)

Landmarks Nearby

These are the important landmarks nearby:

Malls:
There are quite many malls within 10-15 minutes from Sudirman Suites. The nearest one, Citywalk Sudirman (2 kilometers) is a boutique mall with many affordable restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and a bar.

You can also go to Grand Indonesia (15 minutes by car), one of the largest upscale malls in Jakarta. It has pretty much anything you may need, including 2 supermarkets, a huge cinema and 3 department stores (Sogo, Seibu, Central). It is also a popular hangout spot with plenty of coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. Next to Grand Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia is another option, more luxurious.

fX Sudirman is also near. It is a lifestyle mall with mostly middle-range restaurants and cafés. It has a cinema, a gym, salons, spas, banks, and a few retail shops. It is convenient but maybe not as interesting as a real mall.

If that’s not enough, check Plaza Senayan, Senayan City and Lotte Avenue.

Supermarkets:
When I was staying in Sudirman Suites, I was often going to Pasar Benhil, a traditional market just across the street. You can buy cheap fruits and vegetables, poultry, rice, etc. The hygiene standards are pretty low, though, so it’s not for everybody.

For a proper supermarket, you should go to Papaya in Citywalk or to Foodhall in Grand Indonesia (or Plaza Indonesia).

Restaurants:
There are some restaurants on the ground floor of Sudirman Suites. You can also walk on Jalan Benhil and you will find several options (street food stalls, warungs, Burger King, etc).

Bars and Nightlife:
Nearby nightlife areas are near Grand Indonesia (Skye, Cloud), in Mega Kuningan (Basque, Loewy) or in SCBD (Fairgrounds).

Education
This is not the best area if you have kids or if you are a student. There are not many universities or International schools. Here a few within a reasonable distance:

– Universities: Atma Jaya Semanggi, London School of Public Relations, Sahid University, LaSalle College, Binus
– High schools: Only local schools (SMA)
– Preschool: Da Little School, Kinderfield Sudirman Park, HighReach Sudirman Park

Hospitals and clinics:
Siloam Semanggi
Sahid Sudirman Memorial Hospital/Sahid Sahirman Clinic (connected to Istana Sahid Apartments)
Takenoko Clinic (inside Sahid Sudirman Residence – Japanese)
SOS Medika Clinic (expensive – international quality)

Parks:
None nearby. The closest ones would be the Monas or Bung Karno. On Sunday mornings, there is a car-free day on Jalan Sudirman. It’s a good opportunity to do some sports outside.

Offices:
Plenty of offices nearby: Sahid Sudirman Center, MidPlaza, Sampoerna Strategic Square, IFC, World Trade Center, Indofood, etc.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

Who is the developer?
The developer, PT Pikko Land Development is a large company that owns a variety of apartment complexes ranging from low-end to upscale ones. The ones I’ve reviewed so far are Maple Park, Sudirman Park, Signature Park Grande, Hampton’s Park and Botanica. They were also involved in Thamrin City and Simprug Indah.

I have mixed feelings about this developer. Some of their projects, like Botanica and Signature Park Grande seem to be managed better than the others. In Maple Park, Hampton’s or Sudirman Park, I noticed a lot of maintenance issues for instance.

Overall, the reputation of this developer is average.

Who is the architect?
The design was done by PTI Architects (PT. Prada Tata Internasional), a member of the Peddle Thorp International Group. Even though it is part of an international network, it remains a local firm and it is unclear whether any Australian architects were involved in Sudirman Suites.

That said, PTI is one of the leading architectural consultants in Indonesia. They’ve worked on major projects such as Kuningan City, Gandaria City, Residence 8, Essence Darmawangsa and Bellagio Mansion.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Wika Gedung, a subsidiary of the government-owned company Wijaya Karya.

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):

Sudirman Suites in Jakarta

Entrance and Lobby:

There are two entrances, one from Jalan Benhil and one from Jalan Sudirman. The gates were still under construction when I took the photos:

Entrance gate Sudirman Suites from Jalan Sudirman

Entrance to Sudirman Suites from Jalan Benhil

Lobby entrance Sudirman Suites

Lobby door in Sudirman Suites

Lobby of Sudirman Suites

Seating area in lobby of Sudirman Suites

Lobby in Sudirman Suites

Interior design of lobby Sudirman Suites

Landscaping and Public Areas:

The public areas are rather small in Sudirman Suites. You only have a garden on the ground floor of the property (and some plants at the swimming pool areas):

Entrance path to lobby of Sudirman Suites

Pool area of Sudirman Suites

Sculpture in Sudirman Suites

Corridors and lifts:

Lifts in ground floor of Sudirman Suites

Lifts in apartment floors of Sudirman Suites

Lifts in Sudirman Suites

Inside lift to apartments in Sudirman Suites

Corridors of Sudirman Suites

Entrance door to apartments in Sudirman Suites

Size and Types of Apartments

The apartments’ size is approximately the following:

1-bedroom units (1 bathroom): 41-43 m2
3-bedroom units (1-2 bathrooms): 62-122m2

I noticed that some of the unit owners have transformed their 3-bedroom units into 1 or 2-bedroom units.

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): 5.5
Lighting fixtures: 7
Doors: 7.5 (doors have a digital lock key feature, meaning you can enter the unit with a passcode)
Windows: 6.5 (not soundproof)
Ceiling: 6.5
Elevator: 7.5
Gym equipment: / (not ready yet when I visited)
Pool equipment: 6.5 (only one sunbed)
Furniture: 7
Artwork: 7

In the apartments:
Tiles/Parquet: 6
Bathroom equipment: 6.5
Kitchen equipment: 6.5

Overall Quality: 7/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Semi-olympic pool on 5th floor. It’s right above Sudirman Street, which is cool in a sense, but it also means you’ll breath more pollution when swimming.

Swimming pool of Sudirman Suites

Sudirman Suites swimming pool

Swimming pool with a view on Jalan Sudirman

– Hot tub/Jacuzzi: The water was perfectly warm and a great way to relax after swimming:

Warm jacuzzi in Sudirman Suites

Hot tub near the pool of Sudirman Suites

– Kids pool:

Slide in kids pool of Sudirman Suites

Kids pool in Sudirman Suites

Facilities and services that will be available in the future: Kids playground, gym, ATM, restaurants, minimarket, laundry.

What are the services available within the property?
There are a few services available: Minimarket, coffee shop, laundry, ATM.

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?
It was quiet when I visited (still new), but I am certain that this property will be popular in a couple years.

Is it noisy?
Yes it is quite noisy from the construction work around (until 2021 at least) and from the traffic on Jalan Sudirman.

What is the background of residents (ethnicity, social status)?
I saw mostly Indonesian residents. I imagine when it become more famous, it will attract expats as well.

Management

Maintenance

Are there visible damages?
Not yet, the property is still new. However, I see that the quality of construction is average and I fear that there will be maintenance issues in 5-10 years.

Overall maintenance rating: 7/10

Cleanliness

The property was clean.

Overall cleanliness rating: 8/10

Gardening

The maintenance of the garden was good.

Overall gardening rating: 8/10

Security

– Guards: There are guards at both entrances of the property (24/7) and a 24/7 reception.
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby.
– Access: Surprisingly, you don’t need an access card to reach the apartments’ floors. While that’s convenient, I don’t think this is particularly safe.

Overall security rating: 7.5/10

Hospitality

The staff is friendly and professional.

Overall hospitality rating: 9/10

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Sudirman Suites 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-Bedroom (42m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 204 million (or 17 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 2,400,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 11.7 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 57 million/m2

3-Bedroom (96m2) in – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 336 million (or 28 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 5.400,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 16 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 56.25 million/m2

Note that the investment value of a 1-bedroom apartment is exceptionally high.

Investment Potential

Reasons to buy:
Unbeatable location
Upcoming shopping center
Unique product on Sudirman (targeting the upper middle class)

Reasons NOT to buy:
I’m not too confident about the maintenance on the long term

Would I buy this property? (On a scale from 0 = “not at all” to 10 = “yes absolutely” ): 7/10