Royale Springhill Residences is an upscale apartment complex featuring 6 towers of 37 floors for a total of 864 units. Completed in 2013, it is part of Springhill, a block that also includes several other towers, houses, a clubhouse, a restaurant, and the Swiss-Belinn Kemaroyan.

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 partly copied from my review of Springhill Terrace Residences which is about 500 meters away from Royale Springhill.

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Springhill is in Kemayoran, a subdistrict of North Jakarta. The Jakarta airport used to be there until 1985, after which it was transferred to Halim Perdanakusuma (and then Cengkareng).

On the empty land of the airport, several projects have been built: A golf course, the Jakarta International Expo Convention Center (JIExpo), some hotels, and several apartment towers (like The Mansion at Dukuh Kemayoran).

How does it look like around the apartments?
Because its development is recent, Kemayoran looks quite different compared with the rest of Jakarta. The streets are wide, bordered with large buildings, and there aren’t many middle-class houses.

The surroundings of Royale Springhill Residences are quite boring. It is inside the Springhill complex, where there isn’t much to do apart from going to the Clubhouse and to a few restaurants. You can walk to The Mansion at Kemayoran, another residential complex with more restaurants and a supermarket.

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 50 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 40 minutes
– Kota Tua: 30 minutes
– Kemang: 70 minutes

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Nearby, there are several landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
The main issue with Kemayoran at the moment is that there isn’t a proper mall nearby. One is under construction about 4 kilometers away in the Menara Jakarta complex (built by Agung Sedayu Group), but it will only open after 2020.

In the meantime, you will have to go to Mall of Indonesia or Mall Artha Gading, more than 7 kilometers away.

Supermarkets:
The nearest supermarket is a Daily Foodhall in the basement of The Mansion at Kemayoran. It is pricier than average but very convenient as it is just across the street from Royale Springhill Residences.

For cheaper prices (but lower quality products), you can go to Giant Supermarket in Mediterania Kemayoran Apartments, or in Hypermart in Mega Glodok Kemayoran. Both are about 8 minutes away by car.

Restaurants:
The choice is limited to a few options within the Springhill complex: Singapore (Chinese Food) and Cajun on Wheels (Seafood). You have a small food court as well next to the Daily Foodhall. This is where I was eating most of the time.

For more choice, you should go to Food Centrum, a food mall with approximately 20 restaurants (midrange, serving mostly Asian food) which is about 2.5 kilometers away.

If you like street food, you should know that there is almost none around Royale Springhill Residences. The closest stalls are in front of Mediterania Kemayoran.

Bars and Nightlife:
None at the moment. The closest “normal” bars would be in Kelapa Gading or Pantai Indah Kapuk. In JIExpo, there are often important concerts or festivals as well (for instance, the Djakarta Warehouse Festival).

Universities:
There are no major universities nearby.

Schools and Preschools:
Gandhi International School (Indian International School) is only 500 meters away. A bit further, there are also Universal School and Jubilee School, both popular with Indonesian Chinese families.

A preschool, SunnyVille, is located in the basement of Springhill Terrace Residences.

Hospitals:
The closest one is Rumah Sakit Mitra Kemayoran.

Parks:
Ancol is 15-20 minutes from the apartment. There, you have an artificial beach and several amusement parks.

The Kemayoran Golf Course is also next to the Springhill complex.

Offices:
There are not many office buildings nearby. The Central Business District of Jakarta is at least 40 minutes away.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Royale Springhill Residences is next to Jalan Benyamin Sueb, a road connecting Kemayoran and Ancol. It is not a toll road, but it looks like it as it is really wide. It doesn’t have much traffic on it, generally. Another important road is Jalan Danau Sunter, which goes to Kelapa Gading.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
Generally speaking, the traffic is reasonable on the main roads around Kemayoran. However, there are some long U-turns that you need to make to exit the Springhill Complex, causing you to waste precious time even if you just want to go somewhere close.

Is it easy for taxis/GrabCar to find the location?
It is fairly easy.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
Two halts are potentially interesting, but they are both about 10 minutes walking distance from the apartments:
– Halte JIExpo is the last stop of the line 2C that starts in Monas.
– Kemayoran Landas Pacu Timur is a stop on line 12 going from Penjaringan to Tanjung Priok.

Both the lines 2C and 12 have a dedicated corridor.

Is there a train station nearby?
Kemayoran Station is 4 kilometers away. It is a stop on the yellow line going from Bogor to Jatinegara.

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rapid Transit)?
There is no project of having an MRT or LRT station near Kemayoran for now.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
There are small sidewalks within the Springhill Complex. You can also walk outside but the area doesn’t feel safe and there aren’t many interesting places to go to.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
Springhill Group is a mid-sized developer that owns a diverse range of properties, almost all the under the brand name “Springhill”. You can see the full list and location on their website.

They don’t really have a reputation as it is not really famous.

Who is the architect?
The architect was PT Urbane Indonesia, a local architectural firm that designed a variety of buildings (L’Avenue Pancoran, La Maison Apartment, etc).

Who is the contractor?
It was Pulau Intan, a large group that built several midrange properties like Mediterania Garden Residences 2, Lavande Tebet, Hampton’s Park, Aspen Admiralty, etc.

What is the situation with the land certificate?
An important thing to know before buying an apartment in Kemayoran is that most of the land is owned by the Government (including the land on which Royale Springhill Residences is built). This means the developer only has a land certificate called HGB di atas HPL. It is not full ownership (Hak Milik).

This certificate is valid for 50 years, but then it is not sure what will happen. The developer might extend the permit, or he might give the property back to the Government. What is almost certain is that the owners of apartments will have to pay something, or worse, lose their apartment.

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From Outside (Facade)
I really liked the exterior design of Royale Springhill Residences. It looks modern, a bit futuristic, with a unique shape. You can see some garden on different floors of the towers, which have large balconies and glass doors.

Entrance:
The entrance is discreet. Cars go directly in the basement parking, from which you can go directly to the lobby each tower.

Reception:
Each tower has a small reception which is not really fancy but comfortable enough.

Landscaping:
The 6 towers are linked with a large garden (called Skygarden), which is just above the parking. It is a pleasant area, very green, spacious, with several swimming pools.

Corridors:
Since there are private lifts within the residence, there aren’t any real corridors. You just arrive directly in front of the door of your apartment. There are only service corridors, for employees:

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments size is consistent with the standards of a 4-star property:

– 1-bedroom units = From 60m2 to 79m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units = From 119m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2+1-bedroom units = From 165m2 (2 bathrooms + maid room)
– 3+1-bedroom units start at 193m2 (2 bathrooms + maid room)

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: /
Floor Apartment: 7 (Wood and Marble)
Painting: 5
Lighting: 5
Doors: 7
Ceiling: 7
Bathrooms: 7
Bedrooms: 6
Living Room: 7
Kitchen: 6
Balcony: 6
Elevator: 6
Gym equipment: 8
Pool equipment: 6
Furniture: 5
Artwork: 4

Overall Quality: 6.5/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Satisfactory but there are some mistakes, for instance around the doors of the lift:

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming Pools: There are two large swimming pools, both long enough to swim, with a smaller kids pool and a jacuzzi. A jogging track runs around the pools, in the garden.

– Gym: Plenty of professional machines with LifeFitness brand (one of the best in the market). The bathrooms have a sauna.

– A tennis court: 

– A ping pong table:

– There is also a playground for kids (not pictured).

What are the services available within the property?
A few services are available in the parking area: 2 minimarkets, ATMs, laundry. Across the street, there are more shops in The Mansion @ Dukuh Golf Kemayoran.

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

Are their issues with parking?
There seems to be enough parking space in the residence. Apartment owner of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom units have 1 allocated space. Penthouse owners have 2.

How many lifts are there?
There is 1 private lift for 1 or 2 units:

Does the apartment have centralized hot water?
Yes, hot water is provided by a central system.

What is the air-conditioning system used?
There is no central air-cooling system so each apartment has split AC installed (with the outdoor unit on the balcony).

Atmosphere

Is the property busy?
It is reasonably busy. Weekends are more difficult as many people use the gym and the pool at the same time.

Is it noisy?
I was not bothered by the noise.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents I saw were Indonesian Chinese, young, from the upper-class.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed in 2013.

Are there visible damages?
Unfortunately, the maintenance of the property is a bit disappointing. I saw several issues that would need to be fixed: Rust, scratched paint, broken tiles, etc. Nothing terrible, but still not acceptable for an upscale property. The most shocking was the painting of the outside facade as you can see in the following picture:

Cleanliness

I found the property to be clean enough.

Gardening

The garden is well-maintained.

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 unit. Many security guards are posted at the entrance.

Hospitality

The staff was friendly and professional.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Royale Springhill 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-Bedroom Type (79m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 115 million (or 9.5 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 1,500,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 13.04 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 18.9 million/m2

2+1-Bedroom Type (165m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 240 million (or 20 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 3,000,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 12.5 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 18.2 million/m2

Which units are the best?
There are four interesting views you can have: Golf course view, Sea view, City view and Garden view. Each has its own advantages. I would recommend choosing units as near as possible from the entrance, so it’s easier for you to walk to the supermarket and food court in The Mansion Kemayoran (for instance, in tower Bulgary and Lotus). Also, avoid being too close from Benyamin Sueb road as it can be a bit noisy.

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:

• Kemayoran will get more interesting in the next 5 years as more residences, malls, restaurants and activities open in the area
• More public transport, especially dedicated corridors to go to Central Jakarta

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• The developer only has a Hak Guna Bangunan, not a Hak Milik (full property ownership)
• Maintenance of complex could be improved
• Many available plots of land nearby, meaning there is still a potential for a lot more towers.

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
I tried both The Mansion and Royale Springhill. For the same price, I thought The Mansion was better: More shops, more modern, better maintenance, better facilities. Still, the price is still interesting as long as you understand that you don’t have a guaranteed ownership after 50 years.