Apartemen Ambasador 2 (also called Ambassador 2 Kuningan) is a midrange residential tower (41 floors) located just above the Mall ITC Kuningan. It shouldn’t be confused with Apartemen Ambasador 1, which is above the Mall Ambasador.

Built between 2002 and 2004, it was developed by the Sinar Mas Land, one of the largest property groups in Indonesia.

I stayed there for a couple of days and this is my full review of it:

Location

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Ambasador 2 located?

Location of Ambasador 2 Apartments

Ambasador 2 is located on Jalan Prof. DR. Satrio, in Karet Kuningan, Setiabudi. This is a strategic street, in the heart of the business district, half-way between Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Rasuna Said. From there, you can also easily go to Mega Kuningan, Jalan Gatot Subroto, Thamrin or SCBD, where all the most important office towers in Jakarta are located.

Just behind Ambasador 2, there is a more local neighborhood with low-rise and middle class housing. You can see it from this picture that I took from my apartment:

View of the Setiabudi neighborhood from Ambasador 2 Apartments

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is it from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 70 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 15-20 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 10-15 minutes
– Kota Tua: 70 minutes
– Kemang: 40 minutes

How does it look like around the apartment?

When you exit Ambasador 2, you arrive on Jalan Prof. DR. Satrio. It is quite an ugly street as you have a flyover road running over it.

Street View – Ambassador Apartments 2

What are the important landmarks nearby?

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

Malls:
Because it has many malls, Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio has been called the “Orchard Road” of Jakarta (in reference to the famous shopping street in Singapore). Here are the ones near Ambasador 2:

– ITC Kuningan, of course, which is directly below the apartments. It is a middle-class mall, very popular, where you can find many electronic shops (photo, computer, phones, etc). It is connected by a sky bridge to Ambasador Mall, which has more cheap fashion outlets.

– Kuningan City is about 7 minutes away by foot. It is a bit empty but some shops are interesting (factory outlets). It also has an XXI cinema, a Lotte Mart supermarket, an Ace Hardware, coffee shops (Starbucks), restaurants, fashion outlets, banks, salons, etc.

– Lotte Avenue is the best of these malls, just opposite Ambasador 2. It is a better version of Kuningan City, with more famous brands like H&M, Uniqlo, etc.

Supermarkets:
There is a Transmart Carrefour in ITC Kuningan which is ok but the products (especially the vegetables and fruits) aren’t always very fresh. I prefer Lotte Mart in Kuningan City, or Ranch Market in Lotte Avenue (quite expensive, though). To buy fruits and vegetables, you can also try All Fresh in Ambassador Mall.

Restaurants:
On the 6th floor of Ambasador Mall, there is a large food court, popular with office workers, with good Indonesian food (especially Manadonese). You also have some cheap restaurant chains like A&W, Pizza Hut, Hanamasa, HokBen, Bakmi GM, etc.

There are better restaurants in Kuningan City Mall (Outback Steakhouse, Imperial Dim Sum, Sate Khas Senayan, etc) or Lotte Avenue (Bacco, Seribu Rasa, Jittlada, etc).

Bars and Nightlife:
There is an excellent nightlife scene in Mega Kuningan, just a few minutes away, or in SCBD (10 minutes by car).

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: Bakrie University, Atma Jaya Semanggi, London School of Public Relations, Sahid University, STIE Perbanas
Schools: International Islamic School, Royal Primary Academy (Sekolah Royal Tunas Mulia – 10 minutes away), Highscope (from preschool to high school – in Taman Rasuna)
Preschools: Starchild Daycare, My Tootsie Bear and Kinderfun (Bellagio Mall).

Hospitals:
MMC Hospital
Siloam MRCC
SOS Medika Clinic (expensive – international quality)

Parks:
No parks nearby. If you want to walk, you can go to Mega Kuningan where the streets have proper sidewalks.

Offices:
Many office towers are nearby: Axa, Bakrie, Cyber 2, Menara Karya, etc.

Embassies:
Many within easy reach: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, India, Holland, India, UK, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Belarus, Hungary, etc.

Transportation

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?

Transjakarta Near Ambasador Mall

There is a stop near Ambasador Mall, but it is not a very useful as you can only reach nearby destinations from there.

Is there a train station nearby?
Not really. The closest one is Tebet station, more than 4 kilometers away.

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rapid Transit)?
No stations nearby.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

Who is the developer?
The developer is Sinar Mas Land, which is part of the conglomerate Sinar Mas, one of the largest companies in Indonesia. They own many properties, including BSD City, all the ITC malls, Plaza Indonesia or the Grand Hyatt Jakarta.

Who is the architect?
I didn’t find this information.

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, the Pakubuwono Residence, Mediterania Garden Residences, Verde One, 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):

It is a rather simple tower with nothing special in terms of architecture or design:

Tower Ambasador Apartments 2

Entrance:

The entrance is discreet, just behind ITC Kuningan.

Lobby Entrance of Ambasador Apartments 2

Reception/Lobby:

Lobby of Ambasador Apartments 2

Lobby Ambasador Apartments 2

Landscaping and Public Areas:

There is a garden area above the mall ITC Kuningan where most facilities of the facilities are located;

Garden of Ambasador Apartments 2

Pool Area Ambasador Apartments 2

Garden and Walking Patrh Ambasador Apartments 2

Corridors and lifts:

Lifts in Ambasador Apartments 2

Floor Level Ambasador Apartments 2

Lift in Ambasador Apartments 2

Lift of Ambasador Apartments 2

Corridors of Ambasador Apartments 2

Size and Types of Apartments

The apartments’ size is the following:

2-bedroom units: 88-90m2 (1 bathroom)
2-bedroom units: 95m2 (2 bathrooms, maid room)
3-bedroom units: 116-118m2 (2 bathrooms, maid room)

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: 6
Tiles corridors: 5
Wall painting: 5
Lighting fixtures: 5
Doors/windows: 6
Ceiling: 6
Elevator: 6
Gym equipment: 6
Pool equipment: 5.5
Furniture: 5

In the apartments:
Tiles/Parquet: 5
Bathroom equipment: 6
Kitchen equipment: 5

Overall Quality: 5.5/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: There is a main pool with a lagoon shape, a kids pool and a jacuzzi (not heated).

Swimming Pool Ambasador Apartments 2

Pool Ambasador Apartments 2

Pool in Ambasador Apartments 2

Kids Pool Ambasador Apartments 2

– Gym: Not very big but enough to do some cardio and casual weight-lifting:

Gym of Ambasador Apartments 2

Gym Ambasador Apartments 2

– Other facilities: Sauna, jacuzzi (not working), ping pong, tennis court, playground for kids, etc:

Sauna Ambasador Apartments 2

Jacuzzi of Ambasador Apartments 2

Aerobic and Game Room Ambasador Apartments 2

Tennis Court Ambasador Apartments 2

Game for Kids Ambasador Apartments 2

What are the services available within the property?
Many services are available in ITC Kuningan or Ambasador Mall: ATM, supermarket, salons, restaurants, laundry, etc. These malls open at 9 AM and they close at 10 PM.

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

Are their issues with parking?
None that I know about.

Are there enough lifts?
Yes.

Atmosphere

Is the property busy?
The apartments are not too busy, but the mall ITC Kuningan is very crowded.

Is it noisy?
Yes, quite a bit. You will hear the mosques from the Setiabudi neighborhood if your unit is facing the North, and the noise from the road if your unit is facing the South.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are Indonesians, especially families, with a few expatriates.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
The property was completed in 2004.

Are there visible damages?
Yes, there are a few.

Overall maintenance rating: 6.5/10

Cleanliness

I found the property to be clean.

Overall cleanliness rating: 7/10

Gardening

The maintenance of the garden is satisfactory.

Overall gardening rating: 7/10

Security

– Guards: On duty at the gates and at the reception 24/7
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby and lift.
– Access: You need an access card to enter the lift area.

Overall security rating: 8/10

Hospitality

The staff is friendly and professional.

Overall hospitality rating: 8.5/10

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Ambasador 2 Apartments 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 (116m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 240 million (or 20 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 2,600,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 10.8 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 22.4 million/m2

Investment Potential

Reasons to buy:
Affordable price for apartments in the heart of the business district and connected to a mall
Easy to rent

Reasons NOT to buy:
Property already 15 years old

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