Denpasar Residence is an upscale residential complex located above the mall Kuningan City. It consists of 2 towers of 28 floors (203 meters high), Kintamani and Ubud, for a total of 980 apartment units.

It was completed in 2012 by the group Agung Podomoro Land, one of the largest property developers in Indonesia.

I stayed in Denpasar Residence in early 2019 and this is my complete review of it:

Location:

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Denpasar Residence located?

Location Denpasar Residence

Denpasar Residence is located in Karet Kuningan, Setiabudi, on the busy street Jl. Prof. DR. Satrio. The latter is very strategic as it connects Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Rasuna Said, two of the most important roads in Jakarta.

This is the heart of the business district, and a great location if you work in the Golden Triangle. It is a neighborhood filled with office towers, hotels, government buildings, malls, and embassies. From there, you can go to Mega Kuningan, Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Thamrin or Jalan Gatot Subroto in less than 15-20 minutes.

While this area of Jakarta is within the business district, it remains quite authentic as you have a “kampung” (local neighborhood) just behind Denpasar Residence. Personally, even if this means hearing the mosque 5 times a day, I enjoy it as I find it less sterile than more modern neighborhoods like Mega Kuningan, SCBD or Rasuna Epicentrum.

Kampung of Setiabudi and Kuningan at night. Picture taken from my bedroom in Denpasar Residence

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 the apartment building, you arrive on Jalan Prof. DR. Satrio. It is quite an ugly street as you have a flyover road running over it.

Surroundings Denpasar Residence

Surroundings Denpasar Residence

What are the important landmarks nearby?

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

Malls:
Denpasar Residence is just above Kuningan City and it is connected to it through a private entrance. This is clearly one of the biggest selling points of the complex.

The mall Kuningan City is not a great mall, but it is still convenient. You have an XXI cinema, a Lotte Mart supermarket, an Ace Hardware, coffee shops (Starbucks), restaurants, fashion outlets, banks, salons, etc.

Just 5 minutes from Denpasar Residence, you can also go to Lotte Avenue which is much better for shopping famous fashion brands (H&M, Uniqlo, etc).

ITC Kuningan and Mall Ambassador, also 5 minutes away by foot, are cheaper malls targeting the middle class. They are hugely popular, especially for buying electronics and cheap clothes.

Supermarkets:
In Kuningan City, there is a Lotte Mart that has plenty of imported products. You can also try the cheaper Carrefour in ITC Kuningan or the more expensive Ranch Market in Lotte Avenue. To buy fruits, I would go to All Fresh in Ambassador Mall.

Restaurants:
There are some decent restaurants in Kuningan City Mall (Outback Steakhouse, Imperial Dim Sum, Sate Khas Senayan, etc). For cheap Indonesian food, I like to go to the food court of Ambassador Mall (6th floor).

For more expensive venues, go to Mega Kuningan (Loewy, Basque, etc).

Bars and Nightlife:
There is an excellent nightlife scene in Mega Kuningan, just a few minutes away.

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, 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 Denpasar Residence

There is a stop in front of the Manhattan hotel, just a few minutes away. It is not a very useful line, though, as you can only reach nearby locations from there.

The stop at Departemen Kesahatan is more interesting. From there, you can go directly to Ragunan, Dukuh Atas, Senen, Lebak Bulus, Manggarai, and TU Gas. However, you need at least 10 minutes to reach this bus stop by foot.

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

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rapid Transit)?
In the future, an LRT station should be located in Kuningan along Jalan Rasuna Said. The exact position is not known yet.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

Who is the developer?
The developer, Agung Podomoro Land (through its subsidiary PT Arah Sejahtera Abadi), is very famous in Indonesia for owning a large portfolio of midrange apartment projects. I have reviewed many of these apartments already, such as Metro Park, Thamrin Residences, Sudirman Park, Kalibata City, Podomoro City, etc).

They are also behind the Pakubuwono development, a group of several luxurious towers (among which Pakubuwono View and Pakubuwono Residence), often considered among the best in the city.

Overall, Agung Podomoro Land is generally trustworthy, but it really depends on the kind of property you are buying from them. In the midrange segment, they tend to favor average quality materials in order to be competitive and to offer affordable prices. In older properties, the maintenance will sometimes be very poor (for instance in Mediterania Gajah Mada).

Who is the architect?
The architects of Denpasar Residence were DP Architects from Singapore (Senayan City, Central Park Jakarta, Kemang Village, LaVie Kuningan) and PTI Architects from Indonesia (Bellagio Mansion, Essence Dharmawangsa, Residence 8, Gandaria City, Banyan Tree Bali).

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Adhi Karya, a large public company with extensive experience, mostly in building government infrastructure (toll roads, stadium). They also built luxury residential complexes like Pakubuwono View, Sudirman Mansion, Oakwood SCBD, and The Capital Residence.

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):

The building looks like a massive concrete tower, not very original or stylish in my opinion.

Architecture of Denpasar Residence

Tower Denpasar Residence

Facade Denpasar Residence

Entrance:

The entrance has a Balinese theme:

Car drop off lobby Denpasar Residence

Entrance door to Denpasar Residence

Reception/Lobby:

Reception desk Denpasar Residence

Lobby Denpasar Residence

Lobby seating Denpasar Residence

Landscaping and Public Areas:

There is a rather nice garden on top of Kuningan City Mall. It is not too big, but I liked the design and the atmosphere.

Garden of Denpasar Residence

Garden of Denpasar Residence

Pool in Denpasar Residence (Kuningan City Apartments)

Garden path in Denpasar Residence

Garden and pool in Denpasar Residence

Corridors and lifts:

They look quite luxurious, in particular thanks to the marble flooring:

Lift area in Denpasar Residence

Lifts in Denpasar Residence

Corridors in Denpasar Residence

Corridors Denpasar Residence

Door apartments in Denpasar Residence

Size and Types of Apartments

The apartments’ size is the following:

1-bedroom units: 49m2, 58-60m2 (1 bathroom)
2-bedroom units: 72m2, 83m2, 90m2 and 92m2 (1-2 bathrooms, maid room available in some units)
3-bedroom units: 126m2, 134m2 (2 bathrooms, maid room available in some 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
Tiles corridors: 8
Painting: 6
Lighting: 5
Doors/windows: 6
Ceiling: 5
Elevator: 7 (Hyundai)
Gym equipment: 6
Pool equipment: 5
Furniture: 6

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

Overall Quality: 6.5/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: There are two medium-sized pools with several spots to sit down or relax.

Pool area of Denpasar Residence

Swimming pool Denpasar Residence (Kuningan City Apartments)

Sunbeds near pool in Denpasar Residence

Pool of Denpasar Residence

Pool Denpasar Residence

Pool in Denpasar Residence

– The gym is ok but there isn’t much equipment:

Gym in Denpasar Residence-noresize

Gym in Denpasar Residence

Fitness equipment in Denpasar Residence

– Also available: Jacuzzi, steam, sauna, kids’ room, playground, etc:

Jacuzzi in Denpasar Residence (Kuningan City Apartments)

Jacuzzi and Hammam Denpasar Residence (Kuningan City Apartments)

Sauna Denpasar Residence

Kids playroom in Denpasar Residence

Kids playground in Denpasar Residence

There is normally a tennis court and a basketball court but I didn’t see it.

What are the services available within the property?
Because Denpasar Residence is within Kuningan City Mall, you will find plenty of services such as a supermarket, a pharmacy, a laundry, restaurants, ATM, salon, etc.

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?
Kuningan City Mall can be quiet, but Denpasar Residence has a good occupancy rate.

Is it noisy?
Yes, but fortunately the windows are soundproof. If your unit is facing Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio, you will hear cars. If your unit is facing the “kampung”, you will hear mosques. Personally, I prefer the latter.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
It is rather diverse. There are quite many expatriates, mostly in their 30s or 40s and working in the business district.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
The property was completed in 2012.

Are there visible damages?
Yes there are a few, especially in the garden.

Damaged equipment in Denpasar Residence

Broken fountain in Denpasar Residence

Overall maintenance rating: 6.5/10

Cleanliness

I found the property to be clean.

Overall cleanliness rating: 8/10

Gardening

The garden maintenance is satisfactory.

Overall gardening rating: 7/10

Security

– Guards: On duty at the gates 24/7
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby, lift and public areas.
– Access: You need an access card to reach the lift.

Overall security rating: 8.5/10

Hospitality

The staff is friendly and professional.

Overall hospitality rating: 8.5/10

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Denpasar Residence 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 (58m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 144 million (or 12 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 2,000,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 13.9 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 34.5 million/m2

Investment Potential

Reasons to buy:
Apartments that are located inside malls are highly desirable in Jakarta
Location in the business district => High demand (including from expats)

Reasons NOT to buy:
Some maintenance issues

Would I buy this property? (On a scale from 0 = “not at all” to 10 = “yes absolutely” ): 8