Bellagio Residence is an upscale apartment complex located in Mega Kuningan above the Bellagio Shopping Mall. Completed in 2005, it was developed by the group Gapura Prima, a company which is also the owner, among others, of Bellagio Mansion, The Bellezza Suites, GP Plaza and Permata Hijau. There are 849 units in total, on 40 floors, ranging from 1-bedroom apartments (56m2) to 4-bedroom penthouses (200m2).

In the past, I stayed in several properties owned by Gapura Prima and I can say that most of them are similarly disappointing. They are generally impressive at first, seemingly very luxurious, but when you look closer you realize that the finishes and the maintenance are underwhelming.

Is it the case with Bellagio Residence? Read my review below to find out:

Location

Neighborhood

The Bellagio Complex (Mall + Residence) is located in Mega Kuningan, one of the most strategic and upmarket neighborhoods in Jakarta. It is a favorite of many expats, especially those who don’t have kids (those ones prefer Kemang or Pondok Indah, near the best International schools).

It is a modern area, very expensive, with 5-star hotels (Ritz-Carlton, Marriott), embassies, luxury condominiums, trendy bars and restaurants, and prestigious offices. It is perfect for those who want to have an active social life and meet fellow expats. Something enjoyable (and rare in Jakarta) is that you can go anywhere within Mega Kuningan by foot: There are decently-maintained sidewalks, lined with gardens and palm trees.

The Bellagio Mall is itself an institution within Mega Kuningan, as it is home to several expats bars, a FoodHall supermarket, some restaurants and fast food (Domino’s, Burger King), and many services (travel agents, banks, salons, property agents, laundry, etc). Therefore, living just above it is extremely convenient and it is certainly the strongest selling point of Bellagio Residence.

The Bellagio Mall and Residence Lobby Entrance

Bellagio Mall Mega Kuningan

At the heart of the Golden Triangle, Mega Kuningan is also in a fantastic position within Jakarta. After just a short car ride, you can access many famous landmarks: Dozens of major office towers, malls (Lotte Avenue, Pacific Place, Ambassador, Kuningan City), schools, universities, hospitals (Siloam), hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

The downside of Mega Kuningan, in my opinion, is that the whole area lacks authenticity. You won’t find a lot of street life around, particularly street food, as opposed to the nearby neighborhood of Setiabudi for instance.

Transportation

Traffic within Mega Kuningan is generally fairly easy. If your office is within its limits, then it’s great for you as you’ll be able to go there in no time.

The real difficulty is to enter or exit Mega Kuningan, especially if you plan to go to the South. Crossing Jalan Gatot Subroto means you will need to make a long U-turn, in an often congested road. To a lesser extent, you have a similar issue going North as you will need to make a U-turn on Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio.

For these reasons, don’t be fooled by the distance. Even if your office is only 2 kilometers from Mega Kuningan, it may easily take 20 minutes to get there.

If you don’t own a car, finding an Uber, a Grab or a taxi is extremely easy.

Public transportation is quite limited. The Transjakarta lines 6C and 6E may be useful to some as they make stops not too far from Bellagio Residence (in front of The East Building and Menara Prima). These routes go from Stasiun Karet until Stasiun Tebet.

Building Quality

Design and Architecture

Bellagio Residence Apartments Jakarta

From the outside, the Bellagio Residence looks like a massive complex, not unlike the “real” Bellagio in Vegas. I wouldn’t say it’s a particularly pretty building, on the contrary. In particular, I don’t like the fact that the air-con units are visible.

Each apartment has its own balcony, as well as large glass windows. The size of the apartments is rather generous, in line with that of a 4-star property.

The Bellagio Mall and Residence

Bellagio Residence Design

Street Outside Bellagio Residence

Bellagio Residence

It would be hard to define the design style of Bellagio as there seems to be a mix of several influences. The most obvious is the neo-classic, Roman architecture, visible through the extensive use of marble tiles. The lobby looks more Indonesian, with many local paintings, sculptures, and artifacts.

Overall, it looks fine but slightly outdated. The worse are the corridors, which look kind of freaky as you can see below:

Corridors in Bellagio Residence

Lift in 17th Floor Bellagio Residence

Lobby Bellagio Residence Jakarta

Lobby Area Bellagio Residence

Building Materials

The quality of the materials used in the building of Bellagio Residence seems to be good. They have aged quite a bit, though, and suffer from a lack of maintenance (see below).

Comfort

Facilities and Services

The facilities and services available in Bellagio Residence are the following:

– A medium-sized swimming pool with a lagoon shape. It was a bit too small for swimming but fine enough if you just want to cool down or play with your kids. The area around the swimming pool is pleasant, with trees, a garden, tables and chairs, sunbeds, and even a small gym.

Swimming Pool Area Bellagio Residence

Garden Bellagio Jakarta

– There is also a larger gym, with old but professional equipment.

Gym Bellagio Residence Jakarta

Fitness Room Bellagio Jakarta

– A sauna

Sauna Bellagio Jakarta

– A tennis court

Tennis Court Bellagio

– A clinic (Tirta Medical Center)

Within the Bellagio Mall, a lot of services are available as well: ATMs, fast food restaurants, expat bars, cafés, a FoodHall supermarket with imported goods (expensive), travel agents, property agents, a wine & spirit shop, beauty salons, etc.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere in Bellagio is very international as a large part of the residents are expats. Among them, many are Indians (unsurprisingly, there is an Indian restaurant within Bellagio Mall).

As I mentioned before, they tend to be young executives working in the CBD.

Management

Maintenance

The maintenance of Bellagio Residence is, unfortunately, a bit disappointing. Nothing catastrophic, but for a property that advertises itself as luxurious, it is clearly lacking in care. When you walk around in public areas, you will often notice something broken, be it tiles at the swimming pool or a faucet in the toilet. Some walls and ceilings would also need a painting job.

Cleanliness

The property is relatively clean, but in some corners, it could still be improved.

Security

Mega Kuningan is a safe area, if you except the terrorist threat, cf. the 2009 Marriott and Ritz-Carlton bombings.

There are security guards posted at both entrances of Bellagio, 24-hour. There is also a 24-hour reception. To go to the lift area, you need to use an access card.

Those measures seem adequate to prevent any risks.

Hospitality

My interactions with the staff were limited to small talk and greetings. All I can say is taht they were nice and professional.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Bellagio Residence may vary depending on the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings. Be aware that you may also need to pay the service charge, the IPL (Iuran Pemeliharaan Lingkungan), the parking, the electricity, the water, etc.

On average, you will pay the following:

1-Bedroom Type (56m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 12M per month
• Buy: IDR 1.700.000.000
• Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental: 11.8

2-Bedroom Type (84m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 15M per month
• Buy: IDR 2.100.000.000
• Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental:11.6

3-Bedroom Type (104m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 18M per month
• Buy: IDR 2.700.000.000
• Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental: 12.5

Which units are the best?
 There is a very large and noisy mosque on the east side of the residence. You should be careful avoid it.

Huge Mosque Near Bellagio Residence

Investment Potential

Compared to other nearby properties, Bellagio Residence is much more affordable. This is due in part to the fact that the standing of the apartments is not as high as others.

Based on the ratios I calculated above, the rental price is quite high compared to the buying price. This means it will take shorter for you to get your investment money back.

Considering more office buildings are being built in Mega Kuningan, it is likely that the demand for accommodation in this area will stay strong. As the available land nearby is limited, I am quite sure that prices will increase in the future. Many renters are expatriates who are less price-sensitive than Indonesians.

My only worry is about the maintenance of Bellagio Residence. If it keeps deteriorating, it will impact the price negatively.

Ratings