Griya Prapanca is a midrange boutique residence with 72 serviced apartments. Located in the Kemang area, South Jakarta, it provides both short-term and long-term accommodation.

I stayed a few days there and this is my honest review about it:

Location:

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Griya Prapanca is on Jalan Pangeran Antasari, just a few hundred meters past the entrance of Jalan Kemang Raya. It is near one of the most popular expat neighborhoods in Jakarta, with plenty of bars, restaurants, hotels, and residences. It is ideal if you want to socialize with other foreigners, or simply if you enjoy going out.

How far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 65 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 50 minutes
– Kota Tua: 70 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
The location is not ideal as it is just in front of a major road with a flyover just above it. It is noisy, polluted, and not very pleasant to walk around. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes to escape this hell and to arrive in more quiet areas of Kemang.

View in Front of Griya Prapanca

Neighborhood Griya Prapanca

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Walking distance, there are several landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
Lippo Mall Kemang, 5 minutes away by foot, is a mid-to-upper class shopping center with a cinema, an Ace Hardware, a Hypermart, banks, pharmacies, fashion boutiques, restaurants, salons, etc.

Supermarkets:
For imported products, Kem Chicks in The Mansion Kemang (8 minutes by foot), or Hypermart in Lippo Mall (cheaper).

Restaurants:
Plenty of restaurants serving affordable Western food in Kemang. Good ones nearby are Eastern Promise (Indian and British cuisine), or Die Stube (German).

Bars:
Some popular bars nearby are Eastern Promise, Hooters, Beer Brothers, Hotel Monopoli, FJ on 7 Rooftop, Frank’s Bar and Parc 19. Most of them are located on Jalan Taman Menteng.

Universities:
There are not many universities nearby except some specialized schools like ESMOD (fashion) or the Indonesia Banking School.

Schools:
Some of Jakarta’s best international high schools are in Kemang. Among them, the Australian International School (AIS), the New Zealand International School (NIS), Mentari Intercultural School and Pelita Harapan.

Hospitals:
Kemang Medical Care
RS Pondok Indah
RS Gandaria
Brawijaya Women and Children Hospital

Siloam Hospital should also open soon in Kemang Village.

Parks:
None nearby, but there is a rather large green space behind the residence.

Offices:
Kemang is not a business area and there aren’t any significant office buildings nearby.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Jalan Pangeran Antasari is in front of Griya Prapanca, but it is only a two-lane road. The nearest highway is the Jakarta Outer Ring Road, 15 minutes away. The Jakarta Inner Ring Road (going to the Airport), is 30 minutes away.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
Jalan Pangeran Antasari used to be congested all the time, but the situation has now improved since a flyover was built above it. Still, you can expect the traffic to be slow during peak hours (7AM-9AM and 5PM-8PM). Friday evenings are the worse because many people go to Kemang to hang out in bars and cafés for the start of the weekend.

Is it easy for taxis/Uber/Grab to find the location?
Yes, it is fairly easy.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
No, but just in front of the residence, you can catch non-AC buses going to Blok M and Depok.

Is there a train station nearby?
No.

How about the MRT?
The MRT station of Cipete will be about 15-20 minutes from Griya Prapanca.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
Yes, but they are quite damaged. Even in Kemang, it is not pleasant to walk around.

Building Quality

Building

What is the reputation of the developer?
I don’t know who is the developer.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
None.

Are their issues with parking?
None.

How many lifts are there in each tower?
1 lift. It is not a problem as the towers only have 7 floors each.

Design and Appearance

How does the residence look like?

From outside:
The complex is a series of mid-rise buildings around a garden/pool area. It was built some time ago and it looks quite old now.

Griya Prapanca Apartments Jakarta

Griya Prapanca Kemang

Reception:
The reception area is small and not particularly impressive:

Lobby and Reception Griya Prapanca

Entrance:
Not really nice, I wasn’t sure if it was open when I arrived:

Entry to Lobby Griya Prapanca

Landscaping:
I liked the garden and the pool area of Griya Prapanca. It has a resort feeling which is quite relaxing:

Pool Griya Prapanca Kemang

Garden Griya Prapanca

Path in Griya Prapanca Garden

Corridors:
They are in the open-air, a bit like those of hotels in Bali. It would be OK if there wasn’t a noisy road nearby.

Corridors Griya Prapanca

How spacious are the apartments?
The size of the apartments is quite generous:

– Studio units start at 51m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units start at 156m2 (3 bathrooms)
– 3-bedroom units start at 232m2 (4 bathrooms)

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: 6 (Ceramic Tiles)
Painting: 5
Doors: 6
Ceiling: 5
Elevator: 5
Gym equipment: 6
Pool equipment: 4
Furniture: 5
Artwork: 5

Overall Quality: 5.5/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities and services provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: It is not long enough for real swimmers, but still pleasant. One side is for kids and the other one for adults. The jacuzzi is not working.

Swimming Pool Griya Prapanca Kemang

Jacuzzi Griya Prapanca

– Gym: The equipment is old, but it is still functioning.

Fitness in Griya Prapanca

– Game room with a pool table, a ping-pong table and a kid’s playground

Pool Table Griya Prapanca

– A tennis and basketball court in poor condition, next to the pollution of the nearby road

Tennis and Basketball Court Griya Prapanca

– A garden and a park with kid’s games:

Kids Playground Griya Prapanca

– A salon:

Salon in Griya Prapanca

– A karaoke:

Karaoke Griya Prapanca Kemang

– A restaurant:

Restaurant Griya Prapanca

– Laundry services are also provided by the residence. There is a minimarket and an ATM about 5 minutes away.

Atmosphere

How busy is the property?
It is a small property with not too many guests. 

Is it noisy?
Yes, that’s the main issue as the flyover is only 20 meters from the residence. Make sure to choose an apartment far away from the road.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
There are several expats living in Griya Prapanca, some of whom are above 60. Also, many customers are short-term residents, usually Indonesian families, who are visiting Jakarta.

Management

Maintenance

Are there visible damages?
The quality of the maintenance is average. While the condition of the apartments is OK, I saw several areas that would need to be renovated. For instance, the tennis court, the entrance of the building, or this fountain:

Pond Griya Prapanca

Cleanliness

It was clean, but it could be better. For instance here:

Cleanliness Issues Griya Prapanca

Security

– Guards on duty at the gates and reception: 24/7
– Access card: Not needed.

Hospitality

The staff was friendly and professional.

Rooms and Rental Prices

Prices at Griya Prapanca may vary depending on the length of your stay or the current promotion. I advise you to contact them directly and to negotiate a price if you want to rent more than a few weeks.

Here is what you could pay as a long-stay guest for a serviced apartment:

Studio Type (11m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 100 million
• Rental 1 Month: IDR 10 million

2-Bedroom Type (156m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 200 million
• Rental 1 Month: IDR 20 million

Which units are the best?
Avoid the rooms that are near Jalan Griya Prapanca (or if you take one, make sure you get a special discount).