Batavia Apartments – Serviced Residences – is an upmarket residential complex in Central Jakarta, featuring two towers for a total of 122 apartments. It is a rather old property, more than 20 years old, yet the condition is still satisfactory.

Some units are directly owned by the management company, PT Suluh Dwipantara, while others are owned by private individuals. The first ones can be rented directly through their website or through online booking agents like Agoda, Booking.com or Traveloka. The second ones can be purchased or rented to the individual owners.

If you ask and pay for it, your apartment can be serviced just like in a hotel. This means you’ll get breakfast, daily cleaning, laundry, changing of linen and towels, etc.

I stayed a few days in an apartment that belonged to an individual owner, but I didn’t choose the “serviced apartment” option. Still, I got a good overview of the property in general, and this is my review of it.

Location

Position in Jakarta

The position of Batavia Apartment is very good. It is in Central Jakarta, in the sub-district of Tanah Abang, about 400 meters away from Jalan Sudirman. If you work in the Central Business District, this is a great location. You will also be close to several malls such as Grand Indonesia or Citywalk Sudirman.

The only problem is that there might be traffic on the smaller streets just before arriving at the apartments, namely Jalan Bendungan Hilir (main entrance) or Jalan Karet Pasar Baru VII (secondary entrance). A dirty river runs nearby and you may smell it when you go outside.

Neighborhood

The area directly around Batavia Apartment is rather local, with mostly low-rise buildings. You’ll find all sorts of typical Indonesian shops and services, including warungs, coffee shops, street vendors, etc. The street of Bendungan Hilir, sometimes called Benhil, is actually a famous spot for street food in Jakarta. In recent years, it has become increasingly sophisticated and it is now a kind of hipster hangout.

Street Outside Batavia Apartments – Bendungan Hilir Side

Neighborhood Outside Batavia Apartments – Jalan Karet Pasar Baru

As you venture a bit further, you have a lot of malls, office buildings, hotels, restaurants, schools, nightclubs or hospitals within less than 15 minutes by taxi. Going there by foot is almost impossible as there is no sidewalks in Jakarta.

Here are a few of the most important things to do nearby:

– Citywalk Sudirman (5 minutes away): A lifestyle mall with many restaurants, a gym and a Papaya supermarket. Popular with office workers during lunch hours. Other malls that are within reasonable distance include Grand Indonesia, Plaza Semanggi, Plaza Indonesia, Pacific Place, Lotte Avenue or Ambassador.

– Le Méridien Hotel and Shangri-La Hotel: 5-star hotels with good restaurants and bars.

– Office buildings: Menara Batavia, Sahid Sudirman Center, World Trade Center, Intiland, MidPlaza, Sampoerna Strategic Square.

– Schools or Universities: London School of Public Relations, Lasalle College, Atma Jaya Catholic University.

– Siloam Hospital, one of the most renowned private hospitals in Jakarta.

– Note that there is a large cemetery north of Batavia Apartments. Some apartments may have a view on it.

Transportation

Due to the location of Batavia Apartments, which is a few hundred meters off the main streets, you won’t have other options than using a car or a motorbike for the majority of your transportation needs.

As I mentioned before, while the location of Batavia Apartment is central, you may encounter a lot of traffic in the smaller streets around the complex. This was a problem for me on several occasions.

Using public transportation is not really convenient. The closest Transjakarta halts are “Bendungan Hilir” or “Karet Sudirman”, but they are both at least 15 minutes away by foot.

Building Quality

Design and Architecture

The two towers of Batavia Apartments look rather nice and elegant in my opinion. The external concrete is well-painted with different shades of colors. The air-conditioning units are partially hidden. The octagonal shape is more original than a simple square or a rectangle. That said, there is nothing out-of-the-extraordinary. Several towers in Jakarta have a very similar design.

Building Materials

Materials used in the building of Batavia Apartments are very good, but some are starting to be a bit old. The lobby is probably the most impressive part of the property, with marble tiling on the floor and on the walls. If you have guests visiting you, it will give them a positive first impression. There are also some paintings, some plants, and quality furniture.

In the upper floors, it is less luxurious. The tiling is simple granite in the corridors, for instance.

Reception Lobby Batavia Apartments

Corridors in Batavia Apartments

Comfort

Facilities and Services

The facilities of Batavia Apartments are rather numerous:

– A medium-sized, lagoon-shaped swimming pool for adults: It’s a bit small for real swimmers, but very enjoyable if you only want to relax. The pool area gets a lot of sunlight and therefore the water is pleasantly warm. There are a few sunbeds and a nice garden is planted all around.

Swimming Pool Batavia Apartments

– A small kids’ pool with a slide.

– An outdoor jacuzzi (not heated)

Jacuzzi Batavia Apartments

– A complete gym with professional machines (some of them are a little old). You can ask for a trainer if you desire.

Gym Batavia Apartments

– A well-maintained tennis court

Tennis Court Batavia Apartments

– A kids’ playground

Playground for Kids Batavia Apartments

– A squash court, which is an original feature. I haven’t seen many elsewhere in Jakarta.

– A sauna

– A fine dining restaurant with room service

– On-call massage services

– A minimarket (Circle K)

– Free parking

– Laundry

– Meeting rooms and business center

– Several blue bird taxis are on standby just outside the property.

– If you enjoy Indonesian food, there are also plenty of cheap restaurants 100 meters away from the property, in the main street. There you will also find ATMs, convenience stores and coffee shops.

Atmosphere

I would guess that a significant portion of guests staying in Batavia Apartments are short-time visitors, including many foreigners. Since the location is close to the Central Business District and affordable, it is also popular with young professionals in their 30s.

The lobby of the residence is quite busy, but apart from that, it is rather quiet. I went several times to the swimming pool and to the gym, and there were only a couple of other guests there.

Management

Maintenance

The maintenance of all public areas of Batavia Apartments is good. The property is already more than 20 years old but it still looks decent, which is not the case of many other apartment buildings in Jakarta. That said, you may notice some areas that need to be painted again, some broken tiles, some scratches, etc. Some of their machines are outdated as well, for instance, some aircon unit or some machines at the gym.

I also heard some comments that the condition of the room they manage is not always perfect. Some of the equipment may not be functioning properly (AC, microwave, etc).

A common complaint is that some rooms have a bad smell and that they have cockroaches. I was lucky not to have this problem, which probably concerns apartments that have not been renovated yet.

Cleanliness

I found that the whole property was clean (as far as the public areas are concerned).

Security

There is 24-hour security at the gate of the property and inside the lobby. Also, you cannot access the lift area without a pass. CCTVs are installed in all strategic locations.

Hospitality

The staff was friendly and courteous.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Batavia Apartments may vary depending on the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings. If you rent an apartment directly, without going through the management, be aware that you may also need to pay for the service charge, the IPL (Iuran Pemeliharaan Lingkungan), the parking, the electricity, the water, etc.

The apartment range varies from 1 bedroom (33 m2) to 4 bedrooms (200m2).On average, you will pay the following:

1-Bedroom Type (48m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 8M per month (direct to owner)
• Rental 1 Year: IDR 11M per month (direct to management company)
• Buy: IDR 1.500.000.000

2-Bedroom Type (90m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 15M per month (direct to owner)
• Rental 1 Year: IDR 17M per month (direct to management company)
• Buy: IDR 2.100.000.000

3-Bedroom Type (120m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 20M per month (direct to owner)
• Rental 1 Year: IDR 21M per month (direct to management company)
• Buy: IDR 3.000.000.000

Penthouse Type (200m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 25M per month (direct to management company)

Important: There is a tower currently being built just next to tower 2. I’m not sure if it is part of the same property or a different one. Beware if your apartment is facing it as it will completely obstruct your view. You will also probably be bothered by the noise coming from the construction.

Tower 2 and New Tower Construction

Investment Potential

Batavia Apartments are way past their prime. Purchasing an apartment there is a bit like buying an old car: You can expect to spend a lot of money on repairs and renovation.

However, If you consider that the prices are reasonable and that the location is in high demand, it is still interesting in my opinion. A renovated 1-bedroom apartment could probably be rented more than IDR10,000,000 per month.

Also, you should consider that the condition of the building has not deteriorated too much in 20 years, which proves that both the building quality and the maintenance are good.

Finally, the location might get a boost after 2020, as an MRT station should be located only at a reasonable distance, in front of Le Meridien Hotel.