Note: This review is partly copied from my article about Casa Domaine. Both are next to each other and they belong to the same company.
The Shangri-La Residences is a luxury residential complex that consists of two twin towers of 31 floors, for a total of 168 units. Completed in 2006, it belongs to the same group as the Shangri-La Hotel and Wisma 46, both of which are just a few hundred meters away. The whole area with the two Shangri-Las, Wisma 46 and Casa Domaine is called BNI City.
All the units in Shangri-La Residences are managed by the Shangri-La and rented as serviced apartments. Prices start at USD5,000/month for a two-bedroom apartment (175m2).
I visited the property in November 2018, and this is my full review of it:
Location:
Neighborhood and Transportation
In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Shangri-La Residences located?
Shangri-La Residences is located Tanah Abang, a large and diverse district of Central Jakarta with both poor and rich areas. In Senayan or Jalan Sudirman, for instance, you will find high-rise buildings, luxury hotels, and upscale malls. On the contrary, the western part of Tanah Abang, near Jalan Ks. Tubuh, is low-rise and working class.
The Shangri-La Residences is in the middle of this. On one side, it is near Jalan Sudirman (500 meters) and next to the business district. But if you look at the other side, you will see a traditional neighborhood.
This is not my favorite location in Jakarta, but I have to admit it is rather strategic, especially if you work in Thamrin or Sudirman. It is also convenient to reach the airport.
How does it look like around the apartment?
The surroundings of Shangri-La Residence are very uninteresting. There is absolutely nothing to do walking distance from the property, except maybe going to the Shangri-La Hotel.
That’s something to consider if you compare with neighborhoods like Mega Kuningan or SCBD, where you can easily walk to cafés or restaurants.
By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is it from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 50 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 10 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 5-10 minutes
– Kota Tua: 70 minutes
– Kemang: 45 minutes
Public transportation and access to highways:
– Transjakarta: Stasiun Karet (300 meters away), LSPR (1,5km away), Tosari (2km away)
– Train: Karet (300 meters away)
– MRT: Dukuh Atas (2 km away)
– Toll road: Jakarta Inner Ring Road (1,5km away)
– Train to airport: Sudirman Baru (2km away)
Landmarks Nearby
These are the important landmarks nearby:
Malls:
Grand Indonesia (10 minutes by car) is one of the largest upscale malls in Jakarta. It has pretty much anything you may need, including 2 supermarkets, a huge cinema and 3 department stores (Sogo, Seibu, Central). It is also a popular hangout spot with plenty of coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. In front of Grand Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia is another option, more luxurious.
Just 5 minutes from Shangri-La Residences, you can also find Citywalk Sudirman. This is a boutique mall, with many affordable restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and a bar. It has a supermarket, Papaya (a Japanese brand, quite expensive), a Gold’s Gym, three hairdressers, an ATM center, a private school (Raffles Institute) and a function hall. Note that there are no retail shops. At lunchtime, Citywalk is always packed with office workers, but it is quieter in the evening. If you enjoy street food, there are at least 30 stalls just outside the mall.
Supermarkets:
The nearest one is Papaya in Citywalk Sudirman. For more choice, you can check Ranch Market in Grand Indonesia or FoodHall in Plaza Indonesia.
Restaurants:
The Shangri-La Hotel has 3 fine dining restaurants (Italian, Chinese, Japanese) and an all-day buffet restaurant. There are also several good restaurants in the nearby Pavilion Apartment complex such as Cassis (French), La Posta (Argentinian), Harum Manis (Indonesian), Tucano’s (Brazilian), and Hokkaido Izakaya (Japanese). For more choice, you can go to Citywalk, Plaza Indonesia, or Grand Indonesia.
Bars and Nightlife:
Nearby nightlife areas are near Grand Indonesia (Skye, Cloud), in Mega Kuningan (Basque, Loewy) or in SCBD (Fairgrounds). They can all be accessed within 10-20 minutes. The Shangri-La Hotel has an infamous expat bar in its basement called BATS (many prostitutes).
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 around. Here a few within a reasonable distance:
– Universities: Atma Jaya Semanggi, London School of Public Relations, Sahid University, LaSalle College
– High schools: Only local schools (SMA)
– Preschool: Da Little School, Kinderfield Sudirman Park, HighReach Sudirman Park, Jakarta World Academy, LEAP School
Hospitals:
Siloam Semanggi
Sahid Sudirman Memorial Hospital
Takenoko Clinic (inside Sahid Sudirman Residence – for Japanese)
Parks:
None nearby. The closest ones would be the Monas or Bung Karno.
Offices:
Plenty of offices nearby: Sahid Sudirman Center, MidPlaza, Sampoerna Strategic Square, IFC, World Trade Center, Indofood, etc.
Building Quality
Building and Architecture
Who is the developer?
Shangri-La Residences was developed by PT Estetika Binagriya, a joint venture between 3 companies:
– The Hong-Kong-based Kerry Group (Kuok family), a renowned property developer that created the 5-star hotel chain Shangri-La
– The Salim Group, the largest conglomerate in Indonesia and the owner of Indofood (Indomie instant noodles)
– The Lyman Group, another conglomerate involved in property development, plantations, telecommunication, etc.
This joint venture is also the owner of the Shangri La Hotel Jakarta, Casa Domaine, and Wisma BNI, all of which are built on the same plot of land as Shangri La Residences to form the BNI City.
Who is the architect?
I didn’t find this information.
Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Waskita Karya, a large state-owned enterprise that has a long experience building diverse projects (infrastructure, hotels, apartments, etc). This is the company that also built Wisma 46 and the Shangri-La Hotel.
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):
Lobby:
Landscaping and Public Areas:
The garden is a bit tiny, which is disappointing considering the price of the apartments here. However, you can go to the Shangri-La Hotel’s garden which is much larger.
Size and Types of Apartments
The apartments’ size is approximately the following:
2-bedroom units (2 en-suite bathrooms): 175m2
3-bedroom units (3 en-suite bathrooms, maid room): 230m2
3-bedroom units with study room (3 en-suite bathrooms): 320m2
Garden units: 350m2
Penthouse units (on 3 floors with private rooftop pool): 778m2 and 938m2
All apartments have the following equipment: Private lift, washing machine and dryer, iron and ironing board, LCD with cable (116 channels), broadband internet, telephone, safety box, coffee machine, microwave, oven, fridge, toaster, water dispenser, rice cooker.
Here are some photos that I took from a 2-bedroom unit:
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: 9
Tiles corridors: 7
Painting (wall, ceiling): 8
Lighting fixtures: 8
Doors/windows: 8
Ceiling: 8
Elevator: 8
Gym equipment: 8
Pool equipment: 8
Furniture: 7
Artwork: 8.5
In the apartments:
Tiles/Parquet: 8
Bathroom equipment: 8.5
Kitchen equipment: 8
Overall Quality: 8.2/10
Comfort
Facilities and Services
What are the facilities provided in the property?
– A medium-sized pool, 32 meters long (but it look smaller) and a basin for kids. You can also use the Shangri-La hotel’s pool and water park (5 minutes by foot).
– The gym has several professional machines (LifeFitness) but it’s lacking free weights.
– Other facilities:
– Facilities not pictured here: BBQ area, function room, tennis court.
What are the services available within the property?
There are several services available: Dining at the Verandah restaurant, 24-hour room service, laundry and dry-cleaning, in-house clinic, spa.
The hotel also organizes weekly activities like pilates, yoga, zumba, TRX, Muay Thai, cooking, and even groceries shopping. They seem to target expat wives specifically.
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?
Yes, it is quite busy even though there are only 168 units. The occupancy is near 100%.
Is it noisy?
No.
What is the background (ethnicity, social status) of residents?
The majority of residents are expats, long term and short term.
Management
Maintenance
How old is the property?
The property was completed in 2006.
Are there visible damages?
Very few.
Overall maintenance rating: 9/10
Cleanliness
I found the property to be very clean.
Overall cleanliness rating: 9/10
Gardening
The garden is well-maintained.
Overall gardening rating: 8/10
Security
– Guards: On duty at the entrance and lobby 24/7
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby, public areas and lift
– Access: You need a card and your fingerprint to access your unit (via a private lift).
Overall security rating: 9/10
Hospitality
The service is probably the strongest point of the Shangri-La Residences. The staff will quickly remember you and treat you like a king or queen. You have a concierge desk at the lobby which can be very useful when you need help (recommendations, taxis, printing documents, arranging a phone call, etc).
Overall hospitality rating: 9.5/10
Rooms and Prices
I was only given the price for the two-bedroom apartments (175m2): USD5,000/month, payable in advance. You must add to a 10% tax, internet access, and the utilities (electricity and water). This probably means the total is between USD5,500 to USD6,000 per month.
For this price, you get daily housekeeping (except on Sunday), laundry and dry cleaning services, as well as a few discounts on F&B.
To be honest, while Shangri-La Residences is a nice property, it is really overpriced. If your company is paying for it, or if you are rich enough not to care, then go for it. But you should know that with a USD5,500/month budget in Jakarta, you can find a much larger apartment, more modern, with better facilities.
Address
Shangri-La Residences
Kota BNI, Jalan. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 1,
Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, 10220, Indonesia
Phone number: +62 21 2511 888
Website: Shangri-La Residences Jakarta
My Ratings
I do my best to write honest and detailed reviews of the apartments I visit. If you disagree with my rating, please let me know why and leave your own rating at the end of this page.
- Prestigious brand.
- High-quality construction and materials.
- 5-star service.
- Spacious apartments.
- The equipment in the apartments can be old (TV for instance).
- Small garden.
- Fine facilities, but nothing to shout about considering the price
- The property doesn't feel very modern.
- Overpriced.
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