Ra Simatupang is an upscale serviced residence with 110 apartments and studios. Built in 2015, it consists of a single tower of 16 floors with a small garden and pool area on the ground floor.

I stayed there for few days and this is my honest review of it:

Location:

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the residence located?
Ra Simatupang is along TB Simatupang, in Cilandak, an important thoroughfare that runs parallel to the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (a highway linking Bekasi, South Jakarta, and Tangerang). In the past 10 years, this area has developed rapidly to become Jakarta’s second largest central business district. Companies like Siemens or Nestlé, for instance, have moved there.

As you move away from TB Simatupang, the neighborhood of Cilandak is rather peaceful, with mostly low-rise buildings and plenty of green areas (golf courses, empty plots of lands). It is populated by the Indonesian upper-middle-class, often in housing complexes.

How far is the residence from:
– Jakarta Airport: 65 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 50 minutes
– Kota Tua: 70 minutes
– Kemang: 30 minutes

How does it look like around the residence?
Ra is about a 100 meters away from TB Simatupang, which is basically a highway bordered by office buildings, malls, and shops. It’s not really interesting and you cannot walk there easily.

Right outside the residence, however, there is a rather pleasant residential neighborhood with a few cheap restaurants and cafés. You don’t have a sidewalk, but you can still walk around as there aren’t many cars.

Neighborhood Ra Simatupang

Ra Simatupang Street

TB Simatupang View from Ra Residence

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Walking distance, there are a few landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
Cilandak Town Square is a popular mall, with many restaurants, cafés, a cinema and a supermarket. On a map, it may look like it is very near Ra Simatupang, but in fact, it can be complicated to get there. The problem is that to cross the street, you will need to make a long U-turn, which will take you at least 15 minutes. Walking is probably faster, but still, it is 10 minutes away.

Another mall nearby is Poins Square, which is more oriented towards the middle-class.

Supermarkets:
There is a large All Fresh Fruit Market just 5 minutes walking distance. It also sells a variety of useful products as well, such as pasta, sauces, rice, etc. For more choice, you will have to go to Cilandak Town Square, in FoodMart, or to Carrefour Lebak Bulus.

Restaurants:
Ra Simatupang has a Koi Restaurant on its ground floor. It serves affordable Western food and it is famous among expats.

There are some affordable Indonesian restaurants as well that you can try, walking distance from Ra Residence. They are very basic but cheap.

Bars:
Alcohol is served in Koi. For more options, you should go to Cilandak Town Square (particularly the nightclub Jenja).

Universities:
Prasetya Mulia University

Schools:
Jakarta International School

Preschools:
Cikal Cilandak

Hospitals:
Mayapada Hospital
RS Fatmawati
Siloam TB Simatupang

Parks:
The closest is Ragunan Zoo Parc.

Offices:
Talavera Office Park

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
TB Simatupang and the Jakarta Outer Ring Road are 2 minutes away. This makes it easier to go by car to Bekasi, South Tangerang or the Airport.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
TB Simatupang is generally very busy on weekdays, from 7 AM to 10 AM and from 6 PM to 8 PM.

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

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
No. There are only non-AC buses going to Cinere, Ciledug and Blok M.

Is there a train station nearby?
No.

How about the MRT?
An MRT station is currently being built

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
Yes, but they are small and crowded.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer of Ra Simatupang is a small company called Asiana Group (Mahkota Asiana Graha). They are behind several luxury properties (hotels, villas and apartments) like Senopati Suites, La Joya Biu Biu Jimbaran, or Nirvana Kemang. 

Interestingly, the company is officially owned and run by a former model named Loemongga Haoemasan Nasution. She is married to a powerful politician, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, a Minister of Social Affairs under Jokowi, and son of Ginandjar Kartasasmita. The latter, close to Suharto, was Minister of Mines and Energy from 1988 to 1993 and signed a controversial agreement with Freeport in 1991. I let you connect the dot on how the group could have been financed.

Who is the architect?
Ra Residence was designed under the name TBS Linera by Aboday Architects, a reputed consulting firm that was also behind Morrissey Hotel and Artotel.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Wijaya Kusuma, a large company that built, among others, Grand Mercure Harmoni and Fraser Residence.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
No.

Are their issues with parking?
No.

How many lifts are there?
There are 4 residents’ lifts in the tower

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From outside:
It is noticeable from the street as its façade is rather original. Each room has a long, floor-to-ceiling window, but no balcony. AC units are hidden.

Ra Simatupang Apartment

Reception:
Minimalist reception, but elegant:

Reception Desk Ra Simatupang

Entrance:
There is a large roof to protect you from the rain:

Entrance Lobby Ra Simatupang

Outside Ra Simatupang

Landscaping:
The swimming pool and garden area is actually quite small. That’s probably one of the main weaknesses of Ra Simatupang. That said, they managed to make it look relaxing, with plenty of plants and trees.

Pool Ra Simatupang

Corridors:
The floor is carpeted and the walls are made of wood panels. This gives a homey feeling, much nicer than if they had used ceramic tiles and concrete.

Corridors Ra Simatupang

How are the rooms?
The rooms are modern, clean, without being too luxurious. The standards are similar to those of a 4-star business hotel. The following configurations are available:

– Ra Studio – 30m2
– Ra Studio Deluxe – 32m2
– Ra Studio Deluxe Twin – 32m2
– Ra Studio Executive – 40m2
– Ra Executive Suite start at 64m2
– Ra Premiere Suite – 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in 96m2
– Ra Residence Suite – 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in 128m2

Here are a few pictures of the rooms:

Kitchen

Studio Ra Simatupang

Bedroom Ra Simatupang

Bathroom Ra Simatupang

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: 5 (ceramic tiles)
Painting: 6
Doors: 6 (smart key tag)
Carpeting: 6
Room flooring: 6 (Vinyl)
Ceiling: 5
Elevator: 6
Gym equipment: 5
Pool equipment: 4
Furniture: 6
Mattress: 7 (Serta)
Artwork:6

Overall Quality: 6/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Very good. I didn’t see any defaults.

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool (including a jacuzzi and a kid’s pool): A bit disappointing as it is not long enough for real swimmers. There are enough sunbeds, but the whole area is rather tiny.

Pool Area Ra Simatupang

Swimming Pool Ra Residence Simatupang

– Gym: It is quite basic, with only the most common machines. The quality of the equipment is satisfactory (manufactured by Kettler, not a top brand).

Gym Ra Simatupang

– A playground for kids: Nicely done, with different games, in a garden. It includes a home trampoline.

Kid’s Playground Ra Simatupang

Kid’s Game Ra Simatupang Residence

– A BBQ area:

BBQ Area Ra Simatupang

– 9 meeting rooms:

Meeting Rooms

What are the services available within the property?

– In the property, a whole range of services are available: Laundry, restaurants, room service, daily cleaning,

Atmosphere

How busy is the property?
It is quite busy, especially during the week. Weekends are quieter as there aren’t as many business clients.

Is it noisy?
Not particularly.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are expat businessmen on short-term assignments. I noticed most were males who were staying by themselves.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed in 2015.

Are there visible damages?
Most of the property is still spotless. The only major issue I saw was that the sunbeds in the swimming pool were in a terrible condition:

Damaged Sunbeds Ra Simatupang

Cleanliness

The property was very clean.

Security

– Guards on duty at the gates and reception: 24/7
– CCTV cameras: Yes on every floor
– Access card: Required to go to your floor and to open your door. Also to access the swimming pool.

Hospitality

The staff was very friendly and professional.

Rooms and Prices

For short-term stays, you should book directly on their website: http://raresidence.com/

For long-term stays, you can email them: sales.simatupang@raresidence.com or grm.simatupang@raresidence.com