House of Tugu, Old Town Jakarta

Expectations sway much thinking about our family’s stay here. The opulence and detail in Tugu House promise much. Unfortunately, it does not meet its standards as a complete hotel. A fact that the hotel staff seemed only too apologetic about during our stay. The hotel, I understand, formally launches in February 2025; we booked for two nights on a ‘soft launch’ basis in December 2024. The lower floor comprises the hotel's public spaces, restaurant and a ‘museum’. In the latter, curios and antiques jostle for attention in galleries packed with artefacts that the family have collected from across Indonesia and Asia over their 200-year custodianship of the warehouses in old Batavia. It is a heartfelt display of family history. Alongside the proud celebration of their heritage, there is an impish sense of humour behind the curation: ancient artefacts are flanked by vermillion gorillas. As a guest, you can wander the atmospheric cloisters at leisure. The accommodation rooms are, apparently, designed by the owner’s daughter. They are calmer in design, citing design elements from the Peranakan community. Despite the antiquity of features, they are modern and comfortable. The impression is glamorous. The staff are effusively friendly. Our four-year-old was treated like a long-lost friend. One member of the team invited us to an impromptu tour of the museum and rooms. The breakfast was lavish, offering a generous array of beautifully prepared Peranakan and Western dishes. Despite the warm hospitality of the staff and the striking appearance, the hotel is not ready to receive guests. The top floor is currently available for ‘soft launch’ bookings. However, this places sleepers underneath large machinery on the roof floor, which emits pumping sounds that pulse around the room every 40 seconds. Sleep was disrupted and the family rose to a weary-eyed start to the day. The reception was understanding and accommodated a room change for the second night. We moved to a lower floor, where the pumping sounds were still audible, although muffled. The room itself was beautifully decorated but was not ready to receive guests. There was no hot water, the sinks didn’t work, and the communication devices were nonfunctional. The floors were also unvarnished. There appears to be a swimming pool on the ground floor, but its muddy water and apparent lack of accompanying facilities suggest that it, too, is not finished. Despite these teething issues, we had a positive experience. I understand that its actual launch is in February 2025, whereafter I would recommend another investigation – assuming, that is, they have resolved the noise and other issues. The care and detail that have comprised this unique establishment over the twenty years of its reconstruction will ensure that, once finished, it will be one of the great hotels of Southeast Asia. However, as much as I would like to give the hotel the top score, it’s hard to be overly fawning, when you’re paying fo