Review: The Hermitage, a Tribute Portfolio, Jakarta (1-Bedroom and Studio Suites)

Nightly rate	14,400 points  (worth US$87)
Length of stay	1 night
Date of stay	June 2022
Membership level	Titanium Elite (Marriott Bonvoy)

What benefits to expect when you stay at The Hermitage, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Jakarta as a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium or Platinum Elite member?

The Hermitage, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Jakarta was originally built in 1923 as a Dutch Telecommunications office. After some renovation works, the hotel opened in 2015 with a total of 90 rooms.

The cash rate for the base room is usually around US$190 per night.

Location

The hotel is located in central Jakarta but there was nothing much around the immediate vicinity of the hotel.

• 15 mins drive to Grand Indonesia mall
• 30 mins drive to Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport (HLP)
• 45 mins drive to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK)

Arrival

I had attached a Suite Night Award (SNA) to my stay for the Studio Suite, although SNAs can be requested up to the 1-Bedroom Suite, as I received feedback from a local traveller that the latter has an oddly-shaped bathroom.

The SNA was approved and to my (unpleasant) surprise, I was further “upgraded” to the 1-Bedroom Suite and was told that the Studio Suite wasn’t available at check-in.

The front desk staff was kind enough to allow me to have a look at the 1-Bedroom Suite first, before deciding if it is within my expectation.

It is true that this room type has an oddly-shaped bathroom, and an even stranger-looking closet area. I requested for a room-change and was told that they have prepared a Studio Suite for me. I preferred it a lot more as it was more ‘open’.

Unfortunately, on a number of occasions, as we were passing through the corridor, housekeeping staff were singing and playing music very loudly on their mobile phones. Pretty embarrassing for a hotel that claims to provide “5-star luxury“.

1-Bedroom Suite

Room 201 is 60sqm / 646sqft in size.

As mentioned above, this was the suite that I didn’t ask for and was originally assigned to. Furnishing looked good for an old building but there were many dark spots due to inadequate lighting.

The closet room was really dark and I don’t see anyone using the dressing table in it. As expected, the bathtub area was also a little strange and the blind could not be opened. I took a peek and saw that the view wasn’t great, just of a back alley.

Warning: The hotel’s website does not show the correct photos of each Suite type. Most of them misleadingly showing the bathtub near the bed.

Studio Suite

Room 308 is 50sqm / 538sqft in size.

The Studio Suite has similar design elements as the 1-Bedroom Suite and was more ‘open’ with no separation between the bed and the living area.

It also came with a balcony but also, without a view.

Air-conditioning was poor. The room was really cold when I entered and after toying around with the settings, I found that there is a 1-degree difference between warm and extremely cold.

Check out the video tour of this room on our Instagram page.

Hermitage Lounge

Platinum members and above enjoy complimentary Club benefits which includes all-day complimentary coffee/tea or juices at Hermitage Lounge, as well as dinner from an à la carte menu from 6 to 8pm.

Service was cold at the lounge but food quality was good. Although, because of the small menu and lack of rotation, I can imagine guests getting tired of it during a longer stay.

Breakfast

Breakfast is complimentary for Platinum members and above and was held at 1928 restaurant.

It is a very small restaurant and felt chaotic while I was there.

The buffet was left mostly empty the whole time and staff was singing/laughing loudly in the kitchen.

Tableware from previous guests were not cleared away from the dining area. Instead, they were stacked up close to my table and staff members were dumping used napkins under it.

Guests can also order dishes from the à la carte menu. To be honest, the breakfast experience would have been a complete joke without it, especially for a hotel at this price point. It was also really difficult to get a waiter’s attention to place my order.

Other facilities

Swimming pool

The hotel has a large rooftop pool, also without a view.

Gym

The gym is located near the swimming pool and was poorly lit too.

My ratings

This is how I am rating my stay, after considering what I paid (with points):

Breakfast	7/10
Service	7/10
Location	8/10
Room furnishing	7/10
View from room	1/10
Peace & quiet	6/10
Executive Lounge	7/10
Facilities	8/10
Elite member recognition	10/10
Value	8/10

Bottom line

I understand the limitations of transforming a building built in the 1920s into a hotel and the novelty of staying in one that is rich in history.

Despite the lack of views, chaotic breakfast experience and below-average service standards, I felt that I received fair value from the 14.4k points (worth US$87) that I redeemed for the stay. That said, there is no way that the hotel is worth its usual cash rate of US$190.

This experience reminded me that when redeeming points, we should also look at other factors, not just comparing the points vs cash rates. There are plenty of overpriced hotels out there!

Related: Sweet Spots: Best ways to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points in 2022