The Ibis Mangga Dua is a North Jakarta hotel after a dollar-scrimping business traveler’s heart. It may not score high on the luxury department, but its close proximity to the sprawling Mangga Dua shopping centers makes the Ibis Mangga Dua a sure hit with shoppers looking for bargains. The rooms are small but comfortable, and come with free (and fast) Wifi. The Ibis Mangga Dua’s location in the north of Jakarta puts it relatively close to the airport (about 30 minutes’ drive), with Ancol being a very short taxi ride away.
Location of Ibis Mangga Dua
Your guide never really expected to check into the Ibis Mangga Dua, a business hotel located along a major artery in Jakarta’s Chinatown. A scheduling snafu forced me to look for cheap but comfortable accommodations in North Jakarta. I wanted to stay somewhere close to Fatahillah Square and explore the famous Mangga Dua shopping centers sprawling across the general vicinity.
So location, price, and good value for money were my main criteria in selecting the Ibis Mangga Dua. As for criterion number one, the Ibis Mangga Dua paid off. The famous shopping centers of Mangga Dua were right next door to the hotel, and I simply walked over to neighboring Mangga Dua Mall to enter the interconnected warrens of shops that have made Mangga Dua a byword in cheap shopping all over Southeast Asia.
From the hotel, other North Jakarta attractions are extremely close via taxi; your guide rode to Ancol SeaWorld, and the whole ride took fifteen minutes. Your guide also walked to Fatahillah Square, a hike he soon came to regret, as the streets are extremely pedestrian-unfriendly.
A look at the neighborhood on Google Maps is misleading; despite the apparent proximity of Fatahillah Square, a walk from Ibis Mangga Dua requires dodging cars and walking down some iffy run-down streets. Having learned my lesson, I took a cab from Fatahillah Square to the hotel, and the whole ride took less than five minutes.
Accommodations in Ibis Mangga Dua
Breakfast Buffet at La Table Restaurant, Ibis Mangga Dua, Jakarta.
Image © Mike Aquino, licensed to About.com.The Ibis Mangga Dua has 214 rooms, divided into three classes. Standard rooms offer an option of either one queen-size bed or two single beds. The executive suite offers one queen-size bed in far more spacious and comfortable quarters, while a three-bedroom apartment is available for families.
The standard room your guide checked into was a compact space that fit a bed, a television, a writing desk, an upholstered chair, and very little else. Any claustrophobia was immediately alleviated by the large window overlooking Mangga Dua.
Even the bathroom was small – there’s room for a sink, a toilet bowl, and a shower (not a bathtub). Given the size of the standard rooms, sharing the room seems somehow unthinkable – my quarters had very little room for an extra bed, had I requested it, and I imagine tall guests would find it difficult to squeeze into the bathroom. The bathrooms also do not come with a razor, toothbrush and toothpaste.
Small size notwithstanding, the room was designed for comfort, with soft mattresses (a little too soft for my taste), cushy pillows, clean linens, earth tones, and lacquered wood furniture. The free WiFi was quite speedy, allowing me to work without missing the broadband connection I have at home.
Ibis Mangga Dua Amenities
As befitting a mid-range business hotel, the Ibis Mangga Dua has no swimming pool, but offers a restaurant, bar and mezzanine conference spaces.
The restaurant serves a buffet breakfast at the La Table restaurant on the far end of the first floor. The spacious restaurant serves a good (not great) buffet spread of halal food between 6:30am and 10am. (More info here: What is Halal Food?) Both Western and Indonesian tastes are well-catered to, although forget about having crisp bacon strips.
The La Table restaurant is open 24 hours, serving both Western and Asian dishes, from pasta to rice meals to an interesting array of desserts. I ordered a good clubhouse sandwich from La Table via room service – my only quibble was that the softdrink servings were tiny indeed.
Right outside the Ibis Mangga Dua’s front door, a line of yellow Taxiku cabs waits to take you further afield in Jakarta. After checking out of the hotel, I took a chance on the Taxiku queue to take me to the Ascott Jakarta further south. Contrary to your guide’s initial suspicions, the Taxiku cab I rode was honest and charged a fair rate, comparable to the Bluebird taxis I was told to stick to during my stay in Jakarta.
Ibis Mangga Dua at a Glance
Location: Jalan Pangeran Jayakarta 73, 10730 Jakarta, Indonesia. Located in North Jakarta, near Fatahillah Square and the Jakarta Kota Train Station. (6°8'18.26"S, 106°49'22.96"E) The Jakarta International Trade Center and Mangga Dua Mall are just a few minutes away on foot; by car, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is about 30 minutes away.
Guest Services: Complimentary daily breakfast; free Wifi in the rooms and common areas. Babysitting available upon request.
Facilities: 214 rooms in total; 26 connecting rooms and 45 non-smoking rooms available upon request. La Table Restaurant. The Bar.
Contact Details: Phone +62 21 625 0101; fax +62 21 625 0505, email reservation@ibis-manggadua.com.
Rates: Compare rates between the Ibis Mangga Dua and other Jakarta hotels.
