People’s Choice: Best Indonesian Hotels 2011/2012

Dec 5th, 2011, in Featured, IM Posts, Travel, by Chris

The 2011/2012 Indonesian Travel and Tourism Awards recognises Indonesia's best hotels.

The winners in the national category:

National Hotel Awards

Click on the hotel's icon for more information about the hotel.
If you wish, you can also make a booking.

Hotel Of The Year, Leading Business Hotel	Leading Green Hotel, Responsible Tourism Award
Resort of the Year	Villa of the Year

Leading City Hotel	Leading Luxury Hotel	Leading Boutique Hotel*
Leading MICE Venue/Hotel*	Leading Airport Hotel	Leading Serviced Apartment & Suite
Leading Family Resort	Leading Beach Resort	Leading Luxury Resort

Leading Spa
Resort

Leading Thematic
Resort

*This hotel also won the same award last year.

Regional Hotel Awards

Leading City Hotel in:

Jakarta	Surabaya*	Bandung
Medan*	Semarang	Yogyakarta*

HOW ARE THE WINNERS CHOSEN?

Winners are judged by 1) Peers - the Indonesian Travel and Tourism Awards Foundation's 27-member board of advisors of "exemplary travel individuals from various travel and tourism and non tourism backgrounds", and 2) Online voting open to the public. (To protect the integrity of the process, voters have to pre-register.)

A full list of winners plus the other (unsuccessful) nominees and the selection criteria for each category is available here.

WHAT IS THE POINT?

Admittedly, there are a lot of lists going around of best hotels, etc. Two things make the Indonesian Travel and Tourism Awards different:

The public (mostly Indonesian residents) can vote, so it's like an Indonesian "People's Choice Awards" for hotels, rather than a few tourists or guidebook authors choosing.
The motto/aim of the ITTA:

awarding the best, inspiring the rest

In real English, it means that it hopes that by giving awards and publicity to the best hotels, it will inspire other hotels to improve and try to win in the future. This is similar to the Sapta Pesona Clean Public Airport Toilet Award - first awarded in 2007 - which has increased standards of cleanliness and comfort enjoyed in airport toilets across the country.

YOUR VOTE

If you have stayed at one of the winning hotels, do you feel it is a worthy winner?

If you have not, what categories would you like to see that would reward other deserving hotels?

5 Comments on “People’s Choice: Best Indonesian Hotels 2011/2012”

David Says:
December 6th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Can’t say I’ve stayed in any of those places, neither well travelled nor well heeled enough I suppose.

I think they need — Hotels with Character award, difficult to pick the criteria there though, or family hotels, budget, could be lots more, shame they just focus on the luxury and chain hotels end of things, but that’s to be expected probably.
Oigal Says:
December 6th, 2011 at 11:42 am
I confess I do enjoy the luxury side of life as I have gotten shall we say more experienced. The days of the home stays and losman were fun but there is a time and place for everything.

That said I would love to see a list of family friendly hotels…just for interest sake you understand.
Chris Says:
December 7th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
If you have stayed at one of the winning hotels, do you feel it is a worthy winner?

Unfortunately not. You would think I’d get some freebies from booking flights, trains and hotel rooms, but no.

Actually, I tried to book a room recently at the JW Marriott Hotel Medan, but it was sold out on the date I wanted.

If you have not, what categories would you like to see that would reward other deserving hotels?

1. Best buffet breakfast
There does seem to be a large variety, even among 5-star hotels in Jakarta. Some are amazing, at others the toaster doesn’t work.

2. Leading City Hotel in:

Other mid-sized Indonesian cities: Balikpapan, Bogor, Makassar

3. Leading Hotel in Corporate Social Responsibility

By law, all Indonesian businesses are by supposed to support the local community (at least in theory). This is particularly an issue when e.g. 5-star hotels are located next to shanty towns. Which hotel is giving opportunities and supporting their local community – and particularly the underprivileged – the best?

As an example, Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta gives guests the chance to teach local kids English, while the Intercontinental Midplaza Hotel in Jakarta has a deaf mute working in their staff kitchen.

4. Leading Hotel in Facilities and Access for the Disabled

Indonesia lags behind in this area. This award would be good to improve awareness in this area, and encourage hotels to build facilities that all guests can access.
BrotherMouzone Says:
December 15th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
The Marriot in Jakarta is really rather nice, though security entering is a drag (for obvious reasons).

My worst hotel experience in Indonesia was in the Kusuma Sahid Prince Hotel in Solo… I mean, who puts roosters in cages near hotel rooms? Did it not occur to management that they might…just…wake people up at 5 in the morning?

Seriously, people…
kingwilly Says:
January 7th, 2012 at 6:43 am
I think there is enough categories there to be able to ensure that everyone wins something… dilutes the meaning.