The best accommodations Indonesia

Budget & Tips

You'll find absolutely everything in Indonesia, and value for money in the tourist areas is excellent. Take Bali, for example: you can stay in a lovely hotel with traditional architecture, swimming pool and air conditioning, plus a beautiful tropical jungle garden, for less than €30... In Jakarta, everything is a little more expensive for the same quality. On the other hand, when you leave the tourist areas, the choice is much more limited, even if new structures have opened recently. When there's nothing, you can ask the village chief for hospitality. And if there's no village, the first house you come to may welcome you.

To simplify your payments throughout your stay, cash payments in either Indonesian rupiah or US dollars are widely accepted. International credit cards, such as Visa and MasterCard, are generally accepted in luxury hotels, resorts and high-end establishments. Some tourist sites also offer online payment via secure platforms such as PayPal. In some cases, bank transfers can be accepted for reservations and advance payments.

Good and cheap. In tourist areas, you can find accommodation for under Rp 350,000 (although the trend is towards inflation). Count on less than Rp 200,000 for a clean room with private bathroom and fan in a simple hotel that can be pretty; at this price, however, a swimming pool is rare. The same hotels sometimes offer air-conditioning at double the price. Outside the main tourist circuits, quality declines very quickly and, for the same price, you generally get a room of much more dubious cleanliness, and, by way of bathroom, a more or less well-appointed shower room with mandi (water basin with ladle for washing) and, sometimes, Turkish toilets (which turn out to be much more hygienic than their comparses when the general standard is low). The least expensive rooms will generally not have a private bathroom; everyone uses the same shower room. In any case, as a general rule, always carry an Emergency Toilet Paper (ETP). The most affordable accommodation options are losmens, which generally provide single rooms with hard beds or bolsters, often run by families.

Comfort and charm. Here too, there's a huge disparity depending on where you are. In Bali or Yogyakarta, hotels in this category, at less than 1,000,000 Rp, are generally excellent. They offer all the comforts of the West (clean bathrooms, large rooms, television, air conditioning), with a small swimming pool, tasteful decor, tropical garden or park... All for the price of a very basic hotel in France. On the other hand, outside the major international circuits, hotels do not suffer from any competition that would push them to equip themselves with the "extras" that attract customers, generally Indonesian customers who do not have the same habits. While cleanliness is unquestionable, the buildings are generally cold and motel-like, and the bathrooms are also Indonesian. There are a few exceptions, however, such as the Harris chain.

Luxury. This is the type of hotel that will be the same just about everywhere! In the tourist areas, you'll find all the big international names: Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Novotel, Sheraton, Hilton... As well as some very fine Indonesian establishments, less standardized, but just as charming, if not (very often) more authentic. There's no limit to prices, which can reach new heights (over Rp 15,000,000 for a heavenly room); service and restaurant charges (21% extra) are in line with the size of the customer's wallet, and are comparable to Western prices. These hotels generally offer a host of services and activities, impeccable service and a dream setting - at prices affordable to a wider clientele than those who usually frequent palaces in Europe: in low season, the price of some luxury hotels starts at 1,200,000 Rp. Be aware that your bill may increase considerably if you choose to dine in the hotel restaurant at lunchtime and in the evening, or if you take part in additional activities such as spa sessions or sea excursions.