A hospitality brand that has served Jakarta finely for over 21 years, Four Seasons has finally reopened its doors after one and a half years. Indonesia Design had the pleasure to be one of the first medias to visit the beautifully designed hotel that is worth the wait.
PHOTO BY Bagus Tri Laksono & Four Seasons Doc.
With its new location on Gatot Subroto street within the city’s Central Business District, Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta is built side by side with a new office tower called The Capital Tower. Soaring high with all its 20 floors, this new hotel is not only opulent but has truly redefined the meaning of creating a new look of luxury. It boasts all the right elements from impressive high ceilings, stunning chandeliers to meticulous details of hand craftsmanship that add a sense of lavishness to the overall design.
The marvellous design was born from the collaboration between the award-winning Pelli Clark Pelli Architects and internationally renowned interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud, who was inspired by Jakarta’s long history from the Dutch colonial period to its current status as one of the growing metropolitan cities in the world. The luxury feel is palpable right from the entrance way, where lines of contemporary French deco-inspired hanging lamps offer a grand welcome. The ambience continues to the extravagant lobby that bears golden nuances. Here, a carpeted staircase leads to the mezzanine floor, where two wonderful his-and-hers salons reside.
From the grand lobby, three outlets are immediately visible. La Patisserie, being the first one is an elegant cake shop with a magnificent chandelier as its central piece-de-resistance. Cloaked in a sophisticated robin’s egg blue, the salon charms with a 19th century French style round sofa in its midst and of course its collection of exquisite chocolates and cakes by Executive Pastry Chef Lorenzo Sollecito.
Just in the corner between the patisserie and the library lies another fine outlet of the hotel called Nautilus Bar. In contrast with the feminine La Patisserie, this bar exudes masculinity through its sombre interior matched with golden ornate details. Taking inspiration from the cargo-laden ships that have traded the world’s treasures for Indonesia’s spices, Champalimaud displays a panoramic mural of the old port of Sunda Kelapa behind the bar to bring the narrative to life. The bar’s luxury is further highlighted by a fleur-de-lis pattern covered in gold. Meanwhile, the re-interpretation of porter’s chair: padded sofas in quality black leather, adds an overall exclusive ambience to the Nautilus Bar.
The bar is connected to the petite library that features contemporary French deco design in cobalt blue and gold lines. Red leather chairs and an antique map mural make this library feel intimate yet glamorous. The refreshing juxtaposition between the art deco theme and the retro geometric black and white pattern avoid the place to seem outdated.
Of course, the crown jewel of the lobby area is none other than the Palm Court, the hotel coffee shop. A glittering yet massive chandelier inspired by the Bismarck palm tree and custom made by world-renowned Lasvit is suspended elegantly from a 13-metre rotunda ceiling to illuminate the entire space. Like in classic European design, the interior here is defined by the round shape of the space and once again the 16th century French style porter’s chairs with high backs. Under Chef Marco Riva’s guidance, the Palm Court creates some of the most beautiful and delicious dishes that a hotel can offer. Guests are welcome to sit inside, with a modern open kitchen in sight, or at the alfresco area, where the spirit of an urban resort is brought to life by the landscape design of Bill Bensley. This lush outdoor space has an exotic flora concept, water features and resort-like terraces, definitely Bensley’s signature that is recognizable to all Four Seasons fans.
From its 125 private suites, the Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta actually feels more like a luxurious residence than a hotel. The suites showcase a refined design that is apparent in the colour palette, details and rich furnishings that are punctuated by the latest technologies. Chinoiserie wall panels, original Indonesian artwork, and Italian marble bathrooms equipped with Etro toiletries, contribute to the feeling of modern luxury. With floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the suite is bright and airy during the day and offers Jakarta’s panoramic landscape with all the glimmering city lights by night. With doors separating the private area from the living area, the suite is perfect for informal business or leisure purposes.
As Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta fans might recall, the spa was a very popular facility. During Indonesia Design’s visit to the new spa, we marvelled at the sight of its unique design. Situated on the fifth floor in a round space, the spa was inspired by the delicate beauty of the iris flower. A series of flower petals made of metallic ceramics are seen on the circular wall mimicking the flying movement of flower petals blown by the wind. With a subdued lighting setup and premium products, all eight spa rooms in here including hammam and two couple suites are ready to refresh the body and soul.
Seeing how the designers managed to maintain the all-embracing luxury tone that builds up from the entrance is quite remarkable. The pool area for example, echoes that olden style inspiration entwined with a contemporary feel. Massive torch pillars, exotic hanging day beds, intricate lattice works in seating areas to the palm trees make the atmosphere and design coherent.
Without a doubt, Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta is an instant classic design that is timeless yet up-to-date and memorable. This is indeed a forte of Alexandra Champalimaud’s, who has designed each space and enriched them with great details that are either culturally inspired by Europe or visual interpretations of Jakarta’s history. Clean lines of the French deco period are balanced with gracefully proportioned interior architecture created using contemporary mediums and embellished where appropriate with luxurious materials and decorated accents. Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta has made a grand return and in doing so, created a new look of luxury under the five-star name.