"It's legendary butler service was indeed legendary though unfortunately not consistently throughout our stay.
The Raffles JKT in the Kuningan area is like an oasis in a traffic congested part of the city. If you are ever in that area and everything around you is driving you mad just enter the Raffles. There's an amazing lush garden waiting for you to take a stroll through. While you're there enjoy a Jakarta Sling at the Writers Bar. Now relax and trust this hotel will take away your worries for a bit.
As a pedestrian different parts of the hotel's neighborhood are pretty accessible by cross walks. Though by car, taxi, or bus.....well you can only go left. Also no MRT's or any rail type public transportation close by.
There's a Lotte Mall connected to the Raffles of which the entrance is on the same level as the Raffles Arts Cafe. It houses all the usual suspects you can find in any A-Tier Mall in JKT.
Raffles interior design is different in a good way, and it's all because of Hendra Gunawan's touch. It's hard to explain, you either like it or not. I loved it. It would otherwise just be another 5 star hotel among a plethora of 5 star hotels in JKT. Just watch some clips on youtube and you'll understand what makes it different and stand out from the rest.
The hotel was built in 2015 and still very well maintained. I booked the Artist Suite King, and when I extended I stayed in a Gallery Suite King though I'm certain they upgraded me to a Garden View Suite. Just gorgeous spacious suites is all i can say, and Gunawan's touch just makes them sexy, warm and sophisticated. All suites were in excellent condition.
A suite gives you acces to the Raffles Club. The Raffles Club is value for money, lots of perks! For three hours the cocktails are free flowing. Which cocktails you ask? Well I stayed at the Keraton Hyatt, their free flow is just two hours and you can choose between two types. At the Raffles Club you can choose from the whole damn menu!
The food at the club is made by order and there's a small buffet. I'd advise to have dinner at the Club rather than dinner downstairs at the Arts Cafe. Or just have dinner at Lotte Mall.
The dinner buffet at the Arts Cafe is somewhat disappointing yet understandable. I'm guessing the Raffles JKT doesn't have that many dinner guests on weekdays and therefor offer a really tiny dinner buffet. We had dinner around 19:00 and it was empty. The food was great but the buffet wasn't worth the money. That's why if you do have acces to the Club you're better off having dinner there than downstairs at the Arts Cafe. You don't have to pay if you have Club acces.
BREAKFAST. OH MY LORD! Sorry going to save the BEST for last!
Hotel staff just super friendly, professional and just happy and willing to make your stay a great one to remember. Such a nice laid back vibe throughout the hotel.
From the doorman to the gardeners all so helpful.
Raffles is known for its renowned butler service, unfortunately we did not fully experience this legend until the next day. We went to the Club at 18:00 but weren't acknowledged until I raised my hand by 18:12. We seated ourselves at a table nearest to the check-in desk pretty much by the Club entrance. Three butlers in attendance at a near 60% Club occupancy. Even though it's dinnertime and you're attending to your guests, not seeing two new guests for that period of time isn't acceptable for a venue with Michelin Keys.
So staying at a hotel known for it's legendary butler service was pretty disappointing at the end of our first night. But the next day made every doubt disappear!
We came in at 6:30am and it was still quiet...by 8:00am the whole place was full.
It's the Breakfast at Arts Café that makes this hotel stand out from all others.
There's not enough words to explain how the food was. The buffet and ala carte menu to better understand this phenomenon go see the internets.
As for service....yes we finally understood what all the fuss was about! So attentive from the second the elevator doors opened. We had such a great time at breakfast. Our server and butler were spot on and just on point with everything. Ranging from no empty water glasses to new cutlery, to telling a funny story at the right time without being annoying. They just knew when attention was welcome and when privacy was needed. There wasn't a second where we needed to look or raise our hand for anything. The next morning for breakfast we experienced the same love!
Sooo we decided to extend, and WOW it did not disappoint.
Gave the Club another chance that evening. Same butler team, different experience.
Had an amazing evening at the Club, service was just as impeccable as the Arts Café breakfast team.
The care we received from our Butler team on our second day was second to none. From an unexpected suite upgrade to a belated birthday cake, to their unrivaled care and devotion, this was the legendary Butler service of Raffles JKT.
We are coming back soon, but next time during a weekend because apparently it seems the Raffles JKT Sunday Brunch is better than legendary!"
A Tripadvisor traveler review
May 19, 2026
