Holiday Inn Express Pluit Citygate Jakarta is an interesting option for an overnight stay before or after a flight from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. It is not the newest or most polished hotel in Jakarta, but it has one major advantage over many airport hotels: you are not stuck in the middle of nowhere.
As a Diamond IHG member, I was booked into a standard 24-square-metre room and upgraded to a 31-square-metre Corner Queen. The upgrade made a noticeable difference, giving me plenty of space and making the room feel much more comfortable for an overnight stay.
The arrival experience is probably the least appealing part of the hotel. After being dropped off, you take an elevator up to the 10th floor and then walk along a surprisingly long corridor, passing offices before eventually reaching the hotel lobby and reception. It is an unusual setup and feels more like entering a mixed-use building than a conventional hotel. It can also be slightly confusing if you have never stayed here before.
Once at reception, things were much better. The lobby was perfectly adequate, although it is clear that the hotel is showing its age. Check-in was efficient and straightforward, with no unnecessary waiting around. The Diamond upgrade was already in place, which made the arrival process even easier.
The hotel itself is definitely starting to look tired. There are rough edges throughout the property and some visible signs of wear. My room had a few stains and could certainly benefit from a refurbishment. That said, the room was large, comfortable and very clean. The 31-square-metre Corner Queen gave me plenty of space, and while the décor and furnishings were dated, everything was perfectly functional. For a short stay, I would much rather have a large, clean room than a smaller room in a more fashionable property.
Breakfast was less impressive. The restaurant was crowded during my stay and the selection was very basic. There was enough to put together a reasonable breakfast, but it was not a meal I would particularly look forward to. The busy restaurant also made the experience feel more functional than relaxed.
Where the hotel really makes sense, however, is its connection to the mall. The hotel is directly connected to Emporium Pluit Mall, giving you access to restaurants, cafes, shops and plenty of other options without having to get back into a car. This is a much bigger advantage than it might initially sound.
That is particularly relevant when comparing it with hotels such as Fairfield by Marriott Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport or Sheraton Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport. While these properties are marketed as airport hotels, they are not actually sitting inside the terminal. You still need to use a shuttle bus to get to and from the airport, so the difference in convenience is not necessarily as great as the location on a map might suggest.
If you are already going to spend time waiting for a shuttle, you might as well consider a hotel that is around ten minutes further away but gives you a much better choice of things to do once you arrive. At Pluit Citygate, you can check in, leave your luggage in the room and walk straight into the mall. If you are hungry, there are plenty of restaurants. If you need snacks, toiletries or something you forgot to pack, you can buy them downstairs. Even if you simply want to stretch your legs after a long flight, you have somewhere to go without having to arrange another car or shuttle.
The location also offers a good compromise. Pluit is not right beside the airport, but it is still relatively close and the route to the airport can avoid some of the worst traffic you might encounter travelling from central Jakarta. If the difference in driving time is only around ten minutes compared with an airport hotel, the added convenience of having a mall on your doorstep makes a strong case for staying here instead.
Of course, Jakarta traffic is unpredictable, so I would still allow plenty of time for an international flight. But for an overnight stay, I like the balance that Holiday Inn Express Pluit Citygate offers. You get reasonably easy airport access without feeling as though you have been dropped into an isolated airport complex.
That is ultimately what I liked about this hotel. It does not have the newest rooms, the best breakfast or the most impressive arrival experience. It is an aging property with some obvious signs of wear. But the combination of a spacious and clean room, a direct mall connection and relatively easy airport access makes it a practical choice.
If being as close as possible to the terminal is your only priority, an airport hotel will still make sense. But if you are going to use a shuttle anyway, I would happily take the slightly longer ride to Pluit. Having a full shopping mall, restaurants and shops directly connected to the hotel makes the extra few minutes worthwhile.
With the Diamond upgrade, I was happy with the stay and would consider returning for another Jakarta airport stopover.
