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Diary of A Pampered Princess:
Royalty Treats at the Majapahit Hotel, Surabaya
BY RISTI BROPHY Once upon a stressful week, NOW! Jakarta’s Risti
Brophy arrived in Surabaya from a physically-draining
business trip with one mission in mind: indulging in total pampering at the
majestic Majapahit Hotel. Here’s the diary of the pampered princess!
Sleep deprived and completely
exhausted after my previous trip, it was a
welcoming sight to find an immaculately
dressed driver waiting at the arrival hall
of Juanda International Airport - a big
smile on his face. Maybe it was a blessing
in disguise that it was no horse-driven
cart that he rode, as within minutes this
urban princess was fast asleep in the
back of the comfortable car, oblivious to
my surroundings.
Upon arrival at the magnificent
Majapahit Hotel, another welcoming
surprise awaited. A soothing lemongrass
ginger drink was at the ready at
reception, along with a nice, cold
towel. Barely a minute passed by when
the cheerful GRO escorted me to my
Executive Suite to check in at the privacy
of my beautiful room -decorated with
the finest of antique wooden furnitures,
beautiful tapestry and superb paintings
and old photographs of the historic city.
SURABAYA
All checked in and ready to crash,
so far things were going so effortlessly
well, and it continued on as I saw on the
coffee table in my living room a selection
of chocolates and fruit basket beckoning.
But, trying to shake off the exhaustion, I
headed to the bathroom instead and was
pleasantly surprised to see a huge, bath
tub with charming brass fixtures in one
corner and an antique wooden vanity in
the middle with separate compartments
and an assortment of amenities. The
expansive bathroom also features a large
shower and separate toilet – the antique
black and white tiles adding a perfect
touch of grandeur.
Now feeling fresh after a relaxing hot
bath, I rang up room service and was
soon sitting at the comfortable chaise
lounge of my living room watching
AXN, accompanied by a nice glass of
red wine. Although the massive bed
looked enticingly inviting, I resisted the
temptation and decided to check out
the lobby lounge. An acoustic band was
playing and -another glass of Merlot
later- I was happily crooned by the
Santana wanna-be’s.
But the exhaustion soon caught up
and though I truly enjoyed the beautiful
surroundings of the hotel’s manicured
garden, with its soothing fountains
and regal colonial design, I decided to
call it the night and headed back to my
comfortable giant bed.
The bed proved to be just the
remedy I needed. I remember lying in
it thinking about the beautiful windows
that line up the hotel’s white walls; how
romantic they look against the green
grass of the courtyard. Minutes later
–or so I thought- I sat awakened by the
sound of the phone ringing. Completely
disoriented, I was ready to complain
about the late night call, only to find a
smiling voice on the other side politely
reminding me that it was 9 am and that I
had an appointment at the hair dresser’s
in 30 mins!
When I finally came back to the hotel
that afternoon after a nostalgic tour
PHOTOS: MAJAPAHIT HOTEL.
around Surabaya’s old town, a hot latte
accompanied me as I sat looking over
the hotel’s majestic ballroom. The high
ceilings, huge pillars, antique cast iron
chandeliers and heavy teak doors make
the perfect backdrop for an intimate,
grand reception for up to 300 pax.
Jim Costa, my charming host and GM of
the Majapahit Hotel, shared good news
of a planned restoration of the hotel
which would include a new executive
lounge and English bar to be completed
by September. A great reason to plan
another visit! But soon I was reminded
of my mission, and the spa seemed to be
the perfect next stop for this pampered
princess.
Managed by Martha Tilaar, the
manager of the Majapahit Spa suggested
that I try the ‘Chocolate & Rose
Treatment’. A 2-hour long of indulgent
treatment, it started with a
soothing massage using rose
and sandalwood oil to de-stress
and calm the muscles, followed
with a steam bath to open up
the pores. A chocolate scrub
then ensued - and this diva
can definitely do with a bit of
Godiva! Meant to moisturize
the skin and with a detoxifying
quality, the scrub left my skin
feeling smooth, yet fresh and
relaxed at the same time.
The chocolate bath which came
later smelt of -guess what-
sinfully delicious chocolate! A lovely
treat indeed!
The spoiling did not stop there
however, as my visiting friends and I
headed to “Sarkies”, the hotel’s authentic
Chinese restaurant, named after the
Armenian brothers who started the
whole family empire of magnificent
boutique hotels including the Majapahit
in Surabaya, the Eastern & Oriental in
Penang, the Strand in Myanmar and the
Raffles in Singapore.
The Historic Majapahit Hotel
The Majapahit Hotel is a silent
witness to many historic
events taking place in Surabaya
during the fight for Indonesia’s
independence. Built in 1910 by
Lucas Martin Sarkies –the son
of the Raffles Hotel founder- it
was initially named the ‘Oranje
Hotel’. During World War II, the
name was changed to Yamato
Hoteru (Hotel Yamato). The
Sarkies Brothers returned to
the hotel management in 1946
Everything that
was put on my plate
was of superb quality;
from the tenderloin
with black pepper,
the duck, prawns and
sauteed vegetables.
Finishing off with a
deadly combination
of mashed avocado,
chocolate sauce and
thick cream, the meal
was definitely fit for a
king, errr, princess!
Another round
of drinks with my
lovely hosts at the
lobby lounge seemed
the perfect call to end
the night, and soon
we were sipping our
Surabaya Slings happily, cherishing the
disappearing signs of stress - and my new,
refreshed look; a healthy glow thanks to
the chocolate and rose scrub at the Spa,
the coconut milk pancake with fresh
tropical fruits that the Executive Chef had
prepared especially for me that morning,
... the list just goes on and on! I was very
proud to conclude: mission accomplished!
To plan your pampering stay, please visit:
www.hotel-majapahit.com
and changed the name to Hotel
L.M.S. (Lucas Martin Sarkies).
Mantrust Holdings Co. became
the new owner in 1969 and it
was then that it adopted the
name Hotel Majapahit, after the
single most enduring kingdom of
ancient Indonesia.
In September 1945, the
Majapahit Hotel was the
backdrop of what was to be
one of the most memorable
moments in Surabaya’s history,
when thousands of young
Surabayans stormed the
hotel’s lobby and climbed up
to the roof to tear off the blue
section of the Dutch’s redwhite-blue
flag, turning it into
Indonesia’s red and white flag.
Indonesia had just declared its
independence shortly before,
and when words spread that
a Dutch flag was hung instead
of the Indonesian’s red and
white flag, the angry mob soon
Events at the Majapahit
Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed
my stay at the Majapahit Hotel. To
think that such a royalty treatment
can be yours for a fraction of what
it would cost at other Sarkies’
properties! The Majapahit is offering
a Weekend Package of 4 days and 3
nights stay at the Executive Suite for
only Rp 2,000,000++, which includes
a free welcome fruit basket, usage of
gym, sauna and whirlpool, as well as
breakfast at Indigo Cafe for two.
The hotel is also cooking up an
exciting event, especially for those
planning to tie the knot in the near
future, when the ballroom and various
venues within the hotel’s premises
will be transformed into wedding
venues – both indoors and outdoors
– so the brides- and grooms-to-be
can envision what a romantic and
grand wedding they can have at the
Majapahit. Check out their website for
more information.
gathered at the Majapahit to
get down to business.
Maintaining a 100+ year old
property is definitely no easy
task, and I must take my hats
off to the Majapahit Hotel’s
dedicated team, for every corner
of the property is immaculately
looked after. The Majapahit
is best enjoyed at a leisurely
tempo, when one can take time
to savour its entire splendor in
no rush.
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