Yogyakarta was one of the first cities I visited when I first travelled to Indonesia. I haven’t travelled much to Indonesia as I did to other South East Asia countries, and I don’t even know why, since Indonesia has many things to offer to travellers like me.

It felt like home when I’m in Yogyakarta, maybe because it is highly populated by Muslims, so the food and culture were very similar to Malaysia. Not forgetting to mention the throngs of Malaysian tourists who made it seem more like home.

Tentrem Hotel, Yogyakarta

In Javanese, the word “Tentrem” means tranquility or peacefullness and it certainly gave me that feeling the minute I stepped into the Tentrem Hotel’s foyer.

There were many people around the lobby, understandably so since it was in the afternoon, right after lunch time but through the chaos, there was a very nice soothing sound of being played in the corner. The beautiful music made the flurry of movements less pronounced.

Location & Architecture

Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta is located at a very strategic location, being only about 15-20 minutes leisurely walk to the famous Malioboro market. I had a lot of fun shopping, chatting and walking with my friends to and fro the hotel and didn’t feel tired at all – even though it did took us about 20 minutes walk one way.

I also love that there was a cafe very nearby the hotel where my friends and I had a nightcap together. The cafes here closes by 11pm though, and we were lucky we came out slightly earlier than that to enjoy our drinks.

The architecture of Tentrem Hotel is modern, with a touch of Javanese on some of the interior designs, and designs on the façade. I loved the traditional aspect of it, making it more unique and easily relatable.

Rooms & Amenities

I especially love my room. Luxurious (of course!), spacious, equipped with bright lights, separate rooms for shower and toilet, super thick mattress and very comfortable pillows on a large Queen-sized bed – what else can I ask for?

Oh, having a welcoming note on the TV when I walk in, of course! How can something that personalized not be appreciated? I loved the welcoming note!

I stayed in the Deluxe Room, a 40sqm room with all the necessities as well as a complimentary access to Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta’s Gaharu Spa & Fitness. It’s not very common for luxury hotels to give complimentary access to their resident spa but it was a different case with Tentrem Hotel (and another thing for me to love).

The basic necessities I get with my room are:

• Air conditioning
• Bathrobe
• Double glazing windows
• Electronic door locks
• Electronic smoke detector
• Laundry service
• Mini bar
• Safety box
• Sofa bed
• Parking
• Iron and board (on request)
• Work desk
• Slippers
• Turn down service
• Torchlight
• Interior doorways
• Non-smoking rooms available
• Smoking rooms available
• Internet access
• Television
• High speed internet access
• Dvd (on request)
• Free wifi
• Free internet access
• Led tv
• Hair dryer
• Private bathroom & wc
• Shower

There are also other rooms available in Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta. All rooms are as follows:

1. Deluxe Room, Maximum occupants 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) – IDR 1,020,000
2. Premier Room, Maximum occupants 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) – IDR 1,232,500
3. Executive Room, Maximum occupants 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) – IDR 1,445,000
4. Executive Suite, Maximum occupants 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) – IDR 2,677,500
5. Prambanan Suite, Maximum occupants 8 people (4 adults, 4 children) – IDR 4,207,500
6. Kraton Suite, Maximum occupants 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) –  IDR 5,695,000
7. Wijaya Kusuma Suite, Maximum occupants 8 people (4 adults, 4 children) – IDR 10,540,000
8. Tentrem Presidential Suite, Maximum occupants 8 people (4 adults, 4 children) – IDR 25,500,000

I find the Deluxe Room price highly affordable with the facilities and complimentary services provided. If you have the money though, splurge for the high end suite since there are extra facilities you can access to and complimentaries provided for you.

Other Hotel Facilities

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool was one of the first things I check out after I arrived at the hotel. Why? Well, even though I could not swim, I still love lazing around with a good book near a hotel’s swimming pool, watching other people swim and get lost in my thoughts.

Not the average swimming pool, Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta certainly knows how to beautify a swimming pool and made it one of those places that was so hard for me to leave. Not only that, there was also a poolside bar to enjoy tropical juices, hot snacks and cocktails as I look into the calming blue pool. Oh, I love this place!

Tennis Court

I didn’t play at the tennis court but just peeked in to see how it looked like. It was located near the Ballroom, on the other side of the hotel (a little further from the restaurant). Not located out in the open like most hotels or resorts, the tennis court was quite spacious and there are some seats where spectators can sit and view the game.

Indoor Kids Playground

I love it when hotels and resorts have a dedicated children playground (read: indoor room) – a safe environment for children to play at, for parents to have peace of mind and for other guests to not be disturbed.

Art Gallery & Shop

Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta’s Sidomuncul Gallery and Shop has a unique and traditional options for anybody’s needs and interest. I didn’t purchase the items here though since I already bought some Indonesian Batik at Malioboro but you can actually find many Indonesian Batik products and other handicrafts at the shop to purchase for your family or friend.

Executive Lounge

Ok, the Executive Lounge is only for those who stayed in the Executive Suite and other suites. You would need to show your room card to enter the Executive Lounge and enjoy the dining provided in here.

Gaharu Spa

The Gaharu Spa was definitely my favourite of all at Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta. I didn’t have a single photo of the spa though because I LEFT MY PHONE IN THE ROOM! Yes, silly me, I should’ve just brought my phone along but as I met my girls at the entrance and realized I forgot to bring my phone, I was just too lazy to get back up again (or make my girls wait for me!). So yeah, kick me for forgetting my phone and not taking photos of the gorgeous spa.

Why did I say it was gorgeous? Even at the entrance, I can already hear the sound of Balinese instrumental music and the smell of aromatherapy oil. We walked through this beautiful foyer of medium-dimmed lighting with artificial grass on the walls. Each of us were assigned to our own masseuse and the walk to our rooms were calming with greeting smiles.

I chose the single room that has its own massage bed, shower, bathtub, safe, toiletries, slippers, bathrobe, towels and more. I only took the 1 hour massage treatment (courtesy of the complimentary I received from the room). I wished I took the body package though, but my girls and I were in a hurry to get to the cafe down the road before it closes.

There are also couple’s room, which I assume are bigger.

Gaharu Fitness

Oh my goodness, the gym was HUGE!

I didn’t try the gym though because of time limit – I went exploring from morning till late evening, but I wished I had (that is, if my knees didn’t give in first from the hundreds and thousands of steps I took in a day). The gym has all the latest fitness equipments and it overlooks the beautiful swimming pool! What an awesome workout session it would’ve been.

Dining

There are many options for breakfast and dining but my room came with free breakfast at one of the restaurants in Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta called KayuManis. Breakfast starts from 6am-10am so it would be smart to come early as there are so many guests having their breakfast after 8am that it could feel a little crowded. Mind you though, the restaurant is big and could easily fit 400 people (I think!).

Other places to dine would be the Pool Bar, Summer Palace for selection of Chinese cuisine, Eboni Bar & Lounge which is said to have the best coffee, Warung Kopi & Teh for some tea-time snack overlooking the swimming pool or, just Room Service so that you can eat in the comfort of your gorgeous room.

Services By Staffs

Staffs at Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta are always smiling and ever so helpful. Although I prefer to speak to them in Indonesian (my Indonesian language sucks, but it is a way to practice anyway), they are also very fluent in English, so fret not if you don’t know how to speak Indonesian. Staffs will always smile and greet you either in the hallway, the restaurant, the swimming pool, the lobby and also at my favourite place – the spa (LOL!).

As I said earlier, I arrived right smack during peak hour and even so, the check-in procedure was such a breeze. Check-out was so much faster than checking-in (that’s normal) and the reception staffs thanked me for coming and hope to see me again. Maybe this is normal to some of you, but to me, these little gestures are what make someone a “return customer”.

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