Jakarta is the main gateway to Indonesia and, although it is not a tourist city, many tourists spend at least one night there.

Read our tips on specific hotels, the best neighbourhoods to stay in, and approximate hotel prices in Jakarta.

Where to book accommodation

The city offers a truly wide range of accommodation options, from extremely cheap budget hostels to luxury hotels. With a bit of luck and if you book in good time, Jakarta’s luxury 5* hotels offer very good value for money compared to other global cities.

Agoda.com, a portal that has traditionally been strong in South-East Asia, also offers the widest range of accommodation in Jakarta. Particularly when it comes to cheaper small hotels and guesthouses, you’ll find by far the most options on Agoda.

Conversely, for larger and luxury hotels, it’s usually better value to book viabooking.com.

Generally speaking, however, even for smaller hotels, it cannot be said that Agoda is always the better deal. It’s definitely always worth comparing both main booking platforms.

The best neighbourhoods in Jakarta and hotel tips

Due to the very frequent traffic jams, it’s best to stay as close to the city centre as possible and only travel long distances when travelling to and from the airport, if at all.

The modern Thamrin district

The area around one of the main streets, Thamrin, is ideal if you want a hotel close to the train station for journeys to and from the airport, whilst also staying in a visually appealing, modern neighbourhood.

• All Seasons Jakarta Thamrin *** – a good-quality yet affordable hotel 100 metres from BNI City / Sudirman station
• Shangri-La Jakarta ***** – one of the best hotels in Jakarta, about 200 metres from the BNI City / Sudirman station
• Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta ***** – one of the best hotels in Jakarta is directly connected to the Grand Mall shopping centre
• Mandarin Oriental Jakarta ***** – a highly rated luxury hotel, where even state visitors from other countries often stay

Kota Tua (Old Town)

Although Old Jakarta is a small neighbourhood, it is noticeably quieter than the city centre and can therefore be a great place to stay.

What’s more, Kota Tua is close to the international airport when travelling by taxi.

In Kota Tua, you’ll find just one major international hotel:

• Mercure Jakarta Batavia ****

Near the railway station, you can stay in two well-reviewed hostels with prices starting from 15 usd per night.

• Bobopod Kota Tua
• Wonderloft Hostel Kota Tua

Gambir and the surrounding area

The area around Gambir railway station is ideal if you’re continuing your journey by train from Jakarta. What’s more, the area around Gambir railway station is home to the most landmarks, such as the Istiqlal Mosque, the cathedral and the Monas monument.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many hotels in the immediate vicinity of Gambir.

• Hotel Borobudur Jakarta ***** – a luxury hotel with gardens in a quiet location, about 300 metres from the station
• Amaris Hotel Juanda ** – a budget, well-reviewed hotel near Juanda railway station, about 600 metres from Gambir Station

Monas/Thamrin

The area south of the Monas Monument and north of the most modern part of the Thamrin Street neighbourhood is known for having the highest concentration of hotels.

However, there is currently no metro station (scheduled for 2028) or commuter rail station in this area itself.

Nevertheless, you can walk to the Monas monument in 15–20 minutes, and there are plenty of restaurants and shops in the vicinity.

• Morissey Hotel Residences **** – one of the best-reviewed hotels in the area
• Ashley Tang Menteng Jakarta **** – a highly rated hotel with good prices, situated near the main Thamrin Street

Conversely, based on our own experience, we would not recommend the Ibis Arcadia hotel, which has very outdated facilities and dirty rooms.

Hotel prices in Jakarta

The cheapest twin room in a hostel with a shared bathroom starts at around 10 eur per night.

Standard 3* hotels are relatively cheap, with prices ranging from 33 eur to 49 eur per night, whilst 4* hotels also offer relatively good value, usually costing less than 111 eur per night.

The most luxurious 5* hotels are on a par with those in other Asian destinations, and you can expect prices to range between 226 eur and 287 eur per night.

Jakarta is not a tourist city, so prices remain at a similar level throughout the year, regardless of the season.