In Nov 2018, I had a chance to run my first Half Marathon ever! I joined Borobudur Marathon @ Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java along with other 10,000 runners. It was a grueling race but very rewarding at the end.
Since there is no airport in Magelang, I decided to fly to Yogyakarta because it is the closest city (approx 1 hr drive). I flew in Friday Night and left on Sunday Afternoon (both with Citilink so I could get mileage with my GarudaMiles :). I decided to try Artotel Yogyakarta during my stay since I’ve read many great reviews. If you never heard this hotel, check out their website. They have establishments around the country such as Bali, Jakarta, & Surabaya. Recently, they launched their loyalty program called “Artotel Circle” and if you want to sign up go check it out. They provide many great benefits!
I booked through an OTA platform (tiket.com) and managed to get pretty good deals. But I would recommend booking directly from Artotel’s website because you will get points for your stay. I paid Rp 768,072 for two nights with breakfast and Wifi included no additional charge (the room was called Studio 23).
Since I arrived pretty late (around 11 pm) and pretty lazy to order GrabCar or GoCar, I asked the hotel if they provided any shuttle. They actually do, but since I did not book through their website, so I got charged Rp 100,000 (oneway)/pax. If you booking directly, this service will be complimentary. In my opinion, it is pretty expensive for a 15-20 minutes ride, you might want to consider direct booking.
Right at the entrance, you could see the ART right away. Unique furniture, paintings, and decors were the highlight of the lobby. It was a quick 10 minutes for me to get checked in by the staff.
When you entered the elevator, you will notice a big giant gold slide right in front of it. It is their trademark and very instagramable (I sneaked to go down from the slide the next day. It was fun!)
On each floor, they painted the wall with different themes. It was mainly the modern painting of Indonesian legend story. I stayed on the 9th floor and the theme was the story of “Roro Jonggrang” (the origin of Prambanan Temple). It reflected inside the room as well.
My room was huge and I loved it! The simplistic decor and lighting made it very homey. You could notice the woven rattan were all around the room even in the bathroom. The bathroom was relatively small. But, It was not a big deal for me. The bed was awesome! (4 pillows were an understatement for this huge comfy bed). The only downside from the hotel room was the wall. It was pretty thin so I could hear my neighbors’ conversation.
The next day, I had buffet style breakfast at Roca Restaurant (located on the mezzanine floor). The restaurant was very colorful with the paintings on the wall. It was pretty busy when I came down. The food selection was pretty good but nothing special with the taste.
The hotel also provides a swimming pool facility and ‘in your room’ spa. I did not get a chance to try it. Instead, after breakfast, I took the time to try the instrageammable golden slide. You had to borrow a garment (like a tosca kind) from the restaurant host. It helped you to slide your way through. I definitely had fun AND tried it twice (Ha!).
Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at Artotel Yogyakarta. Their unique artistic approach, comfy rooms, and hospitable staffs have won me over.
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