This hotel is a welcoming and comfortable place for a visitor to the city whose tourist appeal is growing effervescently.
A balmy summer night in Semarang, the occasional motorbike revving up far below, may not seem to have much in common with the trendier end of New York City. However, with soft jazz wafting from the dimly lit bar out onto the atmospheric rooftop terrace at REZ Hotel — a hotel where the monochromatic design takes centre stage — there is more than a little hint of Manhattan amidst the Manhattans.
A monochromatic colour scheme may not sound like it evokes warmth, but the entrance here is inviting from the first friendly smile of an employee in the basement garage beneath the hotel entrance. In the hallway, with its striking modern spiral staircase, I was presented with a voucher for ten minutes of complimentary massage. The in-house service provides a wide range of massage treatments, from a 45-minute foot massage to the two-hour Sensation Jayasri package that includes foot and body massage as well as body scrub and masker.
The bedroom itself was immediately striking for its black and white colour scheme with some touches of grey. That lent a cool, relaxing, and modern feel to it. On the wall, stylish photography added to the contemporary and international vibe of a hotel that could easily be located in New York, though, fortunately, the space on offer for the room rate was nothing like the Big Apple!
With a practical working space as well as a plump sofa, the room offered the potential to rest, sleep, or sit and do some desktop work. I found the bed particularly comfortable and had an excellent night’s sleep before the sun started to stream in in the morning. The hotel says that its name is derived from the English word “rest”, and I indeed found my stay there highly restful.
The most striking element of the building is its rooftop, the lights from which can be seen twinkling enticingly from street level. This tenth-floor space is known as the REZtricted Rooftop Lounge. A moodily lit inside bar space feels cosy, alluring, and vaguely mysterious. It is dominated by its central bar with a wide array of drinks including an extensive selection of cocktails. Seating areas wind around the bar, meaning that the venue feels comfortable and relaxing. There are more hints of colour here than elsewhere in the hotel, but its vibe is still slick, uncomplicated, and stylish.
Outside, sofas and tables nestled beside large plants offer a secluded feeling spot while still offering excellent views of Semarang a few storeys below. This feels like a place that comes into its own once the sun is sinking and, indeed, it opens at 4 PM and stays open past midnight till 1 AM. As a place to while away the hours of darkness without a care in the world, this rooftop must rank among Semarang’s best.
I ate on the terrace; the venue houses a specialty Argentinian Grill, but its offering is far wider than that suggests. Even though I had meat (a beef chorizo), I also enjoyed seafood and dessert, all plated in a thoughtful, modern way. The service was, again, friendly and attentive.
Downstairs in the morning, the vibe is different, though nonetheless relaxing and welcoming. A bustling breakfast sitting in the REZtorante Eatery makes good use of the ground floor space beyond the lobby, including terrace areas. There is a fairly standard buffet selection which had a good taste, but I particularly appreciated a food station offering local delicacies made to order. A generous serving size, excellent flavour, and good presentation combined to turn the basic dishes, such as noodle soup, into a filling and delicious start to the day.
With all that eating, a bit of exercise was in order, and the hotel offers a modest fitness centre with equipment including treadmills, an exercise bike, dual pulley, and dumbbells.
Who would visit the REZ Hotel? With three adaptable meeting spaces on the mezzanine floor, the hotel offers potential for some of Semarang’s large number of business visitors. Its fairly convenient central location is also helpful in this regard. On the leisure front, from a staycation perspective, REZ Hotel struck me as ideal. Again, the location helps in this regard. So too does the hotel design, which means that even some rather compact spaces feel uncramped. The restful vibe works very well. It may not sound as if a black and white décor scheme would be especially relaxing, but its simplicity and consistency mean that REZ Hotel does not have the overly fussy or distracting interior décor that some hotels do.
During breakfast, REZtorante Eatery offered an uplifting start, but it is also open throughout the day up to and including dinner. Meanwhile, the rooftop lounge and terrace offer a perfect end to the day, whether for an aperitif, dinner, or nightcap after eating elsewhere.
Semarang’s tourist appeal is growing. The old centre continues to undergo restoration while its charming backdrop makes for a popular spot for staycationers and other visitors. REZ Hotel has social media photography of its own thanks to the well-executed design and colour scheme. It is a welcoming and comfortable place for a visitor to the city to lay their head.
REZ Hotel, Semarang
- Address: Jl. Kh Ahmad Dahlan No.41, Karangkidul, Semarang
- Tel: 024 – 35318888
- Website: https://s.id/REZhotel
- Instagram: @rezhotel and @rez.tricted @rez.torante