Hotel Majapahit, a colonial-era jewel in Surabaya’s hospitality crown
History lesson and luxe accommodation all rolled into one, the Majapahit has been lucky to escape the fate of many other Sarkies brothers hotels
Opened in 1910, Hotel Majapahit has a history more chequered than a chessboard: its name has frequently been changed; it served as a headquarters for the Japanese military during the second world war; and it acted as the flashpoint for Indonesia’s battle for independence in 1945, when activists tore down the Dutch flag, ripping off the blue section to create their fledgling country’s red-and-white emblem.
What news on the rooms? Before the days of air-conditioning, grand hotel rooms were built with high ceilings, to allow breezes to circulate, and floored with the best timber at hand, which, in Hotel Majapahit’s case, came from a teak plantation.
All of the property’s 143 rooms are dubbed suites, and non-presidential guests will find themselves choosing between (getting progressively larger) Garden, Executive and Majapahit varieties. None could be described as poky, and all discreetly divert attention from the mod cons with thick carpets, antique furniture and sumptuous curtains and bedlinen.