Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel is a historic luxury four stars hotel located on Asia Afrika Street, Bandung
, Indonesia
. It was built in 1939 replacing the 19th century Homann Hotel. Designed by the Dutch architect Albert Aalbers
, the hotel features art deco
exterior and interior, and historic furniture. It is an architectural heritage and a fine example of art deco colonial architecture of the East Indies
.
in 1810, many colonial cash-crop plantations were established in the Preanger area. During the 19th to early 20th century Bandung has become a popular business, shopping and leisure destination for wealthy plantation owners, in particular in the weekends. As a result the hotel business was blooming in the city. The predecessor of the present hotel, the Homann Hotel was built in 1871–72, owned and managed by the Homann family. It was famous for its delicious Mrs. Homann's Rijsttafel. This first small building was designed in Gothic-Romantic style. In 1939, the hotel was rebuilt in a curved streamlined art deco
style, designed by the architect Albert Aalbers
. To emphasize its grandeur and luxury the name "Savoy" was added in the 1940s, which remained unchanged until the 1980s. Some of its celebrity guests during the Dutch East Indies
era were Charlie Chaplin
and Mary Pickford
.
During the World War II
Japanese occupation
(1942–45), the hotel functioned as luxurious barracks
for Japanese soldiers. In 1955, when the first Asian–African Conference was held in Bandung, Savoy Homann hosted VVIP guests and became a part of the Historical Walk. Some of the guests were Soekarno, Ho Chi Minh
, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, U Nu
, Zhou Enlai
, Gamal Abdul Nasser, and Tito
.
In the 1990s the hotel was renovated and a new wing was added. Today the hotel was bought under the management of Bidakara Group, thus the name changed to Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel.
The Garden Restaurant with 150 seating capacity provides Indonesian and European cuisine as well as Asian favorites. The restaurant is located in the atrium in the middle of the hotel, originally it was designed as an open air garden restaurant. Batavia Bar & Lounge has a lounge located in the front of the hotel with the view of Bandung's main street. The Sidewalk Cafe is located on the ground floor at the curved part of the building.
The hotel has a swimming pool, a small children swimming pool, fitness centre and Spa, and a children's Games Room.
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It was built in 1939 replacing the 19th century Homann Hotel. Designed by the Dutch architect Albert Aalbers
Albert Aalbers
Albert Frederik Aalbers was a Dutch architect who created elegant villas, hotels and office buildings in Bandung, Indonesia under Dutch colonial rule in the 1930s...
, the hotel features art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
exterior and interior, and historic furniture. It is an architectural heritage and a fine example of art deco colonial architecture of the East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
.
History
After the opening of the Great Post RoadGreat Post Road
The Great Post Road , is the name for the historical road that runs across Java that connects Anyer and Panarukan. It was built during the reign of governor-general of the Dutch East Indies Herman Willem Daendels .-Construction:...
in 1810, many colonial cash-crop plantations were established in the Preanger area. During the 19th to early 20th century Bandung has become a popular business, shopping and leisure destination for wealthy plantation owners, in particular in the weekends. As a result the hotel business was blooming in the city. The predecessor of the present hotel, the Homann Hotel was built in 1871–72, owned and managed by the Homann family. It was famous for its delicious Mrs. Homann's Rijsttafel. This first small building was designed in Gothic-Romantic style. In 1939, the hotel was rebuilt in a curved streamlined art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style, designed by the architect Albert Aalbers
Albert Aalbers
Albert Frederik Aalbers was a Dutch architect who created elegant villas, hotels and office buildings in Bandung, Indonesia under Dutch colonial rule in the 1930s...
. To emphasize its grandeur and luxury the name "Savoy" was added in the 1940s, which remained unchanged until the 1980s. Some of its celebrity guests during the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
era were Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
and Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Japanese occupation
Japanese Occupation of Indonesia
The Japanese Empire occupied Indonesia, known then as the Dutch East Indies, during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of War in 1945...
(1942–45), the hotel functioned as luxurious barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
for Japanese soldiers. In 1955, when the first Asian–African Conference was held in Bandung, Savoy Homann hosted VVIP guests and became a part of the Historical Walk. Some of the guests were Soekarno, Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh
Hồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam...
, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, U Nu
U Nu
For other people with the Burmese name Nu, see Nu .U Nu was a leading Burmese nationalist and political figure of the 20th century...
, Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
, Gamal Abdul Nasser, and Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
.
In the 1990s the hotel was renovated and a new wing was added. Today the hotel was bought under the management of Bidakara Group, thus the name changed to Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel.
The building
The hotel has three wings: the Tower Wing, Garden Wing and Millennium Wing. It has a total of 185 guest rooms: 126 Deluxe Rooms, 41 Executive Rooms, 15 Junior Suite Rooms and 3 Homann Suites. Some with balcony, many with original stained glass and other art deco features. One room that has its own fireplace, antique furnitures are being used throughout the years. The Grand Ballroom is a spacious functional room with a capacity of 1,000 guests. There are 14 different dimensions of rooms to accommodate different size of meeting or gathering.The Garden Restaurant with 150 seating capacity provides Indonesian and European cuisine as well as Asian favorites. The restaurant is located in the atrium in the middle of the hotel, originally it was designed as an open air garden restaurant. Batavia Bar & Lounge has a lounge located in the front of the hotel with the view of Bandung's main street. The Sidewalk Cafe is located on the ground floor at the curved part of the building.
The hotel has a swimming pool, a small children swimming pool, fitness centre and Spa, and a children's Games Room.
In popular culture
- The story in the book Bandoeng-Bandung by the author F. SpringerF. SpringerF. Springer was the pseudonym of Carel Jan Schneider, a Dutch foreign service diplomat and writer.Schneider was born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies...
published in 1994, mostly took place in this hotel.
External links
- Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel Homepage