Less than two years after opening its doors, House of Tugu Old Town Jakarta has already received international recognition. The boutique heritage hotel has been named one of the Top 5 City Hotels in Indonesia in the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2026, based on votes from the publication’s readers.
For House of Tugu, the recognition is about more than simply being recognised as a luxury hotel. It reflects the property’s focus on preserving stories, art and traditions from Indonesia’s past and bringing them into a modern setting.
“For us, House of Tugu has never been just about providing a luxury stay; it is a custodian of Indonesia’s forgotten romance, art, and soul,” said Shafa Haura, Representative of House of Tugu Old Town Jakarta.
“This recognition from the readers of Travel + Leisure belongs to our entire team and guests who share this passion. It breathes new life into our mission: to prove to the world that history is not a static museum piece, but a living, breathing experience that can be felt in every corner of this property.”
A Hotel Where Every Room Tells a Story
Located in Jakarta’s Old Town, House of Tugu offers a different kind of hotel experience. Instead of following the usual approach to modern city hotels, the property brings together historic architecture, antiques and stories connected to Indonesia’s past.
The hotel was developed through a restoration process that took almost 20 years. Today, it houses more than 1,000 rare antiques and artefacts. Some are family heirlooms passed down through generations of the Tugu family, while others were collected and preserved by the family over more than six decades.
This collection is part of what makes the hotel interesting to explore. The artefacts are not simply displayed as decoration. They are connected to stories about the people, cultures and communities that shaped the history of old Jakarta.
House of Tugu has just 26 guest rooms, and each has its own theme. No two rooms are the same. The spaces explore different chapters of Indonesia’s history, including trade along Kali Besar and the Peranakan households of old Batavia.
The hotel was created over a 15-year process to document stories passed down through generations of the Tugu Group’s family ancestors. Some of these stories date back to the mid-19th century and are closely connected to the artefacts inherited by the family.
As Jakarta approaches its 500th anniversary, the collection offers visitors another way to look at the city’s past. Rather than seeing history in a museum display, guests can experience it through the rooms, dining spaces and objects around the property.
One particularly distinctive part of the collection is its focus on upper-class Peranakan history in Java. House of Tugu describes itself as the only public home in Indonesia dedicated to this particular part of Peranakan heritage, which is different from the better-known Peranakan traditions of Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.
From Heritage Stories to Late-Night Drinks
The storytelling at House of Tugu does not stop when the sun goes down. The property has also introduced De Tiger, a Far East-inspired speakeasy bar that brings a different side of old Jakarta to life.
While the hotel’s rooms focus on the elegance and history of Batavia, De Tiger explores the city’s more playful and mysterious past. The stories surrounding Kota Tua and Sunda Kelapa were not always quiet or refined. Trade, nightlife and encounters between different cultures also formed part of the city’s history.
Rather than simply recreating the past, De Tiger gives these stories a contemporary setting through its drinks, atmosphere and design.
For travellers looking for somewhere that combines a stay with a sense of place, House of Tugu Old Town Jakarta offers an experience that goes beyond checking into a hotel. Its collection of rooms, antiques, dining spaces and stories creates a closer connection with Jakarta’s heritage while keeping the experience comfortable for today’s visitors.
