The grand Trans Luxury Hotel Bandung sweeps Zalina Mohd Som off her feet
I DIDN’T have much confident when I read the name of the hotel on the confirmed booking slip sent by Agoda.com.
I feel it is a bit odd for a hotel, especially one that has the word “luxury” and sells itself as a six-star hotel, to have a word “trans” in its name.
It just conjures an image of a jungle trekker on a trans-peninsula trail or a rough mean vehicle in a muddy track.
Since I don’t like to check the websites of the hotels that I will be staying in, I decide to give The Trans Luxury Hotel Bandung the benefit of the doubt.
FACE OFF
So here we are, my friends and I, awed as we stand in the lobby of Trans Luxury Hotel Bandung. I can see “luxury” splashed all over the lobby. Oh wait, luxury is an understatement.
Opulence is more like it. Expansive, high ceiling, all-glass walls, bold rich shades of gold and red, and elegant choices of fittings from the flooring and the walls to the furniture and the chandeliers.
I had expected the usual reception area with a long counter and some kind of artwork as the backdrop.
But no. Trans Luxury Hotel Bandung (I really need to get used to the long mouthful of a name) has set its reception in a huge half-open oval chamber with a classic, relaxed setting.
There are charming oriental designed desks set along the curved glass wall and, instead of artwork or hotel name or logo, the backdrop is nothing but sheer bronze coloured curtains.
The big columns on the side, the chic chandelier and the plush carpet add grandeur to the whole persona. Ahh. luxury at its simplest form. I like this hotel already!
Unfortunately, checking in completed very fast, so I don’t have much time to soak in the extravagance. But I’m sure there are probably more pleasant surprises hidden in our room and at the breakfast buffet (my favourite part of any hotel stay).
tough distractions
With such a splendid welcome, our expectations are at a high. The self-claimed six-star hotel stays true to its name and everything here has a touch of luxury.
The room lives up to our expectations: Luxury linen, plush L-shaped sofa and amenities. But best of all, it has a view of the beautiful TSB Grand Mosque which is inspired by the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
Then comes the time that I’ve been waiting for: Breakfast. As expected, the buffet at The Restaurant is lavish and perfect to start our stay in Bandung.
There are savouries and sweets from Indonesia to continental and oriental. One is spoilt for choice with such a big spread but there’s only one item on my mind — bubur ayam.
Unlike the usual chicken congee (Chinese or Malay) the Indonesian bubur is a bowl of thick congee served with piping hot soto ayam (chicken soup) and garnished with shredded chicken, spring onion and fried peanut. But the one condiment that gives the bubur a kick is the fiery hot sambal.
It is often said that hotel food looks pretty but tastes flat and nowhere near the authentic rich flavours of the home cooked versions.
Not this bubur ayam. It tastes exactly like how I tasted my first Indonesian bubur ayam cooked by a friend’s mother.
I can stay in the hotel enjoying the luxury of my room and eat this bubur ayam all day long. But the Trans Luxury Hotel Bandung is not designed to let its guests spend the day just like that.
There are many distractions outside the guest rooms: Swimming pools — a warm water sandy beach pool, a lap pool, a kid’s pool with water slide — and Jacuzzi, The Spa and The Kids Club.
But why settle for these when one of the world’s biggest indoor theme parks, the Trans Studio Bandung, is just a walk away through Trans Studio Mall, Bandung’s most chic retail destination.
Like conjoined Siamese triplets, these three “Trans” sisters are part of the integrated Trans Studio Complex which also houses ibis Bandung Trans Studio, the largest ibis hotel in the Asia Pacific region and the beautiful mosque.
With such distractions, we gladly sacrifice our plan of factory outlets hopping in Bandung!
THE TRANS LUXURY HOTEL BANDUNG
Gatot Subroto 289, Bandung 40273 Indonesia
TEL +62 (022) 8734 8888
FAX +62 (022) 8734 9999
WEBSITE www.thetranshotel.com
GETTING THERE
The hotel is less than 3km from Cikudapteuh Train Station, 4km from the famous Braga Street and 7km or a 30-minute drive from Husein Sastranegara International Airport.
MAIN ATTRACTION
Extravagance and location
FIRST IMPRESSION
Jaw-dropping beauty
ROOMS
280 rooms and suites, lavishly decorated with Italian Serpiente marble and specially designed hand-tufted carpet, and equipped with 46-inch LED interactive TV, Acqua di Parma luxury amenities, customised luxury linen with 320 thread-count Egyptian cotton, exclusively designed bedding, i-Home, complimentary wireless HSIA in all areas, electric decorative curtain and double-glazed sound proof windows.
F&B OUTLETS
Four outlets: The Lobby Lounge, The Restaurant, The 18th, a specialty restaurant with exclusive dining indoor and alfresco, and The Club Lounge.
OVERALL SERVICE
Six-star!
PLACES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE
The hotel is part of an integrated Trans Studio Complex which houses a mall, a theme park and another hotel. The Trans Studio Mall offers a chic shopping experience featuring 250 retail outlets and 700-seating capacity of dining areas. Connected to the mall is the Trans Studio Bandung, one of the world’s biggest indoor theme parks, offering 20 exciting rides and plenty of world-class shows.