Joey Apt @ Skyhouse BSD: Your Dream Tangerang Paradise Awaits!
Joey Apt @ Skyhouse BSD: Your Dream Tangerang Paradise Awaits!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the kaleidoscopic world of Joey Apt @ Skyhouse BSD: Your Dream Tangerang Paradise Awaits! This isn't your average, sanitized, corporate hotel review. Nope. We're going deep. We're talking full-frontal, unfiltered, and maybe a little bit messy. Let's get this show on the road!
First Impressions & Accessibility (and the Panic that Almost Ensued)
So, finding this place was…an adventure. Tangerang, bless its heart, isn't exactly known for its super-intuitive street signs. My GPS, bless its heart, decided to take a nap about halfway there, leaving me stranded in what felt suspiciously like a maze of identical rice paddies. Seriously, Google, are you messing with me?! Eventually, after a sweaty, slightly hysterical phone call to the hotel (thank God for Concierge!), I arrived.
Accessibility-wise? Okay, confession time: I don’t have a mobility impairment, so I’m not completely qualified to judge this. But I did notice a few things (and I make a conscious effort to notice these things because, you know, empathy). The lobby seemed accessible with ramps and elevators, and the staff was super helpful with directions. There’s definitely a good starting point for those with mobility issues. Plus, it has all the basics covered facilities for disabled guests, but the real test is always the room. I’ll have to depend on other reviews to get any more specifics.
The Room: My Personal Fortress of Solitude (with Amazing Views!)
The room itself? Gorgeous. Seriously. I think I squealed when I opened the door. The view! Oh, the view! High-floor living is the only way to live, especially where windows open out from the room overlooking the horizon! I’m a total sucker for blackout curtains and a comfortable bed, and Joey Apt delivered. The air conditioning was a lifesaver (Tangerang heat is no joke!), and the free Wi-Fi? Solid. Thank heavens. Everything was conveniently accessible, from the desk to the mini bar and the mirror. It was the perfect spot to hide away and make plans for the rest of my visit!
- Available in all rooms:
- Additional toilet - Check. I hate having to share.
- Air conditioning - Check.
- Alarm clock - Check. (Even if I have my phone anyway.)
- Bathrobes - Ooooh, fancy! Check.
- Bathroom phone - Who uses these? Check
- Bathtub - Check
- Blackout curtains - Double check!
- Carpeting - Nice touch. Check
- Closet - Needed! Check
- Coffee/tea maker - Essential. Check.
- Complimentary tea - Sold! Check.
- Daily housekeeping - Praise be! Check
- Desk - Check
- Extra long bed - Perfect for my endless limbs. Check
- Free bottled water - Thank you, angels. Check
- Hair dryer - Absolutely. Check
- High floor - YES! (as mentioned above!) Check
- In-room safe box - Always a good idea. Check
- Interconnecting room(s) available - Not for me, thanks! Check
- Internet access – LAN - Nope, wireless all the way. Check
- Internet access – wireless - Bless you, Wi-Fi! Check
- Ironing facilities - Useful. Check
- Laptop workspace - Perfect for my work. Check
- Linens - Clean and fresh. Check
- Mini bar - Temptation is real. Check
- Mirror - Check
- Non-smoking - Definitely. Check
- On-demand movies - Nice perk. Check
- Private bathroom - Essential Check
- Reading light - Check
- Refrigerator - Handy. Check
- Safety/security feature - Always a good idea! Check
- Satellite/cable channels - Check
- Scale - Uh oh. Check
- Seating area - Check.
- Separate shower/bathtub - Luxury! Check
- Shower - Check
- Slippers - Check
- Smoke detector - Important. Check
- Socket near the bed - Hallelujah! Check
- Sofa - Check
- Soundproofing - Essential! Check
- Telephone - Check
- Toiletries - Freebies! Check
- Towels - Check
- Umbrella - Good to have! Check
- Visual alarm - A thoughtful touch. Check
- Wake-up service - Used and appreciated! Check
- Wi-Fi [free] - Best thing ever. Check
- Window that opens - YES! (again!) Check
Cleanliness & Safety: Are We Even Safe Here?! (YES!)
This is a huge one for me. I'm a bit of a neat freak (and, let's face it, a bit of a germaphobe). The hotel clearly takes cleanliness seriously. Hand sanitizer everywhere, visible sanitizing of common areas, and the staff seemed super diligent. I walked around feeling a lot safer. The presence of the hotel's measures made me feel at peace.
- Cleanliness and safety:
- Anti-viral cleaning products - Good!
- Daily disinfection in common areas - Excellent!
- Doctor/nurse on call - Reassuring!
- First aid kit - Always a good idea.
- Hand sanitizer - Bless you.
- Hot water linen and laundry washing - Nice.
- Hygiene certification - Important!
- Individually-wrapped food options - Appreciated!
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter - Good.
- Professional-grade sanitizing services - Very good!
- Room sanitization opt-out available - The best.
- Rooms sanitized between stays - Essential!
- Safe dining setup - Comforting.
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items - Thank you!
- Staff trained in safety protocol - Needed!
- Sterilizing equipment - Thorough!
- Check-in/out [express] - Faster!
- Check-in/out [private] - Luxury!
- Exterior corridor - Useful.
- Fire extinguisher - Important!
- Front desk [24-hour] - Always there!
- Non-smoking rooms - Needed!
- Safety/security feature - Always a good idea!
- Security [24-hour] - Reassuring.
- Smoke alarms - Important!
- Soundproof rooms - Needed!
Dining, Drinking & Snacking: Food, Glorious, Food (and Maybe a Cocktail or Two)
Okay, so the food. This is where things get really interesting. The restaurant serves Asian and International cuisine. I had the buffet breakfast one morning, and it was…well, it was a buffet. Perfectly acceptable buffet. The Asian cuisine was quite good: the nasi goreng was the real deal, the pastries were surprisingly good.
I definitely spent some time at the Poolside Bar (happy hour, anyone?). The cocktails were…potent. Let's just say I spent a solid afternoon lounging by the pool, questioning all my life choices, and generally feeling like a queen. They do have room service 24-hours, but I got to lazy to use it.
- Dining, drinking, and snacking:
- A la carte in restaurant - Good!
- Alternative meal arrangement - Good.
- Asian breakfast - Tried and enjoyed!
- Asian cuisine in restaurant - Delicious!
- Bar - Check.
- Bottle of water - Always appreciated.
- Breakfast [buffet] - Decent.
- Breakfast service - Good.
- Buffet in restaurant - See above.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant - Check.
- Coffee shop - Check.
- Desserts in restaurant - Needed.
- Happy hour - Necessary!
- International cuisine in restaurant - *Check
Okay, buckle up, buttercups! This isn't your grandma's perfectly-planned itinerary. This is… well, it's MY attempt at a trip to Joey Apt @ Skyhouse BSD Tangerang, Indonesia. Expect chaos, the occasional existential crisis, and a whole lotta caffeine. Let's see how this disaster unfolds…
Day 1: Arrival and the Great Apartment Hunt (aka, Tangerang Tango)
Morning (6:00 AM - 9:00 AM): Alarm blares. Why am I a morning person on vacation? This is a crime. Drag myself out of bed in the ridiculously tiny, but somehow comfortable, hotel room pre-Joey Apt. Struggle to pack. Forget everything important. Probably underwear. Fly. Vomit. Okay maybe I was feeling a bit too optimistic about this whole "adventure."
Late Morning/Early Afternoon (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM): Arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK). The air hits you like a humid hug – a sweaty, chaotic, beautiful hug. Finding a taxi is a blood sport. Negotiating the price? Forget about it. Finally, collapse into a cab and pray for air conditioning. The roads are an absolute madness. It's like a real-life game of Pac-Man, except the ghosts are motorbikes and the power-ups are… well, I'm not sure, probably more motorbikes.
Afternoon (1:00 PM - 4:00 PM): Finally at Joey Apt (ish). Okay, let's be honest, finding the actual unit inside Skyhouse BSD was a journey. The lobby is swanky, the elevators are fast, but the hallway signage… well, let's just say I felt like I was navigating a labyrinth designed by a particularly cruel architect. Managed to find the unit. First impressions: it’s… okay. The views are pretty stunning though, and the furniture is slightly less IKEA-esque than I feared.
Late Afternoon/Evening (4:00 PM - 9:00 PM): Grocery store run. This is when the culture shock really hits. I can't understand anything. Everything is unfamiliar. I ended up buying a durian, a fruit that smells like a gym sock that's been marinating in a nuclear waste facility. Ate a bite. Regret. Every. Single. Choice. But it's an experience, right? Dinner at a warung (small local restaurant). The food is INSANE, and insanely cheap. Ended up ordering everything on the menu. My stomach is protesting, but my soul sings. Finally, collapsed into the surprisingly comfy bed.
Day 2: BSD City Exploration (and the Great Indonesian Coffee Revelation)
Morning (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Okay, no more durian. That's the new rule. Breakfast at the apartment: instant coffee (the shame. Let’s be honest, I'm not a coffee snob… usually), toast, and jam. Stroll around BSD City. It's… modern. Very planned. A stark contrast to the chaotic beauty of Jakarta. Visited a local market. The smells are a sensory overload – a mix of spices, fresh produce, and… well, I'm not going to dwell on it. Bought a weird-looking root vegetable that I have no idea what to do with. Starting to feel like a character in a bad travel movie.
Lunch (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Finding a decent lunch spot is harder than it looks. Found a cafe. My first Indonesian coffee. Holy. Mother. Of. Coffee. This is the stuff of legends. It's strong, it's flavorful, it's everything I've ever wanted in a coffee. Spent the next hour just… staring at the world, buzzing with caffeine and pure joy. Actually consider quitting my job and becoming a barista.
Afternoon (2:00 PM - 5:00 PM): Decided it's time to be cultured and go to a museum. The museum however… was… closed. Closed for what? They were closed. Disappointment. Sat in the park nearby. Watched the world go by. People-watching is a surprisingly good hobby. Spotted a particularly stylish elderly lady feeding pigeons. Made a mental note to up my fashion game.
Evening (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM): Dinner at a local restaurant that appeared (looked up for the best restaurant) promising. Fell in love with nasi goreng (fried rice). Fell out of love with the chili sauce. It was supposed to be mild. It was not mild. It was a volcanic eruption in my mouth. Tears. Regret. But also… delicious. Learned to appreciate the power of spicy food.
Night (9:00 PM - onwards…): Sat on the balcony outside the apartment, staring at the lights of BSD City. Thinking about life, the universe, and whether I should try to learn to cook that mysterious root vegetable. Possibly my best decision of the whole trip so far? Or maybe I had too much coffee.
Day 3: Pool Day and Farewell Indulgence
Morning (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Pool day! Skyhouse has a wonderful pool. It involved slathering myself in sunscreen, which I hate. But the sun… and the water… it's the perfect way to start the day.
Lunch (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Ordered room service (hey, I'm on vacation!). It's the ultimate form of laziness, and I fully embrace it.
Afternoon (2:00 PM - 4:00 PM): Attempted a massage. I am not relaxed. After the massage, I'm not relaxed, and only have very loose-fitting clothes for some strange reason.
Late Afternoon/Evening (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM): Last dinner! Ate at a fancy restaurant. Splurged. Ate everything. The waiter looked at me like I was a starving peasant. Worth it. Every. Single. Bite.
Night (8:00 PM - onwards…): Packing. The most dreaded part of any trip. Cursing myself for buying that souvenir (a ridiculously oversized hat) that I now have to somehow fit into my already-bursting suitcase. Staring out the window at the city. Thinking about the unexpected beauty of Tangerang. Okay, maybe this whole trip wasn't a complete disaster. Maybe.
Day 4: The Long Journey Home (and the lingering scent of coffee)
Early Morning (6:00 AM - 9:00 AM): Wake up bleary-eyed. Again, more packing. Last-minute frantic rummage for lost items. Managed to find the underwear, but not the will to live. Check out. Taxi to the airport. The usual airport chaos.
Late morning/ Afternoon (9:00 AM - 5:00 AM): Flight. Sleep. Finally home, utterly exhausted, slightly sunburned, and with a suitcase full of questionable purchases.
Evening / Night: The unpacking. The laundry. The existential dread of returning to real life. But also… the lingering taste of Indonesian coffee and the memories of a trip that was messy, imperfect, and utterly unforgettable. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Would I change anything? Probably not. Maybe less durian next time, though.
Joey Apt @ Skyhouse BSD: The Unofficial Guide (Because Let's Be Real, You Need This!)
Okay, So Skyhouse BSD... Is it ACTUALLY a "dream paradise" like the brochures scream? My wallet just weeps thinking about it.
What's the deal with Joey Apt specifically? Is it, like, a good choice even *within* Skyhouse?
The pools! I NEED to know about the pools! Infinity? Lap? Kiddie? Tell me everything!
What's the parking situation like? I've heard horror stories about BSD parking.
Is the gym good? Because I *swear* I'll start going if the gym is decent. (I probably won't, but still...)
What about the common areas? Are they actually *livable* or just a place to pass through?
Are there any hidden costs I should be aware of? I’m talking about the nasty little surprises that hit you in the face.
The location! Is it convenient to shops, restaurants, etc.? Or am I going to be trapped in a concrete jungle?
Okay, so... would *you* live there? Be brutally honest!
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