This hotel is apparently round the corner from the backpacking district.
It is a very quiet, nicely decorated hotel, with nice beds and a good shower, and excellent service of the friendly staff.
I would definitely go here again if I went to Jakarta again.

We had to choose this hotel as the hotel we normally stay in is full during our visit to Jakarta. It is in the same area but the quality of our stay compared to our regular hotel was the complete opposite. It took us by surprise because we thought it would be a good hotel since it looked nice and clean from the outside and there were a lot of cars. We assumed there were a lot of guests. But apparently the cars were guests from neighbors that parked at the hotel's parking facility. I guess it was better to let others use it since the hotel had no customers. And maybe it was for marketing purposes to make it appear that the hotel is popular. Who knows...

Check-in was ridiculous! It took over an hour for some reason and the hotel was empty. There were no other guests checking-in or even in the lobby. Maybe everyone already knew how horrifying this hotel is. Except for us. The staff were rude, seemed annoyed that there were guests checking-in. Rooms were filthy, smelled like something was rotting, bathroom was disgusting, towels and bed sheets were gross (had to ask for those to be changed) and breakfast was horrible ( I think every food served was stale or expired, except for the noodles which were not bad).

We were booked for 3 nights, but after the first night, we just had to move out. It was just that unbearable. And they had the nerve to make us pay for the second night and told us we could not cancel on the day of our intended stay.
Save yourself the trouble of going through the nightmare, and then writing a review of the hotel similar to mine. There are many other hotels that are less expensive but so much better in everything else compared to Hotel Grand Cemara.

The location of the hotel is quite convenient; you can walk to the city center and shopping malls. Opposite is a 24-hout-convenience shop and restaurants are all around.

The standard rooms are small and run-downed. The amenities are very limited, shampoo and shower gel are not replaced every day. There is only one closet and one chair, no space to hang something. There is no safety box and TV contains only eight channels in a bad quality. Wall paper is losing contact and the carpet is dirty. My view was into slum housing, I heard the engine of the elevator night and day. Internet is not included and really overprized by the hour or the day; connection speed is very low.

The breakfast is okay, but expect smoky air due to a smoking area in the breakfast room. The service is friendly and English language skills are well trained.

Stayed many many times in Cemara. Oh, sorry, Grand Cemara now... Always smiling and friendly service. Room service is fast. Unbeatable housekeeping service - better than many 5-star hotels. Excellent value for money. Especially after they have upgraded the aircons. Wireless internet is pricey though...