This four star hotel is laid out on a large terraced hillside leading down to a river. The area has been well landscaped with pools, ponds and a swimming pool alongside other activities such as games and play areas. A steep road leads down through the hotel site, from the reception at the top, passing the restaurant, various sets of bungalow-like rooms and the swimming pool. If travelling by car you can park a few metres from your room.
I stayed for one night in a room behind the fishing pond, looking out over the river and across to the fields on the other bank, with the volcano Merapi behind, visible only at dawn. The scenery was stunningly beautiful, and the hotel was not busy on a weekday night.
The room was excellent, with a comfortable bed, air-conditioning, bathtub with shower and a large widescreen TV. The TV channels were however very limited, with only several of the Indonesian channels available and HBO dubbed into Indonesian. Bed linen and towels (two large, two small) were all clean. Bubble bath and shampoo were provided as was free mineral water. Tea and coffee making facilities were available; there was a minibar and a laundry service. The non-smoking room had a wardrobe with hanging space as well as various drawers. In addition to the bed and bedside tables, there was a desk and chair, a suitcase stand, two chairs and a coffee table. Outside on the veranda was a table with two chairs where I sat and took in the gorgeous surroundings.
I had a wonderfully peaceful night’s sleep with no disturbances or noise from neighbouring rooms whatsoever. With an early start I was up at sunrise, just before the swans that live around the fish pond began their rather loud morning call. Breakfast, served 6am to 9am up the steep road in the hotel restaurant, was an impressive buffet with something for everyone. As well as Indonesian food such as rice dishes and bubur, there was a salad bar, bread and cakes, waffles, and hot dishes such as chicken sausages, chips and baked beans.
The hotel is well-equipped with the Putri Ayu Spa, which offers a range of pampering treatments, and a fitness centre and sauna, in addition to the large outdoor swimming pool. Progo Xventoure operates from the hotel and offers a variety of outbound activities including climbing and high ropes, as well as rafting on the river.
Due to the city of Magelang being less well known with international visitors, I was pleasantly surprised to find a hotel which caters so well to non-Indonesians. Although it mainly serves Indonesian clientele, including those attending conferences and seminars as well as family groups, information throughout the hotel was provided in English as well as Indonesian. Families are welcomed at the hotel, which has play areas for children built along the river.
In addition to enjoying the resort itself, visitors can take the twenty minute drive to Borobudur, Indonesia’s most famous Buddhist temple. The hotel is a one hour drive from Adi Sucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta. Day trips to the Prambanan temple complex and the city of Yogyakarta are also possible from Puri Asri.
Overall, I very much enjoyed my stay at Puri Asri and would love to return and spend longer there. There are many facilities, such as the spa and river rafting, that I did not have a chance to try, and one could spend some time exploring the beautiful surroundings along the riverside.
