Hiya, guys, I’m back! What, I haven’t been gone at all? Clearly, you are mistaken, as my sister and I had been spending the last couple weeks in Surabaya, visiting the grandparents for Eid holiday. Obviously, like last time, we had to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the town and visit some historical sites—maybe some new ones too! The first place we hit up this time was Hotel Majapahit, which is a historical hotel from the Dutch days—famous for the Hotel Yamato incident in September 1945, which rewarded the town the title ‘City of Heroes.’ The place is located on the side of the road of Tunjungan Street—which houses some of the oldest, abandoned buildings in town.
Through the doors, though, you are instantly transported to paradise, lined with gorgeous tiles and blue-white European architecture. Although it used to be a Dutch hotel, I felt more like I was in Greece while I was here. The area is a huge complex of rooms—looking very subtly cozy from the outside—with various old interior elements, such as the hanging lamps, antique furniture and infused glass ornaments. They also have several gardens—the one at the back specifically used for weddings—which resemble that of a beach resort.
vintage dress // thrifted loafers // hand-me-down purse // outfit photos by Akita
Truth be told, if you want to take pictures here, you have to ask for permission—preferably days or weeks in advance. However, when I walked in and asked straight away if taking pictures—with a legit camera and all—was allowed, the doorman quickly assessed me and decided, out of the kindness of his heart, to allow me to do so—with only the compensation in the form of food. Luckily, my sister wasn’t fasting, so we decided to have a meal at their restaurant, to pay for the doorman’s kindness.
At first, I was a little bit wary that the other staff would begin to give me the third degree when they saw me toting around a DSLR, but, it turns out, nobody does anything to us but smile and send quick greetings—even some of the foreign guests. When my sister and I sat down for (her) lunch, the restaurant looked absolutely fancy—with folded napkins and everything—but the service is lovely, the food looks great and the price isn’t too farfetched. Honestly, the welcoming atmosphere, the aesthetics of the place and the cozy greeneries make me want to return there as a guest someday—I’ve even checked out the prices online. Thank you, kind Mr. Doorman—I’ll be back, just you see!
P.S: If you want to come and take photos here, please make sure you’ve asked for permission in advance. I was being reckless and insensitive, it wasn’t cool at all.
Hiya, guys, I’m back! What, I haven’t been gone at all? Clearly, you are mistaken, as my sister and I had been spending the last couple weeks in Surabaya, visiting the grandparents for Eid holiday. Obviously, like last time, we had to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the town and visit some historical sites—maybe some new ones too! The first place we hit up this time was Hotel Majapahit, which is a historical hotel from the Dutch days—famous for the Hotel Yamato incident in September 1945, which rewarded the town the title ‘City of Heroes.’ The place is located on the side of the road of Tunjungan Street—which houses some of the oldest, abandoned buildings in town.
Through the doors, though, you are instantly transported to paradise, lined with gorgeous tiles and blue-white European architecture. Although it used to be a Dutch hotel, I felt more like I was in Greece while I was here. The area is a huge complex of rooms—looking very subtly cozy from the outside—with various old interior elements, such as the hanging lamps, antique furniture and infused glass ornaments. They also have several gardens—the one at the back specifically used for weddings—which resemble that of a beach resort.
vintage dress // thrifted loafers // hand-me-down purse // outfit photos by Akita
Truth be told, if you want to take pictures here, you have to ask for permission—preferably days or weeks in advance. However, when I walked in and asked straight away if taking pictures—with a legit camera and all—was allowed, the doorman quickly assessed me and decided, out of the kindness of his heart, to allow me to do so—with only the compensation in the form of food. Luckily, my sister wasn’t fasting, so we decided to have a meal at their restaurant, to pay for the doorman’s kindness.
At first, I was a little bit wary that the other staff would begin to give me the third degree when they saw me toting around a DSLR, but, it turns out, nobody does anything to us but smile and send quick greetings—even some of the foreign guests. When my sister and I sat down for (her) lunch, the restaurant looked absolutely fancy—with folded napkins and everything—but the service is lovely, the food looks great and the price isn’t too farfetched. Honestly, the welcoming atmosphere, the aesthetics of the place and the cozy greeneries make me want to return there as a guest someday—I’ve even checked out the prices online. Thank you, kind Mr. Doorman—I’ll be back, just you see!
P.S: If you want to come and take photos here, please make sure you’ve asked for permission in advance. I was being reckless and insensitive, it wasn’t cool at all.