West Java
This surf lodge is set in large grassy grounds just back from the main surf break and with views out over the waves. Rooms are tiled, modern and spacious,…
Must-see hotels in Java
Semarang
In a good location between the old city and Simpang Lima, this smart business-oriented hotel has an outdoor pool, a gym and spa. Rooms are contemporary,…
Plataran Borobudur Resort & Spa
Borobudur
There are 21 villas comprising this elegant heritage resort, the centrepiece of which is a colonial-era pavilion with a wide verandah that functions as…
East Java
The original Watu Karang surf camp is a stunner, with comfortable thatched cottages and villas, wi-fi and satellite TV. Peer over the side of the cool,…
West Java
Taking centre stage at this low-rise boutique hotel is an artistic multi-level pool complex lined with water-spouting Balinese statues. The sizeable rooms…
Jakarta
This huge prominent hotel dominates its landmark location. It's the upscale centre of commercial Jakarta, and glitzy malls are nearby. Rooms are decorated…
Yogyakarta
Rooms are simple and comfortable in this attractive suburban house, but the real benefit here is that Atik, the Javanese author-owner-tour-guide, is a…
Solo
Better known for its restaurant, this hotel offers a few delightful rooms in the vintage, brick Javanese building. With high ceilings, ceramic tiled…
Yogyakarta
This attractive, well-run guesthouse, on the main thoroughfare in Sosrowijayan, benefits from a greater sense of space than lodgings hidden in the lanes…
Bandung
An unusual 'building block' exterior gives way to a contemporary, Japanese-influenced design hotel with floor-to-ceiling wall murals, soft wooden…
Borobudur
This popular, friendly guesthouse is owned by one of the founders of Jaker, so reliable local information in fluent English can be expected here. The…
Solo
Although the rooms are simple, this atmospheric old homestay, in a magnificent timbered building between Solo's two palaces, scores highly for those…
Yogyakarta
Its austere, concrete compound-like facade may appear forbidding from the outside, but past those doors it opens to a cool, arty hostel with an inviting…
Borobudur
This striking hotel, with its sprays of gorgeous orchids in the marble foyer, is worth considering as one of the few quality hotels within walking…
Yogyakarta
This fine hotel with its distinctive bamboo facade brings a sense of the rural into the heart of the city. Most of the luxurious rooms have ample…
Central Java
Just before Sukuh temple – and enjoying the same exquisite views – this rural hotel has attractive rooms and villas built from natural materials and…
Surabaya
Someone went to town when they designed this aggressively artsy hotel. We love the foyer area with its melting wax-like columns, the graffiti in the…
East Java
A wonderful eco-hotel where the complex resembles a traditional village and all the buildings make good use of recycled wood and solar power. There's…
West Java
Nest in a cool Torajan-style cottage or smaller, modern 'Jakarta rooms' right on the beach; this is the nicest choice in Carita. It has a beautiful pool …
Tiger Islands Village & Eco Resort
Thousand Islands
A couple of glittering tropical dots in the ocean host this delightful, upmarket eco-resort. This beachside retreat uses recycled rainwater, solar panels…
East Java
Joyo's has steadily upped its game over the years. It has good-quality thatched wooden bungalows with fan or air-conditioning, a large-screen TV for…
West Java
Set in the joyful and inviting family home of Yudhi Suryana, SL Guesthouse has private and shared rooms with curtained-off beds and a shared bathroom. It…
East Java
This budget lodge has an excellent location in the Kebun Balawan coffee plantation, close to hot springs and a waterfall. Rooms are divided between its…
West Java
In a quiet residential street to the north of town is this popular, chilled-out hostel. The whole place is spotless, the staff are super-friendly and the…
East Java
With a sociable vibe thanks to its restaurant and attractive layout (rooms are scattered down the side of a valley), this is first choice for most…
West Java
And now for something totally different… Down a maze of tracks through the rice fields, this guesthouse represents back-to-nature simplicity. Built…
West Java
Inviting resort with individual cottages, all of which are a little different from one another, although wooden furnishings and colourful flourishes are…
Bandung
This hotel dates back to 1929 and is blessed with a photogenic lobby patisserie set beneath stained-glass skylights. The best rooms are those in the…
West Java
It's not gleaming new any longer, but this modernist beach hotel still delivers serenity and has the prime beachfront location. Tasteful rooms feature…
East Java
Easily one of Banyuwangi's best budget choices is this relaxed, lime-green guesthouse, tucked down a residential street in town. Rooms are both spotless…
East Java
This top-end resort, set in fertile grounds, has beautiful rooms with stone or timber floors, open-air bathrooms and attractive furnishings. From the…
East Java
This classy former plantation enjoys a resplendent garden, bursting with shrubs and flowers (all neatly labelled). The gardens definitely outclass the…
East Java
A cut above the rest of the Cemoro Lawang competition, the Bromo Otix has three classes of rooms. Those in the new front block are smart, brightly painted…
East Java
This rustic place has lots of character, with bungalows and small rooms dotted around a large, leafy garden compound. However, most lack hot water (there…
Bandung
When the rooms go by names such as Vintage Chocolate Flavor or Scandanavian Milk (whatever that might be?), you know you're going to be staying somewhere…
West Java
Tucked down a dirt road 50m from the main fishing beach and in a garden filled with tropical flowers and fruit trees (guests can pick their own fruit),…
Central Java
Located near the Wonosobo junction, this simple, sociable guesthouse has been hosting backpackers for years and has a certain ramshackle charm with basic,…
Jakarta
Perfectly positioned among the action of Taman Fatahillah in Kota is this vibrant hostel set upstairs in a converted historic Dutch warehouse. Its…
East Java
An ultra-modern mountain lodge, this excellent place has stylish though compact rooms with beautiful photo art on the walls, quality mattresses, floor-to…
West Java
Water, water everywhere at this upmarket resort with attractive thatch-and-timber bungalows built around and over waterlily ponds complete with croaking…
