Surabaya Keeps Up Pace With Capital City

<H1>Surabaya Keeps Up Pace With Capital City</H1><H2>Shangri-La: An early arrival</H2><H3>by Judy Jacobs</H3><I>Surabaya</I> - One of Southeast Asia's major manufacturing centers for textiles, machinery and food products-and a major magnet for business travelers-is expecting a boost in room inventory that is equally as impressive as that in Jakarta. In the past year, the city has seen the addition of at least five new hotels with a total of more than 1,200 rooms.

Shangri-La opened a 389-room property in this industrial port city last year, and Mandarin Oriental restored and opened the 150-room historic Hotel Surabaya Mandarin Oriental in January (<I>BTN</I>, Oct. 23, 1995). Several more companies are following their example.

In January, Sheraton began receiving guests at its 319-room Sheraton Surabaya Hotel & Towers, located adjacent to the city's exhibition and convention center in the downtown area. The room count includes 51 Towers rooms, 18 suites and 54 fully serviced apartments. Facilities include a business center, a health club, two tennis courts, a swimming pool, a ballroom accommodating 1,000 for banquets or 1,200 theater style, six meeting rooms and a boardroom.

Another new property in Surabaya, Accor's 280-room Mercure Grand Hotel, debuted in February. Located on the edge of the city, the hotel offers guests direct highway access to major industrial areas.

Accor also opened the 130-room Novotel Surabaya last summer. Meanwhile, plans are in the works for an Ibis brand property, the 220-room Ibis Basuki Rahmat, for early 1998.

In May, Westin will begin receiving guests at the Westin Surabaya, located downtown. Each of the 387 rooms and 31 serviced long-stay apartments features an in-room fax and safe deposit box. The hotel offers a business center with two private offices and a meeting room that seats eight people, a ballroom that seats up to 1,500 theater style and 1,100 for banquets, and six breakout rooms that can accommodate from 20 to 150 meeting delegates. Recreational facilities include a swimming pool, a tennis court, a fitness center and access to two 18-hole championship golf courses.

Next year, Hong Kong-headquartered Century International Hotels plans to open its third Indonesian property, the 17-story, 265-room Hotel Century Surabaya in central Surabaya.

Guest rooms will feature in-room safes in addition to dedicated telephones lines for computer modems. Each executive room will be equipped with a fax machine.

By the beginning of 1997, Choice Hotels-which already operates seven hotels in Indonesia-will open the 400-room Quality Suites. Facilities will include a business center, meeting space for 400 and a fitness center.