HOTEL CANDI BARU

I kept thinking when I stayed here a few days ago that my palatial suite was something only the very elite of colonial society could have dreamed of renting. It is probably 1000 ft2 and had gorgeous Italian style tile work, layers of wooden molding, stained glass onto its living room and onto the exterior. Wow! And the ceilings are no less than 20 ft(7m) tall. For real. So that is the jewel part. It's occluded by having neon lights, a bathroom that was redone in functional style in the 1990s, and just by all the ways the place suffered as it became a more budget oriented hotel. Still: my suite cost less than the Chinese built hotel-in-a-box rooms that are your other choices. This was a million times more fun. Stay here.

Stayed a few nights here for only 120k per night. The room was in the back behind the actual hotel and behind the pub. There is a fan and two twin beds, breakfast is included. It is however quite noisy and there are a lot of mosquitoes for some reason, but overal it was ok.

First of all, I have no idea what some of these other reviews are talking about with view, garden, or swimming pool. I booked here because of those keywords in the reviews, but Hotel Candi Baru has none of these things. It is in an area with gorgeous views, but you will need to eat at the hotel across the street to see them. There is no garden to speak of. And if there is a swimming pool here, I have yet to find it. I don't want to completely discredit the history in the architecture, but this place makes me sad, and you shouldn't get your hopes up too much due to the nice reviews. It was clearly once a stately colonial building. The gorgeous stained glass, high ceilings, wood details, and art nouveau patterned floors attest to that. I wish I could renovate this hotel into a five star place, because I could do a great job! It has great bones. It wouldn’t take much- a lick of paint, new fixtures, some lamps, new beds and linens, retiling the bathrooms. But the place is sadly neglected. The stately rooms (we stayed in a deluxe) are bare bones. One fluorescent bare bulb from the high ceiling casts the room in a sickly greenish light. The walls are bare white and utterly filthy. Everything is a bit dingy. The curtains are dirty, the air conditioner is a sputtering behemoth from the 70’s with two setting: on and off. The sheets were clean, which was nice, and the staff is very friendly, but I seriously don’t think anything has been deep cleaned or replaced here in decades. Which is a shame, because these spaces have the bones for a really fantastic boutique hotel. There’s even a large wooden colonial desk on my veranda, a great idea. The location is great, and the price is right (we paid 300,000 rupiah for a deluxe room). A tip if you do stay here: Grab a drink across the street at the new Candiview Hotel and restaurant (their hotel rooms were not open yet, but due to open next week). There are amaaaazing views over the city to the sea from their patio.

When I was booking hotels for a mini trip around Central Java I came across the Hotel Candi Baru. It is an old Dutch colonial building perched on a hillside overlooking the coastal city of Semarang and at Rp240,000 a night for a standard room it looked an ideal base from which to head out and explore this famous old city. The initial problem that I had was that it is not possible to book your room by email/internet as the hotel doesn't have email/internet. This is definitely strange considering the times in which we live, but there you have it. So it was that I called to book a room for two nights and was told by the helpful receptionist that I shouldn't worry, they had my details and the room would be waiting for me when I arrived. I am nothing if not suspicious in circumstances such as these. Indonesians are a wonderfully accommodating people and are always doing their best to help. However, they are not very good at saying no. Disappointing people is not what they wish to do. Saying yes to a request is just easier and more helpful than actually saying no, even if saying no is exactly what you mean. This also accounted for how I ended up travelling to Semarang by bus instead of the train that I ahd originally asked for. There just isn't a train, even if they tell you that there is. I really shouldn't have worried though as, on arrival at the slightly difficult to find Candi Baru, the room was indeed waiting for me. I had booked a double room (as at the last minute my wife was also able to accompany me) and the two small twin beds weren't really the same, even pushed together as the receptionist visually encouraged me with a narrowing of outstretched arms. I asked about a room with a double bed and she apologised that that would mean moving to a VIP room for an extra Rp100,000. On seeing the room though I was just blown away. It was HUGE! floor to ceiling, wall to wall even the bathroom was bigger than I'd expected with a wonderful glass-walled power shower within. I returned to the desk nodding my head and telling the receptionist that it would be perfect. Maybe, she asked worryingly, you only want it for one night? But no, I paid for two and we enjoyed a very comfortable bed, a teak writing desk, patio doors looking out onto the weirdly situated Black Canyon Coffee Shop opposite and what can only be described as an ornate 1960's mini fridge. The Candi Baru looks like it used to be an amazing place and has just been allowed to 'go' a little. But there is no doubting its colonial charm and the siting of a pub, The ON-On Bar next door, meant that we had somewhere to have some food and a beer while watching the World Cup matches. Those Desperately-Seeking-Internet access may strike lucky at the Black Canyon Coffee Shop I mentioned earlier, although it wasn't working when we stayed. Food at Black Canyon is Thai influenced and a tad on the expensive side by Indonesian standards whereas food in the ON-On pub is more a mix of western and Indonesian dishes and much more reasonable.

I like this hotel ! It's nice , new , modern .. Rooms are very clean and contort though bed could be 1 size bigger ! People are friendly , room service is delicious ... They hve a good breakfast and swimming pool downstairs is nice as well . The area surrounding is a good area which makes it all fit together ... Will come back for sure

This magnificent art deco hotel is like a stepping back in time , huge original bedrooms , beautiful original lobby . The hotel is about 10 minutes by taxi from central semarang in an elite area , at the the rear of the hotel there is a great bar / resto called the on on bar , highly recommened for a cold ale after hot day slogging around semarang . this hotel is an absolute bargain .

Candi Baru is a very nice old mansion full of style and atmosphere and a very pleasnt place to stay when on holidays. The rooms are clean and large, the staff is very gentle and helpful, the garden is a blessing. The only low point for this place is its location so far from the centre. No activities around, no local restaurant, no real local life style as it is also a very posh area, a little bit unwelcoming.

i have stayed here on an off since 1996. Was there again recently and still love the place and the renovations they did to it. The On On pub is still as vibrant as always with good prices/quality. Also the Black Canyon coffee house in front has free wifi and good affordable food. Since this is originally a Thai chain they serve good decent thai cuisine too. This place, orignally Bellevue Hotel, deserves to be mentioned as a true heritage hotel, with all his art deco accents. Breakfast is as historical as the hotel and staff itself, so better go and have a bite at the Canyon coffeeshop in front. I will be back !

While we actually stayed at a different hotel in downtown Semarang, word-of-mouth led us to the On On Pub in the back of the Hotel Candi Baru as a local "expat" watering hole during our trip to Semarang. My friends and I were very impressed with the diverse menu, specializing in Western cuisine (anything from nachos to wienerschnitzel), but also a few local dishes like "nasi goreng". We had our dinner in an outdoor covered seating area, which was nice and breezy. The dinner area seems to be popular with young, hip Indonesian couples in addition to expat familes. The service was fairly quick and very helpful. The atmosphere inside the pub is laid-back and eclectic, with a wide variety of "hash house harrier" paraphenalia on the walls (hence the derivation of the pub's name - the On On Pub is apparently home to the Semarang Hash House Harriers). Music plays throughout, but is not overly loud, and different groups congregate at the bar, or on the porch to enjoy drinks and conversation, while others take advantage of the dart board or pool table. Many of the "regulars" are expats who have lived in the city for many years, and are a colorful, friendly bunch, quite willing to engage a couple of visitors in a lively chat over a pint or two. It's very easy to get to by cab, and I recommend it highly to travelers to Semarang who are looking for a good dinner out or just a place to grab a pint and hang out.

This hotel is a real piece of classic Dutch architecture, still appearing solid despite its age. Honestly I didn't spend a single night at this hotel, but one memory that always lingers in my mind is the pub which is located literally just behind the hotel. On On Pub is what it's called, always offers relaxing atmosphere and genuine quality booze and cocktails you wouldn't easily find anywhere in Semarang. Creative food choices combining Western & local delicacies always satisfy the rumbling tummies of the patrons. Moneywise it's quite pocket friendly eventhough not the cheapest in town. Be prepared to spend around $5-15 AUD for a good night out. Above all, it's a perfect gathering spot for fellow expats with no loud music, perfect for a drink or two every Monday night after a run at Semarang Hash House Harriers. Pool and darts entertainment makes me feel home at this pub. Weekends are good time to mingle with the locals. I will miss Semarang especially On On Pub. Thanks to my friends Ron & Dan for bringing me here almost every night for my 3 weeks stay! Lee from Western Australia