http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/17/islamic-hotel-open-surakarta.html
Islamic hotel to open in Surakarta The Jakarta Post, Surakarta, Central Java | Archipelago | Thu, January 17 2013, 7:35 PM A- A A+ In a bid to tap in to the growing religious tourism market in Indonesia, PT Hotel Anom Saranatama, owned by former President Soeharto's son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, started the construction of a four-star Islamic hotel named Sharia Hotel Solo in Surakarta, Central Java, on Thursday. The Rp 300 billion (US$30.88 million) hotel, consisting of 11 floors with 422 rooms, is poised to become the largest Islamic hotel in the country, said Mudia Trianamadja, the general manager of Lorin Hotel Solo, also owned by Tommy. "We expect the construction to be finished within one year," he said as quoted by tempo.co. The hotel will target pilgrimage tourists to Surakarta and its surrounding areas as well as Islamic groups and organizations in the city, according to Mudia. As an Islamic lodging, the hotel will not have spa, swimming pool and bar, said Lorin Hotel spokeswoman, Kartika Oktavia Pravitasari. Instead, guests will be served halal food and beverages, accompanied by religious music performances, she added. Islamic writings and verses will adorn the interior of the hotel, which will also be equipped with praying rooms on every floor, Mudia said. "Every evening we will also sound the call for prayer," he said. Unlike hotels in Aceh where couples have to show a marriage certificate to be able to stay in the same room, guests at Sharia Hotel Solo will not have to do such a thing. "We don't want to take that presumption [on the guests]," said Mudia. (han/swd) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
