The result is Roemahkoe Hotel, which gets its name from the local translation of “my house.”
After it was renovated, the home was first used for private gatherings hosted by Nina’s family. Whenever her kin visited Solo, they preferred to stay at the new house rather than her childhood home in the Purwotomo area.
“After occupying the house as a private residence for three years, we finally decided to convert it into a heritage hotel with a bed and breakfast concept. We’d like to share the experience of living in a Javanese residence to a public that loves our heritage,” Nina said.
The Roemahkoe still sports its Art Deco flourishes. Much of the natural light that floods the house during the day is filtered through the numerous, intricately crafted stained-glass windows.
Near the heart of Java’s batik industry in Laweyan, there is a house tucked away in an old kampung of merchants and cloth makers in Solo. The home was built in 1939 by Puspo Sumarto, a wealthy merchant who designed it in the Art Deco style that was in vogue in the early 20th century.
The interior is filled with antique clocks, paintings, furniture and light fixtures from the bygone era. The 14 guest rooms look out on a fountain-filled courtyard and along the breezy, open-air corridors are lines of old tables and chairs on which guests can relax.
“We kept the doors, window sills, two main pillars in the Krobong Room and certain parts of the house with teak wood,” Nina said.
“We did not replace the floor tiles, because we still wanted to maintain the whole authentic look according to how the wealthy merchant’s house was built.”
For Nina, the Roemahkoe is a place to soak in the atmosphere of Javanese culture and caters less to partygoers. The hotel features a restaurant, but there is no bar or karaoke room. Instead, guests are encouraged to try their hand at playing gamelan instruments.
“In front of each room, we put a piece of gamelan so that the guests can learn to play the instrument. In addition, professional musicians come to the hotel to present gamelan performances and Javanese folk songs at the restaurant on Saturday nights,” Nina said.
The attitude of low-key relaxation is personified by a room located behind the hotel’s lobby. Called the Krobong Room, Nina has designated the area as a sacred space.
The shrine is an Art Deco lover’s dream, with large, dark wooden door frames embedded on the top, its sides strewn with ubiquitous stained-glass panels, and two low tables sitting at the center of the room.
“To maintain the sanctity of the room, we do not permit activities to take place in it. It’s not meant for receiving guests or for all members of the family,” Nina said.
“The room is meant to honor Dewi Sri, the god of wealth believed to have helped mortals who were seeking fortune and doing charity. What we do is put various flowers and offerings on a round table.”
The refurbished old home has also had revitalizing effect on its neighboring establishments. At the time of the hotel’s renovation, many of the surrounding houses were also in a state of neglect.
Then months after Roemahkoe opened, the neighborhood saw a sudden rise in new cafes and boutiques.
Valuing the personal touch, Nina said she didn’t mind seeing just a few guests come in once in a while.
“For us, caring for a handful of guests who feel at home is more important than anything. Receiving them with the kind of warmth Javanese are known for would make guests come back to our hotel the next time they visit Solo,” she said.
The hotel also features a small library containing books about Solo. Guests can have their fortunes read to them by staff members who are all knowledgeable in pakuwon , a Javanese method of astrology that draws its divinations from a person’s birthday.
“I have 15 employees who are working in the hotel, and they are all ready to predict your future by counting pakuwon,” Nina said.
However, Roemahkoe’s elegance and calm atmosphere comes at a price.
“This is more than just an ordinary hotel. This is still my house and I still have the rule over it. In contrast to other hotels that are open for 24 hours, we close our gates at 11 p.m. without reserve,” Nina said, adding that prospective guests who come after closing time are not admitted, as are hotel guests who stay out too late.
Nina said she renovated the Roemahkoe to serve as a monument to Laweyan, considered by many to be the center of Java’s batik-making industry.
