GH Universal Hotel, Bandung: A Pet-Friendly, Medieval European Hotel

Gothic style architectures

Welcome to GH Universal Hotel, where the elegant medieval, Gothic architecture will make you and your family feel like you’ve become a group of tourists in England or France! If you have been to Great Britain, the hotel architecture will even remind you of the Palace of Westminster, a renovated old British palace that has now become a meeting house for UK’s parliament.

What is Gothic architecture? A style that originated in France during the 12th century, Gothic is used mainly in the construction of churches or cathedrals. As time went by, this type of architectural style spread throughout Europe during the Renaissance era (14th to 17th century) reaching other parts of the world later on, including Australia and North America. This tall building is mostly noticeable from its grey color, with many pointed arches, lines of glassed windows, and domes on top.

It’s a hotel with old architecture style, but don’t be mistaken of its age, as this is a new hotel built not long ago. Although it’s an older representation of European architecture, you can’t help but love the modern appeal.

A cozy room with European touches

Beyond the hotel’s architecture, the rooms are modern with a little classic touch of English. Rooms are very cozy with thick carpet and papered walls, and like other 5-star hotels, you will also enjoy Wi-Fi, a plasma TV, a mini bar, and toiletries (with an extra shaving kit and cotton buds). However, you will find that your room has things that bears a resemblance to European hotel rooms. Besides the flower design on the carpet and wallpaper, you will also find things like a dressing table, a tall sofa that looks like a rocking chair, and decorative curtains attached on the wall behind the mattress. Rates are very friendly too, especially for being a 5-star hotel, starting from just 62.50 USD for the superior rooms and 107 USD for a deluxe room that also has a private living room!

Enjoy the foods and view at Belle Vue restaurant

The venue of the breakfast buffet is at the 24-hour restaurant on the rooftop, named Belle Vue Rooftop. Not only will you be able to view the hotel and the city of Bandung from here, but you will also get to taste different kinds of French and Italian foods including snacks like ‘poulet a la biere’ (chicken cooked with wine and bread crumbs), 'creme brulee’ (French vanilla cake), and 'aglio olio’ (spaghetti with garlic). You’ll also find delicious local foods like 'bubur ayam’ (chicken porridge) and a favorite on the menu, 'bebek betutu’ (steamed curry duck), which was popularized by an Indonesian film titled The Wedding and Bebek Betutu! Having dinner here is also very nice, especially if you bring your sweetheart with you as every table is lit with a candle, making your dinner a romantic one.

The domes

The domes that you can see are actually chapels that you will find on the rooftop, together with the restaurant and children’s playground (Castillo). Some of them are empty chapels, but there is at least one that is used for weddings. All the chapels have lovely architectures, especially ‘the Chapel of the Angels’, with a picture of angels, depicting one of the stories from the Bible.

Pett Inn, a hotel for dogs and cats

In a separate area of this hotel, there is a place called Pet Inn, where the locals in Bandung bring their already-vaccinated dogs (or sometimes cats) here before they travel out of town. Guests who bring their dog often choose this hotel due to the pet care facilities, which is the only one in Bandung. It’s an inn for pets where you’ll notice the dogs and cats are treated in an extraordinary way! The dogs are kept in the same house but in different cages. At certain times of the day staff members will feed, bathe, and take them out to the playground where they can play together and use the available facilities, such as dog pool and see saw. Certainly these dogs are happier here as they can interact with the other animals, and to make them even happier, classical music is played in the house 24 hours a day! This is good news if you happen to bring your dog with you, isn’t it? It costs just 100,000 IDR (7.20 USD) for a small dog, but it can cost up to 175,000 IDR (12.60 USD) per day if your dog is more than 7 kg (15 pounds). Feel free to bring your kids here, as they will be happy to see the dogs being bathed, fed, and walked.