Hotel History
Originally built in 1910 by the famous Sarkies brothers, the Hotel Majapahit is a classic landmark institution filled with national pride, where history blends with romance and elegance. Its graceful colonial architecture with immaculate landscaped gardens, combined with modern facilities and its famous Spa makes the Majapahit the preferred choice for the most discerning travellers.
Located in the heart of Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city and re-known trading port since the 15th century, the Majapahit has gone through different names over its long history:
- 1910: built as the Oranje Hotel (named after the Dutch Royal family) by Lucas Martin Sarkies of the famous Armenian family whose collection of grand hotels includes the Raffles in Singapore, the Strand in Rangoon and the Eastern and Oriental in Penang.
- 1936: the Hotel front was extended and built in the then fashionable Art Deco style. Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard attended the opening of the new addition to the front of the hotel. Adjacent to the lobby there were the famous cake and ice cream shop "Hoen Kwee", as well as the Dutch stationery shop "Van Drop"
- 1942: During World War II, which reached the island of Java, the Oranje Hotel is taken over by the Japanese who changed its name into "Yamato Hoteru" or "Hotel Yamato" during the three and a half years of Japanese occupation.
- 1945: On September 19th 1945, at 6.00 am, the leader of the Mastiff Carbolic Part, organized by the Anglo Dutch Country organization, together with other Dutch people from the Social Contract Commission raised the Dutch’s red, white and blue flag on the main flag pole of the hotel. It was a symbol of force to show the Dutch colonial control after the allies’ victory in World War II. The Indonesians considered the raising of the Dutch flag on top of the hotel as an insult to Indonesia’s proclamation of independence in Jakarta on August 17th 1945. By 6:30 am, a crowd of angry Indonesians who had gathered in front of the hotel shouted the cry of "Merdeka" (freedom) and lowered the offensive flag and tore off the bottom blue strip of the Dutch flag turning it into the new Indonesian "Red and White" flag. Confusion and tragedy ensued. A British commander was murdered in October and a full scale invasion was launched the following month on November 10th 1945, which is celebrated nationally as Heroes Day. Surabaya is now called "The City of Heroes" and a Heroes’ monument was erected to commemorate the famous battle. For the next few months, while the revolution carried on in Surabaya, the Hotel was known as "Hotel Merdeka" or the "Liberty Hotel".
- 1946: The hotel was again managed by the Sarkies Family and underwent yet another name change to be called the “Hotel L.M.S”, after its founder Lucas Martin Sarkies. It continued as such until 1969 when a new group of owners decided to call it The Majapahit, after one of ancient Indonesia’s most enduring kingdoms. The name, its fifth in nearly 60 years, was retained when the property was purchased by new owners.
- 1996: After a 2 year comprehensive restoration work, the hotel Majapahit re-opened as the Mandarin Oriental Majapahit Hotel Surabaya, a 5-star Deluxe Hotel and it regained its position as Surabaya’s premier hotel.
- 2006: On September 22th after ten years management with the Mandarin Oriental Group, the Hotel Majapahit re-established itself as an independently managed 5 star International deluxe property and the preferred hotel in Surabaya.