A unique venture in Indonesia is making waves by aspiring to claim the title of the “world’s skinniest” hotel. However, its creator asserts that the objective goes beyond breaking records; it’s about bringing global attention to his hometown.
Ary Indra, hailing from Salatiga, Central Java, pursued architecture and built a career in Jakarta and Singapore. But his heart beckoned him back to Salatiga, where he found an overlooked piece of land deemed unviable due to its peculiar dimensions. This plot is now home to PituRooms, a seven-room hotel (Pitu means “seven” in Javanese) measuring a mere 2.8 meters (9 feet) in width.
The five-story structure accommodates seven rooms, each equipped with a double bed, compact bathroom with a shower and toilet, and uniquely adorned with local artistry and interiors, providing a distinct ambiance to each.
Indra’s vision for PituRooms extends beyond the hotel itself. “I want people to experience Salatiga in a new way,” he expressed to CNN. Taking charge of the hotel’s ownership, design, and operation, he aims to foster a form of tourism that engages local communities.
Salatiga, situated 300 miles southeast of Jakarta, remains relatively obscure compared to the tourist magnets of Yogyakarta, Surabaya, or Bali, receiving a mere “five percent” of non-Indonesian guests at PituRooms since its launch in December 2022.
Indra highlights Salatiga as a city known for its tolerance, excellent culinary offerings, robust infrastructure, and a commendable quality of life, historically favored as a weekend getaway by the Dutch during the colonial era.
Challenging conventional perceptions in the hospitality industry, Indra emphasized to Dezeen, an architecture blog, the shift from superlative descriptors like “biggest” and “most luxurious” to the unique quality of being the “skinniest.”
“We tried very hard to turn this limitation to become our strongest selling point, that this is a built study of micro-space, and guests can experience the possibility of living and choreographing their movement in ‘just enough’ space,” Indra explained.
Set against the backdrop of Mount Merbabu, guests at PituRooms can relish breathtaking views from their hotel rooms. The establishment plans to enhance its offerings by featuring a rooftop restaurant catering to locals and organizing diverse events and art exhibitions, adding more layers to the Salatiga experience.
