Lisa Siregar

A smiling Buddha welcomes guests. (Photo courtesy of the establishment)

Have a ‘Family’ Reunion in Yogya

Statues of a Javanese couple wearing traditional clothes greet guests at Roemah Eyang, an old-fashioned guest house with a cozy atmosphere in Yogyakarta. The name of the guest house, which translates as “Grandma’s House,” helps set the mood for the entire stay.

But you’ll need to plan ahead if you want to enjoy a night or two here; the 10 rooms in Roemah Eyang are usually fully booked, even during the low season.

Wooden tables and chairs are set up on a terrace that overlooks the garden, and a comfortable living room is ready for those who want to stay indoors. A small canteen offers guests another spot to relax and mingle, and grab a drink or a bite to eat after a walk to the handicraft shops along nearby Jalan Malioboro. While guests pay for their drinks, snacks like chips and local cakes are free.

Traditional guest houses such as Roemah Eyang and Rumah Eyang — another Yogyakarta guest house with a name that also means Grandma’s House — provide a way to spend a modest few days in the city without sacrificing comfort.

Roemah Eyang is owned by the 77-year-old Ludovika Soemaryati Soeharno, who previously ran a kindergarten from the house.

Rumah Eyang, on the other hand, is run by Atik, who has a strong interest in art and literature. Her guest house doubles as a gallery, and features displays of paintings and sculptures. She said she wanted to make art one of the key attractions of the guest house, which is located near Prawirotaman, a popular backpacker area in Yogyakarta.

Atik also has plenty of experience in the tourism industry. Born in a village near Borobudur Temple, her parents ran a holiday house and she grew up dealing with guests.

“When I was a teenager, I used to help my mom take care of our inn,” she said. Later, she studied hotel management at university, then spent five years working at the Grand Hyatt Yogyakarta.

While her main source of income is currently from her work in the rental business, finding houses for clients, she spends most of her time in the guest house, taking care of and chatting with guests.

With Rumah Eyang, Atik said, she wants to provide hotel-quality service coupled with a comfortable, homey feeling.

The guest house offers 10 rooms of varying size, each with a private bathroom. Some, but not all, of the rooms are air-conditioned. She plans to add a facial and massage service for guests in the near future.

In the garden at the front of the house, Atik has had several small bamboo shelters built where guests can spend time reading, playing cards or just relaxing.

Atik said that often people came to Rumah Eyang in large groups and this helped them to feel comfortable, as though the house was theirs.

She said this was exactly the kind of atmosphere she initially envisaged for the guest house.

“One time a film crew booked all the available rooms here while they were in town shooting — their equipment was everywhere,” Atik said with a laugh. “But that’s OK, we always clean up in the morning. I didn’t mind at all.”

Atik said one older woman from Australia has essentially moved into Rumah Eyang, living out her retirement in comfort.

Rumah Eyang is also available as a venue for events such as book launches.

“I am friends with art students and I really like art, so sometimes the students use this house as a place to launch a book or an independent [book or music release],” Atik said. The students also often display their artwork in the guest house.

Atik, who has been running Rumah Eyang since it opened in 2006, designed the interior herself, buying used chairs and tables and employing a group of craftsmen to refurbish them.

Atik said Yogyakarta only had standard hotels and inns back then, and she wanted to provide something for people with different tastes who were looking for “more than just a place to rent a room.”

Roemah Eyang, however, developed out of a very different concept. The owner, Soeharno, said the idea to turn her house into an inn came from her son-in-law as a way to give her company.

“I lived alone, since my husband died several years ago and my children are all married,” she said.

She said that after she decided she was too old to run the kindergarten she used to manage, she became lonely and “used to feel desperate, so [my son-in-law] helped to design the house.”

They added rooms, chairs, tables and decorations, but kept the main house in its original 1907 form. They built an additional four rooms at the back and another three rooms at the front.

“I often talk to the guests, who all call me ‘Eyang,’ ” she said. “Eyang,” meaning grandmother in Javanese, is often used as a sign of respect when speaking to an older woman.

“Usually they ask after my health, and so I feel motivated to live healthily,” she said.

Her personal residence is right next to the main building, which houses two VIP rooms.

All the rented rooms in Roemah Eyang are air-conditioned, and come with a TV, room service, private bathrooms and queen-sized beds, except for the three twin rooms that have two single beds.

To find Roemah Eyang, you have to look for a small alley next to a flower shop on Jalan Kemetiran Kidul. The street is only about a 100 meters from Jalan Malioboro, a well-known area in Yogyakarta famous for its arts and crafts shops.

As I checked out and left, Soeharno gave me a warm hug and said a prayer for me.

“Have a safe flight back to Jakarta,” she said.

And it felt like I had just visited my grandmother’s house, even though I am a stranger to the city.

Prices at Roemah Eyang range from Rp 150,000 to Rp 225,000 ($16 to $24) per room per night, while at Rumah Eyang prices are slightly cheaper at Rp 100,000 to Rp 150,000 per room per night.

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