Adrian Bramantyo Musyanif, affectionately known by many as Pak Bram, is the Chief Executive Officer of Samali Hotels & Resorts. 
Pak Bram, you are a young yet exceptionally successful businessman. Please tell us a little about your journey and how you ended up where you are today.
I finished my undergraduate at Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Economy, majoring in Human Resource Management. Actually, I took Marketing Management previously, but after several semesters, I decided to move to Human Resources Management because, for us, people are the greatest and most valuable asset for the company. When finishing my undergraduate, I had an internship with PT. PP (Persero) Tbk. as an HR staff. There, I took part in planning and in the preparation of PP University.
After I finished my undergraduate, I could be full time in my family business, a property business founded by my father, Mr Musyanif. Roles and responsibilities keep increasing until now. Failure, problems, etc. are always there, but I try to look at them as opportunities, not enemies. Currently, in the holding company, I’m appointed as Strategic Business Partner. Besides, I also have a big responsibility when appointed as the CEO of Samali Hotels & Resorts.
What does the position of CEO demand of you?
The role demands the CEO to successfully plan and guide the organization in determining its strategic direction and competitive positioning; thinking of ways on how to expand the chain and ensuring that each property implements the use of high-quality materials in its construction. In human resources, the role also demands on decision-making regarding people development.
Samali’s logo has three elements in the form of high-rise buildings. It means Samali must bring the know-how from hotel concept, construction process and quality to hotel management, the latest being the most essential in the form of service excellence. If we should ever lack in the first two, I believe exceeding guest expectations through sincere, warm and immaculate service will make up for other shortages. That is why our philosophy is called HOTS – Harmony of the Senses; excellent service through all five senses: hearing, touch, taste, sight and smell. I feel fortunate as CEO, I have received total support from my Samali team. To be surrounded by experts in their fields have really helped a lot on the road to achieving our mission and vision.
Can you please give us a brief history on the Samali Hotels?
Samali is a word in Sanskrit meaning ‘bouquet’, that is why each brand of Samali Hotels & Resorts is designated the name of a specific flower. Samali, consequently, is a flower bouquet or a collection of flowers: Ammi, Allium, Arum and Azara. Samali Hotels & Resorts was established in 2011 by Mr Sylvain Julien who has extensive experience in managing five-star hotels. We aim to not just build hotels but ensure we build quality hotels.
Does the group plan to open any new hotels this year? And do all of your hotels start with the letter ‘a’?
We are soon opening our first five-star hotel, Ammi Cepu, Central Java in the third quarter of 2014. All our hotel brands start with the letter ‘a’: Ammi Luxurious Collection, Allium Upscale Collection, Arum Traveller Collection and Azara Bed & Breakfast Collection. We find this an effective strategy in branding.
What are the target markets for your hotels?
Depending on the brand, from budget travellers for Azara hotels, value for money travellers/middle scale for Arum hotels, upscale business travellers for Allium hotels to travellers who demand luxurious experience/high profile corporate segment for Ammi hotels.
What properties do the Samali Hotels & Resorts group have under their wings?
We launched our first four-star hotel, or we prefer to call it our Upscale Collection, the Allium Airport Hotel in Tangerang, in January 2014 with 157 rooms, 11 thematic meeting rooms and a ballroom that accommodates up to 1,200 people. We also have several properties coming up in Bali, Medan, Batam, Jogjakarta and Banjarmasin in the next couple of years.
What was the Essence on Darmawangsa project like to complete from start to finish? Where do the challenges lie in the construction industry in Indonesia?
The Essence on Darmawangsa Apartment is a sister company of Samali under Prakarsa Semesta Alam (PSA), with a total of 5.2 ha, consisting of 30% buildings and 70% green area. The apartment is about to finish its third tower (East Tower) and will start the groundbreaking of its fourth tower this year (North Tower). The most affecting problem in apartment construction would be the delays, which cause major issues and lead to mistrust for potential buyers.
Are you planning any further apartment projects in the near future?
In progress are the Nifarro Apartments in Pasar Minggu and Royal Betawi Apartments in Tangerang. We are also planning and designing a new apartment in the Cipulir area.
Please tell us about the US$ 5 million which you donated [on behalf of Samali Hotels & Resorts] towards the Indonesia Health Fund, along with Bill Gates and several other successful businessmen and women of Indonesia. Where will your money be going and who will it be helping?
It started with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on worldwide health. They came to Indonesia and formed a partnership with the Tahir Foundation. With a target of US$ 80 million, Mr Tahir then asked Indonesian businessmen to join in the forming of the Indonesia Health Fund (IHF); eight businessmen agreed and each donated US$ 5 million and the target was achieved with the US$ 40 million by Bill Gates. 85% of the fund goes to Indonesia – with a major focus to fight malaria, polio, TBC and HIV-AIDS, while 15% of the fund goes to the worldwide fund.
What other not-for-profit projects are you part of?
While IHF focuses on health, other charities that are close to our hearts are those related to education. The holding company has provided numerous scholarships to less fortunate students, mostly to students of state universities with the specification that they have good GPA and that they maintain their grades.
You’re a bass player in a major band in Indonesia. How do you find the time to juggle between being CEO of Samali Hotels and playing gigs in your band?
I love adversity. On weekdays we usually rehearse after work. Gigs are mostly done on weekends. However, should I need to leave the city to perform with Yovie Widianto, I always manage to maintain communication with my team. They can contact me anywhere, anytime.
What does it take to be a successful young person in Indonesia? Have you had to sacrifice anything to get where you are?
To be successful you have to be brave to take risks, take each opportunity that comes and not is afraid to fail. And even if you fail or make mistakes, you must learn and earn more from that. Time has proven to be the most precious to me. And I have had to sacrifice a lot of time. Maintaining health is also crucial because once you get sick and have to lie in bed all day, you miss out on a lot of happenings.
What are your ultimate goals and how do you plan to go about achieving them?
I now have a big responsibility in our aim to build a large and reputable company, from real estate and hotels to the field of agriculture, IT, energy and others. A CEO also oversees the finance of all properties and it is our aim that every unit is able to support its own business. My father, as CEO of the holding company, is shaping me to one day replace him as CEO of the Holding Company (SGB).
My personal goal is to get an MBA degree, which now I am pursuing in the United States. Building experiences and networking are two things, which cannot be bought. You have to keep learning from the best while coaching other people of your knowledge and skills in order to keep improving yourself.
Thank you for your time! To contact Adrian, please email: [email protected]