Hotel History Originally built in 1910 by the famous Sarkies brother, Hotel Majapahit is a classic landmark hotel filled with national pride, where an impressive history blends with romance and elegance. Its graceful architecture, landscaped gardens, resort spa and gym complete hotel Majapahit’s colonial style oasis with resort spa and recreation facilities. Located in the heart of Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city and a fabled trading port since the 15th century, the Majapahit has gone by a variety of names over its long history. * 1910: built as Oranje Hotel (named after Dutch Royal family) by Lucas Martin Sarkies of the famous Amernian family whose collection of grand hotels included the Raffles in Singapore, the Strand in Rangoon and Eastern and Oriental in Penang. * 1936: hotel front extended and built in the then-fashionable Art Deco style. Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard, attended the opening of a new addition to the front of the hotel. Beside forming the lobby, it also contained a cake and ice cream shop “Hoen Kwee”, as well as another the Dutch stationery shop “Van Drop * 1942: In World War II, which reached Java, the Oranje is taken by Japanese, changed its name to be “Yamato Hoteru” or “Hotel Yamato” during the three and a half years of Japanese occupation * 1945: On September, 19, 1945, at 6.00 am, The leader of the Mastiff Carbolic Part, organized by the Anglo Dutch Country section, together with other Dutch from the Social Contract Commission raised the Dutch’s red-white-blue flag on the main flag pole of the hotel. It was a symbol to show 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, which was made in Jakarta on August 17th. By. 6.30 am, a crowd of angry Indonesians who had gathered in front promptly raised a cry of “Merdeka” (freedom), lowered the offending flag, and tore off the bottom of blue strip, thus turning it into the Indonesian flag. Confusion and tragedy ensued. A British commander was murdered in October and a full scale invasion was launched the following month, beginning on 10 November 1945. 10 November is celebrated nationally as Heroes Day and Surabaya is called “The City of Heroes” with an appropriate monument to mark the famous battle. For the next few months, while the revolution carried on 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, 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. This name, its fifth in nearly 60 years, was retained when the property was purchased by new owner. * 1946, : After a 2 year, restoration job, the hotel Majapahit re-opened as a Mandarin Oriental Hotel Majapahit, Surabaya, a 5-star Deluxe Hotel and regained its position as Surabaya’s premier hotel * 2006 :On September 22, after ten years with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group as the hotel’s operator, Hotel Majapahit re-establish itself as an independently-managed 5 star International deluxe hotel