Stories from Deli

Visitors to Medan have the choice of two very good hotels. The Hotel de Boer, opposite the new Post Office, is a handsome building of considerable extent, surrounded by a large number of apartments in the bungalow style.

Located at the north-west corner of the Esplanade at a handsome dining-hall and rich-looking aparments for guests are well-nigh perfect. Medan. It is built on modern lines, with bar lounge, while the general arrange- There are 66 rooms, each fitted with a shower and splash bath, and every sleeping apartment is a compact and separate bungalow. A novelty is that, instead of the ordinary stuffy mosquito curtains, Mr. de Boer has installed gauze wire frame- work, which is perfectly insect-proof and makes life a comfort.

The rooms are lofty, elegantly furnished with every convenience, bathroom, verandah, etc., and make a most cheerful impression on the guest. The culinary department and the wines leave nothing to be desired, whilst the service is excellent in every way. The tariff ranges from f 1o per day upwards and it is advisable to secure accommodation by wire to avoid disappointment. The Medan Hunt Club usually terminate their paper-chase at the Hotel de Boer, making the scene a most picturesque and animated picture to behold

Chinese and Javanese waiters are employed. The present manager is Mr. G. Ossen, who has had a lifelong, experience in hotel business, and who took over control of the premises in 1915. For five years previously he was assistant manager of the Hôtel des Indes, in Batavia, and the experience gained in that palace of comfort is fully reflected at the Hôtel de Boer, which does a big outside wine trade, and is also the principal caterer for public functions. structions, and has, since 1912, established an enviable reputation in this connection.

In order to view the many glorious beauty spots, such as the mountains, etc., in and around Medan-Deli the visitor should engage a motor car, which can be obtained from the leading garage, that of Messrs. van Marle & Co., who will supply a comfortable “auto,” with reliable driver at very moderate rates. It is advisable to consult this firm regarding the various routes of interest, which offer a great variety of scenic attractions to the visitor.

The oldest established hotel in Medan is the Medan Hotel, which opened its doors in the year 1888. It is the rendezvous of the planters, who on the 1st and 16th of each month flock to this fine old hotel for the purpose of discussing matters of interest. The main building has two storeys and contains the vestibule and offices, a large dining hall, a billiard room, and sitting and reading rooms on the ground floor, whilst the sleeping apartments are on the floor above. Further accommodation is provided by an annex, erected parallel with the two sides of the principal building, including a private dining-room seating one hundred guests, and a large number of single and double bed chambers. The whole establishment is most comfortably furnished, the electric light being fitted in all the rooms. The service is efficient and the menu is distinctly recherche. The business of the hotel is conducted by a limited company and the management is most obliging, and must be complimented upon the excellent standard it maintains.

Tourists or visitors to Medan, desirous of securing some memento or souvenir of the district are recommended to visit the atelier of Mr. C. J. Kleingrothe, where a selection from the numerous beautiful post cards and photographic prints will prove a difficult task. Special attention must be drawn to albums of Sumatra and the Straits Settlement, which, for artistic value, variety of subject and high-class production, are unsurpassed. Atelier Kleingrothe is patronised by the Sultans of Deli and Langkat and the leading citizens of Medan, their portraits being of undoubted merit.