Martin Westlake Breaks New Ground with Park Hyatt Jakarta

Despite Hyatt Hotels residing in Indonesia for 40 years, one of its most prominent brands eluded the country until just last year. It was only in June 2022 that the Park Hyatt made its debut in the country, and that, too, was in poetic fashion that harkened back to the brand’s origins. The first Park Hyatt was opened in Chicago in 1980, overlooking a park in the Windy City’s otherwise urban jungle. And now, the brand has made its presence felt in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, occupying the top 17 floors of Park Tower in Menteng, a district renowned for its fair share of greenery. As was the case in Chicago back in 1980, the brand has created yet another “oasis of calm in the midst of the bustle of the city.” The launch was a momentous affair, and its unveiling to the public demanded spectacular visuals to match. A deft hand would be needed behind the camera, so last year, the organization called on a photographer with 25-plus years of experience in the hospitality industry: Indonesia-based Martin Westlake. 

In September 2021, I was assigned to shoot at the newly opened Andaz Bali in Sanur, part of Hyatt Hotels. As it was during the pandemic and quarantine was still in effect for overseas visitors, I was chosen as a locally-based photographer. Through this work, I was introduced to the Hyatt corporate team in Hong Kong. And the Director of Sales and Marketing (DOSM) at Andaz Bali recommended me to the pre-opening team at Park Hyatt Jakarta.

The assignment would be extensive. The Hyatt team needed sales collateral for their website and social media platforms, and material to feed the local press. Martin would have to shoot several spaces within the hotel, including the spa and wellness center, dining spaces, ballroom and meeting rooms, and common public areas. He would also need to capture a portion of suites that had just been completed. The imagery needed to represent the distinct Park Hyatt brand as one that offers “refined residential-inspired luxury experiences in top-tier cultural destinations.” 

The photos had to show the hotel’s architecture and the scale of each space, preferably with some city views. Martin was advised to keep the photography of Park Hyatt Tokyo in mind as a key reference. The brand needed to maintain a consistent image across all locations, so deviating from the guidelines by even the slightest degree would not be entertained. 

The shoot was split into three parts. First, Martin would photograph the suites in April over a single day, prior to the hotel’s opening. Then, he would capture the majority of the spaces around the time of the launch in July over five days. And finally, he would photograph the hotel’s Japanese restaurant in September over two days. 

There was much to shoot and much to plan. In fact, the planning phase might have been the most daunting. On a typical hotel photoshoot, Martin juggles several roles, being a producer, stylist, and of course, a photographer, during various turns. That could be too much for anyone, but Martin had a trusted assistant by his side, someone who had accompanied him for over two decades. To assist even further, each stage of the assignment would be accompanied by a survey and test shoot before the actual shooting days. As Martin relies on ambient light during production and a minimum of retouching in post, this was necessary.  

I prefer to shoot test angles at the best light times prior to the actual shoot days. This enables dialogue with the client concerning props, styling, composition, and angles. It also saves the ‘try this prop’ and ‘try this angle’ mentality on shoot days, which is inefficient and time-consuming. With short windows for optimal lighting here on the equator, time management is doubly important. 

After Martin shared the pre-shoot images and his comments with the hotel and its corporate office in Hong Kong, the sales team produced a comprehensive shoot schedule, including full details of props and setups. Every hotel department was in the loop to ensure the likelihood of mishaps was reduced, if not eliminated. Then, it was time to get going. 

A typical shoot day would start at 4 am, giving time to set up prior to sunrise and the best light. Most days, we would shoot between 4 – 9 am and 2.30 – 6 pm. In between, we would look at setups for the afternoon shoots and meet the relevant hotel personnel. 

While the photographer and the hotel had worked painstakingly to facilitate an efficient operation, there was still a long list of things to consider on shoot days, things that might evade the attention of a careless cohort: knife and fork positions, tablecloth neatness, flower positions, chair angles, the crossing of chair legs, and more. The smallest details take up the largest chunk of time. But the photographer was alongside an experienced and highly competent organization in the Park Hyatt. 

From the hotel side, the shoot was managed by the sales and marketing team of three. Styling of the spaces was done by the relevant hotel department as per the pre-shoot survey. I had worked with the DOSM at other Jakarta hotels, and we got on well together. For the 5-day venue shoot in July, we were joined by the Group Director of Marketing from the Hong Kong Office. This was very helpful as she could make important real-time decisions during the shoot.

Throughout the assignment, all the hotel departments – engineering, food and beverage, housekeeping, and more – had to be familiar with the ins and outs of the production schedule. It was a boon that, at the time, most of the venues were not fully open, which meant that sightings of guests were sparse as well. However, a perfect photoshoot is beyond the realms of reality, and this one was no different.   

A VIP guest was using the gym at the allotted shoot time, and the bar was booked at short notice for a party on the shoot day. And later on, the building management scheduled a fire practice on the day of the Japanese restaurant shoot. But these were all easily re-scheduled without causing delays or additional work days.

It seemed fitting that a fire drill occurred during the assignment’s final stretch. For much of it, including the meticulous pre-production phase, Martin’s strategy was to anticipate any figurative flames and snuff them out beforehand. Whether it was a misplaced fork that upstaged the table setting or an overcast afternoon that drowned all ambient light, he had to foresee potential problems and eradicate them one by one. However, since all the nitpicking was in the interest of a corporation generating billions in revenue, no one could really begrudge him for doing so. 

See more of Martin’s work on his website.

Further Reading

Read more about Martin on our Published blog.

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