Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – A group accompanying President Prabowo Subianto during his visit to New York allegedly stayed at the Aman Hotel New York, with rooms costing up to Rp100 million per night. The President was in New York to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
This was disclosed by a social media account, Bareng Warga, on platform X on Monday, September 22, 2025.
The account noted that the hotel's nightly rates ranged from US$6,000 (Rp100 million) to US$25,000 (Rp417 million). A search on the hotel's official website by Tempo found rates ranging from US$2,000 (Rp30 million) to US$6,000 (Rp100 million) per night.
When asked for a statement regarding the claims, Deputy Minister of State Secretariat Juri Ardiantoro declined to comment. "Ask me a question that I can answer," he said at the State Secretariat building in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
Allegations of staged interviews
The Bareng Warga account also pointed to social media posts from American students and members of the Indonesian diaspora who were allegedly enjoying the hotel's facilities. The collective highlighted a post by a diaspora member named Glory Lamria, who shared a photo of herself swimming at the Aman New York.
Tempo attempted to contact Glory for confirmation but found that her Instagram account was locked, and messages were left unanswered.
Bareng Warga further claimed that the media interviews with the diaspora, including Glory, were pre-arranged by Palace journalists. "The interview with diaspora in New York was arranged by the Palace journalists; we couldn't choose other sources," the account alleged.
Juri Ardiantoro denied these claims, stating that the Palace does not stage such events. "We don't like to stage things. People already know that the president is doing something real, something right. So there's no need for staging," he said.
President Prabowo's UN address and engagements
During his time in New York, President Prabowo attended the UN General Assembly and delivered his first speech at the forum. He expressed his honor at being the third speaker, following the leaders of Brazil and the United States, as a sign of global respect for Indonesia.
In his address, he reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to promoting world peace, particularly in advocating for a resolution to the conflict in Gaza. He said that Indonesia's firm and balanced stance was considered realistic by other world leaders.
The President's agenda also included participating in the International High-Level Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Issue and a Multilateral Meeting on the Middle East at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump. He also held a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and met with Bill Gates, whom he honored for his dedication to humanity's welfare.