Jakarta doesn't offer much in the way of sightseeing. There are some very good restaurants -- Asian and Western -- and many glitzy malls, but not a lot of tourist destinations.

If you can stretch out your down time, try to get to Bali for a couple of days. If that's not possible, my first choice would be to plant yourself at the hotel pool and spa.

If you're insistent on seeing the sights you might visit Sunda Kelapa (the old port area), the national museum and the puppet museum. A little farther afield the botanical garden in Bogor is beautiful, but can be quite crowded on weekends. I'm not a fan of Taman Mini, but if one of your Indonesian colleagues wants to take you there, be a good sport.

The department stores all have terrific Indonesian arts and crafts and batik shopping floors. I like Pasaraya, but Grand Indonesia is also good. Kemang is the best area for small shops and boutiques. It's not so easy to navigate, though, so it's best to have an Indonesian along. There are several large, shiny malls that offer Western brands. I like Senayan, but they're all about the same.

You will need a car and driver to get around. Your business associates will most likely make them available to you. If not, the hotel can arrange it. Don't try to depend on public transportation or taxis! Expect traffic.

The Shangri-La and the Marriot are about equal -- nice, modern hotels. Neither is attached to a shopping area, as are the Hyatt and Ritz Carlton. I like the Dharmawangsa, Hyatt and the Mulia for restaurants. The Dharmawangsa and the Hyatt for pools and spas. The Shangri-La has a very popular nightspot, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

To early to say" welcome to Jakarta"

I will suggest you JW marriot. The Hotel is near to Ambassador Mall. you can reach by walking distance from JW marriot.
But the traffic was awful in business hour, and in weekend.

Marmot has gave you a good suggestions. If you only have a day and half for sightseeing you can go to Old Batavia, Kota then go to The nationals Museums, after that you can go to Grand Indonesia Mall, then you can go to Pasaraya Blok M.
Those place are along the way and you can avoid the traffic by using Transjakarta Bus (public transportation ).

If you want to have sea seeing, you can go to Thousand Island. We have many great Island you can reach in 1-2 hours distance from Jakarta. You can also stay in one of those islands.

Hope it helps.

@marmot where are you from? Looks like you very familiar with Jakarta.

I'm practicing my english, so please correct me if I'm wrong in grammar.

Thank you both for your replies. We considered Bali but just don't believe we have sufficient time... (we would arrive late Friday night and have to be into Jakarta early Sunday evening). Marmot you mentioned there are several fine Asian and Western restaurants in Jakarta. I'd appreciate any specific names. My interpretation is the names you mentioned in your post were hotels; please clarify if I have that wrong.

As long as I have your attention - is it safe to take taxi from whatever airport to whatever hotel we decide upon? Or is hiring a private source (perhaps through hotel) more advisable?

Ajolder, Let me think about the restaurants. (Yes, those were hotel names.)

I'd recommend that you arrange for a hotel car to meet you at the airport. If that's out of your budget, second choice would be to take a Silver Bird Taxi, which your hotel could also arrange. There's also a Silver Bird counter at the airport, after you come out of customs.

Taxis in Jakarta are generally safe, but I'd always prefer a private car. If that's not an option, hire a Silver Bird. They're a little more expensive, but not as much as a hotel car. If you're on a tighter budget, go with Blue Bird taxi, but be sure to have your destination written down in Bahasa Indonesia.

Jakarta is for the most part safe for foreigners. Violent crime is rare, especially considering the size of the city -- some 20 million on week days. The most common crimes are instances of foreigners being robbed in taxis, so do choose Silver Bird or Blue Bird. They tend to be the most reliable.

I would also avoid public transportation -- what there is of it -- not so much because of safety, but because it can be crowded and bewildering. Walking is also extremely difficult. There are few operating sidewalks and those that exist are invaded by motorcycles.

Navigating the roads and finding addresses is also extremely difficult. Make sure you have the phone number of your destination (and a phone that works) so you can call for directions. I can't emphasize enough the impact of traffic on getting around Jakarta. Sometimes everything goes smoothly. Sometimes you are stuck -- literally -- for hours. You'll get rain in February, which just makes it worse.

This a random and personal list of restaurants in Jakarta restaurants. There are many others; these are just some that I like.

There are zillions of Indonesian choices from all over the archipelago. The ones I listed are more sophisticated and Westernized, but the food and ambiance are good. If you are a guest of your business colleagues, they will take good care of you.

I also haven't included restaurants featuring Chinese or other Asian, like Indian, Thai, Japanese. These can be excellent too. There are just too many to list.

Many hotels have massive lunch and dinner buffets that are very popular with big Indonesian groups. The choices are overwhelming, but the quality is generally good. The Marriot's buffet is especially famous.

For upscale but casual: Potato Head, KOI in Kemang, C at the Grand Hyatt, Social Club, Huize van Wely

For fine dining: Emilie, Sri Wijaya at the Dharmawangsa, SHY

For beautifully presented Indonesian (Javanese): Kembang Goela, Harum Manis, Lara Djonggrang

SKYE at the top of Menara BCA also great. You can have Jakarta view from that place