Boutique
Hotels in Bali
The basic
idea is to combine the conveniences of a five-star
resort with the cultural richness of a Balinese private home.
Over the years
this type of accommodation has increased vastly in popularity
with travelers looking for something special and exclusive.
The difference
between large hotel chains and Boutique hotels
is that they don't provide 100's of rooms but instead secluded
luxury in small and intimate resorts.
A "home
away from home" is a bit a stressed expression, but it describes
quite accurately what you may find. A really private
space in a total different location, thousands of miles away
from home.
All amenities
are usually provided in these resorts to make
you feel comfortable. Individual service with a personal touch
makes all the difference, and a villa with an selection of
things you don't want to miss like sound system and satellite
TV, several cozy in- and outdoor areas for relaxation, and
refreshingly different styled bathrooms surely add to the
ingredients to make you enjoy your stay.
Some icing
on the cake may be a private jacuzzi, plunge or
swimming pool. What would be life in the tropics without it.
A resort in
Ubud was ahead of its time and has been copied by new ones a few
times since then. It's the Pita Maha, build
by a member of the Royal family of Ubud. The concept of a
river view resort with spa is taken from the Tjampuhan hotel
and refined with adding more privacy by establishing a
exclusive luxury villa concept. More about this resort later.
On the ocean
side it was Four Seasons in Jimbaran who first
successfully introduced the private villas concept within a
hotel. Of course they also went to Ubud to build The Four
Seasons Sayan. Overlooking the Ayung river it became too
small for the demand recently, new villas have been added in
the second stage.
The leading
resorts in this field try to accomplish a secluded
setting of each villa, permitting undisturbed outdoor life
with outdoor dining areas. So life within nature can be
experienced in Bali style. Some of the villas have outdoor
bathrooms and private plunge pools.
Many known
hotels and resorts are renovating and redesigning themselves to
follow this trend. Alam Kul Kul in Legian added boutique elements,
The Villas in Seminyak are a good example to fully mature this
concept, all villas have a private swimming pool and offer the
privacy and seclusion needed.
In Jimbaran
the Pansea is a strong contender, and must be
booked early. The negative side of Boutique resorts is really
the limited availability of rooms. It seems that a few years
back the success of small high end resorts wasn't guaranteed,
some of them are maybe build a bit too small.
Now the situation
is very much different, travelers looking
for that special place to spend a vacation, and are willing to
pay for the extra luxury. The Ubud area is leading the way
with resorts such as Kamandalu Resort, Kupu Kupu Barong, The Chedi
or the Natura Resort, one of the latest and most
convincing additions.
Pita Maha
Resort, the unofficial leader of the trend is
establishing a second resort to stay on top of the wave. By
end of this year, Pita Maha 2 will open its gates with an
increased size of about 80 villas. The reality will show if
the intimacy of the original Pita Maha resort with its 24
villas can be preserved.
|