Bali’s charms impinge in earnest the moment you leave the one-street towns, bar strips and plasticky souvenir joints, and turn either inwards towards the green-draped valleys and terraced rice fields, or head towards the coast.
The newly opened Alila Seminyak takes its cues from its perfect beachfront location a short walk from Seminyak town’s hippy slash hipster collection of smart restaurants, art galleries, itsy local spas, and surf-shops.
As a group, Alila flies its eco-friendly flag high, eschewing air-conditioning for sea-breezes and natural ventilation. Brief in hand, architect Gaurang Khemka and his team at Singapore firm URBNarc have created a secret garden amidst the hustle and bustle of Seminyak, laying out the resort’s 240 rooms around a sequence of naturally shaded public spaces that are dominated by four swimming pools, one of which literally sits atop the entire length of the restaurant. The low-slung green-roofed four-storey buildings are clad in vertical green walls, and landscaped terraces courtesy of Gaurang, alongwith Chang huai-yan and Lee Berlin of the deliciously named Singapore-based outfit, Salad Dressing.
For our money, the best rooms in the house front the ocean, the floor to ceiling glass doors sliding open to uninterrupted views of white-foamed surf. Less sedentary types may enjoy a spin around town in the resort’s vintage Volkswagon Kombi, but between a lomi-lomi treatment in the fragrant, mood-lit spa, beach yoga, and a chilled cocktail from the beach bar, why would you?
ADDRESS
Jalan Taman Ganesha No. 5
Petitenget
Kerobokan Kelod
Bali
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid's dreamsAt Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
What’s new in the wearable world of smart glasses, and extended and augmented realityAre you ready for AR? Meta, Google, Snap and more are gearing up to compete with Apple and deliver frames-based communications devices – complete with AI integration
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria AngelinaA Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
This arresting new photography book is a visual mediation on daily life in IndonesiaWith his lens, photographer Farid Renais Ghimas explores home, memory and the spaces in between
-
Six hotels where you’ll find the winter sun this FebruaryFrom intimate seaside inns to lush tropical resorts, here are six Wallpaper*-approved winter sun escapes
-
The new hotels you’ll want to stay at in 2025Where to stay in 2025? Let six of the most-read-about hotel openings of the past 12 months inspire your escape – from a tiny Tokyo bolthole to a Tanzanian safari retreat
-
Flit to the Indonesian island of Flores and its new luxury resortTa’aktana Labuan Bajo melds an eco-conscious philosophy with local cultural influences
-
Tour Cap Karoso’s timeless villas on a lesser-known Indonesian islandDescribed as a ‘modern traveller’s refuge’, Cap Karoso introduces a host of new villas on the idyllic island of Sumba
-
Tour Bambu Indah, a Balinese hideaway akin to the Garden of EdenBambu Indah resort offers undiscovered antique charm amongst an otherworldly jungle context
-
Dip into these swim-perfect outdoor hotel poolsDiscover the best outdoor hotel pools, from Reschio’s sunken optical illusion in Italy to Amangiri’s glimmering mirage in the Utah canyons
-
Potato Head Bali sets the tone with a new immersive nightclub spacePotato Head Bali has collaborated with architecture studio OMA and DJ Harvey to open Klymax Discotheque
