RELAUNCH OF AN INDONESIAN ICON

After a five-year facelift, the legendary Hyatt Regency Bali has reopened recently.

The vast Hyatt Regency Bali complex set amid nine hectares of lush, mature landscaping on Sanur Beach

On December 20, 2018, the 45-year-old Grande Dame of Balinese hospitality Bali Hyatt has reopened as Hyatt Regency Bali.

When the original Bali Hyatt opened in November 1973, Kuta was still a sleepy fishing village and Nusa Dua had yet to appear on the southern peninsula. Bali Hyatt was the very first international hotel to open on the island and at a time when hotels were all advocating Western-style design, Bali Hyatt was the first to adopt Indonesian-style architecture.

When Bali Hyatt opened, it was considered the most luxurious and stylish hotel on the island, by far. Today, after its extensive upgrade and modernisation, Hyatt Regency Bali is aiming to evoke the same sense of awe and admiration in its guests as it did 45 years ago, while maintaining the much-loved Balinese aesthetic of the original.

  

Location

A mere 22-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, Hyatt Regency Bali is located in the heart of Sanur, fully integrated into the local community. When guests step outside, they will encounter daily Balinese life: fishermen with their daily catch, families on scooters as well as yoga studios, cafes and co-working spaces.

Spread across nine hectares of land, Hyatt Regency Bali is still the largest hotel development in Sanur, known for its majestic gardens originally designed by the famed tropical landscape artist Made Wijaya, who created the Naples Botanical Garden in Florida and outdoor landscaping for David Bowie and Francis Ford Coppola. Featuring over 500 plant species, the hotel gardens have graced the pages of multiple landscaping and coffee-table books and during the renovations, all mature trees and as much of the plants as possible were preserved.

In addition, Hyatt Regency Bali fronts onto 500 metres of beach—the widest beachfront in Sanur—known for being one of the cleanest and most peaceful beaches in Bali. 

Design 

The original buildings and gardens at Bali Hyatt were considered one of Indonesia’s greatest treasures—one of the first examples of luxury Balinese design and landscaped tropical gardens in the world. Therefore the overriding brief for Tierra Design of Bangkok and Spin Design Studio of Tokyo was to rebuild structures and modernise facilities while preserving the look, feel, character and soul of the original Bali Hyatt and to integrate the interiors throughout with the stunning natural environment.

For instance, the Lobby was rebuilt as the original with its rustic thatched alang-alang (elephant grass) roof, but opened up to provide improved views of the gardens and Indian Ocean. Throughout the hotel, local materials and techniques, such as hammered copper, rattan, bamboo and coconut shell, have been integrated with a modern approach and statues, batik printing blocks and Balinese wood and stone carvings from Bali Hyatt have been repurposed as wall art and sculptures.

Today when guests arrive at Hyatt Regency Bali and climb the stone steps to the vast open-air Lobby, the space will feel reassuringly familiar and distinctly Balinese but at the same time refreshed and contemporary. As they check in, they will catch their first glimpse of Made Wijaya’s legendary gardens and ponds.

The rebuilt Lobby maintains the pitched ceiling and much of the rustic charm of the original.

Modern rooms feature a private balcony and cabana

 The entrance to the Regency Club Lounge

Rooms

Hyatt Regency Bali houses 363 rooms spanning 27–81 square metres, each featuring a private balcony and cabana overlooking the lush gardens or Indian Ocean. A study in modern tropical chic, the rooms feature myriad Balinese touches from distinctive carved banyan wood or half-split bamboo wall panelling to woven rattan panels on doors and furniture.

The hotel includes 39 one-bedroom suites with spacious balconies up to 70 square metres in size. With a separate living room that can accommodate an extra bed and an additional powder room with a shower, the suites are ideal for families and groups. In addition, booking a suite include access to the Regency Club Lounge offering a private concierge and complimentary breakfast, all-day snacks and evening cocktails and canapés.

Drinking and dining venues

Hyatt Regency Bali showcases three open-air drinking and dining venues, each aiming to offer authentic, competitively priced food and drink utilising the freshest and finest ingredients available, local and organic wherever possible. The entire resort aims to minimise its environmental impact and the venues use minimal plastic, opting instead for paper straws, recyclable coffee cups and bags made from bagasse (sugar-cane pulp).

Omang Omang, the hotel’s all-dining venue

Omang Omang is the hotel’s all day dining space offering comfort food from Indonesia and around the world. Alongside views of the gardens and pools, Omang Omang will serve a buffet breakfast, resort favourites all day and charcoal-grilled seafood and prime cuts come evening, as well as what it considers the best Es Campur (coconut shaved ice) in town.

Pizzaria, specialising in pizza baked in wood-fired ovens.

For stunning sea views and sundowners, Pizzaria is hard to beat. The casual drinking and dining venue overlooking Sanur Beach specialises in pasta cooked à la minute, pizza baked in wood-fired ovens, frozen cocktails and Italian sodas muddled with fresh fruit and herbs.

Against a backdrop of gamelan (Indonesian percussion) musicians by day and piano accompaniment by night, Piano Lounge is ideal for a quiet drink, casual business meeting or social gathering. Continuing the Indonesia tradition of arisan, where ladies congregate, a signature afternoon tea will be served alongside barista-made Indonesian coffee and loose-leaf tea.

Activities 

Being Bali, there is of course no shortage of ways to enjoy the verdant natural surroundings. Hyatt Regency Bali offers three swimming pools right by the beach: a Lap Pool; a shallow Children’s Pool; and a Main Pool surrounded by bounteous overhanging bougainvillea where guests can swim through a replica of Goa Gajah—the 9th-century ‘elephant cave’ temple near Ubud—carved out of volcanic rock.

The Fitness Centre, open 24 hours a day, features walls of floor-to-ceiling glass so guests can enjoy views of the gardens while working out on the latest Precor strength and cardio equipment.

Meanwhile, guests will feel their stresses slip away even before they arrive at Shankha Spa (opening January 2019), as they approach the venue via open-air walkways surrounded by ponds. The vast complex comprises ten spa suites—each a mini spa within itself—housing a treatment area, relaxation area, shower, changing room, vanity area and private garden with an outdoor whirlpool ideal for watsu (aquatic massage) treatments. The spa menu features a concise list of treatments inspired by Balinese wellness techniques and incorporating local ingredients, designed to renew and revitalise.

Elsewhere, guests will discover a second lap pool overlooked by a reclining statue of Ganesh; an open-air Juice Bar where they can replenish lost electrolytes after an intense workout; a Yoga Studio; outdoor hot and cold plunge pools; and a relaxation area.

For the young ones, Hyatt Regency Bali offers Camp Hyatt, past an intriguing Balinese stone gate. Once inside, kids will discover an outdoor playground, an indoor playroom filled with toys and games, and a programme designed to both entertain and educate with Balinese arts, crafts and cultural activities. 

Events 

Wantilan, the self-contained events compound at Hyatt Regency Bali with its own entryway.

With the event venues at Hyatt Regency Bali, Tierra Design and Spin Design Studio have drawn direct inspiration from wantilan, traditional Balinese community pavilions, to create its compound of event spaces arranged around a central outdoor courtyard. Featuring its own drop-off entryway for streamlined arrivals, the complex comprises five separate gathering spaces with glass walls—unique in the area—to bathe spaces in natural light.

The 468-square-metre Ballroom features a show kitchen for live culinary theatre and can accommodate up to 600 guests for cocktails, while four additional multifunctional meeting spaces range from 98–324 square-metres and can accommodate 25–150 guests. The 240-square-metre Courtyard, available for outdoor events for up to 120 attendees, is ideal for Balinese dance performances.

“After this period of extensive renovations, we are thrilled to be able to reveal a new and improved Hyatt Regency Bali to the public,” says General Manager Zulki Othman. “We look forward to greeting new guests and also welcoming back our former guests who we believe will appreciate that we’ve managed to upgrade all the structures and facilities while retaining the hotel’s original Balinese design and spirit. We are truly blessed to occupy this incredible beachfront location surrounded by lush greenery and it’s great that it can be fully enjoyed once again.”

  

About Hyatt Regency 

The Hyatt Regency brand prides itself on connecting travellers to who and what matters most to them. More than 180 conveniently located Hyatt Regency urban and resort locations in over 30 countries around the world serve as the go-to gathering space for every occasion— from efficient business meetings to memorable family vacations. The brand offers a one-stop experience that puts everything guests need right at their fingertips. Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts offer a full range of services and amenities, including the space to work, engage or relax; notable culinary experiences; technology-enabled ways to collaborate; and expert event planners who can take care of every detail. For more information, please visit hyattregency.com. Follow @HyattRegency on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tag photos with #AtHyattRegency.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation 

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 14 premier brands. As of June 30, 2018, the company’s portfolio included more than 750 properties in more than 55 countries across six continents. The company’s purpose to care for people so they can be their best informs its business decisions and growth strategy and is intended to attract and retain top colleagues, build relationships with guests and create value for shareholders. The company’s subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences, vacation ownership properties and fitness and spa locations, including under the Park Hyatt®, Miraval®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Andaz®, Hyatt Centric®, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Zilara™, Hyatt Residence Club® and exhale® brand names. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.