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Indonesia
The Experience
The mood is set from the start: As guests arrive into the cantilevered porte cochere in their chauffered SUVs, a throng of children in royal dress greet them with a dance choreographed to the echoes of a gamelan. From there, Asian austerity is juxtaposed with Western indulgence, everywhere from the three-tiered pool overlooking the sea to the thatched bales hidden up in the hills for secret picnics.
The RoomsArchitect Ed Tuttle has created a masterpiece in minimalism in every stand-alone suite. Each blurs the line between indoor and out, with acres of glass, alang-alang thatched roofs, sunken marble tubs looking onto miniature manicured gardens and views of the turquoise Lombok Strait wherever possible. Every detail is attended to with local flair: Spacious dressing areas are made from coconut shells; fruit is delivered on a rattan tray with a guidebook to the daily selection; the four-poster king-size beds are canopied and fashioned from Indonesian teak.
The ServiceWith a staff of four for every guest, your wish is their command. Cool towels and pitchers of icy water arrive without being asked for at the beach club. Women draped in saris bring pastries for afternoon tea in the library. Want to ride a bike to the island's north coast? A driver will follow and pack you and your 10-speed into the car when the hills get too steep (then let you sail all the way down when it's back in your favor). At turndown, a different gift appears on pillows each night.
The HighlightsThe concierge can arrange tours of local markets and temples, but it's tempting to kick back and bask in all that white-on-white beauty. Walk down the grass-lined steps to the poolside restaurant, where lunch is a blend of Indonesian and Continental favorites, and ask the beach boys to deliver sunscreen or lobster salad to your beachfront bales. Cocktails at the bar are a surprisingly social prequel to quiet, romantic dinners at the oceanfront restaurant, in your suite or on the sand.
-- Heidi Mitchell
