Banyan Tree Resort and Spa, Bali, Indonesia

The Banyan Tree Resort and Spa, along with the Angsana Resort and Spa, are two new clifftop resorts currently being developed in Bali.

The Banyan Tree Resort, which will open in the summer of 2008, is situated in a secluded 10ha site atop a 70m-high cliff on the southern Ungasan peninsula, overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Although private, the resort is near the busy tourist beaches of Kuta, Seminyak and Sanurand and the Uluwatu Temple. The resort has been designed around a ‘village’ concept and will have 73 luxury villas spaced around a central pavilion or bale (where the hotel facilities and spa will be based).

Each of the villas, located in its own private landscaped garden, will boast sea views and the latest facilities. Each of the villas will have a built-in sunken bath, an open-air shower, a private infinity pool and an outdoor jet pool. The resort is close to Ngurah Rai International Airport.

FINANCE AND DESIGN

Construction began in October 2006 and is expected to open in the third quarter of 2008. The resort is being developed by Banyan Tree Resorts and Hotels in conjunction with the Indonesian developer PT Surya Semesta Internusa (subsidiary PT Sitiagung Makmur will own the resort).

The resort project is requiring an investment of $30m and will be financed by using an owner ‘leaseback’ scheme.

This means that an investor who would like to purchase a property at the resort would invest anything from $650,000 for a one-bedroom suite to $2.7m for a presidential villa.

These units would then be leased back to the resort for them to rent out to guests at suite rates starting at $600 per night. The developer has extended guarantees of an 8% yield for the first two years of the investment, which will then be followed by a revenue-sharing scheme between the resort and the owners.

The resort's one-bedroom villas occupy a 170m² on a 399m² plot, while the two-bedroom villas have a floor space of 230m² on a 530m² plot. The three-bedroom villas have a floor area of 500m² on a 1,150m² plot.

The architects for the resort were Peddle Thorp Architects in conjunction with PTI Architects. The interiors were designed by Wilson and Associates Inc, of the US, while the landscaping for the villas and resort was designed by EDAW of Australia.

FACILITIES

The resort is set in natural forest and uses traditional architecture and finely landscaped gardens. Resort facilities include the Banyan Tree Spa, offering its own range of products and Eastern-based therapies, executive meeting rooms, ballroom, children’s play area, super-sized infinity pool, gymnasium, cascading swimming pool, the Banyan Tree Gallery and two fine restaurants (including the Cliff Top Fine Dining and Bar).

The resort has its own private beach offering, snorkelling, surfing and a range of water sports (access by private road from the resort).

ONE-BEDROOM VILLA AND EXTRAS

Although the one-bedroom units are the least expensive option, they have been constructed with a range of luxury facilities. The villa has a foyer, living room and a dining area with a fully equipped pantry. Sliding glass doors open from the living room onto a 40m² veranda, which also has a 4m × 10m infinity swimming pool with a built in jet-pool.

A marble bathroom offers either a full-size bath and glass-enclosed shower or a traditional open-air Bali-style shower.

The bedroom has a walk-in closet, a king-size bed, solid wood parquet floor, sofa and variable lighting system.

The Presidential Villa also has a billiard table, swimming pool, piano, a library, separate wet and dry kitchen and maid’s quarters.