Luxury Living in Small package

Bali has been known as the home of luxury resort hotels for many years. Several of the world's finest can be found here. The big five-star hotels have graceful locations such as the beaches of Jimbaran Bay, Oberoi and Candi Dasa, and the verdant hillsides around Ubud. Such is Bali's reputation that it can be argued the luxury resort hotel was actually born here.

Over the course of the last few years Bali hospitality evolved to a higher level as a new breed of luxury hotel emerged. Smaller, more intimate and romantic 'villa hotels' have provided sublime escapes for lovers of luxury. The two most striking and successful have been The Balé at Nusa Dua, and Puri Ganesha on the north coast. They are among the sexiest hotels in the world, and offer privacy, world-class service and complete relaxation. Guests at these havens of bliss soon realised the benefits of having a resort with just a few personal villas and private pools rather than 150 rooms and one big communal pool.

This realisation has led to the latest incarnation of elite accommodation – the luxury private villa. First-time visitors to private villas often cannot believe their luck. They knew they would get a beautifully designed and decorated house with extensive gardens and a private pool but on top of that they found each property came with a full staff including cooks, babysitters, drivers and maids, all led by an English-speaking manager. The manager and the cooks are on hand to discuss daily meals with guests and villa staff strives to personalize the experience of the stay.
One company - BHM (Bali Homes Management) - has helped define the private villa trend, developing the concept of luxury in small packages and setting a new standard for style and service. BHM saw the potential for this market back in 2001 when it began to manage private villas. Its reputation grew through excellent management and satisfied clients and it now has a portfolio of roughly 40 villas which it manages and markets for private owners from around the world.

One of the most dazzling is The Istana, perched on its own acre of land atop the cliffs of the Bukit peninsular with panoramic ocean views. It boasts a 32 meter pool, five bedrooms, round the clock security and a staff of 22 people. Another palatial villa is Atas Ombak, an ocean-side retreat north of Seminyak which is washed by sea breezes and sports 100 meters of beach frontage.

BHM's Ric Shreves sums up the company's raison d'être: "Few people initially realize the complexity of administering or marketing a staffed villa. Our corporate philosophy is based firmly on the belief that offshore villa owners should be able to enjoy the benefits of private villa ownership, while not having to spend their personal time overseeing staff or staying on top of every detail. We're here to make it easy for them to enjoy the lifestyle and the investment benefits of having a villa in Bali."

Some of the advantages for owners are that one company handles everything from management and marketing to reservations, accounting, communication and administration. That company also has an international team of staff, a reputation for excellence, and a global network of agents.

Shreves states, "We take care of everything, from staff training to accounting, advising on local government licensing requirements and marketing villas worldwide. With BHM, owners can watch their holiday home be cared for properly, allowing it to appreciate in value while basking in the knowledge that a team of professionals is taking care of business."
This philosophy of excellence seems to be working as several villas in the BHM portfolio are routinely mentioned in international media and celebrities are starting to discover what private villas have to offer. Ericht Alessandro, a mainstay of the BHM team who's been around since its inception, laughs when he says "We took a cottage industry and professionalized it." He says the best thing about BHM is they provide "luxury with intimacy".

For visitors these villas offer a new and thrilling alternative to the big, impersonal resort hotel. Each villa has a flat rate cost which varies only by season. All are spacious and immaculately designed with local stone and stylish Balinese furniture and international décor. They range from 2 bedrooms, and are designed for perhaps two couples or a small family, to 6 bedrooms with enough garden and living space to host a party of 200 people. All have dining rooms, living rooms and extensive grounds and facilities for visitors to enjoy privately and to use as the perfect stylish entertaining venue.

One family of guests noted: "We could not believe that through BHM we got basically our own private hotel with way more privacy than at a big five-star but the same high level of service and fantastic food. We were hosting dinner parties for friends who were staying in hotels and they were staggered at what a serviced villa had to offer."

Flushed with its success, BHM is now using its talents to help conceive of villa estates that combine the best aspects of private villas while adding in services and facilities that previously had only been found in hotels; their term for them? "Villa Resorts". These villa resorts provide some facilities such as clubs, food services and chauffeurs with cars. Majapahit Villas is one of BHM's latest. The four 3-bedroom villas sit next to a glistening volcanic black sand beach at Ketewell on the south east coast. All the villas are fully staffed, featuring such added extras as Wi-Fi broadband and in-house spa treatments, and the collection of villas include a resident chef who specializes in Asian fusion cuisine.

BHM is also consulting on the design of larger villa resort projects like the exciting Wabi Umalas development north of Seminyak. The company is also being engaged by international developers to manage the brand new LIV Bali villa resort on sparkling Jimbaran Bay.

At Wabi Umalas, each property has a 15m pool and beautiful views over adjacent rice paddies and to distant mountains. BHM has helped the developers to ensure their design parameters will result in villas that are not only efficient to run but also include optimized design and facilities to be attractive to the rental market.

LIV Bali located in Jimbaran Bay, offers 28 beachside villas with access to an exclusive beach club. With its unique beachside location and contemporary tropical design, BHM expects this to be a star performer in its catalogue once construction is finished.

While Bali's big luxury five-star hotels will continue to succeed as they have done for years on this addictive island, the rise and rise of villa accommodation is going to add more options. On the Island of the Gods, the cycle of rebirth always continues, and who knows what its newest incarnation will be?

Whatever type of luxury accommodation you choose, you can be certain of one thing: nobody does it better than Bali.
BHM - BHMVillas
The Istana – theistana
Majapahit Villas – theMajapahitBeachVillas
The Bale Hotel - theBale
Atas Ombak – AtasOmbak
Puri Ganesha Villas - PuriGaneshaBali
Wabi Umalas - theWabi