Interview with the General Manager of The St. Regis Bali Resort

What is unique about your hotel's location?

The St. Regis Bali Resort has a unique location, compared to other similar priced hotels, as it resides right at the beach, thereby providing an expansive view of the Indian Ocean from the Strand Villa and Residences, the Cloud Nine Wedding Chapel, the signature restaurant Kayuputi as well as most of the suites. On one side, the resort is flanked by Bali Golf & Country Club and this adds an additional element of relaxation for golf enthusiasts who stay with us.

What authentic local experiences will guests have access to?

The authentic experience for guests starts from the time they arrive as they immerse in a resort designed with local culture in mind. The foremost elements used in the resort are unique pieces of furniture found in Bali or at times in other parts of Indonesia. Colors of course are more saturated as seen in Balinese villages especially in festivities with their use of beautiful bright and vivid colors. Guests live in suites and villas filled with elements that surround Balinese in their day to day life. Most of these elements are interesting, complex, intricate, colorful, and some are simple, soulful and calming, shown in colors, materials, patterns and shapes in the resort by way of mother of pearl panels, embroideries, etc. Each evening at 6.30pm, guests are invited to our Evening Ritual. As a mark of the transition of day to night, a fire ritual takes place featuring an explosive Indonesian performance of three fire dancers accompanied with traditional drums at the ground floor of the Grand Staircase. As part of the dance, they light the tikki torches both in the ponds in the lobby as well as in the Black Sand Pond. A wonder to watch. Finally guests also have the opportunity to experience a culinary journey through the variety of traditional Indonesian rice specialties served each day, offering an authentic taste of rice and dishes home to different areas of Indonesia.



What are some amazing things that your Concierge can arrange?

Some of the interesting things that our Concierge has arranged for guests include last minute ticket reservation, for example guests traveling to Singapore at 9:00pm, our concierge have been able to book a ticket for them by 7:00pm considering the booking offices are closed. Additionally, our concierge has been able to reserve tables for guests at a popular restaurant eventhough the restaurant was fully booked.

Does your hotel have a philosophy?

Yes we have a philosophy and it is to go not only the extra mile but we try to over exceed a customer expectation with new innovations and ideas out of the box. This philosophy of the hotel is not only in it's software but extends to the hardware as we offer our guests generosity of space, both in room size as well as in public and garden space as well freedom for guests to be themselves, for example, in terms of appearance while enjoying our facilities.



What makes your hotel memorable and unforgettable?

A stay at The St Regis Bali Resort is made memorable by a number of factors. Firstly it is the location, as it boasts of villas located right at the beachfront with stunning views of the Indian Ocean. The resort also exudes a rich residential feel with its furnishing and spaciousness. The iconic Butler Service of the brand is another point of imprint as every need of a guest is taken care of by unparallel service. This is complemented by the great food & beverages concepts, a unique Deli and Wine cellars managed by a German Sommelier.

Our butler service, a resort with not only villas but also suites, wonderful beachfront location, spacious villas with butler quarters, the residential feel and generosity of space as a general feel of the whole resort, are what makes the resort unforgettable.

What will guests rave about to their friends and family?

Firstly, the pick-up service from the airport is a point guests have raved about as all one has to do is wait in a lounge and before they know if they are taken to a luxurious vehicle and a ultra comfortable journey brings them to the resort where from the time a guest steps out into the lobby, they are greeted by name, by the attending butler, as though they are repeat guests.

A quiet resort but yet a buzzing beachfront where guests are able to swim in the Ocean and not just look at it together with restaurants, one featuring premium cuisine and the other an extensive spread of breakfast items including foie gras, wagyu beef steak and lobster omelet, with chef pass around and of course unparallel service to accompany are other experiences guests have raved about to family and friends.



What is the atmosphere of your hotel? What types of guests does it attract?

The atmosphere of the resort is quiet and elegant yet not stiff. The guests we attract are a special niche group who are affluent and like their privacy and the luxury of space and time.

What makes your hotel a destination within itself?

I believe the guests who stay with us are precisely here with an objective to just relax and not necessarily venture out, making our resort ideal as a destination unto itself with the unique points elaborated upon above. The spacious suites and villas create an environment which have seen guests just stay in and hardly make their way out. The restaurants with their exquisite offering, together with a one of a kind deli, an expansive lagoon with a games hut, our tropical park with a hammock garden and Remède Spa with an extensive menu of treatments and a library filled with interesting titles are reasons enough to make our resort a destination within itself.



What is the signature dish in your hotel's restaurant?

The signature dish in our signature restaurant, Kayuputi, is the Seafood Chilled and Grilled in which Seafood Chilled, as the name suggests are cold entrée items such as prawns and tuna sashimi style while Seafood Grilled, the main is a hot experience with lobster, squid skewers and butter fish in oba leaf. Kayuputi won the Award of Excellence 2009 for the Wine Spectator nominations as well as was listed in Miele Guide 2009.

What is the best way for guests to "arrive in style" to your hotel?

Guests do arrive in style as from the minute they disembark, they experience our VIP arrival assistance in which before they know it, they are taken to a luxurious vehicle with their luggage which is already picked up and a ultra comfortable journey, with cold towels and a signature chocolate truffle brings them to the resort where from the time a guest steps out into the lobby, they are greeted by name and then checked in.



Do you provide any welcoming or parting amenities to guests?

Yes we provide a refreshing welcome drink, an interesting mix of Yellow Basil, and a fruit bowl of tropical fruits, according to guest's preference, in the room. For Honeymoon couples, we welcome them with a romantic flower bath for them to relax and romance and fruit dipped in chocolate fondue prepared by our butler as a start to their journey of indulgence, as well as we present them with a couple picture in a nice St. Regis frame as a parting gift.

Can you recommend other destinations/hotels nearby that your guests should consider combining into a trip?

Another destination that we would suggest to our guests would be Ubud which provides a totally different landscape and therefore a nice combination of beach and rice fields.

Hotel Profile: The St. Regis Bali Resort