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Downtown Villas Seminyak

Seminyak is to Bali what San Antonio is to Ibiza—the hippest part of the island. It's where cool young things congregate to club, shop, chill and catch up. Appropriate, then, that it houses Bali's hottest hotel—a series of modish residences called Downtown Villas.

The usual combo of rice paddy views, thatched pavilions and gamelan music is eschewed at Downtown for something unashamedly urban in concept and context. "The idea for Downtown (yes, downtown Seminyak)," explains one of the youthful co-owners Guy Neale, "was to move away from the open villa with traditional alang-alang to something more contemporary and comfortable. We felt the time was right to give discerning visitors an alternative style of accommodation with the kind of functionality they expect elsewhere in the world."

Neale clearly had his finger on the tourist pulse, because Downtown proved a hit from the start. Offering nine one-to three-bedroom villas, reservations are more than recommended. They're obligatory.

Boat builder turned designer Fredo Taffin, who had previously designed hip eatery Ku de Ta (also owned by some of Downtown's partners) and a variety of Bali villas, was the architect of choice. His brief was to create "a downtown luxury hideaway with a contemporary feel"—and he obliged by combining a modern international ethos with Bali's rich natural materials. Merbau wood, teak, terrazzo, andesite stone, granite and grey soapstone are all used—but are married with slick finishing rather than traditional carving and fashioning.

All the villas have private kitchens, pools and some outside space, but all are individually designed with sleek, clean-lined furniture from Australian firm Urban Icon. The larger, two-story villas have a private 20-meter (66-foot) lap pool, wooden sun deck with steel mesh loungers, and a contemporary take on the open-sided balé. Open kitchens are kitted out with Italian aluminum fittings, and sanitary ware is of the high-quality, imported variety. Leather and suede sofas, conceptual art pieces by Veronique Aonzo and brash color combos are more metropolitan than insular—yet work well in the Seminyak setting.

In many ways Downtown Villas is representative of a new wave of architectural experimentation that has swept across the island since the millennium. What long-term Bali resident architect Gianni Francione terms a "new tropical internationalism," it is characterized by a marriage of modernist forms, Western technical know-how and the innate adaptability and skills of the Balinese. The romance of the rustic is increasingly being replaced by a challenging cosmopolitanism. Homes and villas, restaurants, hotels and homestays are finding that a rice field view and a dash of island charm are limited commodities nowadays. People are demanding—and getting—more.

According to Neale, Downtown's mission is to give the international traveler an experience that only a modern apartment hotel can offer. There is no hotel restaurant, but a quick phone call will ensure delivery of dishes from the all day dining menu; these are cooked in the hotel kitchens. Alternatively, villa kitchens are stocked with basics, so you can make a cup of tea, coffee or a snack at any time of the day—but if you prefer, staff can man the stove and cook for you. This is ideal if you are in one of the larger villas, and feel like having a group dinner by the pool. You can also order food items from the market or supermarket if you feel like cooking yourself. Flexibility is key.

Even though Downtown is situated in the heart of Seminyak, it is located off a relatively traffic-free, quiet street. Inward looking, architecturally and conceptually, it is sequestered and secluded. In addition, the villas' understated modern design is soothing after the buzz of a club night or a shopping trawl down Jalan Raya Seminyak. Modern holidaymakers find they offer just the right ambience to come home to.

Jalan Lalu Village 9d, Seminyak, Bali 80361, Indonesia.

tel: +62 361 736 464

fax: +62 361 736 424

info@downtownbali.com

www.downtownbali.com