The mention of a private villa brings most people weak in the knees, partly because most travelers think they’ll have to shell out excessive amounts of cash for a stay in a private villa. So you can imagine how happy we were when we found out about Hideaway Villas, a modern minimalist yet affordable villa in Uluwatu area. Location wise, Uluwatu has a different vibe to Kuta or Seminyak. It is where the green hills, the dramatic cliffs and some of Bali’s best beaches located. You can easily lose yourself and lose track of time here.
Hideaway Villas is brand new and very well laid out. The set up of the villa allows you to feel you are in a secluded villa even though all of the exciting Uluwatu hot spots are easy to get to, which is a huge benefit to those of us who just don’t like being surrounded by masses of other tourists whilst on a restful break. It’s like a hidden gem, waiting to be found; and we found it.
We were impressed by the service and attentiveness of all the staff at this villa from the moment we set foot in the lobby to check in until the minute we checked out. We were served refreshing welcome drink and washcloths to clean up while having our check-in processed by the receptionist, which was completed in no time, and we were then escorted to our villa on a buggy.
Fun fact, all the staff in Hideaway Villas don’t wear name badges. “We want to develop a relationship between our staff and guests. We’re trying to make you – the customer and also the employee – feel like you’re in more of a peer-to-peer relationship”, said Aryo Indarto, the resort manager of Hideaway Villas, about their choice to not use name badges at their property. And we thought it was a nice and interesting touch to the villa, having less of a barrier between employee and guest.
We stayed in a One Bedroom Villa. When we entered the villa we were greeted by a private pool which was ideal for lazy afternoons if we want to relax and float into our dreams. If floating on the pool is not your thing, you can also choose to rest or even suntan on the two daybeds beside the pool. These villas are spacious with floor to ceiling windows allowing lots of light in. The bathroom was almost the same size as the bedroom with sink, a bathtub, and a rainforest shower. The dressing area and wardrobe were also of a considerable size. Unlike most hotel websites, the pictures on this hotel’s official website are quite representative of what you will see when you get there personally. There were no loud pounding music from any disco or lounge or screaming children to ruin the tranquility of my stay there – the environment was just what I needed to unwind.
We later had dinner at the in-house Pudak restaurant and the dining experience was exceptional. Breakfast daily was made to order and served to your liking, whether in Pudak restaurant or in your room, and consists of bread and pastries, butter and jam, a hot drink, fresh fruits, a fresh juice plus, according to your taste … hard boiled eggs, fried, scrambled, omelette and sausages or ham.
To make each guest’s experience unique and special, Hideaway Villas also provides an exciting program where you can go to the local market with a professional chef to pick the freshest ingredients and head back to Pudak Restaurant to prepare your meals. If you want a quite stay in a stylish atmosphere, Hideaway Villas is a perfect place for you. My advice is to book now, before everyone finds out about this fantastic new villa.
Arnold Teja was a guest of Hideaway Villas, all views and opinions are my own. A big thank you to Aryo and Novika for the hospitality!