Conrad resort optimistic on prospects for the future<\/p>\n
Jim Read, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
How often do you have to remember to take your shades with you to
\nbreakfast?<\/p>\n
At Conrad Bali Resort and Spa, opened in early March,
\nsunglasses are de rigueur -- but not for looking cool. The dining
\nroom at Suku restaurant, where breakfast is served, has folding
\ndoors along one entire side that offer truly stunning, panoramic
\nviews of the Indian Ocean at Tanjung Benoa, near Nusa Dua.<\/p>\n
The entire E-shaped complex is oriented due east (with the
\nprongs of the "E" facing that direction) to ensure that every
\nbedroom has an ocean view. This also means that fabulous views of
\nthe sunrise are just there for the asking.<\/p>\n
Even daytime views, particularly from the third-floor,
\ncathedral-like lobby lounge are spectacular, with a palm tree-
\nfringed swimming pool in the foreground, the shimmering ocean in
\nthe middle distance and the dark, brooding presence of Nusa
\nPenida island in the background all providing irresistible
\nallure.<\/p>\n
Although the lobby is vast, it does not feature the
\nelaboration normally associated with a grand ecclesiastical
\nedifice -- quite the opposite in fact, as the lobby and open area
\nimmediately beyond typify the pervasive, ethnic-minimalist design
\ntheme of the hotel.<\/p>\n
Acres of cream-colored surfaces, dark wooden doors and window
\nframes, and gray stone floors embellished with black marble are
\nthe essential features -- all sleek and streamlined, with a
\nminimum of ornamentation.<\/p>\n
Even the names of the resort's outlets reflect the simplicity
\nimplicit in the design approach. Suku (tribe) is paradoxically
\nsubtitled "primitive modern" but the epithet works. The open air,
\nbeachside restaurant, eight degrees south, offers "latitude with
\nattitude", as the resort says, its name describing precisely its
\nposition south of the equator.<\/p>\n
Breakfast in Suku is either a la carte or buffet, the latter
\nattractively presented and well laid out, so that guests do not
\nfeel they have to elbow one another aside when serving
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
Over the recent Easter holiday weekend the resort was fully
\nbooked, yet the staff in Suku took busy breakfasts in their
\nstride, as though they had been working together as a team for
\nmuch longer than the mere three weeks since opening.<\/p>\n
At lunch, award-winning outlet chef Walim (previously at The
\nPark Lane, Jakarta) offers antipasti and seafood salads that
\nprovide both Mediterranean and Thai nuances, while panfried
\nscallops with saffron julienne root vegetables are smooth and
\ncreamy, an ideal foil to the salads. (Appetizers and salads are
\nabout Rp 75,000, main courses Rp 150,000.)<\/p>\n
Executive chef Gary Rosen's specialty is twice-cooked beef
\nshort ribs, the meat simmered for hours until the bone slips out,
\ndipped quickly into hot oil, then served with a crumb topping,
\nroasted garlic mashed potato and dijon horseradish sour cream.<\/p>\n
This was not for the calorie-conscious but worth trying
\nnonetheless, the richness and piquancy combining on the palate in
\nmuch the same way as they do in well-prepared sushi with fiery
\nwasabi.<\/p>\n
A trio of creme brulees arrived engagingly as three tiny
\nportions, so that even the most self-disciplined diner would not
\nfeel an ounce of guilt in partaking of dessert. The coffee,
\nvanilla and pandan flavors worked well together, while providing
\na color combination complementary to the earth tones of the
\nlittle pots in which they were served.<\/p>\n
At present, 150 bedrooms are available at the resort, with the
\ntotal expanding to 313 plus 20 villas by year-end. Room decor is
\nvery restful, the light blue-green of the walls echoing the ocean
\nbeyond and complemented by beige-colored wooden furniture. Two
\nwelcome features are in-room plunger coffee-making facilities and
\n-- luxury of luxuries -- a menu that offers a choice of eight
\npillow types, from very firm to soft, to allow even the most
\nexacting guest to slumber like a baby.<\/p>\n
The resort aims to attract business guests, too, as well-
\nequipped conference rooms are in preparation, the entire complex
\nis enabled for broadband wireless Internet reception and every
\nbedroom has dedicated data terminals for laptop computers. A
\nlocal area network allows guests to connect their laptop directly
\nto the business center, where they can print documents or
\nsend\/receive faxes.<\/p>\n
Eight degrees south provides an al fresco ambience complete
\nwith alang-alang bale (Balinese-style, thatched-roof gazebos). It
\nis the ideal venue for romantic evening dining, as the waves of
\nthe adjacent ocean can clearly be heard in the background and
\ncooling breezes waft in from the sea.<\/p>\n
The mainstays here are pizzas, pasta, grills, seafood and
\nAsian specialties, the rectangular pizzas cooked to perfection in
\na wood-fired oven and sold by the meter or fraction thereof.<\/p>\n
Conrad is doing its bit to assist in the post-bomb recovery of
\nBali. The resort is the largest five-star hotel investment on the
\nisland since Ritz Carlton in 1996. A sobering indication of
\nBali's current unemployment problem was evident when, without any
\nformal advertising whatsoever, 17,500 people applied to work at
\nthe resort. Of those, 1,500 were interviewed and 360 ultimately
\nappointed.<\/p>\n
A strong will to succeed is clearly discernible among the
\nstaff, and a can-do attitude runs through the entire
\nestablishment, from genial general manager Michael Burchett (who
\nalso opened Four Seasons Resort, Jimbaran, and The Regent,
\nJakarta) and his senior management team, right down to the most
\njunior employee.<\/p>\n
Staff are empowered to work on their own initiative and take
\ndecisions, while almost all internal, paper-based staff
\ncommunications have been eliminated: The staff must use a
\ndedicated, in-house cyber cafe to receive internal communications
\nby e-mail, thereby improving their computer and Internet-user
\nskills at the same time.<\/p>\n
As the luxury arm of the Hilton family the Conrad brand is new
\nto Indonesia. The resort is certainly doing its best to encourage
\nall comers to try it out via a very attractive soft opening offer
\nof US$78++ per night (room only), valid until the end of June.<\/p>\n
It is very much the "new kid on the block" in Bali, but early
\nindications are that the Conrad is destined ultimately to become
\nan integral part of the established tourist infrastructure.<\/p>\n
In keeping with Burchett's inwardly calm and assured but
\noutwardly self-effacing style, he summed up current progress at
\nthe resort as, "we're not doing too badly so far!"<\/p>\n
Conrad Bali Resort and Spa<\/p>\n
Jl. Pratama 168<\/p>\n
Tanjung Benoa<\/p>\n
Bali 80363<\/p>\n
Tel. (0361) 778788, fax. (0361) 773888<\/p>\n
e-mail: info@ConradBali.com<\/p>\n
website: www.ConradHotels.com<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/conrad-resort-optimistic-on-prospects-for-the-future-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }