You’ll feel like a treasured house guest at this super-exclusive boutique hotel in northern Lombok, a short boat ride away from Indonesia’s Gili Islands. Nothing is too much trouble for the stellar staff who will steal your heart with their generosity. Garlands, cold flannels, sorbets by the infinity pool – it all makes you feel very, very special.
There are just 9 striking cubist lodges, plus newer luxe pool villas (in one, two or three-bedroom versions), all with private outdoor seating areas built to showcase the luminous views. Sharp, well-lit bathrooms with open-air showers invite serenades to the moon as you lather up with the finest Acqua di Parma toiletries. Soulful guests can head to the hotel’s jetty to watch the magnificent volcano, Mount Rinjani, blush at dawn, then back to bed till you’re ready for breakfast, which can be served at any time and any place you please. How civilised is that? The Indo fusion food is downright gorgeous, and you’ll meet executive chef Jiwa and personable manager Pak Hamdi at each night’s convivial dinner. Whether you're a solo traveller, family, honeymooner or independent couple, you will happily recharge your batteries at this absolutely splendid destination hotel.
Highs
- Rates include a healthy a la carte breakfast and a stunning dinner; the truly superb Indo-fusion food is created by one of the best chefs we’ve come across in Indonesia
- Flawless service by discreet, insightful staff
- The many lovely treats and extras, which are on-the-house and replaced without question, which feels like you’re staying with good friends
- Unlike Bali, Lombok is largely untouched by tourism and has a distinct culture. You can explore indigenous villages, visit Hindu and Muslim places of worship, and the hotel can arrange treks to Mount Rinjani volcano and its sacred lake
Lows
- The local beach is rocky, so it's not the best place for a swim in the sea. But there’s a huge infinity pool, and they have a private beach on Gili Meno, where you can swim, snorkel and laze on white sands and help release turtles into the wild
- Though the chef has the lightest of touches, it's easy to over-indulge in all the scrumptious food!
- This sheltered little cove gets hot. Really hot. Siestas are definitely the order of the day
- We have yet to visit the pool villas in person but they look gorgeous
- Boutique Hotel
- 9 lodges for 2-6; 2 pool villas for 2-7
- Half-board stays (B&D)
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Outdoor Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Bicycles Available
Rooms
Italian cool dominates the nine Lodges. Interiors are cream, white and grey, with bleached floors, muslin curtains around the bed, and oversized furniture. Throw in teak sculptures and massive driftwood side-tables and you’ve found a joyous tropical pulse. All the lodges have semi-private outdoor chill-out spaces (high walls would kill the view, so it's a price worth paying), with half-ceilings beautifully framing the sky, and pillars framing the ocean.
The bathrooms are bliss – a curvy tub on a pebbled platform and an outdoor rain-shower to refresh your spirits (and your best singing voice). We adored the abundant Acqua di Parma toiletries, the sumptuous bed linen, and the ample dressing area for all those floaty clothes.
Since our last visit, they've added a clutch of classy Beach Villas with private pools – sleek and chic in soft greys, in their signature Italian design with Asian flourishes. These are 15 minutes away in a private oceanfront estate in Gondang, and you can choose a 1, 2 or 3 bedroom version. Each has a 20m swimming pool, private garden, 24-hr butler service and direct beach access.
In-room gadgets throughout include a Nespresso machine, a PlayStation (on request), Apple TV, Bose speakers and an iPad from which you can book a spa or order a juice without even leaving your bed.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Fan
- Hairdryer
- In-room treatments available
- Minibar
- Mosquito net
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
Food is directed by talented Indonesian chef Jiwa Raga, and served at the fine-dining yet cosy Flavors restaurant, and the L’Osteria Lombok (traditional Italian). The beach bar also offers delectable cocktails and tasty light bites.
For breakfast and lunch, you can eat anywhere you choose on the estate. Expect to be spoiled! Breakfast is a la carte: choose from the super-healthy menu (fresh-pressed detox juices, cauliflower and quinoa curry, avocado and smoked salmon on spinach) or extravagant specials: crunchy croque monsieur, Eggs Benedict, even grilled barramundi.
The inventive menus at dinner are further evidence of Jiwa's magic. Served on the lantern-lit garden terrace, each little plate of deliciousness is tailored to suit your dietary needs: my mahi-mahi with lemongrass was perfect - so simple and clean – while my companion’s tiny pork ribs in soy and ginger merited their own post on Instagram.
If staying in the beach pool villas you can also seek the services of a private chef.
Features include:
- Bar
- Breakfast
- Coffee maker
- Lunch by arrangement
- Restaurant
- Room service
Activities
- The hotel's Frangipani Spa is a must. Five therapists provide a wonderful array of treatments, including charcoal facials, Balinese massages, body wraps, Rinjani hot stone treatments and O.P.I manicures and pedicures
- Exploring Lombok is another must. A variety of scenic and cultural day tours can be arranged: visit a traditional "Sasak" village to see indigenous life up close, trek to magnificent Mount Rinjani - Indonesia's second highest volcano - which has a stunning crater lake, or visit Lombok's holiest site, Lingsar Temple, a fine example of Hindu and Muslim traditions coexisting in harmony
- Relax on Bagno Di Gili, the hotel's exclusive palm tree-backed white coral sand beach on the beautiful north-west coast of Gili Meno, which has luxury gazebos (each with two sunbeds and chairs), and elegant sitting areas. Situated at Turtle Point, a perfect reef for snorkelling; you can also go horse riding and hire a kayak
- Release turtles from the Gili Meno Turtle Nursery (donations welcome)
- Learn to cook Indonesian food in an open-air one-to-one lesson
- Take a surf lesson half an hour away in Senggigi, or join a private PADI or group-diving course
- Enjoy daily early morning yoga, or have a workout in the hotel's brand-new gym which is equipped with state-of-the-art fitness equipment
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Boat trips
- Cooking classes
- Cycling
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Horse riding
- Jet skiing
- Scuba diving courses
- Snorkelling
- SUP
- Surfing
- Wakeboarding
- Yoga
Best Time to go
Any time! Lombok is blessed with a dry, tropical climate. There's no 'monsoon season', so expect to book ahead in peak months. If travelling the region, we suggest visiting here at the end of your holiday, as it will almost certainly become your Gold Standard hotel.
Our Top Tips
If returning from the Gili Islands, The Lombok Lodge is a perfect antidote to lost weekends and missed mornings. The owners and the staff are genuinely lovely people who not only listen, but remember, and you'll be waved off like a duchess when you leave.
Location
The original Lombok Lodge is set on a small peninsula in northwest of Lombok, and the beach villas are 15-20 minutes away along the coast. The property is just over an hour (70-90 minutes) by car from Lombok International airport. The island’s low-key main resorts of Sengiggi are a 30-minute drive south.
By Air:
Lombok International Airport is served by several international flights, or head to Bali's Denpasar Ngurah Rai Airport for a wider range of options. You can also fly to Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, then travel overland or take a connecting flight to Lombok.
From the Airport
The Lombok Lodge can arrange a chauffeur pick-up from Lombok airport.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
Airports:
- Lombok International Airport 65.0 km LOP
Other:
- Beach 0.1 km
- Shops 25.0 km
- Restaurant 25.0 km