HOTEL INDIGO, SEMINYAK, BALI, INDONESIA

Our car swept into the hotel’s large arrival pavilion, and we walked into a vast, endless gallery of light and space, a breezeway of extraordinary proportions dotted with chairs of differing design and wonderful hanging lights. This was Hotel Indigo, Seminyak

Bali, a five-star beauty opposite the beach. In the heat of the day we were offered a cool drink, wet towels and sincere smiles of welcome. Our room’s hero was the enormous bed and the bathroom had a shower with a nod to old-school Bali with a large, gold pitcher mimicking the mandi style of the simple Bali way to bathe. At Hotel Indigo I swam in beautiful pools, sat in the shade under tropical foliage around one of the pools and the sun didn’t stand a chance with my 30+ sunscreen. After a languid workout in the pool I sipped on Earl Grey tea in the hotel’s beautiful Pottery Cafe. Here, all types of coffee from a wide variety of beans grown through Indonesia are roasted and served. But for me, it was tea in the afternoon because you have to eat scones, jam and cream with your soothing cuppa. The main restaurant is large and inviting with a visible kitchen and, after experiencing dinner and breakfast, I could see how the hotel has lifted Bali’s culinary offerings. Beware the breakfast menu! After fruit, toast, eggs, and a few other delights, you think you’ve finished, then a sneaky waiter appears at your table with fresh-out-of-the-oven pain au chocolat – what can you do? And with the coffee roasting next door, a large cup is mandatory. Since our visit, the hotel has opened the SugarSand Beach Club and SalonBali, its signature restaurant.