travel+leisure: “10 incredible new hotels that have us dreaming about bali”

With a raft of impressive new properties recently opened or coming soon, Bali is awakening from its pandemic-induced slumber. From a creative bolthole for surfers to a villa without walls and doors, these are the stays you’ll want to book first.

Bali, baby. It’s been way too long.

Having endured the blow to its tourism industry as COVID ravaged Indonesia, the country’s most famous vibrant jungle isle is getting ready to bounce back. It’s been nearly two years since Bali shut its borders, but during that time, developments on a squad of new hotels have been brewing, with a handful already open.

As it stands, the Island of the Gods is welcoming tourists, albeit with frequently changing rules. Fully vaccinated travelers can enter Bali permitting they provide a negative PCR test and quarantine for five days at their own expense in a nominated hotel of their choosing. Many are now offering quarantine packages that include transfers, PCR tests, room service and complimentary laundry.

Currently, Bali’s new daily cases are low and their vaccination rates are high. If this trajectory continues, we can likely expect to see quarantine-free travel begin sometime by mid-2022. Here are the 10 coolest new hotels to book once Bali lets you in.

For inspiration: Desa Potato Head

Opening in the middle of a pandemic is a feat in itself, but Seminyak’s coolest new stay has more on offer than endurance. An artful ode to Indonesia’s creative industries, this eclectic hotel, part of the Potato Head group and right next to the iconic beach club, has a strong commitment to sustainability and features 168 rooms, a beachfront pool, and refillable amenities, including sunscreen and insect repellent. Designed with artists and other right-brainers in mind, they even have studios to rent for long-term stayers or those who simply must create.