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THE BALÉ |
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Nusa Dua - Bali
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THE BALÉ |
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Nusa Dua - Bali
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The Balé - Nusa Dua - Bali was developed and opened by Hostasia under a mandate of property owners (Pt. Bali Sentosa Nusa Damai).on behalf of Sanctuary Resorts Ltd.
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Hostasia took charge in August 2000 and after a market survey made radical conceptual changes in the resort to enable a sharper concept and improve marketing ability. Despite the September 11 crisis, the resort successfully opened in December 2001 as a trendy and hip, butler operated luxury resort consisting of 20 individual luxury Balinese pavilions. It is located on a hill overlooking the Indian Ocean right above the fashionable Nusa Dua area in Bali. The site is adjacent to the Bali Golf and Country Club and offers privacy, outstanding comfort and high quality service, while being only minutes away from Jimbaran spectacular cliffs and the beaches of Nusa Dua . The Balé was voted in 2002 as one of 80 hottest new resorts by Condé Nast Traveller and the restaurant Faces acclaimed as the trendiest Kitchen in Bali (Hostasia designed the integrated restaurant and kitchen facilities) |
The resort occupancy rose steadily and rapidly from 15% in December 2001, to 60% in June 2002 and over 85% in August 2002. It broke even in less than 5 months operation. Resort was partially handed over to Sanctuary Resorts management in April 2002, while one of the directors of Hostasia stayed on as Operations Manager until end of June 2002.
Each luxury pavilion features an individual pool and private verandah. All pavilions have their own secluded tropical garden. The fully equipped bathrooms enjoy candle lit areas and a private shower in a scented garden.
Morning by a private pool at The Balé (photos by George Mitchell)
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THE BALE : A MARKETING SUCCESS STORY FOR HOSTASIA |
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After tweaking the concept of the kitchen and spa, Hostasia embarked into a full fledge marketing effort to rapidly position the Bale as the hip and contemporary resort for trendy couples in Bali. The original name given by the owners "Bale Bali" was changed to "The Balé" (the house in Balinese) to increase its international appeal and competitiveness with other trend setting quality resorts such as The Legian and The Chedi. The term "fashionable" was added to the Nusa Dua location to increase marketing impact and the name "Pavilion" was used to differentiate it from Bali's crowd of "villa resorts". The marketing was realigned after September 11 to quickly change markets from long haul to short haul to kick start the resort. A large and intensive media campaign was organized and executed, which resulted in considerable goodwill and publicity as well as direct sales on internet. In addition, contracts with selected agencies focusing on honeymooners were signed with performance guarantees. A high quality chef (Swiss-Australian) Marcel Huser was recruited to start the kitchen and to be the star in the restaurant. Marcel's personality and excellent food was used to heavily promote F&B on the local scene, therefore creating a buzz in the market place and encouraging guests of fine resorts such as Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Grand Hyatt and Aman Nusa to come in, experience the food and of course... view the resort. This resulted in excellent reviews from gourmet magazines, which further added marketing mileage and direct bookings. In addition, Hostasia's internet listing in Singapore and Hong-Kong were used extensively to generate interest in those two Chinese and Expatriate markets for the holidays. Very early on, Hostasia had decided to have a presence at ATF in Yogyakarta (January 2002). Our in house PR lady designed a very attractive and simple booth, using great photography, and sent it over by car to Yogya, where we participated in the 3 day event, which resulted in many contracts from long haul overseas buyers. Those contracts started to gradually generate direct bookings during Easter and early summer 2002, in addition to major contracts with high quality Japanese agents specializing in FITs. Japanese business came in full force from May 2002 on. At that time, the hotel was also loaded onto SLH (Small Luxury Hotels) website, which resulted in additional exposure. Hostasia obtained the certification of The Balé as a SLH property as early as December 2001. By mid summer 2002, the resort was often running at 100% occupancy. The resort broke even on April 2002, barely 4.5 month after the opening. |
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The restaurant "Faces" was developed as a gourmet restaurant, featuring a world class chef (Marcel Huser) operating from an open kitchen. The restaurant was clearly used to attract affluent visitors to the resort and increase visibility and marketing. Faces at The Balé offered a gourmet selection of light and wholesome foods served al fresco under an large outdoor gazebo by the main pool.
As in all Mansion Resorts (a brand developed by Hostasia) and extended to this property a selection of high quality breakfasts is offered. All breads were baked in house daily (fresh croissants, baguettes, brioches, multi-grain breads). In addition, The Balé featured an extensive selection of creative snacks and meals offered round the clock served privately in each pavilion. |
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The luxurious spa facilities, with their tropical garden setting, offer relaxation and body pampering for couples as well as for individuals. Private spas for two, sauna rooms, steam baths and massage rooms are available. The Spa therapists were provided under an agreement with Martha Tilaar Spa, a well know brand in Indonesia. In addition, Hostasia maintained a fully equipped gymnasium with weights, weight machines and a range of cardio equipment available to guests from 7am to 10pm.
