A New Wave of Hospitality in Lombok

Words Vidula KotianDate 14 December 2022

Local and sustainable have long been buzzwords in hospitality, but when done right, that hospitality experience takes us beyond our daily routines and rituals of life to the romance of travel.

Diving into another culture opens our minds and hearts to something new—all underlined by a responsible approach to the environment and location. On the Indonesian island of Lombok, Somewhere Lombok is doing just that.

Sisters Claire and Valia Gontard have circled back to their Indonesian roots to create a place that combines their passion for design, authentic experiences, and travel. To help preserve the pristine surroundings where Somewhere is located, overlooking the world-class surf spot of Are Guling Bay, Claire and Valia teamed up with sustainability consultants Eco Mantra to ensure that they followed absolute best practices. The organic architecture of the hotel that sits on a steep slope—making for stunning views of the bay—is unobstructive and blends in with its surroundings.

Almost all the sourcing for Somewhere’s interiors have been done by the in-house team who used their personal networks to populate the hotel with unique local furnishings and art from small suppliers and businesses. Adding to the hotel’s bohemian chic are gorgeous woven baskets by Lombok-based Mami who work with the island’s artisans and use natural sustainable materials, such as seagrass and banana leaves for their products. Handwoven and -spun rugs and textiles by Kriyatex, made of recycled fabrics and tactile handmade pottery lamps by Casakaya, bring a dose of contemporary Indonesian design to the spaces. Even the little details, such as the marble trays in the bathrooms by Maharani or the beautiful artistic photographs in the rooms by Valia, add to the overall sense of a place that’s been lovingly brought to life.

The Gontard sisters have also employed most of their staff from the local village on the site and from Lombok, taking a page from their father Nicolas Gontard’s hospitality values about giving back to the community. This doesn’t mean, however, that the luxuries that come with tropical paradise living have been forsaken. Each of the 20 rooms comes with its own private plunge pool, and the infinity pool is the ultimate place to chill with views of the surfers in the bay below.

Developing as a sustainable alternative to Bali, Lombok, especially the south coast, is investing in ecological initiatives to protect its natural surroundings and focusing on slow and deliberate development of its hospitality infrastructure. The destination has something to offer everyone: co-working space for today’s work-from-anywhere nomads; beaches for families; excellent surfing, diving, and hiking trails for the adventurous; the up-and-coming beachside town of Kuta; and come mid-December, it will also have Somewhere Lombok—a place that celebrates life, love, and the wonder of nature.