hotel check

hotel check

OBEROI LOMBOK

Location: tucked away in 24 acres of lush landscaped gardens overlooking Medana Beach, 45 minutes from Lombok’s Selaparang Airport along the Pusuk Pass. The hotel is the closest jump-off point for the three Gilli Islands of Meno, Air and Trawangan, a cluster of coral islands perfect for snorkelling, diving and picnics and just a 20-minute boat ride away.

Accommodation: a thatched-roof village layout of 30 luxury terrace pavilions and 20 villas. Most villas have a private pool and all feature raised dining pavilions within a landscaped courtyard offering beach or garden views. Much use is made of local fabrics and decor is luxuriously and tastefully rustic with great attention to detail. Bathrooms are huge with sunken black-marble bath and rooms have satellite TV, video and CD players, desk and fax/PC points.

Facilities: spa, floodlit tennis courts, private diving jetty and water sports facilities, including a fleet of boats and a Professional Association of Diving Instructors’ dive school, helipad, baby-sitting service, gym and pool, 12 full-size villa pools, library of films, music and books and 24-hour concierge.

Dining: the SunBird Cafe overlooking the ocean for breakfast and lunch and the elegant Lumbung restaurant for dinner.

Service: ever-present but unobtrusive. Staff are nothing short of unfazable. Room not bright enough? They’ll fetch a lamp. Feel like satay for breakfast? Not a problem. On the beach when the heavens open? There’s somebody at your elbow before you can say “fetch me a brolly”. Oberoi Lombok cleverly eludes any corporate stamp. The whole check-in and reception concept is abandoned in favour of a “treat this as your home” approach. Staff know guest names on arrival (and never forget them) and are given a free reign when it comes to guest relations.

Overall impression: once you’ve checked into “planet Oberoi” with its glassy, tiered reflection pools stretching to the ocean, and lazed on its open-air floating pavilions for a couple of days, you’ll find it hard checking out. Pampered relaxation is what it’s all about here. Take a good book, or preferably someone you like.

Rates: rack rate from $200.