Comfort food, relaxed dining, and modernist design with local crafts
Desa Potato Head Bali, Jl. Petitenget Level 1, Seminyak, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia Get directions
"A suite at the property includes a private garden that faces the sea, providing a secluded, seaside-facing retreat within the hotel." - Jennifer Flowers
"Take a minute to set the scene for us. What's your impression as you arrive? What immediately stands out?The bold, nearly Brutalist architecture of Katamama, a 58-suite boutique hotel, is intriguing, with geometric walls and a rich, reddish-brown tone to the buildings. There's a sustainability element, too; the exterior of the bar, restaurant, and pool has an amphitheater-like wall made of thousands of upcycled wooden shutters. What's the story behind the hotel?Owner Ronald Akili’s appreciation of the Jengki, a post-war modernist design movement, was a big factor in the stylings here. The Indonesian hotelier and restaurateur’s collection of midcentury-modern furniture includes Hans J. Wegner chairs and Paul McCobb tables, all of which feature in some of the hotel’s suites. Smooth teak furniture and other handicrafts, custom-made from local materials by local makers, further the hotel's mission to revive and preserve the fading arts of the Indonesian archipelago. Specially commissioned artworks and vinyl records abound; there are also hand-dyed table runners, batik cushions, and kimono robes. Guests are invited to take field trips inland to the textile and ceramics studios that produce some of these pieces. Lovely. So how does that translate to the rooms themselves?This is a hotel that takes art, design, music, and drinking seriously. Every suite has a vast bar with house-made infusions and spiced-up elixirs; striped cloth pouches that contain hand-tooled muddlers, shakers, stirrers, and strainers; a big box of ice with a scoop; and a gallery of hand-blown glasses. Ceramic refillable pumps in the bathrooms dispense sweet-smelling chemical-free toiletries, and you can borrow backpacks and caps that have been fashioned from hand-woven anjat baskets. Sounds great. Anything good on the food front?Cocktails, coffee and casual snacks are the forte here. Akademi, not just the lobby bar but mixology command central, was conceived in cahoots with an award-winning cocktail expert. A full restaurant offers a grazing menu of Indonesian and global classics, all made from hyperlocal ingredients. Breakfast is particularly excellent, whether you want baked eggs or bubur ayam (chicken and rice porridge). We almost forgot to ask—how's the whole check-in process? And are there any other services that are helpful in getting settled?There’s no conventional reception—Akademi, the cocktail lounge, is where you'll be greeted by friendly staff. There's 24-hour room service and free Wi-Fi throughout. Who else are you likely to see here?Design snobs, sophisticated party people, and hip hotel addicts. How does Katamama fit into the surrounding neighborhood?Seminyak is built up and noisy, and Katamama is a welcome antidote to the more traditional resorts and guesthouses in this area. Bottom line: Worth it? Why?If you're dead set on forward-thinking design and an unrivaled attention to detail, you'll love this place." - Juliet Kinsman
"At Katamama Suites at Desa Potato Head (doubles from about $250) in Seminyak, Bali, a whopping 1.5 million hand-crafted bricks fired in a coconut-husk-fueled kiln were used to build the minimalist brutalist-style hotel, reviving the island's dying masonry industry. Almost everything in the guest rooms is custom-crafted by regional artisans, from baskets woven out of Balinese orchid vines to botanically tinted tapestries."
"Seminyak is built-up and noisy, and Katamama is a welcome antidote to the more traditional resorts and guesthouses in this area. Owner Ronald Akili’s appreciation of the Jengki, a post-war modernist design movement, was a big factor in the stylings here. The Indonesian hotelier and restaurateur’s collection of midcentury-modern furniture includes Hans J. Wegner chairs and Paul McCobb tables, all of which feature in some of the hotel’s suites. Smooth teak furniture and other handicrafts, custom-made from local materials by local makers, further the hotel's mission to revive and preserve the fading arts of the Indonesian archipelago." - CNT Editors, Betsy Blumenthal
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