Making it Personal

Max Loong is breaking the rules of the boutique hotel experience in Bali. He talks about the importance of going above and beyond for his guests, and why Uluwatu is becoming the pinnacle of laidback luxury on the island of the gods

- Coco Marett

Sitting at the southern tip of Bali's Bukit Peninsula, Uluwatu gained fame in the 1970s when surf film icon Alby Falzon directed Morning of the Earth, which introduced the world to the region's virtually undiscovered waves. In 1974, legendary Hawaiian surfer Gerry Lopez visited the island and became one of the first to ride the fabled Balinese surf break.

To this day, surfers from around the world make the pilgrimage to Uluwatu where, after a day of chasing the waves that roar and curl along the coast, they retreat, salty and sun-drenched, to its lush green hills. Maintaining the spirit of a serene surf town, over time it has become a luxury destination for those who want to enjoy Bali's balmy embrace, away from the madness of popular tourist areas like Seminyak and Kuta.

"There's something about Uluwatu that feels raw and authentic," says Max Loong. The Swiss-Chinese actor and TV presenter-he is currently the host of The Voice Switzerland opened Hidden Hills Villas, a collection of individually designed villas in Uluwatu, in 2015 when he and his late mother set out on a mission to build a house for her to retire in. "I'm not even particularly spiritual but there is a really special energy here. The beaches, the cliffs, the community are what drew us to Uluwatu in the beginning. Before we knew it, Hidden Hills became a bigger passion project,” Loong explains.

After purchasing the original plot of land, they began acquiring neighbouring plots and building intimate, intricately designed villas—a nod to his mother’s background in art and design. She spent years as an art consultant for Christie’s in Zurich, and guests staying in the five-bedroom Raja Villa at Hidden Hills will find themselves among artworks from the family’s private collection, including an original piece by Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti.