Almost heaven
Being at Soori Bali can present a bit of a conundrum. Of the good kind. Does one look west, towards the horizontal blue of the Bali Strait, set ablaze at sunset? Or does one look inland, where a dormant volcano – Mount Batukaru – dominates an uninterrupted expanse of paddy fields?
Perched between the mountains and the sea – the perfect equilibrium in feng shui – Soori Bali commands attention. Relaunched as the introductory salvo to luxury lifestyle brand Soori, the property exemplifies the group’s ethos of ‘living exceptionally well through holistic design.’
The ‘living exceptionally well’ in this case comes in the form of 48 refreshed villas and residences, each with its own private pool. There is also the ten-room Soori Estate, an enclave within an enclave, with its own infinity pool, gym, spa, kitchen, chauffeured car, private butler and, by the end of the year, a unique cantilevered platform hovering over the sea. It can feel like your own private utopia at times, and that sense of refuge isn’t accidental; Soori Bali was originally conceived by Singapore architect Soo Chan (founder of SCDA Architects) and his wife Ling Fu as their private family vacation home. Some things are too good not to share, however, resulting in its current incarnation.
The second part of that sentence, ‘holistic design’, is interpreted in a myriad of ways. First, through a elimination of physical boundaries, providing a gentler transition between indoor and outdoor spaces, united by open courtyards and pools that provide plenty of cross-ventilation and natural light. Villa Soori also blends into the terroir it occupies, with ingredients from local farms featured in menus and volcanic stones from nearby quarries forming the buildings. Its Soori Spa, too, embraces the island’s spiritual proximity, offering a bevy of therapies and treatments, rooted in the birr of Bali.
More examples of how the Soori brand blends exceptional living with holistic design are expected, in New York City’s West Chelsea with the Soori High Line, and in the powdered mountains of Japan’s Hokkaido with the Soori Niseko. With Soori Bali setting the standard, our expectations are sky high. Our only conundrum is this immaculate corner of Bali may be which vista to appreciate, and as conundrums go, its a very pleasant one to have.
