As Singapore strives to up its Chinese visitor numbers, a nearby tropical Indonesian island billing itself as the “next Bali” may have what it takes to lure travelers in search of both sun and shopping.
Only an hour-long ferry ride from Singapore, Bintan Island in the Riau Archipelago is home to a new resort development area aimed at becoming the “next Bali,” complete with golf courses, shops, vacation homes, and of course, sandy shorelines. As with any tourism destination in Southeast Asia, Chinese travelers play a big role in the future of the island’s tourism industry. Although Singapore has seen a slump in the number of Chinese arrivals thanks to a decline in multi-country tour groups also headed to Malaysia, the ferries to and from Bintan are filled with passengers hailing from mainland China headed to a handful of new resorts popping up on the island.
The most luxurious of these new resorts is The Sanchaya, an independently owned beachfront estate that made both Travel + Leisure’s “It List” of best new hotels in the world and Conde Nast Traveler’s similar “Hot List.” With a name derived from a Sanskrit term meaning “collection,” the resort combines colonial-themed decor with a combination of Southeast Asian design influences from Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, The Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand.
“Sanchaya had been receiving good response from the Chinese travelers and Hong Kong is picking up,” says Anshuman Narayan, the resort’s estate manager. “But,” he adds, “these are the elite group and mainly FIT or couples” heading to the resort, not the tour groups that Chinese tourists are known for.
This elite atmosphere is more than clear from a visit to the property. Focused on exclusivity and tranquility, every detail of the resort has been carefully planned to create an ultra-luxe experience. When guests reach the ferry terminal, they’re whisked away to the resort’s VIP lounge for refreshments and a chilled towel instead of long lines during the customs clearance process. The resort’s British Butler Institute-trained staff addresses all guests by name as they attentively respond to every need, including bringing picnic baskets with purified-onsite sparkling water while lounging by the property’s 50-meter infinity pool and pristine beachfront or dropping off hot chocolate for the nightly turndown service.
In keeping with the classic estate feel, The Sanchaya features two impressive settings for evening drinks with dark-paneled wood, antiques, and brown leather couches that create a setting straight out of the early 1900s. Guests can smoke Cuban cigars and sip on bespoke cocktails made with rum brewed onsite at the traditional bar, while a unique space called “The Salon and Library” features wine and cheese tastings with bottles from the likes of Château Mouton Rothschild curated by the site’s resident sommelier.
While the location’s stately main house has nine opulent suites, its 21 villas appeal to the popular trend of Chinese guests traveling with “family and extended family,” according to Narayan. While the resort’s Sea Villas match its main large estate house with black-and-white colonial-style architecture accented by Asia-sourced furnishings and art, its special Thai-style Leelawadee Villas are set around a small lagoon with tropical gardens and private pool terraces. The rooms themselves feature a combination of high-tech, stylish, and ultra-comfortable amenities including Bang & Olufsen electronics, Ploh bed and bath linens, claw-foot tubs, in-room wine coolers, and a fully stocked complimentary “maxi-bar.”
Health and wellness are a major component of the resort as well, which features a full-service spa, morning yoga class, and pressed juices with ingredients like turmeric along with healthy, eco-friendly menu and snack items at its restaurants and in the rooms.
With most of its Chinese visitors currently hailing from Singapore, The Sanchaya’s future growth with the mainland tourism market will depend on both a Singapore rebound and wealthy Chinese travelers’ growing interest in experiential luxury. Although Singapore has been experiencing negative tourism growth, the lure of Bintan could attract more luxury travelers hoping to do more than just shopping on on their trips—which is a rising trend among the highest tier of Chinese luxury travelers.