Crowned as one of the world’s best beachfront resorts, including the recent #1 Best Resort Hotel in Indonesia by a renowned travel publication, The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas – Nusa Dua, Bali has become the epitome of luxury in both hospitality and design among its peers, by breaking away from the mould of beach resorts and creating a majestic retreat. Set within a prime beachfront location, Mulia Bali boasts not just one or two, but three distinct experiences – a resort, an all-suite accommodation and a cluster of private pool villas – giving luxury of options for everyone. Its modern take on local culture and traditions – along with the multicultural influences – represents the DNA of the resort that can be seen at every turn.
Beautiful and Functional
Taking the elements of Balinese architecture, towering roofs stand tall on the main structure of Mulia Bali, mimicking the vaulted roof in many traditional homes that circulates the air and cools down the area. Tall arch doors perfectly frame the magnificent view of the Indian Ocean, glass walls and water features surround the main lobby and reception area, allowing natural light to come in, enabling the resort to conserve energy during the daytime. With the open concept, the resort benefits from a gentle tropical breeze that flows through the area.
Mulia Bali adapted the concept even further by designing cascading levels around Mulia Villas taking the land contour of rice paddy fields. This multilevel elevation allows the villas to have an unobstructed view of the Indian Ocean or lush tropical gardens. The villa itself has the layout similar to traditional Balinese houses, built within a compound surrounded by walls consisting of several pavilions. The sleeping quarters or main pavilion houses a spacious living room and bedroom area with an ensuite luxurious bathroom complete with a jacuzzi tub, indoor and outdoor showers, and double vanity; while a gazebo sits in the gardens as the common area with plush comfortable seatings, resembling the Bale Dauh, the traditional multipurpose pavilion in a Balinese home.
Feast for All Senses
Casting a dramatic backdrop, tall slabs of Azul Bahia marble stand behind the reception of Mulia Resort. Highly prized for its signature blue colour, Azul Bahia is a top choice among the design world. Quarried in Brazil, it is characterized by the navy blue colour with white clustering and occasional green veining.
While majestic crystal chandeliers ‘fly’ around the space at eight different points, symbolizing infinity. The “8 Nagas” chandeliers are made of Bohemian glass, referred to as Bohemia crystal, produced in the Czech Republic. It is known for centuries as high-quality crystal, internationally recognised for its craftsmanship, beauty and innovative design. The shape of these chandeliers mimics the legendary celestial dragons – Naga, a symbol of good fortune, luck, prosperity, and abundance in Asian culture.
In the guest bedrooms, soft colour palettes are used to complement nature – blue for the sky, shades of browns for the ground and the sand, and green for the trees and the sea – all co-exist and blend harmoniously without overpowering one another. Each piece of furnishing is custom made for the resort, using high-quality materials and designed for total comfort. The soft, cloud-like beddings with high thread count Egyptian cotton are made to the highest standard to complement the one-of-a-kind mattresses that promise a good night sleep.
An Homage to Art
Various art displays, paintings and sculptures add texture, color and create an endless feast for the eyes. Sourced from many countries and globally talented artists, unique collectable antique art pieces and installations adorn the public spaces displaying a mixture of styles from modern to traditional; to represent the multinational travellers the resort caters to.
Ornate doors from a palace in India stand majestically by the resort’s main restaurant, a museum piece art installation graces the resort’s atrium, wooden antique Indonesian sculptures decorate the walls of The Mulia’s Lounge, antique Chinese headdresses add touches of luxury in the resort’s premium suites, along with multiple art collections that harmoniously blend into the space creating the eclectic style that is uniquely Mulia.
Paintings of sleeping monks in the bedrooms tell a story of how relaxing the resort is as one can find peace anywhere; simple silhouette sketches of Balinese figures take on the new approach to the traditional Balinese paintings; the bowing statues of men and women depict the warm hospitality and serving nature of Balinese people; each artwork is carefully handpicked to tell a story of dedication and passion of the people behind Mulia Bali.
A Design with a Story
But there is a larger story behind Mulia Bali’s architecture and design, a philosophy that is carried through in everything the multi-award-winning resort does. Gracing the pages of glossy magazines across the globe, the iconic ladies statues at Mulia Bali represent the cultural values of Balinese culture that stand as the foundation for Mulia’s impeccable service. At the Ladies Courtyard Pool, the statues are depicted holding a lotus – a symbol of offering, taken from the Balinese Hindu daily tradition of placing flower offerings as a token of dedication and devotion. By the Ocean Pool – the statues are holding a bowl of water, a symbol of purification and cleansing, taken from the use of water elements in various ceremonies in Bali. While the iconic Oasis Pool is flanked by six-metre tall statues holding a sheaf of rice – a symbol of prosperity, also taken from the Balinese Hindu tradition of placing grains of rice on the forehead at the end of a ceremony as a token of gratitude.
Small intricate details lie in every property – a simple yet very significant symbol such as the animal icon in every room. Mulia Resort took the majestic elephant as its icon, representing the grandeur and extravagant space of this 526-room accommodation. This is represented even in the generously spacious rooms – at 57 square metres, Mulia Resort has one of the largest entry-level rooms on the island.
Standing majestically on the beachfront of Geger Beach, The Mulia adopted the rooster as its icon. The all-suite-accommodation faces the south-eastern coast of the island, blessing the beachfront suites with a stunning sunrise view over the horizon. Thus the rooster was chosen, an appreciation to the morning’s first light. While the turtle, a creature that represents peace, living in harmony with all elements of life, became the fitting icon for Mulia Villas – where guests can escape to the luxury haven on the hills of Nusa Dua to relax, decompress from the busy lifestyle.
These philosophies run deeply in the resort’s DNA and showcase proudly through its high-quality products and services. The restaurants have devoted themselves to presenting authentic recipes, from the fresh seafood and premium cuts at the Mediterranean and Pan-Asian beachfront dining, Soleil, the simple yet complex Japanese dishes at Edogin, the harmony of flavours, textures and colours of Chinese cuisine at Table8, to the world culinary presentations at the seven cooking theatres of The Cafe. The activities on offer take any travellers from a mix of cultural experiences to a high impact fitness program, a wholesome experience of its own. While Mulia Spa takes the best Asian spa philosophies and modern therapies creating a series of pampering treatments to help one regain a sense of wellbeing – physically, mentally and spiritually – a purification of the mind, body and soul.
