Those who have the privilege of staying at ARTOTEL would know how it has been closely affiliated with the urban market. With flagship chains sprawling across prime locations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan, the ARTOTEL Group has successfully cemented its presence in Asia.
Project Name – Artotel Haniman Ubud
Studio Name – Bitte Design Studio
Completion date– 2018
Building Level – 3
Location– Ubud, Bali
Photography– Liandro Siringoringo
In their home country alone, they have launched their establishments in strategic locations across Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Semarang, and Bali, where they continue to earn a reputation as an up-and-coming hospitality group with close ties to the modern, roving travelers.
The Indonesian boutique hotel chain has always been recognized as a fervent advocate of the local artistic community; counting a portfolio of hotels designed in collaboration with home-grown talents along with personalized community engagements. Simply pay a visit to one of their hotels and discover original artworks being incorporated into the hotel’s interior, furnishings and, even, the exterior. Clearly, the group has put themselves as trendsetters of the modern hospitality experience.
Enter ARTOTEL Haniman. Launched in 2018, this three-story contemporary concrete structure in Ubud takes a step back from the urban city leisure that ARTOTEL has been known for. Instead, here they’ve become a haven for guests looking to escape from the ordinary and get immersed in Ubud’s slow living routine. Being the second installment of ARTOTEL in Bali, the hotel offers guests an intimate hospitality experience with an artistic touch that is true to ARTOTEL’s identity—evident by its collaboration with Kemal Ezedine, an Ubud-based artist whose abstract paintings are rooted in Balinese philosophy. His bold and colorful brushstrokes can be seen throughout the hotel interior.
As the architect and interior designer in charge of ARTOTEL Haniman, Bitte Design Studio had used the chance to explore Balinese architecture, local materials and craftsmanship, all of which later on inspired the award-winning design of the hotel. Led by principal architects Chrisye Octaviani and Seno Widyantoro, Bitte’s concept was to integrate open spaces in the design, focusing on good ventilation, air circulation and natural light. And these are the things that Bitte wants visitors to experience from the get-go.
At the entrance hall, a round skylight with a tree growing past it is the first eye-catching sight that welcomes guests. Here, Bitte tries to incorporate nature into the human space and create a unique spatial experience in a limited enclosure. After crossing the foyer, guests will arrive at the swimming pool area, where a mural of Kemal’s vibrant hand-painted illustrations—one of the hotel’s signatures—adds an eye-catching element to the tranquil leisure space. This artwork can be seen throughout all of the hotel’s 20 rooms (and two additional rooms located on the rooftop), each decorated with Kemal’s very own hand-painted artworks.
