A front-row seat to paradise
By DesRes Bali
Some places insist on being remembered. Sabbia by Nyoman & Nyoman is one of them.
Just above the sand, where the limestone cliffs and bougainvillea-lined paths end and the Indian Ocean begins, there’s a small and special hotel with a big view. Not big in the show off kinda way—big in the way nature is. Five suites, all open to the sea. Mornings start with the sound of surf and perfectly filtered sun, the kind of light that makes you forget what time it is. Maybe you’ll stay in bed. Maybe you’ll grab your board. Maybe you’ll just sit there, watching waves roll in. Sabbia by Nyoman & Nyoman is that place.
Photo by Lotta and the Waves
Built by Sabbia Management Group and Nyoman & Nyoman (the latter, two locals with deep roots in this pocket of the Bukit), Sabbia feels more like a home than a hotel. The design is pared-back and easy: smooth floors, soft white curtains, rattan, linen. There’s no excess. Just the right amount of everything. The elegance is quiet, but intentional.
Photo by David Jarvis
Photo by Lotta and the Waves
And then there’s the walk down. 250 steps. No shortcut. But the descent prepares you—slows your breath, peels away the layers. By the time you reach the bottom, you’re not quite the same. You’re saltier, lighter, more awake.
Photo by David Jarvis
Sabbia doesn’t try too hard. It doesn’t have to. The view does most of the work.
A Note from DesRes Bali
July 2025
Sabbia has closed its doors—for now. What happens next is unclear. But its story lives on here: a quiet tribute to a place that meant something. To those who built it, stayed in it, and loved it.
It was special.
