Ametis Villa

From Berlin to Bali...

Berlin is cool, as everyone knows by now. You can party for three days in a row in endless underground clubs and bars. Loads of artists and creatives from all over the world call the city home. It’s rough, it’s dirty, it’s real. But what if you want nice? You go to Bali – and not anywhere in Bali, but to Ametis Villa.

Ametis Villa is the ideal escape. Located in the lovely coastal area of Canggu, near Seminyak, it is the exact opposite of Berlin: it’s perfect. Unimposing from the outside, it’s immediately obvious that this is not your average Balinese hotel. Arriving at the car park we’re welcomed by a small, kind Indonesian man who accompanies us to the reception. Rather than typical rooms, the retreat offers a collection of exclusive villa compounds designed with the highest standards of luxury and quality.

First up, we’re assigned a butler who is at our service 24/7. His name is Wadu and he greets us with a big smile. Speaking faultless English, he guides us through the property’s paths, decorated with beautiful flowers and surrounded by bamboo trees. Once in a while we spy big, gleaming wooden doors, which we assume are the entrances to the different villas.

Finally, we reach our own private paradise and the wooden door to our exclusive sanctuary swings open. We walk down a little track until we see an airy house, at least six metres high, with a generous veranda. There’s a large modern open kitchen and a lounge equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system and TV. Wood meets marble in the sleek interiors, which feel like one of those house shoots that you’d usually only see in design magazines such as Architectural Digest or Wallpaper. Right in front of the kitchen and living area is a huge pool furnished with Dedon loungers. Behind it we check out the chic master bedroom that’s the ultimate in indulgence; large floor-to-ceiling windows, a marble bathroom equipped with a big tub overlooking the pool and an outdoor shower where you can look out at the stars. It feels bizarre to be here. It’s just too idyllic. So not Berlin!

You know when you visit nice hotels and restaurants and you’re really impressed by the interior, but you always find something that you would have done differently? Well, not in this case. We try really hard to spot something that we can complain about (it’s a German thing I guess), but design-wise it’s a dream. Every little detail is just right and so well implemented. Ametis Villa is the kind of place that you don’t want to leave.

Bali boasts so much to see, from culture to nature, but for us being there meant an escape from everyday life. An escape from society. A holiday from worries. The service is as splendid as the wide array of food on offer. We even receive our favorite daily German newspaper with our names on it every morning.

The only surreal moment in our serene stay is when I have my celebrity moment. Passing reception one day I have a chat with the hotel manager who kindly explains the whole history and concept of Ametis Villa. At the end of our conversation, she hesitates but then says, ‘Sorry to ask, but are you Cash Warren?’
‘Cash Warren?,’ I respond, ‘Who is Cash Warren?’
‘Jessica Alba’s boyfriend!,’ she replies.

Damn, I should have gone for it, I think to myself. There are worse things in life than being Jessica Alba’s boyfriend I guess. Unfortunately, I have to disappoint her, but luckily she did still talk to me afterwards.

The last word in charm, Ametis Villa is a private paradise for people who appreciate design and a certain way of living. It delivers complete comfort, but in such a way that you don’t feel like you’re at home but rather that you’re experiencing a lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of – albeit one you perhaps can’t find in edgier-than-thou Berlin...