Magia de Uma opens in BaliBali, Indonesia

Hidden down a quiet lane in Umalas, where rice fields still outnumber smoothie bowls, Magia de Uma feels like Bali before the volume got turned up. Recently opened and now part of the Design Hotels family, this low-slung retreat isn’t really about grand gestures. It’s more about letting history, craft and nature do the talking.

The vision of husband-and-wife duo Jacopo and Rosa Sertoli, Magia de Uma was designed around preservation rather than polish. Rooms are spread across a central villa and a cluster of bungalows, some built around 150-year-old Javanese joglo structures that bring serious gravitas to an otherwise laid-back setting. Original wooden floors, high ceilings and simple white linens keep things calm, while Indonesian craftsmanship runs deep; carved timber doorways, vintage furniture and ancient farming tools repurposed as sculptural details.

Downstairs, the open restaurant-bar blends natural textures with subtle industrial touches, nodding to Bali’s layered past. Food leans proudly Indonesian, with an imaginative menu by Bali-based Michelin-star chef Fernando Trump. Vegetables come from the garden, rice from the owners’ own fields, and long lunches tend to drift into sunset sessions by the mosaic-tiled pool.

Wellness here isn’t flashy, but it is thoughtful. The timber-built spa houses a sauna, ice bath and yoga shala overlooking the paddies, while treatments tap into Balinese traditions (think warm spice body wraps, sound healing and full moon ceremonies). Creative energy flows through artist-led workshops, dance classes and hands-on cooking sessions that turn dinner into a shared ritual.

Sustainability underpins it all, from recycled materials and biodegradable mattresses to partnerships with local artisans and eco-focused brands. Magia de Uma doesn’t try to reinvent Bali, it simply reminds you why it was magical in the first place.

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