Hong Kong sisters Claire and Valia Gontard have a strong personal connection to the Indonesian island of Lombok: their maternal grandfather was born there and they have been regular visitors since 2013.
It made sense, then, that the island, known for its pristine beaches and world-class waves, is the location for their first hospitality venture, Somewhere Lombok.
Nestled on a lush cliff overlooking the surfing paradise of Are Guling bay in the south of Lombok, the luxury resort features 20 stand-alone villas, each with a private terrace and plunge pool.
“So many guests have said that the photos of this place do not do it justice,” says Claire via Zoom, with swaying palms and clear blue water behind her. It is easy to see how the sisters fell under the island’s spell.
The resort, which oozes beach-chic luxury vibes, is conveniently located 10 minutes’ drive from the town of Kuta and about 35 minutes from Lombok Airport.
While Somewhere Lombok is the sisters’ first hospitality venture, they are no strangers to the industry. Both worked in the Japanese ski town of Niseko, where their French father and Hong Kong mother own a boutique hotel.
“Valia and I worked together to reopen a restaurant that was affiliated with the hotel,” says Claire.
Their parents later moved back to Hong Kong and the sisters visit often.
Valia, who spent two years solo travelling the world when she finished school, was living a nomadic lifestyle in Australia when Lombok came calling.
“Claire called one day and said she had just visited a beautiful plot of land, and the views were too good to pass on,” Valia says. “I knew I would regret it if I didn’t get involved.”
Opening Somewhere Lombok, they say, came with a host of challenges, from long waits for building permits to material price hikes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The business culture was also poles apart from their experience in Japan.
But through it all, the sisters remained on the same page.
“It makes it easy that we’re so close,” Valia says. “There’s no walking on eggshells. We just say it as it is and we don’t take it personally.”
They both shared the same vision when it came to the hotel’s aesthetic: minimalistic and sustainable design incorporating natural materials. The decor incorporates local crafts, including handmade baskets by a weaver called Mami, whose workshop is just 15 minutes from the hotel.
“There’s a lot of stone, wood and woven fabrics,” says Valia, whose black-and-white photographs capturing island life hang on the villa walls.
Keeping the design simple was intentional, Claire adds. “We didn’t want to detract from the view and the feeling of calm you get when you walk in.”
The rooms do not have TVs, so guests can focus on the surf and not screens. The property also features a 20-metre (65ft) saltwater infinity pool and loungers to help guests excel in the art of doing nothing.
“In the off season [from November to March] we have quite a few family reunions as well as yoga retreats, business retreats, surf retreats,” Valia says. Both sisters are avid surfers.
Somewhere Lombok follows a strict waste management and recycling programme that includes composting organic waste.
A focus on community connection is something the sisters inherited from their parents, who founded Espoir, a non-profit school in the Philippines that provides education for underprivileged children.
Honouring family is also important. In 2017, the sisters brought their grandfather back to the island for an emotional reunion with his sister, whom he had not seen in person for more than 25 years.
Sadly, he died in 2020 before the resort opened. Both sisters know he would have been proud of what they have built.
As for Hong Kong, the sisters have great memories of the city they call home.
“We were very fortunate to have had a fantastic childhood, went to a great school and had a great network of family and friends,” Claire says, adding that they spent their time swimming, dancing, hiking and playing rugby.
In Hong Kong, the pair were also taught how to make dumplings by their Chinese grandmother, a tradition they have continued at the resort. One Lunar New Year, they made more than 1,500 of them using a recipe handed down by their grandmother.
Adding to Lombok’s appeal is that it has, for now, remained less developed than its neighbour, Bali, which is a 30-minute flight away.
Lombok is often referred to as Bali’s sister island, but there are many differences.
Bali’s population is predominantly Hindu, while in Lombok, the Sasak ethnic group began embracing Islam in the 16th-17th centuries, and also have a strong weaving heritage – which the sisters have made sure to reflect in their hotel’s decor.
Lombok also has a more relaxed vibe than Bali, which has come to be synonymous with oversaturated tourist spots and bumper-to-bumper traffic.
But as travellers to Indonesia look for new islands to explore, just how long Lombok stays under the radar remains to be seen.
The Indonesian government is betting big on Lombok becoming a new hotspot, as seen in its multibillion-dollar Mandalika Project, a large-scale development aimed at transforming the region into a world-class tourist destination.
The project aims to turn the area into what officials call a “New Bali” and includes parks, resorts, hotels and a racetrack. Expected to be fully operational by 2045, the project has been mired in controversy amid claims that indigenous communities have been evicted to make way for the project.
The sisters constantly aim to embrace development while focusing on sustainability.
“We own a plot of land near the resort and plan to expand existing facilities by adding more rooms and wellness-focused spaces,” Claire says, adding that the hope is to be a global brand in 15 years.
“We hope to take the guest experience beyond the land and onto the water, so stay tuned for that.”
As for advice for budding hoteliers, the sisters share a sentiment: “Double your initial budget and double the timeline.”