While you vacation, or work remotely, in a fabulous villa.
(Bloomberg) — Welcome to Bloomberg Pursuits Amenity Watch, where we look at the exciting (and sometimes ridiculous) perks that luxury hotels are coming up with to entice people back out into the world.
On a typical day at Green Camp, groups of up to 20 kids can try their hand at bamboo architecture or take a survival skills course led by a naturalist along jungle trails—returning home to a thatched-roof, clifftop villa with its own private plunge pool.
This isn’t your typical day camp. For one thing, the campus is a 222-acre, five-star resort in Bali.
Beginning on July 4, Ayana Estate in Bali will be offering the first destination camp of its kind in Southeast Asia, with options that stretch for up to four weeks without repeating an activity. The programming is divided into two age groups: Weeklong, themed units for kids aged 2-6 are designed in conjunction with Guidepost Montessori, the global preschool provider, while activities for kids aged 7-12 are organized by Green School Bali, a renowned private school and expat haven.
Pricing varies. Entry-level rooms with inspiring balcony views of the forest canopy for a family of four start from around $235, while a two-bedroom villa with ocean view runs about $1,000 per night during the summer. Some rooms have patios abutting a lagoon-style pool that wraps around the property. (It’s one of 14 places to swim, not counting the beach.) All have access to a stunning clifftop spa.
Camp tuition is an additional cost. Whereas luxury day camps in the U.S. can cost up to $14,000 for the summer—that’s $1,750 per week, or $350 a day—Ayana’s offerings all cost less than $600 per week, with extended hours coverage. Unlike in conventional camps, though, the days are divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with a break in coverage from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. And, unlike conventional camps, Ayana accepts kids as young as 2, without requiring toddlers to be potty trained.
The best values comes with package deals; a five-night stay in a Jimbaran Bay View Room would ordinarily cost $1,668, but guests can add five half-days of camp programming, a 50-minute massage at the spa for two people and round-trip airport transfers for just $282.
The curriculum is a step up from the typical resort kids’ club—and not just because of the immense variety of activities. Guidepost at Ayana, for instance, is meant to offer a seamless transition for kids aged 2-6 who are already in a Montessori school anywhere in the world; the weeklong units will focus on local nature, culture, food, and ocean life.
“If you live in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Bangkok or Rome, and your children are attending a preschool Montessori curriculum, this will feel familiar for them,” says Giordano Faggioli, Ayana’s general manager. “The biggest benefit that I can provide to our guest families is the peace of mind that comes with continuing their at-home routine.”
Montessori in Bali certainly doesn’t mean playing in a classroom with fancy wooden toys. Guidepost campers—up to 15 kids at a time—can harvest and taste produce (spinach, mangoes, kaffir lime leaves) on a five-acre farm, learn about local farming techniques, and interact with local culture by seeing and touching traditional masks that are worn during Indonesian celebrations. Meanwhile, at Green Camp—the program run through Green School Bali—kids aged 7-12 can learn to climb coconut trees or take Indonesian cooking classes. All activities will be carried out in English and Mandarin.
Faggioli says bookings have been strong for both programs. Green Camp has already met its enrollment threshold of at least four kids per day through the month of July, he says. Most families are booking for one-week stays, rather than for a full month.
The largest share of guests, he adds, is coming from mainland China and Hong Kong. Before Covid-19 struck, Chinese tourists accounted for one-fifth of foreign visits to Bali, and they’re rushing back after an extended border closure that ended only this year. Faggioli expects they’ll be joined by travelers from Japan and Australia, countries that also favor Bali strong tourism—and where Montessori schools thrive. (Americans, he says, are less inclined to make such long-haul trips with children.)
For parents, the “work from anywhere” situation is as good as it gets. The hotel has expanded outlet-equipped seating at its rooftop bar (plus high speed Wi-Fi) so guests can tackle their inboxes with a view of Jimbaran Bay.
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