Bali Hospitality: What Sets the Island Apart
Bali hospitality operates at its best when it is genuinely community-rooted rather than simply service-industry standard. The properties and restaurants that attract the most loyal returning visitors are almost always those where the people delivering the experience have a real connection to the island — where the manager grew up nearby, where the kitchen sources its produce from local farmers, where the front-of-house team reflects the community around them. This is what distinguishes genuine Bali hospitality from the internationally branded hotel experience that could be located anywhere in the world.
For visitors returning to Bali after the pandemic disruption, the resilience of the island’s Bali hospitality sector has been one of the most heartening aspects of the recovery. Teams that were dispersed during the closures have reconvened; properties that were shuttered have reopened with renewed energy; and the quality of welcome that defines Bali hospitality at its best appears to have survived the interruption intact. Learn more about tourism in Bali on Wikipedia and explore our Bali destination guide.
Bali hospitality has always been the island’s greatest competitive advantage — a quality of warmth and genuine welcome that survives even the most challenging economic conditions. After a couple of extremely difficult years, tourism and Bali hospitality are now gradually reopening, providing tourists the opportunity to enjoy everything they have missed during the pandemic. Many in the sector have gone through a massive disruption causing loss in revenue and employees. A challenging situation to all business models and even to the existence of businesses. However, with exceptional hard work, innovation, good strategies, and utilizing connection to customers and community, plus a sprinkle of good luck – many stayed in the business or even started up a new business during the pandemic. One of those incredible entrepreneurs is Stijn van Leeuwen.
Stijn runs, together with his partner Jan Seelen, PT SMG (Sensorial Management Group), a leisure and hospitality company that includes managing niche tourism business such as restaurants, bars, luxury hotel and villa management and high volume catering services. In his commitment to deliver the most incredible journey and experience, during and right after the pandemic Stijn and Jan have started up The Sandwich Bar (Sanur, Ubud and Bali Zoo), IZZY Izakaya Street (Sanur), CORK Bisto & Wine Bar (Sanur) and various hotel and villa management contracts through out West Bali, with a few more concepts in the pipeline.
Community and sustainability are two main pillars of PT SMG business. In terms of community participation, Stijn gives up his time to talk to students in hospitality at Udayana University. He believes in good conduct in giving back to the community where he lives. While on the matter of sustainability, his business works with no single use plastics, has implemented energy saving practices, and sources sustainable and organic food and beverage products where possible. Produce is sourced daily fresh as much as possible. For Stijn, it is important to minimize impact on the environment and the use of natural resources while simultaneously meeting the needs of guests and customers.
Stijn chose Sanur to be his homebase to start his family as well as his business. Sanur has everything in wants, from great options in food, accommodation, close to all destinations (like the airport, Lembongan, Ubud) and yet Sanur maintains a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere. Sanur has good international schools, great fishing and beautiful beaches, and is magical with its ceremonies and other Balinese cultural activities that continue to captivate him. Married to a Balinese beauty, Citra, Stijn participates in modern and traditional elements of the daily cultural life. Their son, Tygo Agung, keeps them busy and motivated and enjoys their travel and adventures as much as they do.
During the most difficult years of pandemic, Stijn started up a new concept in Japanese dining in Bali called Izzy Izakaya Street which is located on the bypass, Sanur. This Japanese restaurant inspired by the vibrant Kyoto nightlife where you can try delicacies from six different stalls (or izakaya in Japanese) and find your favourite taste and style. With a beautiful, big garden, live music, and enticing menus for all the family, such as yakitori, teppanyaki, warayaki, and sushi, Izzy Izakaya Street is the perfect venue for heading out with family and friends.
Fb – Izzy Izakaya Street
IG – stijnbali
What Stijn van Leeuwen’s perspective illuminates is that Bali hospitality has always operated according to a logic that is not purely commercial. The island’s reputation as a destination where guests feel genuinely welcome — rather than efficiently processed — is the product of a deep cultural value around hosting that predates the modern tourism industry. Balinese communities have always received guests with food, ceremony, and genuine attention. The best expressions of Bali hospitality in the professional sector are those that translate this cultural instinct into a consistent service standard without stripping out the warmth that makes it distinctive.
The challenge for Bali hospitality going forward is managing growth without diluting the quality of experience that makes the island worth visiting. As new properties open at pace and the volume of international arrivals continues to increase, the risk is that Bali hospitality becomes more standardised — more like everywhere else — in the pursuit of scale and efficiency. The operators and managers who understand this risk, and who build their teams and their culture accordingly, are the ones most likely to deliver the Bali hospitality experience that keeps guests returning year after year.
For travellers choosing where to stay in Bali, the quality of Bali hospitality is often the most reliable indicator of whether a property will deliver a memorable experience. Reviews that describe staff who remembered a guest’s name, who anticipated a preference, or who went beyond the expected without being asked — these are the signals worth looking for. Bali hospitality at its best is not a department or a standard operating procedure; it is a disposition, and it shows up most clearly in the small moments between the scripted ones.
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