Indonesian architect’s private family estate now a luxury resort

A private family estate once owned by noted Indonesian architect, Hendra Hadiprana is now relaunching as Tanah Gajah, a resort by Hadripana. After being under GHM hotel group’s management for nearly two decades, the venture will now be the flagship resort of a new group, Hadiprana Hospitality. Tanah Gajah’s local roots will be strengthened with the renaming of key sites on the property to reflect its origin.

The 20-key property set amidst the rice paddies in Bali’s spiritual heart of Ubud, Tanah Gajah was built in the 1980s as a holiday home for the legendary designer and was transformed into a resort in 2004. Although he relocated his family from the five-hectare property, his art collection remained and continued to evolve as he added myriad antiques and artworks from his travels. The estate’s first building, Huiyam villa, is restored and its ceiling now adorns the late designer’s life story in the form of a traditional Balinese painting. Local art being the focus in this newly rebranded property, the Bird Lounge (dedicated to Bali’s birds of paradise) has a new dynamic artwork installation of a menagerie of birds. The villa also has a new tapas outlet, the Panen Padi Lounge.

“Sometimes evolving means returning to the place where you first began,” said Tanah Gajah’s GM Deasy Swandarini. Although Hadripana designed multiple upscale hotels and resorts across Indonesia, it was at Tanah Gajah, his home, where his design ideologies were truly manifested.

Hadiprana’s other estate on the edge of the Petanu River, is the Bumi Duadari, located on the countryside. Guests could also venture for an hour-long trek up to this location with a personal butler assigned to them. In the near future, Bumi Duadari’s estate, with its family-owned fields and terraced landscapes, will be renovated, after which its rooms will be included into the portfolio of options that can be booked through Tanah Gajah.