Wyndham Sundancer Resort Lombok: kickstarting the post-quake recovery

A new hotel opening is a lengthy process years in the making. Ticking off the seemingly endless pre-opening checklist is a critical process with a defined timeline. It’s all about budgets, best laid plans and preparation. This is especially crucial when entering a completely new market, particularly one where five-star luxury is still something of a novelty.

A global brand like Wyndham is no stranger to the challenges of meeting tight deadlines for recruitment, sales distribution, brand awareness efforts, pre-launch marketing strategy and the like, but sometimes the most meticulous plans can be shaken off course a little when Mother Nature strikes. Just weeks after Lombok’s devastating earthquakes Travelmole sat down with Nanang Supriadi, general manager of the newly launched five-star Wyndham Sundancer Resort Lombok.

In the aftermath of North Lombok’s earthquakes, Wyndham Sundancer Resort Lombok announced itself to the world on schedule, with a highly anticipated debut in Lombok. While the quakes have been a major blow to one of Indonesia’s key tourism markets, it’s a landmark opening which has served to inspire a little more confidence in the island’s recovery.

"Lombok is a resilient island and we are fully supportive of on-the-ground reconstruction efforts where most needed. Situated in the southwest, our resort and the local communities were completely unaffected.  The rebound has already started with an increasing number of visitors arriving daily," Pak Nanang says.

Tourism is a key driver of economic growth and crucial to its long term prospects, he says, adding that the first step is overturning the negative media perception that the island is still struggling to recover.

The opening of Wyndham Sundancer Lombok Resort has chalked up a number of milestones. It is the only all-suite hotel resort of its kind in Lombok and one of just a handful of five-star properties.

The hotel is set right by the beach on the Lombok’s Sekotong Peninsular, a short, meandering coastal drive south of Lembar Port. Sekotong is the gateway to the so-called ‘Secret Gilis’ – featuring more than a dozen tiny offshore islands fringed by pristine reefs.

This is arguably Lombok’s last truly untouched coastal region with uncrowded dive sites and miles of white sandy beaches. Outside of weekends and holidays, it’s not uncommon to claim a wide expanse of beach all for yourself without so much as a single footprint in the sand. A little further south is the epic swell of isolated surf spot Desert Point, which on its day is noted for the best waves on the planet.

The Sekotong area has been threatening to become Lombok’s next big thing for several years now, so bagging its first luxury resort seems like something of a breakthrough moment. Still, gazing out from the resort’s beach club to the appealing offshore islands dotted on the bay, you get the sense of its raw, untouched quality that is hardly about to become overrun anytime soon.

It is a scenic one hours’ drive from island capital Mataram that winds its way through verdant hills and around completely deserted bays looking across to the offshore ‘Gilis.’ You are immediately struck by just how deserted the roads become in this corner of Lombok.  

With 66 luxury bedroom suites, Wyndham Sundancer Lombok Resort is already one of the larger hotel properties in Lombok, which eloquently shows just how far removed Lombok is from brash sibling Bali. The accommodation and amenities surround the resort’s main focal point – an outstanding 900 sqm pool complex, complete with a 3m deep ‘dive zone.’  

Suites are perched on a gently sloping hill, overlooking the pool in one and two bedroom configurations. Each has an expansive separate lounge and bedroom complete with full kitchen facilities. The contemporary décor gets a traditional twist with locally inspired Javanese and ‘Sasak’ Lombok motifs throughout. All overlook the pool or ocean.

The spa complex is among the largest and most impressive on Lombok, while there are options for poolside and beachfront dining, and a soon to open dive centre. Nanag says wellness and weddings are two key areas of focus  for the resort, particular with a lack of quality options elsewhere in Lombok.

Nanang is eager to point out the wide ranging benefits to the local community that a major hospitality player can bring. This starts with exposing a relatively little known destination to a global market, and building up a skilled local workforce able to support the business for years to come.

The hotel has been heavily involved in post-quake recovery efforts to ramp up destination marketing in collaboration with island and provincial tourism officials. Wyndham Sundancer Lombok Resort was one of the official event hotels for the recent Makaki Marathon 2018, one of the first major happenings acting as a post-earthquake promotional platform to encourage travellers back to Lombok.