Music, art, design, food & wellness come to play at Desa Potato Head, Bali
Rediscover Seminyak’s sustainable beachfront creative village, Desa Potato Head, with a fresh new vibe at Potato Head Suites and experiential activities for mind, body and soul.
Above: Photography by Kevin Mak
Potato Head’s boutique hotel, the 58-suite artisan property formerly known as Katamama, is ready to embrace guests once again, recently re-opening as Potato Head Suites.
Designed by pioneering Indonesian architect Andra Matin, the boutique hotel is set on the sand and surf of Petitenget Beach, Seminyak, and is intended as a fusion of ancient tradition with modern aesthetics. It’s a contemporary take on the Balinese culture and a sensory sanctuary, where soul-nourishing, mind-blowing experiences are offered and no level of comfort or luxury is spared.
From the temple bricks handmade in a nearby village of Tabanan used to create the now-iconic structure and textural walls, the hand-woven, naturally dyed textiles and intricate local handicrafts to the bespoke Jengki teak furniture recalling young Indonesian designers’ rebellious mid-century modern enthusiasm after independence from the Dutch, the hotel is entirely made by local artisans to celebrate the Bali of old and new.
The refreshed Potato Head Suites offer a spacious oasis of peace and beauty, allowing guests respite and escape, along with all of Potato Head’s signature delights of beachside beats and bliss. Each suite’s in-room bar can personalise your stay and experience based on your intentions: wellness reset or party recharge.
Above: Photos courtesy Potato Head
More than a place to visit or stay, the Desa Potato Head creative village is intended to inspire creativity, balance and progress for the future, focusing on sustainability, wellness and community connection while elevating the Indonesian creative scene. Dive deep into the Desa Potato Head creative village by the ocean, where music, art, design, food and wellness play together. There are unique and inspiring activities happening in every corner of the Desa, from the Amphitheatre, where modern, experimental and cultural performances channel the island’s energy, to meditations under the rising sun, morning yoga, art installations made out of waste, and sustainable workshops at Sweet Potato Lab (learn how to make Bali’s traditional medicinal tonic, Jamu), plus co-working facilities at Studio Eksotika, a multi-functional space inside Potato Head Studios packing a library as an audiophile setup helmed by Jakarta-born DJ Dea Barandana.
Above: Photos courtesy Potato Head
Naturally, dining is an experiential affair at Desa Potato Head, too. There are myriad ways to feast at Potato Head, just choose your menu and mood. The Desa works with local farmers to grow food organically and source ingredients responsibly from around the archipelago), and the ultimate options include a meal at Kaum, where you can taste a modern showcase of recipes passed on for generations but rarely recorded or shared outside the islands’ 600 tribal communities. Or head to Tanaman, a multi-sensory restaurant where diners are invited to experience a chef’s table holding just eight guests for a plant-fueled trip through provocative plates and spirited drinks inspired by the five elements: air, fire, earth, water, and space, and all set to a beautifully designed soundtrack.
Above: Cosmic plant-fueled dishes and avant garde mixology at Tanaman. Images courtesy Potato head.
Above: Photography by Paulius Staniunas @allisamazing
And, in typical Potato Head fashion, music runs through the heart of everything the Desa offers. Settle in the late afternoon on the lawn or grab a sun lounge (if you’re lucky!) and grab yourself a sundowner to simmer down into a sun-drenched soundtrack that is especially magic come sunset when the DJ sets kick into gear, and the cocktails flow as the sky comes alight and the sun melts into the ocean beyond.
Not yet in Bali? Potato Head has you covered, so you can bring the vibe into your home with their HEADSTREAM live streaming service, digital escapism from Bali to everywhere. Located at the entrance of Desa Potato Head in Seminyak beneath ‘The Womb’, a stunning 90-metre bamboo archway built by revered artist Nano Uhero, HEADSTREAM unearths and provides a global stage for the archipelago’s many DJs, collectors, creatives, thinkers, musicians and cultural heroes.