Timeless textiles, antimicrobial materials, decadent bath tubs and inspiring art combine to make our unique gladak accommodation not only aesthetically pleasing, but healing too…
A labor of love
The history of our Gladaks
Reclaimed antique houses get a new lease of life in Uluwatu
Imprinted with a rich history, The Asa Maia’s centuries-old gladaks – a type of traditional Eastern Javanese home – have begun their second, if not third lives. A labor of love, each gladak was handpicked by owner Martha over the course of a year. Carefully dismantled piece by piece, they were transported and painstakingly reassembled onsite like giant wooden jigsaw puzzles. As custodians of these storied structures, our sensitive renovation sought to breathe new life and imagination into the old, whilst preserving their patina. Thanks to the gladaks restored bamboo roofs – handcrafted by local artisans from the only landlocked province in Bali – they blend seamlessly into their surroundings.
Petrified wooden furniture
Design & Decor
Our gladaks blend creature comforts with hand-crafted details
Authentically individual, no two gladaks are the same: inside and out. Reimagined as ten serenely spacious freestanding suites, each is named after the Javanese community from where it was sourced. Fully air-conditioned, inside they’re a vision of timber-rattan interiors with petrified wooden furniture, built-in reclaimed teak cabinetry and ikat soft furnishings. As well as vaunting a dedicated lounge area with a writing desk, each suite has a front porch with sofa seating and a mini-bar stocked with Indonesian herbal beverages and nutritious snacks. As for the eclectic artwork, landscape-inspired paintings by Bali-based Davina Stephens and striking portrait and nature photography by Rio Helmi, Tomasso Rivas and Ute Gabrielle and Ikat enliven the neutral walls.
Luxury and indulgence
Blissful Bathing
Take your bath and shower ritual outdoors
Drawing a bath for a sumptuous soak takes on a whole new level of luxury and indulgence thanks to bespoke oval copper and rare bluestone bathtubs, which channel our respect for natural materials. Partially open to the sky and the Uluwatu elements, The Asa Maia’s stylish bathrooms are a masterclass in inside-outside-living, something the Balinese have perfected. They’re outfitted with indoor and outdoor rain showers, recycled wooden doors and either stone or wood twin vanities. Continuing the past-present amalgam that’s in our hotel’s DNA, boldly patterned tilework – a modern spin on hand-poured and painted Batik cement tiles – ornament our ensuites’ surfaces.
The rare natural limestone
Belgian Bluestone
The storytelling stone that’s a portal to the past
Also called 'petit granit,’ Belgian Bluestone’s geological history is as remarkable as the story of how Bali came to be a repository of the rare natural limestone. Studded with fossils of ancient sea-life and corals, the sought-after stone’s story begins 350 million years ago when Belgium’s southern region was submerged underwater. During Indonesia’s Dutch occupation it stabilized the loads of ships journeying from Europe to Jakarta, only to be abandoned on Indonesian shores so that fleets could return with spices. Sculpted into sinks and baths, The Asa Maia’s Belgian Bluestone was acquired from a local antique dealer who salvaged it from Bogor railway station during its renovation.
Eco-friendly and recyclable
Healing Interiors
Our gladaks are outfitted with antimicrobial and energy-conducting materials
Used by nobility for centuries on account of its health benefits, copper – aka the Asa Maia’s metal of choice – is a powerful conductor of spiritual and healing energy. As well as being eco-friendly and recyclable, our oval copper tubs are naturally resistant against bacteria. Taking a long soak is not only relaxing, but can help reduce inflammation, combat fatigue and even help heal wounds thanks to the metal’s curative powers. Talking of sleep, our gladaks’ luxurious chiropractor-approved King Koil mattresses support your spine, whilst their Last Light linen bedding (handmade from premium-grade flax), is both hypoallergenic and antibacterial.
Fabric of Indonesian culture
A Timeless Textile
Supporting local Bali artisans and preserving their craft
Referring to the textile itself as well as the process, ‘ikat’ is an ancient Indonesian resist-dyeing technique that’s woven into the very fabric of Indonesian culture. In our commitment to preserve this time-honored craft, The Asa Maia’s ikat (which decorates soft furnishings as well as walls) is purchased directly from Toraja in the highlands of Southern Sulawesi, and Tenganan in eastern Bali. This time capsule village is one of our island’s surviving indigenous Balinese communities known as Bali Aga. Proudly displayed in several of our gladaks is Ikat Tenganan: one of the region’s rarest textiles, that’s double-woven and naturally dyed with native plants and herbs.
