Cover Etta the Place in Bali
Etta the Place in Bali
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Etta the Place, a design-led hotel and series of F&B concepts, opens in Bali this month
“Another hotel in Bali?” you ask with a groan. Sit down, shut up, this one’s different. I’m talking 6pm silver martini trolley turndown service in your room kind of different.
Etta the Place opens this month in a quiet, leafy street in Berawa, a design-led hotel and series of F&B concepts that was “built for the neighbourhood before the traveller” by Gibran Baydoun, founder of BYGB Studio and That’s Proper Hospitality Group.
Throughout his career, Baydoun has opened 16 restaurants and advised 17 hotels. Now, he’s making his Bali debut, and he’s making it personal. Etta the Place is named after his beloved and vivacious grandmother, Ruth Etta Collins, and is an homage to her impeccable taste.
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“My grandmother was a woman of conviction. A force of a woman who raised six kids on her own during the Motown era of Detroit, but did so with class,” he says. “She wore Chanel no. 5 her entire life and lived in a Mies van der Rohe townhouse she bought from a member of the Temptations. Her spirit lives on in every intentional design decision”
The aforementioned Mies van der Rohe townhouse was a key source of inspiration for Etta the Place’s design: think celadon leather sofas, brick floors, and chrome blinds.
Every detail is intentional — catalysts for conversation and creating a deep sense of connection to Bali’s creative scene. From the custom furniture by STVMP, Mahardika Design and Foolnitule to vintage Indonesian fabrics; uniforms and textiles by Alami Studio join Nusa Penida handwoven upholstery; Sungai Design pressed river plastic into bar flooring and hearth tiles; and fabric scrap art by Cait Bahari adorns the walls.
“We knew we wanted to create something with a strong point of view. Etta the Place in Brawa, tells a decidedly 90s story as if you have just left your Manhattan loft and gone to the beach house of your most creative friend for a damn good weekend”
Above Ashlee Malligan, Etta the Place's executive chef, with Gibran Baydoun
Above Gibran Baydoun
Ashlee Malligan, Etta the Place's executive chef, with Gibran Baydoun
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Etta the Place’s food and drink ecosystem opened first, led by executive chef Ashlee Malligan, with hotel rooms coming soon.
There’s Win Win, the heart of the place, a restaurant by night and luncheonette by day serving a 90s New York menu of raw bar towers, real pastrami and martinis and a wall of wine fridges sorted by price tier so guests choose their own. Legacy Fine Roasters & Creamery is a street facing coffee window cloaked in glass block pouring strong American coffee alongside soft serve ice cream. Chez Kiki is Etta’s rooftop wrapped around a pool above Berawa Beach, styled with orange tiles, checkerboard details, and frilled umbrellas. To dance, there’s Palace Disco, built to drink and boogie, it’s “powered by vinyl, cassette tapes, strong cocktails, and zero pretension”.
As for the hotel rooms, there are just 15 of them and they’re just as moody, considered and chic as the rest of Etta the Place. There’s a strong focus on analog comfort and human scale hospitality. Each room features built-in corduroy diner booths, private full bars, vintage style radios and curated stacks of books. Televisions are available on request for movie nights. Daily rituals bring pillow and water menus, hallway perfume dispensers, face masks, and a 6pm silver martini trolley turndown service.
Bringing it all back to the woman who inspired it all, it’s fitting that the name Etta means “keeper of the hearth; ruler of the home”.
“In the end, I think we all just want to feel something. We want to know we are exactly where we are supposed to be, with who we are supposed to be with, doing exactly what we were meant to do. That’s Etta the Place.”
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Coco Marett is a writer and editor who grew up between Hong Kong and Melbourne. She currently heads the travel section for Tatler Asia, and manages the Tatler Travel account on Instagram. She is known for her features on unique, under-the-radar properties and destinations. She's also known for her in-depth interviews that paint a refreshingly candid portrait of influential figures across various industries —from artists to political figures, CEOs to celebrity chefs. Follow her on Instagram @cocomarett
