A beautiful young Indonesian woman approaches with a large basket tray supported by a neck strap and says “Would you like Jamu today?” Her smile brightens the day as she describes the Indonesian tradition of drinking health tonics to start the day. The Jamu Gendong was served in a shot glass just before today’s breakfast of delicious Bo Ne which was juicy wagyu beef with fried egg. Most will opt for breakfast alfresco on the wrap around veranda of this beautiful five star estate. The view overlooks the long infinity pool surrounded with chaise lounges and umbrellas. There’s a palm tree lined white sand beach and a rustic fishing boat that crosses the bay. This is how the day begins at The Sanchaya Estate, an incredible boutique hotel in Bintan, Indonesia.

The Sanchaya Estate represents a bygone era when going on vacation meant the finest accommodations, amenities, dining, and services. It meant that your host focused on the minutest of details relating to your holiday so you didn’t have to. When time was not rushed; when holidays meant a chance to relax, enjoy, and to be pampered. When the attentive staff took the time to learn your name and you, the guest, learned theirs.

The Sanchaya is located on one of Indonesia’s largest and least developed islands, Bintan. Bintan is a tropical island blanketed with dense tropical rainforests, mangroves, and natural beauty. To get here, guests take a short 45 minute ferry from Singapore.

Sanchaya means “collection” in Sanskrit and the hotel has design influences, hospitality and cultural experiences are from several Asian countries. The hotel’s personality, attention to detail, and acceptance of nothing other than the best is derived from its founder, Natalya Pavchinskaya. Her vision was to create a the feeling of a 18th century European salon where visitors were welcomed to a grand and engaging environment with the best of food, art, and cultures. The design concept embraces the rich history and tradition of the region and combines it with Oriental elegance and European refinement.

The Sanchaya has the feeling of an aristocrat’s home, the centerpiece of which is the Great Room. It is more like a colonial mansion of centuries past with its striking white exterior with black and gray shutters. Indoors there are fascinating and intellectually provocative art, books, and cultural offerings create a feeling of wonderment and personal discovery.

The Sanchaya is a small property in terms of rooms and is not made for mass tourism. It has been deliberately crafted for the discerning few. There are only 30 units; 9 suites above the Great Room and 21 villas ranging from 1 bedroom to 3 bedrooms. The décor throughout the property, and in particular the rooms, is fabulous with colonial furnishing, polished parquet floors and Chinese-style cabinets. The artwork is similar to what would be found in a grand estate filled with travel treasures, souvenirs and heirlooms. Guest will admire the rare pieces of art, exceptional wall hangings, period maps, and artefacts.

The details at The Sanchaya are what make each guest feel special and begin to love the property, starting with the large basket of fresh fruit in your room to welcome you. Then there is the complimentary MAXI bar filled with a lot of goodies from gourmet veggie chips, popcorn to granola bars, and exclusive handcrafted European chocolate.

For indoor entertainment there is a newfangled high tech system of iPads with a wide selection of preloaded movies, high-fidelity Bang & Olufsen televisions and sound systems, premium cable channels and Apple TV. And it doesn’t end there. Turn down service is a special treat and instead of the regular mint on the pillow, guests receive hot chocolate and homemade cookies or some other fabulous treat. It’s The Sanchaya’s special way of saying good night and sleep well.

The all-day dining restaurant is simply called The Dining Room just as it would be referred in an aristocrat’s mansion. There are places for couples and families to dine as well as a large space where hotel guest can connect at a common table to regale over stories of travels past. Dinner is splendid with a curated menu of contemporary European and Southeast Asian delicacies.

The Salon and Library houses Decanter, the estate’s wine cellar and wine and cheese tasting area and well-stocked charcuterie. The Sanchaya’s Sommelier is on hand to assist residents with pairing a broad spectrum of wines from their collection of 400 labels from the best wines from around the world. The Bar offers a wide selection of scotches, as well as hand-rolled Cuban cigars, tobacco pipes, shisha and tobacco menus.
The spa at The Sanchaya offers a wide array of treatments including Balinese, Swedish, traditional aromatherapy, deep tissue, herbal, and Thai massages as well as reflexology and back therapy. The Sanchaya Signature massage is a stone and deep tissue treatment which is 60 minutes of utter bliss.

As wonderful as The Sanchaya experience is, it would be nothing special without their fantastic service. This is genuine service as you would find in a private estate with all staff members have been trained by the British Butler Institute so they are actually experts on good service and prove it at each opportunity.

Guest who have been to The Sanchaya Estate are explorers who searched and have found a rare treasure. They have discovered the right place for well-being, relaxation, and intellectual stimulation and their very own vacation nirvana in The Sanchaya Estate on Bintan Island.