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Y O U R E Y E S O N L Y
W O R D S
Lisa Allen
The Wellness Boom
AS if Bali’s sunshine, black sand beaches, and
natural beauty weren’t enough to rejuvenate
any visitor, wellness culture has been slowly
seeping into the so-called "Island of the
Gods" for generations. This phenomenon is
also offering enormous real estate income-
generating potential. With life expectancy
increasing and wellness businesses thriving,
property investors stand to reap significant
profits from this evolving health trend.
Global travelers now have more flexibility in
their work and lifestyle. No longer chained
to office desks, they can choose between
a healthy lifestyle in Bali or working from
a cramped office in a Chicago skyscraper.
It shouldn’t be too tough a decision.
Savvy developers and investors are riding
the wellness wave—designing villas and
townhouses in Bali that "provide healthy
environments for people to live, work, and
play, which can be achieved through a
combination of location, design, architecture,
landscaping,
choice
of
materials,
and
technology,"
according
to
hospitality
industry
advisory
firm
Horwath
HTL.
According to Horwath HTL, lifestyle real
estate
developments
typically
achieve
average sales price premiums of 10% to
25% over comparable traditional real estate
developments. "Yet these premiums can range
widely between 10% to 55%," the firm states.
Higher premiums typically result when villas
or townhouses are developed around a
wellness resort. Wellness residences can
range from a simple townhouse with a home
gym and swimming pool to fully embracing
the wellness mantra—offering features such
as ice-cold plunge baths, hyperbaric oxygen
chambers, private spas, recovery equipment,
meditation rooms, infrared saunas, "smart"
toilets,
ultra-premium
filtration
systems,
nail salons, and even circadian lighting.
Outside, design architects can enhance
wellness by tapping into the surrounding
environment—ensuring villas or townhouses
have awe-inspiring rainforest and ocean views,
as well as easy access to outdoor recreation.
Spas, gyms, and other wellness-oriented
facilities can also be designed to take advantage
of Bali’s breathtaking landscapes, from inland
rivers and terraced rice paddies to ocean vistas.
Property
managers
further
elevate
the
experience by ensuring personal trainers
and healthcare advisors are available on-
site. Studies consistently show that ultra-
high-end luxury resorts with cutting-edge
wellness amenities generate higher revenues
for owners, as they attract guests willing
to pay a premium for top-tier facilities.
"People are actively seeking environments
that support their well-being, and this is
shaping everything from where they choose
to live to how real estate is evolving globally,"
says Johannes Weissenbaeck, founder and
chief executive of OXO, a Bali-based company
developing gold-standard townhouses and
villas across the island. OXO builds in Bali’s
most desirable locations, from Seminyak
to Canggu, and more recently in Nyanyi,
where its latest project, The Residences,
sold out all 40 luxury villas on launch day.
"One of the biggest shifts in recent years is
the way people are rethinking where they
want to live," says Weissenbaeck. "With
more flexibility in work and lifestyle choices,
many are opting out of high-stress urban
environments in favor of places that offer
a better quality of life. Bali has become a
major destination for this kind of wellness-
centric living, attracting entrepreneurs, remote
workers, and those taking time off to reset."
Weissenbaeck adds that wellness is no longer
an occasional indulgence—it’s something
people now expect in every aspect of their
lives. "From the spaces they live in to the
way they work, eat, and socialize, there’s
growing
demand
for
well-being
to
be
seamlessly integrated into daily life. There’s
a shift from wellness as an experience—
like a spa treatment or a weekly retreat—to
wellness as a complete lifestyle expectation."
"Bali
is
attracting
more
international
investors because of its affordability and
rental potential. On top of that, international
buyers are influencing the architectural
and design trends shaping the island."
These days, Bali—a magnet for global travelers,
including
Australians,
French,
Southeast
Asians, and Russians—has more to offer
than ever. While it remains a "flop and drop"
destination and an epicenter for Southeast
Asia’s wellness industry, it is also a gateway
to
the
broader
Indonesian
archipelago.
Whether travelers want to cruise to Komodo
to see the fabled dragons, relax on the
pristine beaches of Sumba, dive in the clear
waters of Raja Ampat, or visit the paradise
of Flores, Bali serves as the ideal connecting
point for both air and cruise passengers.
While
residential
developments
solely
devoted to wellness are still in their infancy
in Bali, the benefits for owner-occupiers and
investors are expected to generate significant
interest from stakeholders worldwide.
Lisa Allen is an Associate Editor of The
Australian and Editor of Mansion Australia,
The Australian’s property magazine. She
has
been
a
senior
journalist
covering
business and property since the mid-1990s,
starting at The Australian Financial Review
in 1995 before joining The Australian in 2012.
Exploring The Health Revolution Taking Over The Island Paradise.