Once a quiet tropical destination where people could “Eat, Pray, Love,” to their heart’s content, Bali is now very much a tourist hot spot with the hotels to match. There are plenty of boutique beauties, eco-friendly properties, big-name hotels, and designer-friendly hideaways a la Bill Bensley across the Island of the Gods. But we recently checked into Potato Head Studios in Seminyak and discovered why this OG Bali bolthole is still a firm crowd-pleaser.
While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Review of Potato Head Studios in Seminyak
Hotel snapshot
Hotel: Potato Head Studios Bali / Desa Potato Head
Address: Jalan Petitenget No. 51B, Seminyak, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Rooms: 167 studios, alongside 58 Potato Head Suites across the wider Desa
Brand: Potato Head
Style: Contemporary, creative, design-led and sustainability-focused
Location: Beachfront in Petitenget, Seminyak
Family-friendly: Yes, with family rooms, connecting rooms, children’s pool and kids’ menu
Wellness: Full-service spa, 24-hour gym, yoga, qi gong, boxing and daily wellbeing activities
Swimming pools: Beach Club pools plus a children’s pool; some suites have private pools
Dining: Multiple restaurants and bars including Tanaman, Kaum, Dome and the Potato Head Beach Club
Best for: Design lovers, couples, families, foodies, sustainability-conscious travellers and anyone looking for a hotel with plenty going on
Prices starting from: £185 per night, depending on room and season.
Setting the scene
The first thing to know is that Potato Head Studios is just one accommodation arm of the much larger Desa Potato Head village. From the comfort of one of these suites though, guests have access to Desa’s full spectrum of offerings, from the famous beach club and lush spa to a slew of restaurants.
The “village” recently added revamped accommodation options—Potato Head Suites—which sit on the other side of the property. Created by David Gianotten, Managing Partner at international architecture firm OMA, Architect Ken Fung, and local designer Andra Matin, the Studios—along with the rest of the village—are a homage to zero-waste aspirations.
A green stay
Sustainability is at the forefront of everything at Desa Potato Head. Guests receive their first taste of green living at check-in, where, after receiving their keys, they’re whisked into the Circle Store and given a reusable beach tote and water bottle that they can use during their stay—and take with them when they leave.
Potato Head lives and breathes its mantra of “Good Times, Do Good”. Sustainability is part of the brand’s bigger mission of creating radical innovation, a passion of founder Ronald Akili. Desa is on a mission to fulfil its goal of being zero-waste and has put in place many practices to achieve this. For guests that really want to get under the skin of Potato Head’s green initiatives, the “Follow the Waste” tour is a good place to start. But you’ll find plenty more during your stay.
There’s a completely plant-based restaurant dishing up delicious multi-course set menus, furniture and decorative objects made from recycled materials, the “Sweet Potato Project” (a community food project championing regenerative farming), a “Waste Lab” workshop where designers research and develop ideas for repurposing surplus materials, and so much more. Did we mention the hotel’s also carbon-neutral, sponsors children’s education and grassroots communities, and has a gender-neutral fashion label made from waste called “Wasted Collective”? It’s all part of the brand’s concept of “regenerative hospitality.”
The room
The rooms are an exercise in stylish sustainability
It’s been a long day, but as I step into my oasis-like Ocean Suite, a sense of calm descends, washing away all the day’s cares. Soothing earth tones abound throughout, while sliding glass doors through the front of the room reveal a balcony (with a hammock) and views of the Studios’ pool and ocean below.
On one side of the room, there’s a massive bed bookended by an oversized desk and daybed; on the other, a spacious lounge area and bathtub-vanity contraption. Nearly everything in the room is made from wood (recycled, of course, because sustainability), from the massive tub and double vanity to the oversized coffee table that cleverly unfolds to reveal a well-stocked wet bar. The bar, by the way, features house-infused spirits and natural syrups created by Potato Head’s mixologists.
To really drive home the eco-friendly factor, the on-site Sweet Potato Lab—the resort’s R&D facility—has created bins, baskets, and trays from recycled materials, including Styrofoam, plastic bottles, and food waste. Avant-garde designer Max Lamb has contributed other green furnishings, from a recycled-plastic desk chair to volcanic glassware and ceramics. Bathroom amenities are all-natural, of course, by Bali’s Sensatia Botanicals, while the in-room zero-waste kit includes reusable bamboo cutlery, and refillable pots of sunscreen, after-sun cream, insect repellent, and hand sanitiser.
Hunger busters
Sample Indonesian delights at Kaum
There are six restaurants and bars at Desa Potato Head, but the crowning jewel is Tanaman, the property’s boundary-pushing plant-based restaurant. The seven-course dinner menu, inspired by Balinese culinary traditions, is a symphony of flavours and textures. Despite the abundant sauces and seasonings, you can’t help but feel virtuous at the end of the meal—and it’s enough to tempt any devout carnivore to give up their meat-loving ways.
If you can’t quite stay herbivorous during your stay, you might want to sample the fresh seafood at Ijen, the traditional Balinese recipes at Kaum, or the views at Beach Front Restaurant. Fancy lounging on a daybed while enjoying the ocean breeze? You can order delicious snacks poolside, too. When you’re ready for a drink, visit the rooftop Sunset Park or the convivial Akademi.
Village extras
The Seminyak outpost of Potato Head started with the infamous Beach Club which still draws crowds. Tunes blast from speakers around the alfresco club as pretty young things hit the dance floor, lounge around, or take a cheeky dip in the infinity pool in between grabbing creative cocktails from the bar or nibbles from Ijen and Kaum. Bali boasts beach clubs aplenty these days, but there’s something heartening about being at the one that set the trend.
Need to recover from all that partying? Book an indulgent treatment at the spa—you’ll want to try the Classic Urut Segar massage, which draws on Indonesian healing traditions to restore aching muscles and circulation. If that’s not energetic enough for you, there’s a well-kitted-out gym, yoga, a running club, workout classes, and so much more. Finish it all off with a drop from the Jamu Bar, which specialises in different varietals of Bali’s healing elixir.
Sign up for a breath work class
Upping the creative factor, guests also have access to the Library—a cool space with floor-to-ceiling walls of captivating coffee table books and plenty of space to read or work—and the multifunctional Studio Eksotika, where guests can listen to music and have in-depth conversations. This doesn’t even cover the multitude of exciting events that the property hosts—check the calendar in your room for the latest.
Getting there and getting around
Potato Head Studios is located in Petitenget, on the beachfront at the northern end of Seminyak, around 12km from Ngurah Rai International Airport. By car, the journey can take around 25–30 minutes in light traffic, although Bali’s notoriously busy roads mean you should allow longer at peak times. The simplest option is a pre-arranged hotel transfer or taxi. Ride-hailing apps such as Grab and Gojek are also widely used in Bali, although pick-up arrangements around busy hotel and beach-club areas can sometimes be less straightforward.
You don’t need to hire a car for a stay at Potato Head. Much of Seminyak’s appeal is being able to walk between restaurants, boutiques, beach clubs and bars, although Bali’s heat, traffic and sometimes uneven pavements mean you’ll probably want a taxi or ride-hailing service for longer journeys.
Scooters are another popular way of getting around, but they are only advisable if you are an experienced and properly licensed rider. For trips further afield – such as Ubud, the temples around Uluwatu or a day exploring Bali’s interior – hiring a car with a driver is usually the most comfortable option. From Potato Head, Seminyak, Canggu and Kerobokan are relatively easy to reach, while central Ubud is around 30–60 minutes away depending on traffic.
Frequently asked questions: Potato Head Studios
The verdict
There’s plenty of fun in store at Potato Head and its fabulous Studios, but it’s all best enjoyed in the company of a good (but small) group of friends so that you can really take advantage of the many offerings and enjoy the convivial atmosphere. Even if you’re here by yourself or as a couple, though, you can enjoy kicking back in a fun-filled property while enjoying pampering at the spa and plenty of good food and drink. Everyone, though, will benefit from Potato Head’s eco-friendly ethos and wonder why more places aren’t taking a leaf out of this particular book.
Learn more about Potato Head Studios in Seminyak, Bali or Book through Booking.com Book through Expedia
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Potato Head Studios is the hotel accommodation within Desa Potato Head, a beachfront creative destination in Petitenget, Seminyak. The wider Desa combines studios and suites with restaurants, a beach club, swimming pools, a spa, gym, art spaces, music and sustainability initiatives.
It is on Jalan Petitenget in Seminyak, on Bali’s southwest coast. The property is directly on the beachfront and within easy reach of Seminyak’s restaurants, shops and nightlife.
Yes. Desa Potato Head has a beachfront location, with access to the beach and the Potato Head Beach Club. Guests staying in the studios have access to Beach Club pools and daybeds.
Ngurah Rai International Airport is approximately 25 minutes away by car in light traffic, although the journey can take considerably longer during busy periods. An airport transfer can be arranged; with transfers at around IDR475,000 per vehicle one way.
Yes. There are connecting rooms, family accommodation and suites that can sleep up to four people. The property also has a children’s pool and children’s menus, while larger suites such as the Sky Suite and Ocean Suite can accommodate two adults and two children.
Yes. There are plant-based breakfast options at Tanaman, and the property’s restaurants offer vegetarian and plant-based choices. Tanaman in particular focuses on plant-based food, while the wider culinary programme emphasises locally sourced ingredients.
Potato Head is particularly good for design lovers, couples, families, foodies, wellness travellers and sustainability-conscious travellers. It is also a strong choice for anyone who wants a hotel that feels connected to Bali’s contemporary creative culture rather than a conventional luxury resort.
