We review The Sanchaya, Bintan: a sophisticated island escape easily accessible from Singapore

Less than an hour from Singapore by ferry, the Indonesian island of Bintan has long been a convenient answer to the question of where to disappear for the weekend. But convenience can be a rather unromantic selling point. The Sanchaya makes a persuasive case for looking at the island through a different lens. Not simply as somewhere close enough, but somewhere worth travelling for in its own right.

While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Review of The Sanchaya, Bintan

Hotel snapshot

Hotel: The Sanchaya
Address: Jalan Gurindam Duabelas, Plot 5, Lagoi Bay, Bintan, Riau Islands 29155, Indonesia
Number of rooms: 29 villas and suites, plus the private Vanda Villa residence
Year opened: December 2014
Style: Refined colonial-inspired tropical luxury, with crisp whites, dark timber, manicured gardens and sweeping South China Sea views
Best for: Couples, romantic weekends, quiet luxury escapes, solo travellers, food lovers and Singapore-based travellers looking for an easy island retreat
Wellness facilities: The Sanchaya Spa with indoor treatment rooms and outdoor cabanas, gymnasium, beachside yoga pavilion, 50-metre infinity pool, croquet lawn and recreational activities including archery and padel
Dining: The Dining Room, Tasanee Grill, The Bar, Decanter wine cellar, 24-hour in-villa dining and bespoke culinary experiences including private beachfront dining
Prices starting from: 8.6M IDR per night, depending on room and season.

The vibe

From the moment I arrived, I got the sense that nobody was in much of a hurry, which suited me just fine. This was not to say that service was slow, but that the estate seemed calibrated to operate at a gentler frequency. Staff here are referred to as Artisans, an affectation that could easily feel contrived elsewhere, but somehow suits a property where service is all about anticipation.

The Sanchaya unfolds across a generous sweep of beachfront, its manicured grounds dotted with villas and suites rather than dominated by a monolithic hotel block. At its heart sits the Great House, alongside the Dining Room, Salon & Library and bar, while elsewhere are the spa, gym, padel courts and Tasanee Grill. The architecture draws from colonial-era Southeast Asian references, but what I appreciated most was the restraint, where white shutters, dark timber and tropical greenery do most of the talking.

The rooms and suites

The Sanchaya keeps things intimate with just 29 villas and suites, alongside a private residence overlooking the South China Sea. The interiors favour understated elegance over conspicuous extravagance. Think crisp whites, dark timber and quietly colonial touches create rooms that feel like beautifully considered homes.

My Sanchaya Suite continued the same quiet aesthetic. It was elegant rather than ostentatious, with well-considered details that made me feel right at home. There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about a hotel that still believes in the romance of a proper room, somewhere to inhabit rather than simply sleep between activities. The details are decidedly indulgent. Beds are dressed in 464-thread-count Egyptian cotton, accompanied by a pillow menu for anyone particularly serious about the business of sleep. Bathrooms come with handsome Lefroy Brooks fittings and bathtubs, generously stocked with Le Labo amenities, turning a supposedly quick shower into a more leisurely affair.

Technology is present without dominating the room. An Apple TV and iPad loaded with a selection of films take care of quieter evenings, although with the South China Sea outside, the competition for screen time is admittedly rather stiff. Then there is the complimentary “maxi-bar”, a pleasingly generous counterpoint to the notoriously joyless hotel minibar. It is replenished daily, while Ronnefeldt teas and a Malongo espresso machine cover both ends of the caffeine spectrum.

Wine drinkers have their own private cabinet, and those feeling more ambitious can request a cocktail mixology set and attempt something more sophisticated than pouring a gin and hoping for the best. Yet for all the thoughtful extras, it was the room’s sense of space and stillness that stayed with me.

The food

Food at The Sanchaya dining moves between the Dining Room, Tasanee Grill and more bespoke experiences, including private beachfront dining. The Dining Room is the estate’s all-day heart, while Tasanee Grill turns towards Thai flavours and a more intimate dinner setting.

One evening, dinner took us to the beach for Kong Ming, an elaborately curated private dining experience. By the time we arrived, the beach had been transformed into our dining room for the evening, with the South China Sea providing a backdrop that no interior designer could reasonably compete with. The menu moved through seafood and grilled meats with a decidedly celebratory bent: tuna sashimi with silken tofu and mango sambal; foie gras with raspberry dressing; teriyaki smoked duck. From the grill came Bintan lobster with coriander and butter soy sauce, caramelised grouper sharpened with kaffir lime and muscovado reduction, and beef rib-eye with mustard and fennel.

Dessert continued in the same generous spirit with mango pot, chocolate cheesecake and tropical sliced fruits. Yet, for all the pleasures on the plate, what stayed with me most was the setting. As daylight receded and the beach grew quieter, dinner acquired that peculiar quality particular to island evenings. It was as though time had stretched, our conversation slowed down, and we no longer felt the need to check our phones.

Not all of our meals at The Sanchaya required us simply to sit back and be fed. The next afternoon, we found ourselves on the other side of the equation at a cooking class centred on local flavours, trying our hand at dishes including chicken and satay. It was rather satisfying learning a cuisine this way: ingredients laid out before you, the fragrance of spices filling the air, and the reassuring presence of someone (our chef, who guided us along) who actually knows what they are doing when our own culinary instincts become questionable.

We learnt how the flavours came together before taking our turn at preparing the dishes ourselves with varying degrees of finesse. The satay was a particular pleasure, proving that food eaten straight from the grill, preferably after you have had some small hand in making it, tastes disproportionately good. It was a welcome change of pace from the estate’s more polished dining experiences. And, naturally, the best part of any cooking class followed: we got to eat the evidence.

A moment of stillness

Tucked away amid the estate’s tropical greenery, The Sanchaya Spa feels removed from the outside world, with a choice of indoor and outdoor treatment rooms and a menu drawing on traditional Thai and Balinese therapies. Its signature treatment combines deep-tissue techniques with warm stones, while the spa’s aromatic products incorporate essential oils inspired by the body’s seven sacred chakras. I opted for a foot massage, which was the sort of uncomplicated indulgence I needed. After a day of exploration, surrendering my feet to capable hands felt like proper common sense. Firm, rhythmic strokes worked away the accumulated tension, and I emerged more rejuvenated.

The estate offers everything from spa treatments and yoga to archery, croquet and padel; there are also experiences built around the local community, culture and cuisine. Yet somewhere between contemplating exercise and looking at the beach, I discovered that my enthusiasm for strenuous self-improvement had mysteriously evaporated. The beach stretches out beyond the lawns, while the pool provides an equally compelling argument for doing very little. At The Sanchaya, you can certainly do it all. The greater indulgence is realising that I never needed to.

The luxury of being left alone

Much is made in hospitality of personalisation, a word now applied so liberally that remembering a guest’s coffee order can apparently qualify as transformative service. At The Sanchaya, the achievement is subtler, knowing when to appear and equally importantly, when not to. There are thoughtful touches throughout. Villas have individually controlled air-conditioning and audiovisual systems; minibars are replenished daily, and the estate even offers a “My Sanchaya Bar” service, bringing a guest’s preferred spirits and mixers to the villa. None of these things is revolutionary in isolation. Together they create the pleasant impression that inconvenience has been quietly edited out of the day.

Even sustainability is handled with a degree of pragmatism. The estate bottles its own water using a specialised purification and sterilisation system with recyclable bottles intended to be reused rather than discarded. The property also supports community initiatives through the Mr. Morris Foundation, including education, scholarships and an orphanage and home for the elderly and environmental-protection projects.

Getting there and around

The journey to Bintan takes around 50 minutes by fast ferry from Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Bandar Bentan Telani. The onward transfer is approximately 10 minutes by chauffeured car to the estate. Guests also have access to The Sanchaya’s private lounge at the terminal and express immigration clearance.

Alternatively, travellers arriving on a domestic flight at Raja Haji Fisabilillah Airport in Tanjung Pinang can arrange a private transfer, which takes approximately 60–65 minutes. Once at The Sanchaya, much of your stay can be spent enjoying the estate itself. If you want to explore further, arrange a car and driver through the hotel for excursions to local villages, mangrove forests and cultural attractions.

Final verdict

By my final morning, the rituals had already become dangerously easy to adopt. This included leisurely long lunches, another lingering look at the sea, nowhere particularly urgent to be. The outside world had not disappeared. It had simply been reduced to something happening elsewhere. And for somewhere just an hour from Singapore, elsewhere felt wonderfully far away.

Learn more about The Sanchaya or Book through Booking.com Book through Expedia

But wait, there’s more…

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