Bali has no shortage of boutique retreats, but Oshom Bali, opened in late 2024 on the island’s southwest coast, feels different. Ashley Chan reviews a stay in the Ocean Suite Oshom Bali, and speaks to Daisy, the visionary behind Oshom.
When I first meet Daisy, she’s dressed Bali corporate: linen white blouse, khaki trousers, gold jewellery. She moves through Oshom as if she’s simply at home. Which, in many ways, she is. The oceanside retreat, with eleven suites and seven treehouses is her vision brought to life, and the air around her feels charged with both pride and calm.
“The overall concept of the space is the concept of duality in Balinese and mystic Hinduism… It’s where they have the black and white, checkered cloths around the temples. The idea of everything being held in balance and balance was a really key part for me about creating the spaces.” Daisy enthused.
Balance is written into Oshom’s very name. O is the inhale — the sharp intake of breath when beauty takes you by surprise. Shom is the exhale — the release, the softening that follows.
Along with main founder Sergey Solonin, who invested and purchased the land and provided the initial vision, Daisy notes, “I want to curate a space that it really feels like a vibrant, living and breathing space where education and infotainment, learning new things, while at the same time being entertained and meeting other humans is still in very much at the forefront of what we do here.”
“…it (Oshom) was all a dream at the very beginning. And you need some…crazy people with crazy ideas, and then you need the visionary, who can, you know, back the funds behind it to make it all happen,” she says.
A vision carved from breath
Oshom opened in late 2024 on Bali’s southwest coast, but it feels older than that — not dated, but settled, like it belongs. The design is deliberately restrained: muted bronze and white interiors softened with native greenery; charred wood and copper treehouses that rise like grounded sculptures.
“All of the materials come from more than 30 different local suppliers in Bali and Java to hand-make and bespoke every piece of furniture and item in all the rooms.” Daisy says.
“I see myself as a steward of this land…I feel like I’ve been guided to be in this moment so that I could take and see what was here and be respectful with the nature that’s here on the land,” Daisy said.
Walls that breathe, rooms that think
The beauty of Oshom is in the textures. The walls carry flecks of black sand from the beach, floors are laid with reclaimed teak, and every piece of furniture is hand-shaped by Balinese artisans. Even the plaster has life pressed into it: rice husks and sawdust mixed into lime wash so the air feels soft. You may not notice these things at first glance, but your body does. There’s an ease in the way the space settles around you.
Modern convenience is there too, quietly in the background. Smart systems in every room manage curtains, lights, and temperature, with dawn programmed to slip in at first light. It’s thoughtful, not showy, though, yes, you do have to get up to the wall panel if you want to change it. Balance, again.
Daisy puts it this way: “Yes, you can have your glass of champagne if you want, but you can meditate. Yes, you can work, but you can also go and dance under the disco ball in your open wardrobe.”
And then there’s the ocean itself, a constant presence. By day, it glitters wide open; by night, it roars. Earplugs wait by the bedside for light sleepers, but I found the waves less a disturbance and more a reminder that there are some soundtracks you can’t curate.
Always a WhatsApp away
The hospitality at Oshom mirrors its design: pared back, but never sparse. There’s no glossy front desk with rehearsed greetings; instead, everything runs on WhatsApp. A ride, a reservation, a last-minute idea while you’re out. A quick message, and it’s sorted.
It feels more like leaning on a friend who happens to know the island inside out and less like a hotel protoccol. Staff move with the same intuition. They’re present without hovering, warm without performance. It’s easy to imagine Daisy’s hand in this too, in her belief that a place should hold space without demanding attention.
Rest, waves, and rituals
After a swim in the saltwater pool, I experienced a Balinese massage in a small pavilion by the sea. I was lulled to bliss by the breeze, no aircon needed.
From the massage bed, step barefoot onto volcanic black sand. Pantai Nyanyi, also called the singing beach, hums beneath your feet as the sky softens into nightime.
No matter your spiritual beliefs, there’s something about the ritual of a massage and then a walk by the beach that can soothe even the most hardened of souls.
In the heart of Nuanu
Oshom sits within Nuanu Creative City, one of Bali’s most ambitious experiment in art, innovation, and community. Spread over 44 hectares of cliffs, valleys, and gardens, Nuanu is deliberately unfinished. Even its name means “in process,” a reminder that the city is always becoming.
“To create a space where you can bring people together is, I think, going to be a very key part of how the world needs to continue to evolve, instead of individuating, but creating communities and spaces and places that brings like minds together for inspiration,” Daisy says.
Some corners feel like they belong to another world. In the Labyrinth Dome, sound and light bend strangely, hosting gatherings that hover between concert, meditation, and play. Closer to Earth, the Butterfly Lab quietly breeds and releases thousands of butterflies into the wild, a gesture that is both delicate and hopeful.
At sunset, Luna Beach Club pulses with music, cocktails, and barefoot dancing, while the THK Tower, inspired by Bali’s Tri Hita Karana philosophy of harmony, rises like a modern totem.
Around the bend, Alpha Wolf Lodge houses a small pack of wolves, doubling as a retreat for night-long conversations and workshops.
Not far away, Pacha Alpaca offers guest stays too, with around twelve alpacas grazing the fields outside your window, their whimsical presence a delight.
Art buffs would love the 5,000-square-meter immersive AI-powered Aurora Media Park that comes to life at night with monuments such as Earth Sentinels lighting up with AI-powered projections, inviting visitors to “converse” with guardians of the land.
Future plans stretch further still, for film and digital storytelling, a regenerative iFarm, a cultural museum, even a mall. Already, more than 35 creative businesses, from studios to collectives, call Nuanu home.
It’s Bali, but through a different lens: experimental, visionary, restless in its creativity.
“I think there’s a lot of generic hotels in the world. You can go anywhere. In Bali, you’re spoiled. There’s 1000s of beautiful places, you know, but you can go to sometimes the most beautiful place, and it’s like there’s no soul. Get it. You know, it’s like a place needs to have soul. And people, it’s not something you you see, but you feel,” Daisy continues.
“When you arrive, you’re like, ‘Oh, my God, I’ve got goosebumps.’ I was like, yeah, when a place has soul, then you’re like, ah, there’s a warmth. It feels good. And so the hope is that you go home feeling better. That’s the whole point: it’s that we want to try and bring goodness in this world.”
Good to know
Location
Southwest Bali, in the heart of Nuanu Creative City. About 1 to 2 hours from Ngurah Rai International Airport, depending on traffic.
Rooms
11 oceanside suites and 7 treehouses, each with bespoke handmade furniture, walk-in wardrobes, and smart room systems.
Rates
From S$300 per night, including breakfast.
Best for
Couples, solo travellers, and creatives looking for more than a stay: for a rhythm, a mood, and a community in the making.
Practical notes
- The ocean is loud at night — earplugs are provided.
- Treehouses are accessed via stairs and walkways (no lifts).
- Rain can make the grounds tricky — pack an umbrella or raincoat.
- There are no convenience stores nearby; stock up in advance or use Gojek/Grab.
- Nuanu is still evolving — a gym and mall are planned, but for now the area feels in-progress.
- Pets are not allowed.
Booking
Direct via Oshom Bali
Disclaimer: This article is not sponsored, however the writer travelled to Bali courtesy of Nuanu.
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