Leave it to LOST LINDENBERG to set up the kind of cheeky entrance that makes one go, “Hold on, I didn’t sign up for this.” The polarising installation by artist Tobias Rehberger—a giant wall depicting various garish neon signs that leaves one questioning if they’ve arrived at the right place—is no doubt a great way to break the ice and get the conversation rolling after a long commute to the sleepy district of Pekutatan in the west coast of Bali where the hotel is located.

Once through the narrow door of the installation, the senses are flipped 180 degrees. Lush tropical greeneries fill the scene like an invisible hug from nature, enveloping every corner as far as the eyes can reach. But there’s still no sign of any building structure. From here, a single path leads the way deeper into LOST, passing through a huge rock-turned fountain, a shrine, and a bed of ferns, bodhi trees and alocasia with its giant leaves stretching into the pathway, brushing the arms and body. It’s as if every step assures that you’re indeed at the right place.

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Designed to slow down

Just as your eyes are adjusted to the all-enveloping garden, the main compound of LOST emerges: four large tower-like structures, jutting out from the surrounding canopy, forming an axis towards the beach. The architecture of LOST LINDENBERG is designed by Alexis Dornier and Maximilian Jencquel of Studio Jencquel, where it is interpreted as a hideaway village within a jungle with every room sitting comfortably amongst the treetops.

Each tower, linked by an elevated walkway, houses two rooms that are accessible only through a climb up the spiral staircase. A delayed gratification, if you will. Once inside, one is immediately greeted by a vista of coconut trees handsomely framed by panoramic windows. The interior and its accompanying furniture and wares, which are also designed by Studio Jencquel, offer up an amalgam of harmonious details and soothing textures. Suave tropical hardwood walls and cooling Bali green stone floor extend from the living and sleeping area into the spacious bathroom, which is atmospherically lit by the sun through its wooden window louvres.

The brutalist take on the interior is also juxtaposed with the charming in-room collaterals designed by Sciencewerk (a design studio based in Surabaya and Jakarta). To wit, a pop of colours in neon lime and sandy pink on the information booklet and illustration of LOST Boys, the beguiling hotel mascot, depicted as figures in exaggerated volumes (the latter can also be found on their in-house surfboards that are made in collaboration with Pyzel).

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Anchored in the communal experience

LOST is the fifth addition, and the first in Indonesia, of the Frankfurt hospitality group, LINDENBERG. Similar to its four sisters in Frankfurt, Germany, LOST focuses on the communal experience where a global collective of residents from different backgrounds connect and spend their time together within the compound. Come sundown, residents convene at the LOST beach and savour the sunset by the crackling bonfire. Perhaps owing to the spectacular sight, no exchange is necessary between one another as they drown themselves in a collective reverie.

Dinner, on the other hand, is a lively feast over a long communal table. While the food in LOST is strictly vegan, it is anything but boring. Prepared by a dedicated team of young locals that hail from nearby villages, the dinner aims to highlight the diversity of Indonesian cuisine.

Every night, utilising ingredients grown from the property’s garden and nearby organic permaculture, the team rolls out a rotation that features their take on dishes across the regions. No dishes are too banal for LOST. Common favourites like mie goreng Jawa and karedok share the spotlight with pumpkin focaccia, roasted pumpkin and asparagus with sliced green apple.