SV Villa G is sold but please meet The Spice House Inn

By April we had sold SV Villa G and returned to Bali.  Here we have embarked on several new projects.  One of the most interesting is the purchase and renovation of Jon House, an old four apartment house on the beach in Lovina.  It stands on the site of the first bar (with alcohol) in Lovina and is in the village of Kaliasem.  Jon and the owners of the surrounding properties are directly descended from the last king of north Bali (Buleleng).  The status of the royalty in Bali underwent numerous changes in the 20th Century under the Dutch, the Japanese and then the Independence of Indonesia which was declared in 1945.

Kaliasem village as seen from our home

The grandson and great-grand sons of the last king live adjacent to Jon House in a small cottage resort called Puri Manggala.  They also have the Little Museum there.  It commemorates the founding of Lovina in the 1950s.  Lovina per se is a name created for the purposes of marketing the stretch of small villages along a section of north Bali beach west of Singaraja.  The main villages are Kalibukbuk and Kaliasem (kali is Indonesian for river).  Just to the west of Jon House are the grounds of the last king's residence in Kaliasem (pictured below).  It is a fascinating ruin that is not open to the public.  More on it another time.

Palace gate to the beach

Jon House was a 1970s modern building of four one bedroom apartments with leaking ceilings and eclectic furnishing.  We are currently renovating and creating two 3 bedroom apartments (one up and one down).  Each will be 120 square meters (>1200 square feet).  It is directly on the beach and fronts a paved sidewalk to Lovina's famous Dolphin Statue Square, bars, restaurants and shopping.  Guests will be able to go out for a latte, lounge on the beach and have our Balinese staff serve them snacks and beverages, or sample local international and Indonesian restaurants.

Yesterday's view from the upstairs balcony

The renovation is going to be quite extensive.  The roof is gone.  The floors have been stripped of tile.  Plumbing and electrical is being replaced.  The upstairs flat will have two nice balconies and the downstairs flat will have a patio with a gate onto the beach.  Each flat will have a small service kitchen.  The building will have a kitchen for preparations of meals for our guests.  Breakfasts will feature fresh pastries from Buda Bakery, Kalibukbuk and Bali grown coffees.

Agus, our manager is speaking with a construction worker in front of Spice House Inn

The renovation schedule is for a three month project.  We will miss most of the high season and have a soft opening for a few months before the Christmas/New Year's rush.

The Star Clipper in front of Spice House Inn 19 June 2017