The Hospitality Architect
Born and raised in Italy, Simone Coletta has always had an innate flair for hospitality. He brings that unmistakable warmth to Bali, infusing it into the uniquely seven-layered Klive Beach Club to create a guest experience where entertainment, dining, personalised service, and Uluwatu’s dreamy panorama share equal weight.
Q: What first drew you to hospitality, and what still keeps you inspired today?
A: I am Italian, so hospitality has always been deelpy ingrained in me. I’ve always been fascinated by the industry since I was a kid, and today, at 44, I’m still discovering exciting new things that keep me on my toes. It’s not an easy business, but the people and connections I’ve created with them, both colleagues and customers, are what keep me going. I’ve always been attracted to people and gatherings, and that made the more complicated business technicalities a little more beautiful.
Q: What are major differences and similarities you see between hospitality culture in Italy and in Indonesia?
A: No matter where you go, the technicalities of hospitality remain the same, like clockwork almost. The passion and warmth of Italians and Indonesians are unmatched. But Indonesia is one of the countries with one of the most dedicated services I’ve ever experienced. Everything always feels personalised and tailored to your preferences, and staff has a knack to read guests and anticipate their requests, building genuine rapport. That creates something truly special.
Q: What is one thing about hospitality that you believe people often misunderstand?
A: The biggest misconception is actually something that makes us operators very proud: that guests think everything is so smooth, easy, and effortless. Hospitality is made of a thousand small pieces that we put together. We try our best to make it work so that you, as a guest, wouldn’t notice the machine or the troubles behind the scenes.
Q: How do you view luxury entertainment today?
A: Luxury entertainment is evolving. Customer expectations are shifting towards something less flashy; luxury today is less about how much money one can spend in an exclusive environment and more about the guest experience. People are looking for something truly tailored to their tastes to create a memorable experience.
Q: What was the original vision behind Klive Beach Club’s distinctive seven-layer concept?
A: It starts with the cliffside topography Klive is built into. While the façade and aesthetics are important, we also spent months thinking about the functionality of this venue. So, we had to architect the seven layers, or decks as we call them, and from there, the idea came to us for a big space with different moods. At the very top is a much more casual restaurant space; closer to the beach is where the daybeds are for a more upbeat environment, especially when the DJ starts playing at 5pm. This really leaves the experience up to guests. Klive isn’t just one big venue where everything is the same, but you have different levels of entertainment and privacy to choose from. The main goal is that you come here and you have, for what is possible, everything that you’re looking for.
Q: How do you turn such a unique physical space into a memorable guest experience?
A: It’s a marriage between space planning and impeccable service. Making these two things work together is thanks to everybody involved, from the kitchen all the way to the beach. We need to be smart to understand what guests are looking for within the first 10 minutes of their arrival. Even before building the space, we always had the ultimate goal of making sure guests are comfortable and happy to spend their whole day at Klive.
Q: How important is Bali’s culture and natural landscape to the experience you want to create?
A: Bali’s landscape is probably one of the most important parts of the Klive experience. The views are exactly what guests come to these beach clubs for, so the landscape definitely plays a very important role. Rather than competing with it, we want to complement the island by being a part of it.
Balinese culture is just as important, especially with how robust the local heritage is here. Our team, which is predominantly Balinese, makes sure to infuse as much of their character into guest interactions. Bali is pretty much about people, culture, and nature, and the Klive experience brings it all together.
Q: What has been your proudest moment at Klive Beach Club so far?
A: It’s a collection of moments that I see daily. I love seeing our team performing well, especially in ways that exceed our expectations. We spent hours training our team members, but on the floor, what matters is allowing their individual personalities to shine in ways that best entertain guests, whether by joking around with them, offering recommendations, or simply building personal rapport.
Asia Dreams Volume 60
Klive Beach Club
Jalan Villa Kandara Banjar Wijaya Kusuma, Ungasan
Bali 80362, Indonesia
T: (+62) 8113986878
E: info@klivebeachclub.com
W: klivebeachclub.com
IG: @klivebeachclub
