Q: Describe your responsibilities in under 10 words.
A: Shaping the vision and future of The Hidden Palace.
Q: What makes a typical day?
A: There is rarely a typical day, which I enjoy. My mornings start quite slowly, usually with some exercise and a good brunch. After that, anything can happen. Sometimes it’s going through emails and calls from home; other days, I’ll drive to The Hidden Palace and spend the day with my team doing inspections and discussing operations, problems to solve, and new ideas. I love that my role allows me to move between the business, operational, and creative sides of The Hidden Palace.
Q: What’s the toughest part of your job?
A: Probably the pressure I put on myself. I took on a significant responsibility at a young age, and I have very big ambitions for The Hidden Palace, so I set high standards for myself. I’m also very particular when I have a vision in mind, and I’ve had to learn how to balance those ideals with the realities of running a property. It teaches me how important it is to trust my team. I can have the vision, but bringing it to life is always a collective effort.
Q: What do you find most satisfying in your job?
A: Watching my visions come to life. I’m a very visual person, so when I have an idea, I can usually see quite clearly in my head how I want it to look and feel. I’m incredibly lucky to have a team that understands me and helps turn my ideas into reality. The Hidden Palace makes that feeling even more personal because it was once my home. I have my own childhood memories within those walls, and now I get to shape its next life, share it with the world, and watch other people make their own memories there.
Q: Who has been the most influential figure in your career?
A: No doubt, my parents. I had a front-row seat to how much work, resilience, and belief they had in building Hanging Gardens of Bali and The Hidden Palace together from the ground up. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to learn from them and have the freedom to bring my own ideas into what they created. They’re also two of my best friends, which makes building a business together as a family even more meaningful. I hope that one day I’ll be able to pass on everything they’ve taught me, along with everything I learned myself, to my own children.
Q: Name one really special thing about your property.
A: It’s the craftsmanship behind everything that gives The Hidden Palace its soul. It took six years and around 600 Indonesian artisans to build, and so much of what you see was created by hand. I grew up there and somehow I can still notice something I’ve never properly seen before. I love how this place still surprises me.
Q: If you hadn’t taken this career path, what would you have chosen?
A: I actually spent a few months working in real estate because I was young and curious, and I wanted to experience something outside of my family business. I really enjoyed it, and I’ve always been fascinated by beautiful properties and what gives a place its identity and value.
Asia Dreams Volume 60
The Hidden Palace by Hanging Gardens
Desa Buahan, Payangan
Bali 80571, Indonesia
T: (+62) 361982700
E: reservations@hanginggardensofbali.com
W: hiddenpalacebali.com
IG: @hiddenpalacebyhanginggardens
