We’ve tasted gourmet Peranakan food at Baba’s Restaurant, enjoyed the hospitality of Hu’u Villas, and had a blast at Hu’u Bar & Club – and now we’ve the pleasure of chatting with Sean Lee, the main man who brought us these experiences (and more in the future, we’re sure), on the Hu’u Group and what’s it’s like living in Bali.
Hi Sean! We love that you’re so focused on giving people a good time. For readers who don’t know about the Hu’u Group (yet), could you tell us how it came into being?
For those who don’t know, Hu’u started in Singapore in 1998 at the Singapore Art Museum, which is a gorgeous location in itself. The thought of partying in an old Catholic school building really pushed up the hip factor as Singapore had never seen anything like that back then! And when we were pitching to the Museum authority, we mentioned that we would be a jazz bar – omitting the fact that it would be acid Jazz.
The vision at that time was to bring what was lacking in a good bar back to Asia, meaning a place to hang out at with good music. Back then in Singapore and the region, it was either local drinking holes in the suburbs or big discotheques in hotels or above shopping malls. So I guess we indirectly gave the region the segment of bars and restaurants everyone is familiar with today.
We think having villas around a club is absolutely brilliant! Did this concept arise out of the need to accommodate all your visiting friends?
I think what’s unique about Hu’u is the fact that we see every guest as a houseguest, just like how we treat each weekend night in Hu’u bar like a house party. What’s even more unique is the fact that we have achieved by natural evolution what the W and their copycat brands are struggling to achieve – a hip and chic hotel brand that offers the party elements. For Hu’u, we were already there to begin with, and adding accommodation just added to the fun!
Think of it as “voluntary confinement in these 4 walls” when you think of our 2-bedroom and one-bedroom loft villas at Hu’u Villas. All the villas have interconnecting pool decks so all the “cell mates” can sneak over and visit. Nobody is planning to breakout of our maximum-security (our clientele are the low-key yet prominent and hip people) facility anytime soon.
Jalan Petitenget is definitely booming now, how has the Seminyak/Petitenget area changed since the Hu’u Bali first opened?
Let’s put it this way: once upon a time, we were surrounded by paddy fields. We had a vision of building Hu’u bar along the lines of the traditional town halls that you see in Balinese villages. Today, we have neighbours like W Hotels and Alila Hotels. You can’t stop progress – all I can say is the “Seminyak party” just got bigger with the arrival of our neighbours.
Back then, we figured that if we built a space for people from all corners of the globe to meet in Bali in the same vein as how the locals were meeting, we could put Bali on the map. Today, I feel like it’s a compliment that our neighbors have seen our inspiration, and they themselves are motivated to do the same as us.
What trends and themes do you see coming up in the Bali dining and clubbing scene?
I see sophistication and service as key. Market segmentation is inevitable; therefore I see more variety in nightlife happening, and operators will be more specialized. Despite this, I think the theme remains the same – give people a good time, get them smiling and flood their senses with stuff that makes them happy.
Living in Bali is a dream for loads of people, especially for us stuck in the concrete jungle of Singapore. Was it your escape route?
In a way it was and still is – the balance of Bali and Singapore completes my life. I hope to share that with more city dwellers. Life is about balance.
Your family is in Singapore, so how often do you fly in and out? And would you say Bali is home now?
My heart lives in Bali and my brain in Singapore. They both get along really well. The beauty of Bali is that it’s a hop and skip away. To me, taking the airplane is like taking a bus.
We’re sure this is something a lot of readers would like to know: what are the key differences between actually living in Bali and going there on holiday?
Let’s use the analogy of a house party. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that ensures a great party, and working in Bali is like that. It’s paradise but one has to be even more disciplined, so Hu’u has succeeded all these years because we are very focused on our work. On the other hand, if you’re a houseguest/tourist travelling to Bali, you can be sure that the experience would be nothing short of epic.
Tell us, what’s your favourite restaurant in Bali? After Baba’s, of course!
I am a person who believes in enjoying the authenticity of the location when you go to a destination, so I would be interested in restaurants that offer local flavours as inspiration for their cuisines. I am a big fan of Chefs Dorin Schuster and Chris Salans (Editor’s note: Chef Dorin is Executive Chef at the Ritz Carlton and Chef Chris is at Mozaic Bali).
You’ve been around the traps of Southeast Asia forever, where’s your top pick for holidaying in the region?
Despite working in Bali, I’d rate Bali number one in terms of island destinations – there’s just so much of it to go around.
Before we sign off, what’s next for Sean Lee and the Hu’u Group?
That’s a secret until our next coffee session.
Thanks Sean – we’ll see you (and your Hangover Concierge) real soon.
We’ll be waiting!
All images taken by Radhika Rao. After 15 years of running a successful photography business in Hong Kong, Radhika now calls Bali home. Contact: radhika@radhikarao.com