There’s a different pace in Umalas. A stretch of Bali where rice fields still hold their ground and the skyline hasn’t yet been claimed by cranes. It’s here, in this pocket between Canggu and Seminyak — both a short scooter ride away — that Magia de Uma has quietly opened its doors.
The project – a Design Hotels member and a part of the GS Collection – is the work of husband-and-wife team Jacopo and Rosa Sertoli, who approached the site with respect. Instead of flattening and rebuilding, they kept what mattered. Several of the rooms sit within 150-year-old Javanese joglo structures, their carved timber frames carrying the weight of history with pride.
Inside the main house, things are deliberately simple; original wooden floors, high ceilings, white linens, air moving slowly through open spaces. Indonesian craftsmanship runs throughout from hand-carved doorways, vintage pieces collected over time, and old rice farming tools repurposed as objects of display. Downstairs, the restaurant-bar opens out in one fluid sweep, where timber and stone meet steel beams and a metal staircase in a subtle nod to the island’s layered past.
“Our aim was to conserve, not to restore to perfection,” says Rosa. “We want guests to feel the history here, to see the passing of time rather than erase it.”
The bungalows follow the same line of thinking. Wood, stone and handmade tiles form the backbone while open-air bathrooms framed by greenery blur the line between indoors and out. A three-bedroom villa, set apart within its own garden, comes with a pool and private staff for those wanting complete seclusion.
Food is central. Michelin-starred chef Fernando Trump has created a menu that moves between Indonesian staples and familiar classics, with vegetables picked from the garden and rice harvested from the owners’ own field. Evenings drift towards the terrace, tables pushed together, the pool reflecting the last of the light.
There’s a small spa built from Indonesian timber, a yoga shala facing the paddies, sound healing, and full moon ceremonies … all ensuring that Magia de Uma feels like a truly authentic retreat where one can step into the historic rhythms set by the island’s past.
Magia de Uma Bali Photography, courtesy Design Hotels.
