By: Bryn Conway Jones
We live in Sanur, which is on the other side of Bali to Seminyak, where the eco-friendly Potato Head is based. Sanur is generally considered more child-friendly, which (having 2 young kids) is why we chose to live there. What it isn’t, however, is the epicenter for fine cuisine, state-of-the-art hotels, and beach clubs that Seminyak is known for, hence our decision to spend a night there at ‘Potato Head’.
Potato Head is a uniquely inspiring ‘village’ with its beach club, nightclub, hotel and suites, restaurants, and bars having a magnificent view over the ocean. Some of Bali’s famous surf breaks are visible from the shoreline. The positioning of this holiday complex couldn’t be any better.
Although Seminyak is a vibrant (busy!) place, once you enter Potato Head via its private drive, you enter a secluded architectural masterpiece and a design oasis.
There is an eclectic feel about the space Potato Head occupies, with ultra-modern lines of concrete blended seamlessly with bricks from an ancient factory and waste materials from flip-flops to vintage window shutters, all repurposed into striking sculptures.
Although eclectic in style, the service level is 5-star, and from the check-in process to ordering a drink at one of the poolside bars, guests are made to feel special. And the quality of food and drinks is exceptionally good and always well-presented.
The rooms themselves are also mixed in style with all the modern comforts but accompanied by design-conscious furniture and accessories. High-quality vintage-style lighting through to recycled plastic containers, all thoughtfully curated to make each room feel like a home away from home.
As if this isn’t enough, there is a whole lot more to Potato Head than the luxurious blend of style and service but rather more philanthropic in nature. Last year, Potato Head only sent 3.5% of its waste to landfill compared to 50% or more for most hotels. This is quite spectacular when one considers that nothing is lost in terms of guests’ experience in achieving it. Potato Head is aiming to get to net zero, and they won’t stop until they get there.
I went on the ‘waste tour’ on our second day at Potato Head and was taken into the belly of the operation by an enthusiastic member of the sustainability team, who was clearly very proud to be a part of a business that values having a minimal impact on the environment so highly.
The tour started at the place all waste from the hotel is taken to be sorted. This is the key to effective waste management — the sorting process. By hand, every type of waste from food to plastic and paper is separated, and then the real magic happens.
Potato Head has its own recycling machinery, and nothing is wasted. Food waste is turned into compost for the grounds of the complex or into feed for pigs on the farm owned by the business. Plastic is shredded and turned into everything from soap dispensers to furniture. This is all done ‘on-site’.
When I left Potato Head, I not only felt refreshed and revitalized but also with a greater understanding of what is achievable with the right motivation. My stay at Potato Head was an education, and it’s left me feeling positive about the future of the holiday industry because becoming a zero-waste hotel business is possible — Potato Head has proven this.
Every hotel owner/operator should take note because, from the seed of an idea, Potato Head is educating more and more tourists on what the industry should be doing and indeed can do if it sets its mind to it.
