Sheraton Belitung Resort is Belitung’s first 5-star hotel
The relatively untouched Belitung Island, located at the halfway point between Batam and Jakarta, has long held a reputation among travelers as one of Indonesia’s best-kept secrets. While this has kept the island’s hidden paradise feel mostly intact, it does mean that accommodations are a bit scarce, especially if you’re used to the luxuries of Bali’s beachfront hotels.
That stops now as the new Sheraton Belitung Resort, the island’s first 5-star hotel, has opened just this September with an eco-resort concept. Its private beach overlooking the Lengkuas Island, means guests will get to enjoy idyllic days surrounded by white sands and granite rock formations with a scenic 19th-century lighthouse on the horizon.
Eco-resort concept with a lagoon inside the hotel grounds
If every hotel lobby looks like this, we won’t mind a slight delay in check-ins
Image credit: @sheratonbelitung
As cliched as it might be, we do consider first impressions to be important and in this respect Sheraton Belitung Resort aces them. The open-air lobby with a high wooden triangular ceiling and granite flooring is so impressive that we probably won’t mind delaying heading to our rooms just so we could enjoy the space.
The lagoon right in the middle of the resort’s ground provides a unique, natural landscape
Image credit: @hennylee84
The resort’s layout is quite unique with rooms stretching to the side of the lobby surrounding the lagoon, providing quite a spectacular landscape. The Terrace Lagoon Rooms (Rp. 1,431,000, ~USD101.50) in particular deserves a mention, with their terraces directly opening up to the lagoon – a blend of nature and luxurious hospitality true to an eco-resort’s concept.
Credit to the resort’s design team for going with the unconventional ‘floating bed’ layout
Image credit: Sheraton Belitung Resort
All rooms are equipped with an impressive open-air bathtub but what we love the most is the ‘floating bed’ sitting in the middle of the room. It’s a bit unorthodox but it makes the room look more spacious than it already is and we have to admit, we kinda want to redecorate our own rooms now.
Whether it’s swimming in the pool or just relaxing at the lounge chairs, you’re still guaranteed a pleasant time
Image credit: @aneorima
Past the lagoon lies the swimming pool and the resort’s beachfront dining options, the Island and Seafood Market restaurants. Beyond that lies the private beach where guests can enjoy a view of the sunset with Lengkuas Island’s scenic lighthouse in the background.
19th-century lighthouse and beach with granite rock formations
After being featured in the film Laskar Pelangi, tourists are known to refer to Tanjung Tinggi Beach as Laskar Pelangi Beach
Image credit: @bungawirandani
Sheraton Belitung Resort sits at the northwestern end of Belitung Island at the Tanjung Kelayang Beach. This part of the island is known for its granite rock formations with the Tanjung Tinggi Beach further up north famous for being featured in the film Laskar Pelangi, with even a plaque commemorating the film on-site.
There are always local offering boat rides out of Tanjung Kelayang beach, here docked during sunset
Image credit: @yansach_
If you’re looking for more impressive sights though, you’ll want to rent a boat to Lengkuas Island, one of the many smaller islands off the coast of Belitung. This is where you can find one of the island’s most famous landmarks, a colonial-era lighthouse built in 1882 by the Dutch that’s just barely visible from the resort’s beach.
Other than the historic lighthouse, you can also find plenty of starfish on the shallow waters surrounding Lengkuas Island
Image credit: @anggaraindra
Entrance to the lighthouse costs Rp. 5,000 (~USD0.35) and while climbing up to the top requires some effort, the rewarding view of the surrounding is downright priceless. Diving enthusiasts might also want to gear up as the remnants of a cargo ship that sunk down in the 90s roughly 20 meters deep is not a sight you’d want to miss.
The 5-star Sheraton Belitung Resort in the hidden paradise of Belitung
If visiting Bali for the umpteenth time has lost its luster for now, consider adding Belitung to your future travel list.
With the new 5-star Sheraton Belitung Resort, you’ll get to see the island’s untouched beauties while still enjoying the comforts of high-end hotel living.
Address: Jalan Pantai Penarikan Dusun Timur Jaya, Tanjung Binga, Bangka Belitung, 33414
Telephone: 719 8000999
Website
For more hotel guides in Indonesia, check out these stories:
- Hanoman Hotel in Batu has cabins modeled after Padang’s traditional Rumah Gadang
- What to eat, where to stay, and things to do in Jalan Malioboro
- Batam Marriott Hotel Harbour Bay is Batam’s first 5-star hotel
Cover image adapted from @iintandputri and Sheraton Belitung Resort
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