At Ministry of Villas, our team is eternally on the lookout for the perfect villa which ticks all the boxes: stellar location, beautiful design and five-star staff. It’s not an exaggeration that our hearts skip a beat every time that perfect ten comes along – and The Cotton House is definitely one of those rare unicorns where everything is done juuust right. During our recent stay at this Seminyak stunner, one of our team was celebrating her birthday which made things feel all the more festive.
Checking in
The first impression after arriving at The Cotton House is an audible wow. Tucked down a private lane in Seminyak, this place is beyond beautiful and so blissfully quiet (there’s actual birdsong in the air) that it almost feels like you’ve opened a secret door into another dimension, away from bustling Seminyak.
In keeping with its name, The Cotton House is a luminous white villa with architecture giving nods to the grand mansions of the Caribbean islands. The villa has multiple air-conditioned living areas so there’s plenty of room to hang out as a group. The Cotton House is divided into four pavilions spread out around a large garden with a uniquely angled swimming pool (there’s also a plunge pool attached to one of the bedrooms.) It might sound cheesy but it’s so true: this villa feels like your own private oasis.
Layout
The Cotton House has been newly renovated to offer a whopping eight bedrooms. This villa is definitely one of your best bets for hosting a large group in the heart of Seminyak. We were just shy of 20 people and with the help of a few extra beds, the villa could have actually accommodated all of us in one go. To make the good times last a little longer, we decided to split our stay over two nights.
The bedrooms are divided into three buildings. The first one houses five bedrooms side by side. Three of these rooms interconnect which allowed for a fun slumber party set up with the birthday girl. Needless to say, this layout is also fantastic for families as parents can keep an eye on the kids at all times. The bedrooms follow the décor of the villa (whimsy tropical chic) – our favourite was the twin room with its larger than life humming bird wallpaper.
Let the Games Begin
After picking out our rooms, it was time for some fun and games. As we were staying at The Cotton House as a full team, we decided to take advantage of the villa’s generous lawns and host some good old fashioned team building activities – in matching team T-shirts no less!
We had a blast giggling our way through egg and spoon racing and those of us who could still stand up from all the laughing stumbled through a few rounds of sack racing. We can also report that the pool is big enough for some serious racing! The large lawns and blissfully private setting make The Cotton House a great villa for corporate retreats and also for hosting weddings and other celebrations.
Dinner at The Cotton House
Since we were celebrating a team member’s birthday, having a fabulous in-villa dinner was a must. If eating well is a priority, The Cotton House is a great place to stay, regardless of whether you’re looking to dine in at the villa or to venture out to a fabulous restaurant (more on that later).
Our buffet style dinner at The Cotton House featured all of our favourite Indonesian dishes cooked to perfection and presented beautifully: nasi goreng and mie goreng, chicken satay and gado-gado, with more than enough to go around for second helpings.
All in all, it was the perfect dinner: the food was delicious, it was served on time and of course, in great company. At The Cotton House, the villa is staffed with a (fantastic!) personal chef and guests only pay for the cost of groceries plus a 20% surcharge. Breakfast was also fantastic and plentiful – I love that they served donuts!
A Birthday Surprise
So it’s been established that the garden is great and the food is delicious. The highlight of the night, however, was when the villa staff surprised us all and came out of the kitchen literally singing and dancing with a flamboyantly lit up birthday cake. It’s fair to say that the birthday girl was not the only one who was tickled pink by this performance.
These thoughtful little extras are exactly what makes staying in a villa so special. When you book your stay through Ministry of Villas, our concierge team can help organise a birthday cake and any other extras you might need during your villa stay.
Staying in Seminyak
Though it’s easy to forget when hanging out at the villa with no street noise or thumping techno music to tip you off, The Cotton House is actually located smack dab in the heart of the action in Seminyak.
To put it more specifically, it’s about a 10 minutes’ walk to Eat Street where you’ll have your pick of the best restaurants in Bali. Head to Bikini for uber chic cuisine, hit Sisterfields for an epic breakfast, stop by Hanks for great pizza and even better live music… and the list goes on.
Once you’ve ploughed your way through Eat Street, The Cotton House is also within a 10-minute radius from Jalan Petitenget. This is a trendy strip lined with cute cafes and Bali’s best beach clubs, including Potato Head and Mrs Sippy. Some of our nearby favourites include Coffee Cartel for great coffee and melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter brownies; Gofresh.life for the best banana smoothies on the island and Settimo Cielo for some fine dining. And last but not least, definitely don’t miss out on Basil Kitchen, a hidden gem located literally within 100 metres from the villa!
The Cotton House is easily one of our favourite villas in Seminyak. Finding a large villa in Seminyak can be a real mission but at The Cotton House, there’s plenty of room for you and your crew. We are suckers for the strategic Seminyak location – but with a villa so beautiful and so well staffed, it’s tempting to hang the proverbial “do not disturb” sign and simply stay in.
Find out more about The Cotton House or talk to our villa specialists to book your stay.
