Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa

This hotel offered us an unforgettable experience, with outstanding service and quality of food, while the proximity to Komodo Island is a bonus. So far, it was our top stay in terms of overall stay, service and quality of food.

Arrival and Villa

Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa is nestled in the enchanting landscapes of Komodo land in Indonesia, more specifically, in Labuan Bajo. There are not many daily flights to this airport, therefore we spent a night in Bali and left the next day. It was around a 1 hour flight and we were met at the airport by the chauffeur. The hotel itself is part of Marriott Bonvoy and we hold a Titanium Elite status with them, therefore we could take advantage of additional membership perks. We arrived in the evening and, from the moment we checked in, the service was impeccable. We were assigned a personal butler and she was the one supporting us with our schedule every day, offering tips for sightseeing and restaurants and making any required reservations. We were booked in a one bedroom villa with sea view – the only other room above this is the overwater sea villa. Our 112 square meter villa was beautifully designed – minimalistic and with great taste. It was one of the most stunning villas we have ever stayed at.

All curtains were electric and, the next morning, a beautiful view was revealed. The only slight downfall is that the sea view is not quite a full sea view, but rather a tiny sea view corner.

Bathroom

The bathroom was outstanding, one of the best we have ever seen, extremely spacious and with amenities of very high quality (Dyson hair drier), and the villa had two toilets in total – one in the main bathroom and one closer to the entrance.

The bathtub was exquisite and the garden view during the day gave it a special vibe. Bath salts were also provided alongside the usual products.

Bedroom

The bedroom was standard, but with a great view and an extremely comfortable bed. The only slight downside was that the TV was on one side and it was not particularly comfortable to watch, but it was not used as there was a main one in the living room.

Amenities

There were hats, flip flops, umbrellas and many other useful items provided. The fridge and snack selection were also of high quality, as well as the tea and coffee.

Outdoor Area

The villa had a private pool and two seating areas, one with chairs and one with a couch and table that were covered.

Breakfast

Probably one of the best things about the resort was the quality of the food. Most things are locally sourced and everything tasted extremely sumptuous and fresh. The breakfast was a la carte, but also had a small buffet for topping up. It had a sambal section (amazing if you like spicy food!), and the selection, albeit small, was incredibly qualitative – from fruits to pastries, including local Indonesian flavours.

Eating both outside and inside was extremely pleasant, the restaurant was rather empty most times and the atmosphere was great. The service was comparable to Michelin star restaurants, with the waiters very attentive and ensuring we got everything we needed. Overall, breakfast was one of the main highlights of the stay.

Resort

The resort has a beautiful setup, with a main body of rooms and a few layers of villas, as well as 7 overwater villas a bridge away. The pool is small, but beautiful and it was mostly empty. We have not used the public pool as we had a private one. The hotel offered unlimited water activities including snorkelling (there is a small coral reef in the hotel perimeter which was beautiful).

The one downside is that there is no beach really, there are bits and pieces on the left and right that are public, but they were quite dirty and not very appealing, at least while we were there. So, if you like a long beach walk from your hotel, this is not the place for it.

Gym

The gym is small, but has everything one needs and was empty when we visited a few times during our stay. The apparatus are older at times, but, overall, it does the job.

Lounge

Included in the stay was a tea afternoon in the lounge, where there were 3 “courses” of tea, taking us through an Indonesian journey. The quality of the tea was amazing, as well as the theatre around it and the history information provided. The lounge also has a view over the sunset and we caught a couple of good ones during our 5 night stay. The music is very relaxing, as well as the ambiance.

Sunset

Also part of the stay was an Indonesian fighting ritual at sunset, in which the history of the tradition was presented, as well as picture opportunities. As an experience, it felt authentic and special.

The sunsets are truly gorgeous here…

Restaurants

While we don’t usually eat at the hotels we are staying at (except breakfast), we made an exception this time as we had an early start and late arrival on one of the days. The Indonesian restaurant Umasa turned out to also be incredible. We overdid it with starters, main and dessert, but the flavours were outstanding and the service as well. The staff also took a picture of us that they later framed and left in our room as a present. Their attention to detail is truly amazing.