Together with his family, Troy Sinclair transformed the love he had for Nusa Lembongan when he was a young surfer visiting the island into an ever-evolving resort called Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa. He took the time to share some stories about the journey with Asia Dreams.
Q: How did you first get into the hospitality industry? Has it always been your passion?
A: I grew up in a tourism town in Australia called Noosa Heads, which was a holiday destination for Australians filled with hotels, restaurants and cafes. So, at a young age, I was working in the hospitality industry. It wasn’t until the opportunity presented itself here in Bali in Nusa Lembongan that I decided to come back to hospitality. The hospitality industry is really rewarding, you get to meet a lot of very interesting people, you get to hear their stories and you get to share yours. A lot of people work very hard to go on a holiday, and it’s great to be able to provide them with the product and give them experience that takes them home feeling fresh and revitalised.
Q: How did you come to the decision to build and open Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa?
A: I was a young fellow when I visited Lembongan on one of my first surf trips. I saw how beautiful it was and told my father about it. At that point he never visited Bali, and he dismissed the idea. I had moved on and I was working in Europe, when I got a call from my father, telling me about this place that he had found called Nusa Lembongan. He said he had bought a land on the island, so I flew out from Scotland, and we stood down on the footpath here which was still jungle at that point. We looked at the view and thought that once people found out about Nusa Lembongan, it could be quite successful. We originally planned to build a couple of villas as a holiday destination, which very quickly turned into 10 villas with a restaurant, and turned into 17 villas with a restaurant to 24 villas with a restaurant, to today, a total of 39 suites and villas and two F&B outlets.
Q: How much were you involved in setting up Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa and what is your favourite part about the resort?
A: My father and I have worked together since the conception of the resort, as well as other family members. My mother looks after the spa, my sister does all the creative design and marketing, my father has a construction management design background, so he oversaw the project management of the actual production. I became the man in the middle doing the communications, as well as doing the opening and the general day-to-day operations, with of course the support of the rest of the family. My favourite parts of the resort are the views and The Balcony Bar, which is pretty good for a morning coffee, looking out over the bay, watching the waves and the boat coming and going.
Q: What is the most memorable or rewarding moment in developing and running Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa?
A: When we came here 20 years ago, the infrastructure wasn’t as good as it is today, and it was quite difficult to conduct a build like this on an island off an island. A lot of it was manual labour and was done by hand. We didn’t have the machinery, which is now available on the island. It was challenging to set up the logistics, a supply chain, all of those extra steps that are required to get to Nusa Lembongan. If I reflect on those early days, the most rewarding thing is to know how it was built, and seeing the result today.
Q: Is there any upcoming project from the resort or yourself that you can share with us?
A: I think one of the biggest projects recently is the whole reopening the resort after the pandemic. We were closed here for two whole years, so one of the biggest projects has been reopening the property, which presented a challenge in itself, but it’s also been refreshing because it allowed us to relook at how we do things and have a fresh start. One of those things we’re looking at is efficiency and sustainability. We created hydrophonic gardens in spare spaces around the resort, as well as bringing in solar panel project where we can take our villas offline and be self-sufficient for power.
Q: What advice would you give someone who wants to make it in the hospitality industry?
A: You have to remember what it’s all about, it’s about hosting the people. When I say people, it’s also about the people within your team. As long as you’re prepared for the social element of interacting with people, meeting
new people and learning about their stories, then it can be a really rewarding career.
Asia Dreams Volume 47
Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa
Nusa Lembongan
Bali 80771, Indonesia
T: (+62) 3665596377
