Disused commercial jets being repurposed into luxury hotels is not a common sight, and yet there are a few examples around the world of these crafty adaptive reuse projects. We already know that France plans to turn an old A380 into a hotel, but it looks like the team behind that project has been beaten to the punch by entrepreneur Felix Demin and investor Alexander Lebedev, who have come together to turn a defunct Boeing 737 into a private villa in Bali.
The abandoned Boeing 737 was reportedly part of the Mandala Airlines fleet. The once Jakarta-based low-cast carrier doesn’t exist anymore, but its legacy will be a considerable one if this luxury hotel takes off, so to speak.
A complete overhaul has gutted the Boeing 737 and turning the retired jet into an imaginative luxury villa that sits on a cliff roughly 152-metres above Bali’s Nyang Nyang Beach in Uluwatu. The “private jet villa” (Expedia’s words, not ours) is already listed at around US$7,300 (~AU$10,455) per night, presenting what just may be Bali’s most unique accommodation.
Demin, who already owns a bunch of hotels around Bali, told Business Insider that the once commercial jet took about a week to transport to its current position, requiring a team to completely dismantle the aicraft and rebuild it on-site.
“Externally and structurally, this is a jet aircraft that we have turned into a luxury hotel.”
There are no seats or equipment left in the Boeing 737. Only the shell and portholes remain, repurposing the inside with a minimalist interior where the former cocktpit is now a stylish bathroom (with a circular stone tub) and the cabins are replaced by a kitchen and dining room, a second bathroom and two bedrooms.
Most impressively, the designers have turned one of the aircraft’s wings into a very slick terrace, which stretches nearby an adjacent infinity pool peppered by a few loungers so guests can take advantage of the cliffside views over Bali’s Bukit Peninsula.
According to the Expedia listing, the Boeing 737 villa offers all the necessary amenities to make a stay in Bali feel more convenient. You’ve got free self-parking, Wi-Fi and a 24-hour front desk. There’s also enough space for the villa’s own helipad, so at least there’s some element of functional aviation.
