NIHI Sumba

The place is unbelievable and one that you must visit at least once in your life Service makes you special since arrival to the airport Thanks to the whole staff including Marteen, Duss, Paula who made our stay very very special The island is extremely special

An unparalleled experience. A true gem on the edge of wildness. From the location, to the staff, to the service - you’re in for an absolute treat here. I couldn’t recommend it more highly! Romantic dinners, mouthwatering food, island serenity, cliffside spas, horses on the beach … and the list goes on and on …

Where to begin and how to fully convey the magic of Nihi Sumba? Both physically (the property itself) and the magic of where it puts you mentally! Well, the service is the best I've probably ever received (and I travel a lot!). I joked that they must have put a chip into our brains as we arrived, becuase they knew exaclty what we needed at all times. They provided top notch service without being overwhelming, it was as if they were silently waiting for you to merely think that you "needed" something and it appeared. I cannot comment enough on this, from the personal concierges to ALL of the staff they waited on us and seemed to know exaclty what we wanted. One minor example: at dinner they have gas lanterns on the tables, and I found it to be just a bit too much light for our table of 6 and to be able to view each other while talking. So one night I simply asked them to just remove it, which of course they did. A few minutes later someone appeared with a candle in a jar and asked if I would like this instead---who does that? Sorry one more example: we had booked a boat trip and some other activites, which as a family of 6, at many other resorts is like a major committment. The day prior to our boat trip, our concierge comes up to us and says: Ibu (like saying Miss-which I loved) tomorrow will be choppy seas, so we moved your boat trip to another day and moved the waterfall trek to tomorrow as it will be much better. This included moving drivers, boat crew, times etc, and it was all done behing the scenes, no deicisons to be made of me, nothing "unvavilable" --again: that is a TRUE vacation, no stress and everything was handled for us. That would never happen at another resort as things would have been booked, and they may have said that we already committed and weather issues are NOT refundable. They just get it! They get what it means to be on vacation or holiday as they say! By the way we caught a huge Wahoo fish which then was grilled for us within an hour of returning, we were presented with grilled wahoo, wahoo cevice and wahoo sashimi! Flowers every day: gorgeous touch Food: fabulous! Happiest Hour: fabulous Activities: unreal (MUST do spa day, I have never had treatments like that) Friendliness of all the staff: off the charts Beauty of the property: like none other, fresh flowers, the landscape of it, the table linens each night, the lighting Happiest Hour: loved this touch! Accomodations: we stayed in the treehouse, very comfortable beds/pillows sheets. Special events: White party/horse racing (only once a month)/Sumba dinner with local performance. They have struck the balance of providing fabulous service in a very low key way that really allows you to feel that you are escaping it all. It was the vacation of a lifetime for our family of 2 30 year olds and 2 22 year olds, and my husband an me. Shout out to the entire staff and especially to Maxy and Anggriani our personal concierges, aval

Absolutely the best vacation experience I have ever had. Our family had a great time and staff, service, food and activities were terrific. Getting there was an adventure itself but worth the time and effort. If you intend to hike the to the Blue Waterfall, be in good shape as its quite the hike!

Nihi will evoke a range of emotions. Upon arrival, I wasn’t sure what we had signed up for. The villas in a traditional style were more functional than luxurious. The service was effusive, but inconsistent. The happiest hour at the boathouse was more like having a beer and popcorn at a surfers’ dive, rather than what you would expect from one of the world’s best hotels. It was hard to understand the target audience and appeal. But…Nihi and the island won us over. First, the location is truly breathtaking. Miles of soft sandy beach set against tropical jungle and the most beautiful waters. Horses (living their best lives) roam the beach! The Spa ‘safari’ setting is magical. Second, the food at the resort, prepared with the freshest ingredients from the property’s organic garden and catch from the sea, is prepared with great skill and much pride, and is truly delicious. Also, literally anything you desire, the F&B team will try to make for you in their kitchen. Finally, the amazing management team. A mostly all female team led by new GM Sabine and new RM Melany. Years of luxury hospitality experience between them and also not forgetting Kim who runs experiences and takes care of rooms. They were there every day mingling with guests, dropping by to check on everyone and being truly gracious hosts. It is rare to see management so visibly present at other brands nowadays. You cannot help but feel you are a treasured and valued guest. While the ruggedness of the property did take this city girl out of her comfort zone, I can see why the Nihi Sumba was rated among the top 50 properties around the world in 2023, alongside luminaries such as Le Sireneuse and the Rosewood Crilllon.

We spend 7 days at the Nihi - the views, the beach, the surroundings are great. The hotel , the room, the facilities are not so great, everything is a bit old and it feels outdated. The food, the service was also good, the buffet dinner was beautiful. The management is not very visible and we felt not very much cared for. Very expensive and therefore we would expect top notch care and attention, but nothing like that. Mixed feelings about the Nihi.

Beautiful NIHI Sumba is a revelation. Set on the south shore of Sumba, next to a long crescent of sand and pounding surf, it’s a luxury hotel with boutique vibe. This place is expensive. If you are able to stay, the welcome is warm, the rooms are exquisitely designed and the food is superb. Don’t come for a swim in calm seas, but long walks along the beautiful beach are a delight, as are the horses which you can see running there (and ride). If you are a surfer, the break is world class. In addition to offering multiple excursions, NIHI is an active supporter of the Sumba Foundation which works to improve the lives of the Sumbanese people.

1. The food is terrible 2. The food is terrible 3. The food is terrible 4. The food is terrible 5. The food is terrible Astonishing that you could pay $8,000 per night for a room and struggle to find something that tastes good on the menu. They couldn't even make a decent tasting Nasi Goreng--an Indonesian staple. It's shameful of the management not to hire a world class chef when they charge world class prices. If you come here, don't plan to stay long. You will be bored stiff with the food after 2 days and will simply need to leave because you can't stand another meal there, and there are no other options. That was the case for us. Also beware that in spite of world class prices, you still get mere "local" level of service that comes with all the rough edges. It's also very sad and retro that they claim to be so progressive and yet think nothing of having "working horses"who are enslaved for the purposes of making money for the resort. We wanted nothing to do with that old school model of animal cruelty. We were sad to see how sweaty, over-worked, and isolated in small areas these poor horses were. This place does not deliver an experience worthy of what they charge. And the owner is nowhere to be found....

Had been looking so forward to this trip because I have heard so much about this resort before. Sadly the product does not match the slick marketing. The resort itself is pleasant but nothing special. It looks dated and not very well maintained. The location, spa, beach and the horses were outstanding. Sadly everything else was a major disappointment. The local staff barely spoke English so communication was a HUGE issue. We had a lovely villa but housekeeping was appalling. No clean glasses, no ice, towels were not replenished, room service dishes were left on the dining table overnight despite the turn down service. The bathtub tap was left turned on by housekeeping which caused an overflow that flooded the entire floor. The quality of food at the restaurants was only average. Overall service was lacking. This trip was not worth what was paid.