Lelewatu Resort Sumba — Hotel in Sumba

Peace & Retreat in the Indian Ocean

Set stunningly on a majestic cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, and scattered over acres of tropical Indonesian scenery, this resort is an accommodational art that has been painted with a harmonious blend of nature and luxury. Bordered by a lush jungle and surrounded by nine beaches, this slice of asian paradise is tucked away in unspoiled nature. The most impressive aspect of the resort is that despite being scattered over 10 acres of hilltop land, it only has 29 villas. So you are treated to romantic seclusion and absolute tranquillity no matter which villa you stay in. The only thing that might come between you and a peaceful post-meal nap is the thunderous crashing of waves against the rocks below – which I considered to be more of mother nature’s lullaby!

Every Villa here comes with its own Private pool that is bigger than the main pool you get to see in most hotels in the western world! A classic demonstration of Affordable Asian Luxury. The interiors are indigenously designed to showcase Sumbanese heritage and craftsmanship. They have been built to look like a typical Sumbanese house (Laut) - with authentic locally crafted wooden pieces and handwoven ikat fabrics. The Marble bathrooms and Marvellous Cosmetics enhance the local feel with a luxury touch. And the spectacularly situated outdoor shower is just an icing on the cake! The Villa we stayed in came loaded with breath-taking views of the mighty Indian Ocean. There were so many sweet spaces outside the room where we could lounge while enjoying the views, and listening to the calming tunes played out by the Ocean. A huge balcony with cushioned chairs, A cute little gazebo next to the private pool, and the pool itself. The Villa even had its own private backyard! #AffordableAsianLuxury #JobBreakTravels

LOCATION: Mind Blowing location right next to Nihiwatu Beach on the Western part of Sumba Island

DINE + DRINK: The ‘Sand bar’ that is next to the restaurant with an Island vibe and a unique touch that is hard to find in a jungle resort located on a Clifftop. They have managed to create a Polynesian barefoot beach bar feel while still not removing you from the hilltop jungle resort atmosphere. A lovely place to get a sundowner. The main restaurant features freshly caught fish and specialties from the island and other parts of Indonesia with some Western dishes for the guests homesick for a taste from home.

ROOM: We stayed in WALIKIRI Villa, so this review is based on that; VIEW:Spectacular Views of the Ocean ; SIZE: Very spacious room; AIR-CON: The biggest downer of the entire stay!!!!! The Air Conditioner never worked properly and the room was like a steam room. Couldnt sleep the whole night which was a big let down in a paradise like this! I am giving this place a star lesser in my rating purely because of this.; BED: Comfortable bed that played the expected part to put me to sleep; BATHROOM: Stand in shower; TOILETRIES: Excellent SPA quality cosmetics that were wonderful

FACILITIES: Compact Gym with a basic range of DUMBBELLS and Cardio machines. Ok for a very simple workout, but they could have certainly done a better job! The main pool comes with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean and is an infinity pool worth checking out if you manage to venture out of your killer private pool in the villa!

SERVICE: Friendly staff that took care of all my needs with a smile and made us feel pampered and well taken care of. Special Shout out to RANGGA (our butler) and RIRIN who made our stay even more special!

HOW WIRED YOU WILL BE: Free high speed Wi-Fi that works well all over the property. Big Plasma TV screen dishing out dozens of channels spanning sports, news, music, movies and a wide variety of entertainment in multiple languages. But do note that some of the villas might have a spotty connection(for both...

I stayed 4 days and three nights at Lelewatu resort. See here bellow my personal points after trying out most things here and reading all reviews , with in mind that I have visited other hotels in Sumba already.

ARRIVAL- Went smooth. We had someone to pick us up at the airport and we had a good contact with the hotel before arrival. We think the airport fee is way to high and it felt even a bit like a scam because there is almost no other way to get to the resort.

ROOM: Stunning. The ocean view villa with private pool was super beautiful and the pictures don’t do it’s justice , wow!

FOOD: We also liked the food but if you stay long time like us it’s gets bored and it could be more chooses for our liking. Food was always warm and brought to our room. Fish was not the best but the meat and lobster was great.

FITNESS: Just a small gym , nothing special. It will do the basic things.

MASSAGE: The massage was good but unfortunately difficult communication as not speaking English. For the price you pay here the massage Centre should be more professional. They started without knowing what we wanted exactly , a bit of a mess and we are used to better treatment in a spa. Massage itself was great.

DAYTRIP: We did a full day trip at 1mill pp with three different stops. We had a new driver from that day and communication was less to zero , it also looked like communication between him and the hotel was minimum as we had to call the manager of the hotel to help us out at one point , don’t think they will be a guide and explain you things ( which for this price should be the case) they just bring you around and wait for you. Not really worth it. Should be way better organized as we had to call them for few things in the way because no communication. Should have done better between hotel and driver as they provide this tour from them hotel but didnt look well organized or deeply thought through.

OVERALL ECXPERIENCE It is a beautiful place and the people that work there truely have the best of heart with what they know and can. They always smiled and gave us the best to offer but they can only do so much. The owner should make sure they are trained properly.

We felt like there was not a lot of people working here and as only guest it also leaves a weird feeling.

What shocked me the most and is the first time experience in Sumba is NO malaria or dengue protocol in any part of the hotel. I find that absurd for your guests to have no clue if they take protocol or not. In all other hotels I have been this was everywhere. Makes me question if they care for safety of guests ( in with some reviews already saying it too) it is a serious matter and should not be gone over slightly!

We really liked the resort but feel like it doesn’t live up to its potential as there is a lack of effort in many places. With resorts like Nihi just around the corner and other big known resorts they should step it up as just having a beautiful looking place is not enough to make people enjoy it.

I hope you are open from learning and really improving it for the best as we had a great time but see a lot of things open for improvement...

My friend and I recently stayed at Lelewatu Sumba, and while we were excited for a peaceful, luxury experience, we left feeling that the property falls short of what it claims to offer—especially for the price point.

Our main concern lies in the lack of structural maintenance and attention to detail throughout the villa and broader resort. The villa we stayed in had a bathroom that was not sealed properly and had a noticeable mildew smell. The shower setup was just a handheld unit, not a proper or comfortable experience for a hotel that markets itself as 5-star. Around the pool area, the wood was untreated and rotting in places, as were the tiles and hardware in public areas such as the lobby bathrooms. These are not minor details—they reflect a lack of reinvestment into the property by ownership or management, and at this level, that is unacceptable.

When you’re spending this kind of money, you expect the property to reflect care, pride, and upkeep. Sadly, that was not the case here. The owner shows a clear lack of respect for his staff, leaving hardworking employees to shoulder the burden for his mismanagement and neglect. In our opinion, the villas do not justify the rates being charged, and this is not a five-star experience by international standards.

What also impacted our stay was the persistent pushiness from the front desk and upper management. Rather than creating a sense of ease, we were frequently approached and encouraged to book services—especially massages—even after we had politely declined. The constant pressure to sign up for extras began to feel intrusive. On top of that, we were interrupted mid-meal to settle charges from the day before, which felt poorly timed and inappropriate in a setting meant to feel relaxing and refined. The overall energy from management felt more focused on upselling and closing transactions than creating a seamless, guest-centered experience. That level of pressure really chipped away at the calm we were hoping for.

That said, the staff at Lelewatu Sumba were truly the highlight of our stay. We want to give a heartfelt thank you to Adhy, who led our tours and made our trip unforgettable. His deep knowledge of Sumba, warmth, and professionalism were unmatched—and his passion for the island made a huge impact on our experience. We’d also like to recognize Ester, one of the servers, who was kind, patient, and incredibly hospitable throughout our stay.

If you’re looking for a true luxury experience in Sumba, we would recommend considering NIHI, Alamayah, or Cap Karoso instead. These properties are better aligned with the service and infrastructure expected at this price tier.

We hope the hotel management takes this feedback seriously and makes the much-needed improvements to bring Lelewatu Sumba up to the level it...