Top 5 Property Types in Bali for Commercial Housing Investments

July 16, 2025
12:23 pm

Bali remains a powerful magnet for international travelers and property investors. Its enduring popularity, combined with evolving travel behavior and lifestyle trends, has shaped a dynamic commercial real estate market. Across the island, certain property types stand out for their performance, flexibility, and alignment with long-term investment goals.

This article outlines the five most prominent commercial property types used for housing in Bali. Each category attracts a specific kind of guest, serves distinct business models, and offers different levels of risk and return. For investors planning to enter or expand in the Balinese market, understanding these types provides a foundation for building a profitable and future-ready portfolio.

1. Private Villas: Premium Experience with Personalization Power

Private villas are one of Bali’s most visible and in-demand property types. These properties are designed for privacy, comfort, and often luxury. Guests are typically couples, families, or remote professionals looking for space and a personalized environment. Villas feature amenities such as private pools, kitchens, open living areas, and landscaped gardens.

From an investment perspective, villas offer strong pricing power. Nightly rates tend to be higher compared to hotel rooms, especially when located in destinations like Canggu, Ubud, Uluwatu, and Seminyak. Management can be handled either by third-party operators or directly by the owner with a lean team and tech-enabled booking platforms.

Flexibility adds another advantage. Investors often reserve the property for personal stays while maintaining high occupancy rates during peak travel seasons. When managed well, a single villa can outperform several small hotel units in revenue per square meter.

2. Boutique Hotels: Scalable, Brand-Driven Properties

Boutique hotels fill a niche between large resorts and smaller, independent stays. These properties typically feature 10 to 50 rooms and focus on design, guest experience, and location. Each boutique hotel carries a clear identity, whether inspired by local culture, wellness themes, or minimalist architecture.

In Bali, boutique hotels thrive in urban and semi-urban areas such as Umalas, Pererenan, and parts of Ubud. Many are built on medium-sized plots with multiple floors to maximize space efficiency. The ability to charge premium rates comes from personalized service, curated amenities, and a cohesive brand story.

Investors are drawn to this format because it allows scalability without losing character. A well-executed boutique hotel can achieve strong margins, high occupancy, and a loyal customer base. It also opens the door for eventual franchising or brand expansion if handled with long-term vision.

3. Resorts: Destination-Driven and Experience-Oriented

Resorts operate on a broader scale and often sit on large land parcels in beachside or inland tourism zones. They attract guests seeking immersive experiences, ranging from wellness retreats and surf camps to all-inclusive luxury escapes. Common resort features include multiple room types, restaurants, wellness centers, yoga shalas, and event spaces.

Uluwatu, Nusa Dua, and Tabanan offer prime locations for resort development due to the availability of larger land plots and natural surroundings. Resorts require more capital and operational complexity, but they deliver diverse revenue streams and strong positioning in the global hospitality market. Strategic partnerships with travel agencies, retreat organizers, or international booking platforms help extend reach and keep occupancy levels high throughout the year. For investors with access to capital and interest in long-term brand building, resorts remain a high-impact opportunity.

What We Offer

At Waluya Development Group, we go beyond traditional real estate, providing secure, high-value investment opportunities in Bali’s most sought-after locations. From fully owned land to high-yield rental returns, our developments are designed to maximize security, flexibility, and profitability. Here’s what sets us apart:

Fuly Owned Land With Flexible Opportunities

Unlike most developers who lease land, Waluya Development Group offers properties on fully owned land, ensuring security and flexibility in every investment.

Long-Term Leasehold Advantage

We provide 75-year leasehold options, significantly longer than the market standard of 30 years, giving investors extended security and peace of mind.

High Liquidity Investments

We carefully select prime Bali locations and craft innovative developments that maximize value, allowing investors to benefit from high liquidity

Effortless Passive Income

Waluya Development Group handles every aspect of renting your villa, so you can relax while your income grows.

Rapid Return on Investment

With Bali’s thriving demand for vacation rentals, oceanside properties can yield up to $5,000 in monthly earnings.

4. Guesthouses and Homestays: Affordable and Steady Cash Flow Assets

Guesthouses and homestays support the mid-range and budget segments of Bali’s tourism market. They serve short-term visitors, remote workers, and long-stay travelers who value affordability, cleanliness, and basic comfort. These properties typically offer 5 to 20 rooms and are often family-run or semi-managed by local operators.

This model suits urban areas and developing tourism zones such as Denpasar, Sanur, and parts of northern Bali. While the nightly rates are lower than those of villas or boutique hotels, guesthouses tend to enjoy high occupancy and low turnover costs. They also allow for easier conversion of existing residential structures into income-generating assets.

For investors looking for quick entry and simplified operations, guesthouses provide steady returns and require less upfront capital. They can also serve as a first step toward larger-scale hospitality ventures later on.

5. Apartment-Style Accommodations and Serviced Units: Long-Stay and Urban-Oriented

Apartment buildings and serviced units are gaining traction, particularly in high-density areas like Canggu, Berawa, and the outskirts of Seminyak. These properties meet the needs of digital nomads, small families, and business travelers who prefer staying longer than the average tourist.

This model includes studio apartments, one- or two-bedroom flats, and compact residences equipped with kitchenettes, laundry facilities, and workspaces. Rentals can operate on daily, weekly, or monthly terms, giving owners the flexibility to adapt pricing and occupancy to market conditions.

Serviced apartments benefit from lower maintenance per unit and greater predictability in monthly income. Property managers often oversee multiple floors or buildings, creating economies of scale. For investors interested in the emerging urban-living market, this segment offers low risk and consistent performance, especially as Bali’s remote-work ecosystem continues to grow.

FAQ

We understand that investing in property comes with many questions. Below, you’ll find clear and concise answers to key aspects of our offerings, including payment structure, ownership options, property details, and construction timelines. Our goal is to provide you with transparency and confidence every step of the way. If you need further assistance, our team is always ready to help.

Payment Structure

Our payment schedule is designed to be flexible and structured as follows:

10% Deposit – Parked in an escrow account.
30% Down Payment – Due at the notary signing.
12% Quarterly Installments – Paid every quarter.
4% Monthly Installments – Paid every month.

Ownership & Extention

Buyers can choose between:

Freehold ownership (available to Indonesian nationals or foreign buyers via a PT PMA
company structure).
75-year Leasehold, which provides long-term security and flexibility for international
investors.

Significantly longer than the market standard of 30 years, giving investors extended security and peace of mind.

Property Detail & Location

Melasti Hills is located just five minutes from the pristine shores of Melasti Beach, one of Bali’s fastest-growing areas. The region is known for its stunning landscapes, luxury beach clubs, and growing tourism demand, making it an ideal location for investors seeking high returns and long-term value appreciation.

There are two types available for your Investments

Kairos Aruna: 2-bedroom villa, 110m2 land, 192m2 floor area.
Kairos Cahaya: 2-bedroom villa, 140m2 land, 214m2 floor area.

Each villa is designed with luxury, comfort, and functionality in mind.

Construction & Timeline

Construction is scheduled for completion latest 15 months after signing at notary. Buyers will receive regular updates throughout the process.

Strategic Factors Driving These Property Types

Several forces shape the demand for these five types of commercial properties in Bali:

Tourism Volume and Variation
Bali attracts a broad spectrum of travelers: luxury tourists, digital professionals, budget backpackers, wellness seekers, and families. This variation supports multiple property formats across different price points and locations.
Lifestyle Migration and Remote Work
Bali has evolved beyond short-stay tourism. The rise of digital nomadism and flexible working conditions has shifted demand toward properties that support comfort, functionality, and longer stays.
Accessibility of Ownership Models
Through leasehold structures and joint-venture arrangements, foreign investors can participate in Bali’s property market with reasonable legal clarity. This opens doors to various commercial property types, especially in the housing and hospitality sectors.
Infrastructure Expansion
Improvements in roads, digital connectivity, and airport facilities are making new areas viable for development. Investors no longer need to rely solely on Seminyak or Ubud to build valuable assets.