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Hotel Moon Gang: YSG Studio’s Surrealist Spin on the Balinese Retreat
Дата публикации: 10-09-2026 02:41:54

YSG Studio turns a derelict Ubud villa into Hotel Moon Gang, a music and wellness retreat built from recycled Indonesian craft. Discover the world within.

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A symmetrical elevation of Hotel Moon Gang mirrored in the pool, where a shingled pavilion with timber-framed glazing and a black balustraded balcony rises above cinnamon render. Bird-of-paradise foliage and coconut palms screen the façade, and a staff member in a striped jersey and check sarong passes between clustered green urns.

Luxury resorts in Bali have developed an instantly recognisable visual language that filters tropical vernacular through contemporary minimalism, underpinned by warm neutrals, natural materials and local craftsmanship. It is an appealing formula, but familiarity can easily slip into sameness. Moon Gang, a five-suite boutique hotel that opened in Ubud in June 2026, takes a more idiosyncratic route. Vibrant colour, surreal flourishes and contemporary art jostle with bamboo, terracotta and earthy renders, resulting in a place that combines a strong sense of place with a whimsical, avant-garde sensibility, courtesy of Yasmine Ghoniem of Sydney-based YSG Studio, the Egyptian-Australian designer known for her instinctual approach and adventurous palettes.

Conceived as "a destination for music, wellness and design lovers", the hotel is the brainchild of owner and operator Kirsten Millbank of Firstbase Studio, an Australian multidisciplinary platform uniting wellness and design. A committed advocate of sustainability, Millbank set a brief that entailed transforming a dilapidated holiday home into a boutique hotel using locally sourced, eco-conscious materials. Ghoniem turned that constraint into a creative springboard, collaborating with some of Indonesia's most innovative artists and artisans to have virtually everything custom-made, from wall treatments and joinery to furniture, lighting and glassware. With a vinyl-filled listening lounge and a spa whose signature treatments run well into the night, all set around a pool patio, the result is a whimsical, self-contained world that reimagines the island's familiar tropes with flair and ingenuity.

Poolside at Hotel Moon Gang, lime-green woven sun loungers with parasol-like visors sit on a terracotta deck beside glazed green and dark ceramic urns. Behind, a rendered gateway with a carved timber door punctured by a circular motif leads up a ramp, framed by palms and a weathered stone Balinese statue.

Sun lounger and side table in recycled plastic, custom design by YSG, handcrafted by BYO Living. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

A suite study corner, where a raw-timber desk on bamboo-style legs meets a green woven tub chair beneath a dark abstract artwork. Plant-dyed curtains in green and ochre filter jungle light, a cluster of shaded bamboo lamps and a woven box lending the pink-plastered nook a quiet, crafted calm.

‘Creativity’ desk custom design by YSG, crafted by Asali Bamboo. Chair custom design by YSG, handcrafted by BYO Living in recycled plastic, upholstered in ‘Atom – 0944’ by Raf Simons for Kvadrat. Photography by Tommaso Riva

A suite framed by a soaring timber-beamed roof, where plant-dyed curtains washed in indigo, ochre and green filter light across a herringbone terracotta floor. Glazed doors open to a planted balcony, while a ribbed paper floor lamp and a green banana-leaf-paper pendant lend the calm, tonal room a sculptural glow.

Golden Shadow suite. Photography by Tommaso Riva

That world announces itself before guests even reach the gates. There is no reception lobby in the conventional sense; instead, arrivals check in at Mini Moon Gang, a kiosk near Ubud's town centre, then straddle a chauffeured scooter for a three-minute ride up a winding, car-free path through rice fields and tropical jungle. The absence of cars lends the hotel a surprising sense of seclusion despite its proximity to central Ubud.

A staff member in a "Moon Gangster" jersey rides a scooter up the palm-lined Sari Organic Walk toward the hotel, dappled light falling across the paved path. Rice-field greenery and coconut palms enclose the lane, capturing Moon Gang's car-free hillside approach and its scooter-led arrival ritual.

Photography by Tommaso Riva.

The entrance to Hotel Moon Gang, framed by a cinnamon-rendered gateway with a timber-lined doorway. A pink carved Balinese shrine draped in yellow cloth sits on the wall beside an amber sconce, while dense jungle foliage and coconut palms rise behind. A carved timber bench rests on the cobbled forecourt at dusk.

Wall sculpture by Aral Stud. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

A wide view of Hotel Moon Gang's stacked volumes and pool terrace, where cinnamon-rendered walls with arched openings meet charcoal-stained timber storeys and shingled roofs. Trailing vines spill from planted terraces, a weathered green-and-red metal tub sits poolside, and banana palms crowd the pool set into the terracotta deck.

Ambang Pool Club. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

A symmetrical elevation of Hotel Moon Gang mirrored in the pool, where a shingled pavilion with timber-framed glazing and a black balustraded balcony rises above cinnamon render. Bird-of-paradise foliage and coconut palms screen the façade, and a staff member in a striped jersey and check sarong passes between clustered green urns.

Sunlight falls on a rendered pool wall where a chartreuse woven daybed with a rust bolster sits between glazed green urns and small terracotta vessels. Coconut palms and dense foliage rise above the earthen-toned boundary against a clear blue sky, the water shimmering in the foreground.

Photography by Tommaso Riva.

Hotel Moon Gang's focal pool patio, where a cinnamon-rendered pavilion with triple arches and a timber-framed upper storey rises above still water. Trailing vines soften the parapet, lime-green woven sun loungers line the terracotta deck, and banana palms frame the composition, capturing the hotel's blend of earthy render and tropical planting.

Ambang Pool Club. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

Rather than demolish the former holiday residence, which YSG found in severe disrepair, the studio chose to work with its existing concrete structure, extending Millbank’s environmental brief to the building itself. Water-damaged walls and floors were repaired, timber shingles were added and decayed boundary slats gave way to breeze blocks that improve ventilation and daylight while recalling printed woodblock patterns. Without wholesale demolition, sightlines were opened and circulation made more fluid by removing columns in the lounge, lowering a central archway to focus views towards the pool and cutting organic portholes into walls to frame pockets of garden.

A cinnamon-toned render made from recycled earth-based material softens the concrete exterior, while tessellated terracotta finger tiles stitch together the outdoor areas and lounge. Against this earthy base, YSG Studio introduced more electric notes: glazed lava-stone tiles in assorted colours, citrus and papaya-green accents and lush vegetation. Japanese references form a secondary thread, from shou sugi ban timber furniture, paper lamps and shoji screens depicting lunar phases to a new rooftop suite inspired by traditional Japanese bamboo huts, its structure stained deep charcoal-indigo and punctured by an oversized skylight.

A pool terrace view of Hotel Moon Gang's stacked volumes, where cinnamon-rendered walls with arched openings meet a charcoal-stained timber upper storey. Trailing vines spill from planted terraces, tropical foliage crowds the pool's edge, and a weathered green-and-red metal tub adds a jolt of colour against the earthen palette.

Photography by Tommaso Riva.

A study of Cosmos Kiosk's bespoke furniture against a deep-blue interior, where a two-tier console and cylindrical-legged table in mottled green recycled plastic meet a wavy-legged stool speckled in yellow. Moon lamps glow above, dried stems fill a ceramic vessel, and a beaded Balinese ornament hangs beside a timber door.

Counter and stool custom design by YSG, handcrafted from recycled plastic bottle tops by Weedoo Plastics. Moon sconces in fiberglass by Anomolous, custom design by YSG. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

The furnishings are where the hotel’s imagination runs most freely. Collaborating with more than fifteen eco-conscious Indonesian artisans, YSG Studio realised a series of bespoke pieces using natural, reclaimed and recycled materials. Among them are sun loungers woven from upcycled plastic that sprout playful "mohawks" at the pool patio, "cloud" pendants of dyed banana-leaf paper in the suites, and terrazzo-like counters and stools handcrafted from repurposed bottle tops in the listening lounge.

The same attention extends to the hotel’s art collection, which animates both communal areas and suites. Paintings and sculptures were sourced from Indonesian art fairs and local galleries, with commissions including a palm-leaf “dragon” pendant in the lounge (a symbol of luck) and an outdoor totem combining stained glass, bamboo, metal and ceramics. Overseeing much of this cultural connective tissue was creative consultancy Dance Card, which, together with Firstbase Studio, initiated the Balinese collaborations behind everything from the vinyl library of Indonesian and Japanese pop music and custom DJ cabinetry to staff uniforms, signage and the merchandise sold at Cosmos Kiosk, a dedicated curiosity store beside the entry gates.

The Nongkrong Lounge in full, where a sunken seating pit in oatmeal tones meets speckled green counters and an organic porthole framing a living tree and palm. A sculptural woven pendant coils overhead, a Balinese shrine dressed in yellow punctuates the plaster, and terracotta archways open to the terrace beyond.

Nongkrong Lounge. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

A frontal view of the Nongkrong Lounge, where a sunken sofa layered with striped and green cushions faces a central timber vinyl cabinet with yellow horn speakers. Speckled green counters, banana-leaf views through timber windows, a woven ceiling and a coiled sculptural pendant complete the richly textured, tonal room.

Nongkrong Lounge. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

Glimpsed through a doorway, a suite where a faceted grey paper pendant hovers above a terracotta-tiled bedhead and plant-dyed curtains in indigo and ochre. In the foreground, a magenta light box glows above a caned timber panel holding an offering tray, layering colour, texture and soft afternoon light.

Midnight Runners suite. Photography by Tommaso Riva

Local references are also folded into the design with newly blessed timber shrines appearing throughout in customised colours, and smaller resin-and-timber versions that double as suite signage. The five suites continue this interplay of sensory richness and play. Velvet Mood and Night Fever unfold over two levels, each with a separate lounge and two private patios; Midnight Runners has a large bath, sitting area and its own record player and vinyl selection. Golden Shadow connects across a terrace to the bamboo-built Sun Dust, together forming a 101-square-metre option for families or small groups. Sculptural lighting, tilework in terracotta and acid yellow, and plant-dyed curtains watercolour-like washes establish distinct atmospheres, while amenities ranging from vintage cassette players to a telescope for moon-gazing invite engagement.

A softly lit suite at Hotel Moon Gang pairs blush-toned walls and terracotta tilework with oversized sculptural pendants and a woven ceiling fan. Sheer plant-dyed curtains in green, ochre and indigo filter the daylight, while timber slats and a glowing wall sconce add warmth to YSG Studio’s tactile, eclectic composition.

Midnight Runners suite. Photography by Tommaso Riva

A suite opening onto its terrace, where plant-dyed curtains washed in green, ochre and indigo frame a terracotta breeze-block screen and jungle beyond. A faceted grey paper pendant, terracotta-tiled bedhead, raw-timber desk and abstract canvas complete the warm, tonal room, a purple woven chair marking the threshold to outside.

Midnight Runners suite. Photography by Tommaso Riva

Inside one of Hotel Moon Gang’s suites, YSG Studio pairs a tiled terracotta bedhead with oversized, cocoon-like pendant lights and softly textured pink walls. Plant-dyed curtains in moss, ochre and indigo frame the bed, while a small sculptural artwork and glowing wall sconce add to the room’s eclectic, handcrafted atmosphere.

Midnight Runners suite. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

A suite framed by a soaring timber-beamed roof, where plant-dyed curtains in green and ochre part around a picture window onto dense jungle. A raw-timber console on bamboo-style legs runs the sill, holding a ceramic bowl and woven vessels, a green woven stool alongside, the herringbone terracotta floor glowing in low sun.

Night Fever suite. Photography by Tommaso Riva

The Sun Dust suite interior, where an indigo curtain frames a jungle-view window between charcoal-stained bamboo walls. Deeply carved timber lounge chairs with a violet ikat throw sit opposite a bed in striped linen, a moon lamp and a vivid figurative canvas adding warmth to the deep, tonal room.

Loungr chair in reclaimed timber, custom design by YSG, handcrafted by Furnistool Bali. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

A corner of the Sun Dust suite where deeply gouged timber lounge chairs draped with a violet ikat throw sit against charcoal-stained bamboo walls. A carved stump stool anchors the herringbone floor, a wall fan and full-height glazing framing palms and sky, the oval skylight glimpsed through the window above.

Sun Dust suite. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

The exterior of the rooftop Sun Dust suite, its charcoal-stained bamboo walls and cedar-shingle eaves set among coconut palms. Full-height glazing mirrors the sky and the suite's oval skylight, while a magenta woven chair sits on the terracotta terrace, blending the dark timber volume into its lush hillside surrounds.

Sun Dust suite. Photography by Tommaso Riva.

That spirit carries into wellness, which Moon Gang reframes as something less solemn and more elastic. Its Wellness Lab spa combines botanical treatments developed with Indonesian skincare brand Fields of Yarrow with massages, facials, sauna sessions, meditation, breathwork and biophilic yoga. Guests can also watch films under the stars, try silent-disco movement rituals, or simply spend the day beside the pool. Most beguiling is the soundscape itself, a site-specific innovation by Indonesian dance-electro duo Bottlesmoker, which translates the bioelectrical frequencies of plants into a gentle backing beat that drifts through the lounge.

In a destination like Bali, where luxury hospitality often equates restraint with sophistication, Moon Gang makes a persuasive case for something more eccentric. Its success lies in remixing Bali's familiar ingredients—craft, landscape, natural materials and ritual—through Ghoniem's chromatic instincts and Millbank's broader cultural brief. The result is a highly authored universe, one that treats local making as a living creative resource and leaves room for colour, music, curiosity and a little cosmic mischief.

At dusk, Hotel Moon Gang's central pool mirrors a triple-arched cinnamon-rendered façade, its middle opening framing the illuminated Nongkrong Lounge with yellow horn speakers and vinyl display. Green glass sconces flank the vines-draped wall, and a lone figure moves within the warmly lit interior, the whole scene doubled in still water.

Photography by Tommaso Riva.

The listening lounge's DJ station at night, where a bespoke timber cabinet frames vinyl sleeves, twin yellow horn speakers and a perforated panel above a speckled green counter holding a turntable. Flanking plaster shelves display ceramics, glassware and design books, the warm backlighting lending the vinyl bar a mellow, nocturnal glow.

Photography by Tommaso Riva.

Three people hold record sleeves over their faces at the Nongkrong Lounge's DJ station, a playful moment framed by the timber vinyl cabinet, yellow horn speakers and speckled green counter. Backlit display niches hold album covers above, capturing the hotel's music-led, convivial spirit.

Photography by Tommaso Riva.

A full moon glows amber low in a deep-blue dusk sky, framed by the silhouettes of palms and dense tropical foliage above Ubud. The image distils Hotel Moon Gang's guiding motif, the moon that lends the hotel its name and its rhythms, in a quiet, atmospheric nightscape.

Photography by Tommaso Riva.

At Hotel Moon Gang in Ubud, sculptural arches and cinnamon-toned rendered walls glow under warm night lighting, punctuated by vivid green sconces. The illuminated pool, dense tropical planting and shadowed upper level create a theatrical indoor-outdoor composition that balances earthy materiality with the hotel’s playful, otherworldly character.

Photography by Tommaso Riva.

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