Travel Story Take the Hai road to relaxation

“It’s acceptable to be a little bit late in Broome,” Andy Guidera says. “It’s almost expected,” he adds with a cheeky smile.

He is not too bad for Broometime, only 10 minutes late for our chat about his resort and spa, Bali Hai, just a few minutes walk from Cable Beach.

Andy is one of a few owners of a resort in Broome not owned by a larger company. 

He came to Broome from South Australia 20 years ago chasing the heat. With a small business and finance background and the “have-a-go” optimism of the young, Andy set out with a development partner and Bali Hai was created in 1999.

With its design inspiration stemming from the indoor- outdoor connection of Bali resorts, a little piece of Bali in Broome was created.

The four-star hotel won best accommodation and beauty and spa in Best of Broome last year and enjoys great support from locals who also frequent the restaurant and spa.

“We aren’t five-star but we profess it to be a comfortable, ambient, self-contained place where people can come and refresh their spirit,” Andy says.

My deluxe studio is Bali inspired with tile floors, thatched roof, elevated timber four-poster bed, deluxe oval bathtub and options for an inside or outdoor shower. A private courtyard with barbecue and a fully equipped kitchen mean the unit is self sufficient.

The spa, popular with guests and the wider public, offers seven treatment rooms (I can vouch for Sheena who does a fantastic massage).

Bali Hai is within the Cable Beach side of town, of course also home to the town’s most famous accommodation — Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa.

A few other resorts include The Pearle where self-contained pavilions and villas boast their own lap pools, the Mantra Frangipani where all apartments have outdoor showers, The Billi that has self- contained villas and luxury safari tents and the Oaks Cable Beach Sanctuary

For those who want to stay on the Town Beach and Roebuck Bay side, there is close proximity to Chinatown and the numerous food and drink offerings.

Fact File

• Everything in Broome tends to be “five minutes away”. The Cable Beach and Town Beach sides are about 5km apart which makes it easy to get around in a hire car, scooter or bike, while a bus service runs every 30 minutes. Most tour companies offer hotel pick-ups.
• A deluxe studio villa at the Bali Hai Resort & Spa from April to May costs $278 per night, and $348 from June to August. A studio villa costs $228 from April to May and $298 from June to August. balihairesort.com
• See australiasnorthwest.com for a comprehensive list of accommodation.