The Private Jet Villa in a clifftop Boeing in Bali aims to take its first bookings this March. Photo / Private Jet Villa by Hanging Gardens, Expedia
The Private Jet Villa in a clifftop Boeing in Bali aims to take its first bookings this March. Photo / Private Jet Villa by Hanging Gardens, Expedia
Where do passenger jets go when they retire? If they’re lucky, they may end up on a cliffside resort in Bali.
A retired Boeing 737 previously belonging to Mandala Airlines has found a new home at the heart of a luxury Indonesian development.
Private Jet Villa in Pectau is the project of Russian expatriate and businessman Felix Demin. The 31-year-old hotelier already owns three properties in the tourism hotspot, including the Bali Bubble Hotel, and he has high hopes for this latest development.
The aircraft was bought in 2021, from the budget airline which went into liquidation.
Denim says the two-room villa will be ready to welcome its first guests as soon as March this year.
The retired 737 was reassembled at the top of a cliff in Pectau, Bali. Photo / Private Jet Villa; Instagram
Although the developers have their work cut out for them, interest in the development has taken off. Since first arriving on the cliffside at the end of 2021, the plane has been causing a stir on social media. The has plane appeared in a viral instagram posts, with visitors hanging out on the wingtips, and has been gaining hype ever since.
According to Demin the project has won over the support and investment of UK-Russian mogul Alexander Lebedev. The former KGB officer-turned banker is said to be an aviation fan and holds stakes in Russian state carrier Aeroflot and aerospace company Ilyushin.
The young Russian said he won over his interest while Lebvedev was on a family holiday in Indonesia.
This Bali Boeing hotel is an entirely different proposition.
Illustrations of the finished Private Jet Villa show decking over the wings, suspended over the cliff edge, and a tiered infinity pool on the ground.
The former Mandala aircraft is no longer a budget carrier. Currently the villa is listed at $11,393 a night.
Inside the cabin all original instruments, seats and fittings have been removed.
Within the nose cone of the Boeing is a bathroom with unique views. Photo / Instagram, Private Jet Villa
With two bedrooms and plenty of legroom it’s a complete makeover. Most impressive is the concept for a bathroom in the cockpit of the plane.
“Externally and structurally, this is a jet aircraft that we have turned into a luxury hotel,” Demin told Business Insider in a recent review.
The whole plane was disassembled “like Lego” and taken to Pectau in pieces. It arrived at the site in two sections of fuselage and wings broken into panels.
This will be the plane’s final resting place as it has had to be permanently secured to the cliff, against strong winds and potential seismic activity.
The wing section, which allows visitors to walk out over the cliff edge is one of the most distinctive features of the villa.
Talking to design magazine Geometrum, Demin said that maximum load was not a concern. Boeing engineers consulted for the project said the wing was one of the most structurally sound parts of the plane.
