Voices: Andreas Bergel, Area General Manager for IHG Hotels & Resorts Indonesia,on Protecting the Soul of Bali
For more than two decades, Andreas Bergel has built a career at the highest levels of international hospitality, progressing from Food & Beverage operations to becoming General Manager of Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach and Area General Manager for IHG Hotels & Resorts Indonesia. His journey has taken him from some of Dubai’s most iconic luxury hotels to the vibrant hospitality landscape of Bali, where he now oversees one of the world’s most dynamic hotel portfolios.
In this interview for Travel for Senses – VOICES, Andreas Bergel reflects on why genuine human connections remain the true foundation of luxury hospitality, how Hotel Indigo brings Seminyak’s unique “Neighborhood Story” to life, and why preserving Bali’s culture, authenticity and natural beauty has never been more important. He also shares his perspective on the island’s rapid evolution, the challenges of overtourism, IHG’s ambitious expansion across Indonesia, and why the future of luxury travel depends on creating meaningful experiences that leave both guests and destinations better than before.
You’ve spent over two decades in hospitality, from Dubai’s luxury icons to the dynamic resort landscape of Bali—what initially drew you to this industry, and what has kept you passionate all these years?
It has to be in my genes. Looking back at my family tree, there have been four generations connected to hospitality in one way or another. I started on the restaurant and bar side and quickly discovered how much I enjoyed making people happy. Seeing somebody leave in a better mood than when they arrived is still one of the most rewarding feelings.
Personally good Food and Beverage remains one of the best tools to create memories and bring people together. What started for me as a hobby slowly became a career and more than twenty years later the feeling has not changed much. My business cards have changed but hospitality is still about people.
Having risen through Food & Beverage into senior leadership, how has that operational foundation influenced your approach as a General Manager and now Area GM?
Food and beverage teaches you humility very quickly. Every day is “live on stage”, every guest has an opinion, and there is nowhere to hide when things go wrong.
It taught me to respect the operation and try not to manage from behind a desk. I still enjoy walking through restaurants, talking to guests and spending time with the team. At this point I would wish for a couple more hours a day! Some of the best ideas and feedback never come from reports, they come from conversations.
It also taught me that hospitality is an emotional business. Guests may forget what room they stayed in, but they rarely forget how the people made them feel.
As General Manager of Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach, you oversee one of the brand’s most distinctive properties. How would you define its DNA?
Hotel Indigo was never designed to be a cookie-cutter luxury hotel. It has personality, a sense of place and exciting architectural designs that make it interesting. Our hotel reflects the energy of Seminyak itself. Creative, vibrant, hospitable, social and often enough unscripted. At the same time there is a very strong Balinese soul behind it. The combination of local culture, design, food and genuine service creates something that feels authentic rather than manufactured.
The concept of “Neighborhood Story” is central to the Hotel Indigo brand—how is that philosophy brought to life in Bali specifically?
Seminyak itself has a fascinating story. What many guests don’t realize is that before the beach clubs, restaurants and boutiques, this was a quiet fishing and farming village. The beaches were lined with traditional jukung fishing boats and rows of towering coconut palms and pole trees which formed a natural and spiritual buffer between the ocean and the rice fields.
If you take a walk through the back lanes today, you can still catch glimpses of that original Seminyak. Hidden temples, family compounds and pockets of rice fields remind us that beneath the lifestyle destination, there is a village with a rich history and strong cultural roots. The goal is not to build a hotel that could exist anywhere in the world. The goal is that guests leave knowing a little more about Seminyak than when they arrived.
What makes the guest experience at Hotel Indigo Bali truly unique compared to other luxury resorts on the island?
Luxury means many different things these days. For some it is marble, chandeliers and formality. For us it is feeling comfortable from the moment you arrive. We want guests to feel like they are staying with friends who happen to have a very beautiful house next to the beach. The atmosphere is relaxed, generous with no crowded spaces, the team is genuine and there is a strong connection to the local service culture. Guests often tell us it feels less like a resort and more like a place they belong to. That is probably the nicest compliment we can receive.
In your current role with IHG Hotels & Resorts, how many properties do you currently operate in Bali, and how would you describe the brand’s footprint on the island today?
Today we have 12 Hotels operating in Bali and a Kimpton – our latest Luxury and Lifestyle hotel heavily focused on Wellness and a compelling Food and Beverage offering to open Q4 2026. IHG has built a very strong presence in Bali across different segments and travel occasions. Whether somebody is looking for luxury, lifestyle, family travel or business travel, there is likely an IHG hotel that fits their needs.
What I enjoy most is that each hotel with its management team has its own personality. They are very different properties with different strategies, owners and long term interest.
Looking ahead, what new openings or developments are in the pipeline for IHG in Bali and across Indonesia?
IHG continues to see strong opportunities across both established destinations and emerging ones. We are expanding into locations east of Bali where tourism is growing such as Labuan Bajo and West Nusa Tenggara while also strengthening our presence in key markets such as Java.
The future is very exciting, although I have learned in hospitality not to announce Christmas presents before they are under the tree.
How do you ensure each property maintains a distinct identity while still aligning with IHG’s global standards?
I see standards as the foundation, not its personality. Guests expect consistency when they stay with an international hotel company. They want to know the basics will be right. But beyond that, every hotel should have its own soul translated by our talents, concepts and vision of the owning and management teams. Our role is to protect both. The standards create trust, while the local identity creates memories.
Bali continues to attract global attention, but also faces growing concerns around overtourism. From your perspective, how serious is the situation today?
Having lived here 13 years I can say that there are areas where infrastructure has struggled to keep up with growth. Traffic is the most obvious example and anyone who has lived here long enough has experienced it. At the same time Bali is much larger and more diverse than many people realize. There are still countless areas where tourism remains balanced and where communities benefit greatly from visitors.
The challenge is not tourism itself. The challenge is managing growth responsibly and updating regulations.
Do you believe certain areas of the island are reaching a tipping point in terms of overcrowding?
Bali has always evolved and so have the areas. The key is to make sure that growth improves the destination rather than overwhelming it. I feel that “trends” play a much bigger role now from a certain costumer behavior. One of the most significant changes Bali has seen is the rapid increase in residential living. Pre-covid the housing and development for private residences was a fraction of it. This only adds to the dynamics.
What is your view on how this impacts the long-term positioning of Bali as a luxury destination?
Space, authenticity, culture, nature and quality of life have become luxury products in their own right. If Bali wants to remain one of the world’s leading luxury destinations, protecting those elements is critical. However, people come to Bali because it feels different. We should never lose sight of that.
Do you feel the local government and industry stakeholders are doing enough to protect Bali’s ecosystem and cultural heritage?
I think that the importance of the most important investments has been voiced in the past years and I trust that the government will do the necessary in its powers. Personally, I think there is always more one can do to contribute but this requires more education and discipline.
What role should international hotel groups like IHG play in preserving the island’s environmental and social balance?
At IHG, our Journey to Tomorrow framework gives us a clear direction, but in reality it comes down to doing the right things every day. Reducing waste, using resources more responsibly, embedding technology, education, supporting local communities and creating opportunities for local talent.
For us that means supporting local talent, working with local suppliers, reducing waste and single-use plastics, conserving resources and helping preserve the culture and traditions that make this island so special. Hospitality depends on thriving destinations, so protecting Bali is not just the right thing to do but it is essential for our future and for future generations of the Balinese and travelers.
At property level, how is sustainability integrated into the guest experience without compromising luxury?
The best sustainability initiatives are often the ones guests barely notice and they are the new norm in most respectable hotels already. Whether this is by reducing/eliminating the single use plastic products from hotel rooms by offering Home-Made products or having water bottling plants from salt or deepwells water sources instead your imported water bottles. Offering line fished seafoods and farm to table products made in Bali without cutting on quality. This demand has rapidly helped the farming industry in Bali and Indonesia to bring their products to very respectable levels.
Social media has played a major role in Bali’s global popularity—do you think platforms like Instagram have, in some ways, “overexposed” or even harmed the island?
My answer to this is that every success story comes with new challenge. Social media has brought enormous opportunities to Bali. It has introduced the island to millions of people who may never have considered visiting before. The irony is that the perfectly framed photographs brought the fame, but today the impacts of tourism and the gaps in infrastructure are often trending just as much. In some ways social media has become both Bali’s greatest marketing tool and its loudest critic.
However I also see value in that. Many of the conversations happening today around traffic, waste management and controlled development might not receive the same attention if they were not so visible online. Sometimes being overexposed can also accelerate positive change.
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