Travelers from Singapore will soon have a recent vacation option — one that does not require a flight.
A recent Indonesian private island, named ONE°15 Marina Nirup Island, opened in July nine miles south of Singapore.
The launch — the primary of two phases — included the opening of a restaurant and bar, ferry terminal and marina that may hold 44 yachts as much as 150 feet long. Immigration and customs services are also available, though currently by appointment only.
Nirup Island is accessible only via private boat, in accordance with an organization representative, but that may change upon completion of the second phase of development in 2024.
A luxury hotel within the works
Ferry services are set to coincide with the opening of a Westin Hotels & Resorts property, currently scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024, in accordance with an organization representative.
The hotel could have 94 rooms and 52 villas, in accordance with the representative.
Rendering of a hotel lobby and lounge on Nirup Island, Indonesia, set to open in late 2024.
Source: PT. Tritunas Sinar Benua
One other development, The Riahi Residences, is scheduled to open throughout the second phase of the island’s opening, with 30 villas on the market, in accordance with an organization representative.
Westin Hotels & Resorts currently operates 12 hotels in Southeast Asia, including one in Singapore and the Philippines.
A leisure and business retreat
Nirup Island is owned by PT. Tritunas Sinar Benua, an Indonesian real estate developer, and is managed by the marina operator SUTL Enterprise.
Arthur Tay, SUTL Enterprise’s CEO and executive director, said the opening of the marina will ease demand for yachting berths in Singapore.
“Our aspiration was to curate a rare, one-of-a-kind luxury destination for boaters and travelers,” he told CNBC Travel. “The island also hopes to entice our ever-growing business traveler demographic … as a destination for corporate retreats and MICE events.”
Other options within the Riau Islands
ONE°15 Marina Nirup Island is a component of Indonesia’s Riau Islands, a province within the South China Sea where several private island hotels have been developed over the past twenty years.
Certainly one of them is Bawah Reserve, an island resort opened in 2017. Bawah Reserve sits nearly 185 miles northeast of Singapore and is accessible by ferry, followed by seaplane. The resort includes six islands and 36 bungalows and suites, in accordance with its website.
Nikoi Private Island opened in 2007, and is around 53 miles from Singapore. In 2017, the owners opened a second private island, Cempedak, that welcomes guests aged 16 or older.
The Telunas brand operates two hotels within the Riau Islands, including Telunas Private Island Resort. Opened in 2004, the resort has overwater villas that include balconies and youngsters’s lofts.
Of those resorts, Nirup Island is the closest to Singapore.
“My vision has at all times been to create a phenomenal necklace of pearls, adorning the coastlines of this region, with each pearl representing a singular ONE°15 Marina,” said Tay.
Correction: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the variety of villas at The Riahi Residences as a result of inaccurate information provided by an organization representative.