Pronoia: 90% occupancy from retreats, not Booking or Airbnb
Balinsky recorded an interview at Pronoia, a resort with villas in Jimbaran. We talked about where the guests come from, how renting works and what a villa buyer gets. Below are the key points.
The expert — a Pronoia representative. Her name was not given in the recording. She has lived in Bali for four and a half years. She came to Pronoia as a guest for a month, then stayed on to work there, teaching children's and adult training classes.
The figures below come from the Pronoia representative. Balinsky has not verified them.
1. Occupancy — about 90%
According to her, villa occupancy at Pronoia is 90%. Even during Covid it was 90%. On Booking, free dates usually exist only for one or two nights.
2. Guests come from retreats, not from Booking
- About 90% of guests, she says, are brought by retreat companies. Pronoia has contracts with several of them.
- A villa is listed on Booking only in the gaps between retreats, so it does not stand empty.
- A retreat is a package: accommodation, meals, a trainer or coach, excursions. That is why, according to her, both the price and the demand are higher.
3. Types of retreats
- Business retreats. Companies from Hong Kong and Singapore bring managers for 4 days: rest, sport, team building, training.
- Fitness bootcamps. A group trains morning and evening.
- Individual programmes with a trainer. First a body assessment, then gentle sessions tailored to the person.
- A typical retreat lasts 2–3 weeks. Some last up to 3 months.
4. Pronoia's yield calculation
- 1-bedroom villa — 12.7% a year, payback in 7.8 years.
- 2-bedroom villa — 13.3% a year, payback in 7.5 years.
According to her, this is based on data from villas already operating in previous years. They are ready to show a month-by-month booking statement on request. What to check: that statement — before buying.
5. You cannot rent it out yourself
- All villas are rented out only by Pronoia's management company. Owners cannot rent out themselves or hire their own cleaners.
- The reason, she says, is to keep a five-star hotel standard.
- The management company cleans the villa, the pool and the grounds, and handles minor repairs: air conditioning, the pool, paint.
- The villa can be sold without restrictions — including a few months after purchase.
6. Four ownership options
- Live there yourself all year.
- Live there half the year, rent it out the other half.
- Come for two months a year, rent it out the rest of the time.
- Rent only, no personal stays.
Every December the management company emails owners to choose their plan for the year and the months they will come.
7. Land and payment
- The land lease is 31 years plus a right to extend for 25 years.
- A 30% deposit, then payments by construction stage, with the last 10% at the end.
- At presale, she says, there is a 10% discount. Paying the full amount at once gives another 6%.
8. Construction timeline
- Construction is in three phases.
- The target is 12 months. Allowing for ceremonies and holidays in Bali, they plan for 15–18 months.
- According to her, the contract states that if they are late, the buyer is housed in the complex free of charge until the villa is finished.
9. The complex
- The resort has a large pool, a restaurant, a gym and a coworking space with offices and a hall.
- The new villas have 1 or 2 bedrooms, each with its own entrance. Parking is shared; guests are taken around the grounds by buggy.
- Villas come with furniture and appliances: kitchen, hob, oven, a large fridge, TV.
- The exact appliance models, she says, are still being chosen.
10. Why Jimbaran
- 10 minutes to the airport, no traffic jams. About 25 minutes to Uluwatu, about 30 to Canggu.
- A quiet area: guests are mostly 35+, business owners and executives tired of noise.
- Five-star hotels line the coast: Four Seasons, Raffles, InterContinental, Belmond.
- According to her, the authorities have announced a plan to develop Jimbaran: new roads, including one along the beach.
- There is an international school, supermarkets and a cinema nearby.
The full interview (in Russian) is available via the video button below.