Starting the New Year on a high note, Four Seasons Resort at Sayan has been awarded as the only hotel in Bali on the Conde Nast Traveller 2020 Gold List, coinciding with the launch of its own wellness-inspired music album.

The highly-coveted list of top hotels and resorts globally is chosen annually by Conde Nast's editors. Covering 49 countries, the 2020 Gold List recognises just 26 properties in Asia-Pacific based on the service, innovative experiences and architecture. In announcing the results, Conde Nast said, “Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, on the banks of the Ayung River just outside arty Ubud, is still queen of the jungle…A new cooking school and refreshed wellness program are now speaking to the mindful crowd that flocks to this corner of Indonesia.”

The award comes as the resort reveals its latest wellness innovation: an album titled 'The Sacred Nap' with songs and mantras by resident wellness mentor Ibu Fera, a former Buddhist nun. The calming compilation is named after the experience of the same name that has struck such a chord with guests, who are rocked to sleep in aerial-silk hammocks suspended amidst the rice fields while listening to Fera sing lullabies against the backdrop of the river valley's wildlife.

“The Sacred Nap as an experience is so beautiful, so unique. The kindness and sweetness of Fera's voice sounds like a mother singing to a child, and this appeals to us all as adults as it reminds us of a mother's unconditional love,” said Luisa Anderson, Regional Spa Director for Four Seasons Asia-Pacific. “All guests comment on Fera's soothing voice, saying they wished they could take it home with them. So we decided to make that possible, by creating an album inspired by the experience and sound journey.”

Luisa engaged Bali-based music producer Gus Till to record the album. Originally from Melbourne Australia, Gus' musical background was in punk/new wave, electronic dance and trance, with stints in the 1970s and 1980s as a member of Beargarden, The Models and Michael Hutchence's alternate band 'Max Q'. As a producer and remixer, he has worked with bands like Jamiroquai and DJed at festivals globally.

While The Sacred Nap soundtrack required him to stay up all night, it was for a very different reason from previously. “I stayed up several nights in a row at Sayan, perched by the river to record the ambient sounds of frogs, cicadas, running water and birdsong,” said Gus. “We overlaid this against the sound of Fera's voice and Luisa playing crystal singing bowls. It's really quite beautiful.”

The album is available at the resort's Sacred River Spa Boutique for guests to take home, and another album is already in the making.

Voted #1 World's Top Hotel in the 2018 Travel + Leisure Readers' Awards, Four Seasons Sayan is one of Bali's most awarded and iconic resorts. Located amidst two acres of rice fields and groves of fruit trees, vegetable and herb gardens, 42 private pool villas and 18 suites enable guests to retreat from the world and embrace the valley's healing energy. Thoughtfully-curated experiences include the world's only hotel arrival by river raft, with guests having the option to arrive and check-in riverside after a two-hour journey down the Ayung River.

Other exclusive experiences include Balinese cooking classes at Sokasi; a traditional Megibung dinner inspired by an ancient dining ritual; the signature Day in the Life of a Balinese Rice Farmer experience; dynamic yoga and spa program; and off-site trekking, cycling and bathing rituals at hidden temples.

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About Four Seasons Resorts Bali

Showcasing Bali at its authentic best, Four Seasons offers two distinct experiences. The iconic all-villa beach retreat of Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay cascades down 14 hectares of hilly headland and tropical water gardens adorned with hundreds of statues and shrines, to the sparkling Indian Ocean. Signature experiences include onsite Cooking Academy, a curative journey at The Healing Village Spa, surfing tours with Tropicsurf, and all-day dining and beachclub at Sundara. In the central highlands near Ubud, Four Seasons Sayan invites you to an intimate hideaway nestled between two rivers. Entrance to this architectural icon is via a footbridge high above the treetops, which brings you to a stunning rooftop lobby pond to start your descent into paradise. Retreat from the world in spacious suites and private villas submerged in the jungle and embark on a culinary journey at Sokasi cooking school. Visit Sacred River Spa for chakra-rebalancing treatments, meet the resident Wellness Mentor for meditation and Life Talks, and take a private rafting journey down the Ayung River.

About Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Founded in 1960, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is dedicated to perfecting the travel experience through continual innovation and the highest standards of hospitality. Currently operating 117 hotels and resorts, and 44 residential properties in major city centres and resort destinations in 47 countries, and with more than 50 projects under planning or development, Four Seasons consistently ranks among the world's best hotels and most prestigious brands in reader polls, traveller reviews and industry awards. For more information and reservations, visit fourseasons.com. For the latest news, visit press.fourseasons.com and follow @FourSeasonsPR on Twitter.

For further information, please contact:

Marian Carroll, Director of Public Relations

Four Seasons Resorts Bali

(62) 361 701010

marian.carroll@fourseasons.com

Press Room:http://press.fourseasons.com/sayan/