Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Indonesia / West Sumba / NIHI Sumba
NIHI Sumba
West Sumba, Indonesia · NIHI · High Luxury
Claude and Petra Graves came to the Sumba beach in 1988 chasing a wave, and in 2000 opened a 10-room surf retreat called Nihiwatu, the mortar stone. Christopher Burch and James McBride bought it in 2012, and as NIHI Sumba it was named Travel and Leisure's Best Hotel in the World in 2016 and 2017. It owns access to the left-hand break Occy's Left, limits the surfers, and keeps horses for a 24-hour equine wellness programme.
- Opened 2000
- Neighborhood: Wanokaka
About NIHI Sumba
- Claude and Petra Graves found the beach in 1988 and opened the 10-room surf retreat Nihiwatu in 2000, named for a mortar-shaped stone on the tide line.
- Christopher Burch and James McBride acquired it in 2012 and renamed it NIHI Sumba, on about 567 acres of West Sumba.
- Travel and Leisure named it Best Hotel in the World in both 2016 and 2017.
- It controls access to the Occy's Left surf break, limiting the number of surfers in the water, and runs an equine wellness programme.
The setting
23 km from Weemananga National Reserve. 63 km from Bandara Tambolaka Airport.
Amenities
- world-class surfing (Occy's Left)
- beach
- spa
- water sports
- Pool
- Private pool
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Kids' club
- Yoga
Awards
- MICHELIN Three Keys (2026)
- World's 50 Best Hotels (2026)
- Robb Report 50 Greatest Hotels on Earth (2025)
- World's 50 Best Hotels 51-100 (2025)
- Condé Nast Traveler Gold List (2023)
- Travel + Leisure World's Best Hotels (2023)
Open NIHI Sumba in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.