The hotel is a splendid construction, the architecture in the style of Noosa meets Bali. Sonny Chan has used lattice to filter and pattern the laser strength light reflected off the beach. Swathes of colour add brightness and deepen perspectives in the interiors. Improbable concrete furniture adorns shaded lawns and concrete patios. And the pool area is pure Hollywood - so much so, I half expected to see Esther Williams in one of her flowered hats leading a team of synchronised swimmers in splashless dives.

So, I asked Mark Heidiger, the GM, or in Hard Rock parlance, The Man, "I notice you have a surfboard propped in the corner. Is this merely a prop or a serious tool?" "Well before I was GM of the Bali Hyatt," he responded with his slow smile. "It was great and we did great things, but each evening I would have to get into my car and drive to the surf. I took this job so I could be closer to the beach. From here I can surf when I want."

The Hard Rock Hotel in Kuta is the first in the world - and of course a first for Bali. While the Hard Rock Cafes have become somewhat banal (a friend refers to them as musical McDonalds - but then he was a patron of the first Hard Rock Cafe in London which opened almost 20 years ago - when Mary Quant and Biba were still vital and franchises were not a rash on the pop culture scene) the hotel clearly is not.

"It's a touch of Los Vegas in Bali," Mark went on. "Bali has become so international and while this was originally under construction as a Concorde Hotel, the current fashion for theme hotels made it on obvious choice."

"Who are our clients," he mused responding to my question, "Anyone who wants an action-packed holiday. Anyone who goes to the cafes and anyone who is interested in music. Our rates may be a little higher than other comparable hotels, but we think we offer value for money. We consider ourselves to be an excellent 4 Grammy Award Hotel." - this is HRH parlance for 4 Stars - "We are the 'now' theme. People will copy us. The guests are the stars. They can perform in the recording studio, cut a CD or make a video." Imagine if you will the forthcoming wave of personalised presents arising from the HRH recording studios. Lovers can send their lust-objects CD's of their original croonings: "Happy Birthday - baybeeee ..."

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