Frequently Asked Questions
Before you request the report
The most common questions, grouped by topic. If your answer isn't here, the full report or the assistant in the corner of this page can help.
The Basics
What exactly am I investing in?
A 90% equity share in a single consolidated project: The Aether Lodge Infinite, a 9-lodge boutique glamping resort in South Lombok, Indonesia. You are not buying a specific unit or a piece of land directly — you hold shares in the PT PMA company that owns and operates the whole resort.
What's the minimum investment?
The offer is structured as one consolidated investment of €599,000 total (90% investor / 10% Aetherial Studio). This is not divided into smaller individual tickets on the public page — if you're considering a smaller or shared ticket, raise it directly with the team.
Who is Aetherial Studio?
A hospitality development studio founded by Christian B., based in Indonesia. The studio validates concepts with data before inviting investors, rather than building first and hoping demand follows. See the Concept and Team sections for more.
Is this a real estate purchase or a business investment?
Both, structurally. The PT PMA company holds the land (via HGB title) and the built structures, and also operates the hospitality business. Your return comes from the resort's operating profit, not from renting out a room you own directly.
Legal & Structure
Can foreigners legally own property in Indonesia?
Not freehold land directly (Hak Milik is reserved for Indonesian citizens). The standard, legal route for foreign investors is a PT PMA (foreign-owned company) holding land under Hak Guna Bangunan (HGB) — a strong, registrable, mortgageable right. This is the structure used here.
What is HGB and how long does it last?
Hak Guna Bangunan (Right to Build) is granted for up to 30 years, renewable for an additional 20 years (50 years total) — then renewable again for a further full 30-year cycle through a fresh application, bringing the total potential to 80 years. It's the standard title Indonesian companies (including foreign-owned PT PMA) use to hold land.
Am I buying shares, or a specific lodge?
Shares in the PT PMA. Income and any resale proceeds are pooled across all 9 lodges and distributed pro-rata — you don't own 'your' individual unit, and no single lodge underperforming would concentrate risk on one investor.
Has this legal structure been validated by a lawyer?
The structure described on the site is the standard, recommended route for this type of project — but it is explicitly marked as draft, pending validation by the project's own legal and tax counsel. This is disclosed transparently in the Legal Structure section rather than hidden.
Do I need to set up my own Indonesian company?
No. You invest as a shareholder in the project's existing PT PMA structure — you don't need to incorporate anything yourself.
Is this a nominee arrangement?
No — and this distinction matters. Nominee arrangements (an Indonesian individual holding title on behalf of a foreigner under a private agreement) are legally unenforceable in Indonesian courts; documented cases exist of foreign investors losing property this way. The PT PMA + HGB structure used here is the legally recognized route specifically because it avoids that risk.
Are there ongoing costs beyond the initial investment?
Yes — operating a PT PMA involves ongoing annual compliance costs (accounting, tax filing, BKPM reporting), separate from the resort's own operating expenses already reflected in the P&L. These are a standard, expected cost of the legal structure, not yet itemized on the public site — ask the team for the specific estimate.
Do I need a visa or residency permit to be involved?
Only if you take an active operational role (an Indonesia-based PT PMA director typically needs an Investor KITAS or KITAP). As a passive shareholder without a director role, this generally does not apply to you — confirm your specific position with legal counsel.
What happens to my investment if I pass away?
A PT PMA is generally transferable through company shares — what passes to heirs is typically the shareholding itself, not a direct claim on the land. Exact succession mechanics should be confirmed with the project's legal counsel and reflected in your own estate planning.
Money & Returns
What return can I expect?
Annual ROI ranges from 12.4% (Conservative, 55% occupancy) to 28.2% (Optimistic, 85% occupancy), with 20.3% as the Target scenario at 70% occupancy. See Performance and the downloadable Excel model for the full breakdown — these are projections, not guarantees.
When do I start receiving income?
Only once the resort is operational — after the ~15-month construction period and pre-opening phase. There is no income during the build phase; capital is being deployed, not yet generating returns.
How and when are funds called?
In 6 installments tied to verifiable construction milestones (not calendar dates) — from a 10% reservation deposit through to a 5% holdback released only on operational handover. See Investment Terms for the full schedule.
What currency is everything in?
The reference currency is EUR. The site includes a live currency converter (USD, GBP, CHF, CAD, AUD, SGD, AED, IDR) for reference — but the underlying contractual currency, once formalized, will be confirmed in the legal documents.
What if occupancy is lower than projected?
Your return scales down with it — the Conservative scenario (55% occupancy, 12.4% ROI) exists precisely to show that downside case. There is no fixed or guaranteed return; income is a direct function of actual resort performance.
Are returns guaranteed?
No. All figures on this site are projections based on stated assumptions (ADR, occupancy, cost structure), not guarantees. Real estate and hospitality investments carry risk — see Risk Analysis in the full report.
What taxes will I pay?
This depends on Indonesian corporate/withholding tax rules and your own country of tax residence — it is not something this site can answer for you. Personal tax counsel in your home country is recommended (see Next Steps checklist).
Is this like investing in a REIT?
No. A REIT gives you shares in a diversified, professionally-managed portfolio of many properties, typically publicly traded and liquid. Here, you hold equity in one specific, single-asset company — full transparency on that one deal, but no diversification and no public liquidity.
Are there fees beyond the €599,000?
The Aetherial Studio margin (covering project creation and supervision) is already included within the €599,000 — see Use of Funds. Any separate platform, legal, or transaction fees are not yet itemized on the public site; confirm the complete fee picture during the legal review step.
What if the full €599,000 isn't raised?
Not specified on the public site — this is an important question to raise directly with the team: whether there's a minimum funding threshold, what happens to deposited funds if the raise falls short, and any related timeline implications.
Do I get voting rights, or just economic rights?
As a 90% equity holder collectively (investors), you would be expected to have meaningful governance rights — but the exact split of decision-making authority between investors and Aetherial Studio (which holds 10% and runs day-to-day operations) is not yet detailed on the public site. Clarify this in the shareholders' agreement during legal review.
What reporting will I receive as an investor?
Monthly reporting is mentioned under Governance and Next Steps, running through construction to delivery. The exact format (financial statements, occupancy data, photos/updates) is not yet itemized — ask the team what a sample report looks like.
Risk
What are the main risks?
Construction delays or cost overruns, occupancy/ADR below projections, changes in Indonesian foreign-investment regulation, currency fluctuation, and the illiquidity of a private equity stake. See the full Risk Analysis section for mitigation plans on each.
What happens if construction is delayed?
Capital calls are tied to milestones, not calendar dates — so a delay shifts the timing of payments rather than forcing a payment for work not yet done. It does, however, push back the date income distributions begin.
What happens if Aetherial Studio stops operating?
This is a scenario the project's governance and legal structure needs to address explicitly (e.g., step-in rights, replacement management) — not yet fully detailed on the public site. Ask this directly during the legal review step of the process.
Is my investment insured?
Property and construction insurance for the physical asset is standard practice and expected, but is not yet itemized on the public site. The investment itself (your equity stake) is not insured — equity is not a deposit.
Timeline & Process
How long until the resort opens?
15 months from land acquisition to operational readiness, across 5 overlapping phases (Acquisition, Permits, Site Prep, Construction, Pre-opening). See Delivery Timeline for the phase-by-phase detail.
What happens after I express interest?
A call with the team, then a non-binding reservation deposit, then legal document review by your own advisors, then staged capital calls, then monthly reporting through to delivery. See Next Steps for indicative timing at each stage.
What documents do I need to prepare?
A valid passport copy (KYC/AML), proof of funds, banking details for capital calls and later distributions, and optionally your own legal/tax counsel for document review. See the checklist in Next Steps.
Can I visit the site before investing?
This isn't specified on the public site — raise it directly with the team during the initial conversation (Step 1 of the process).
Exit & Liquidity
How do I get my money out?
Three possible mechanisms: transferring your shares, a sale of the underlying asset, or a secondary resale of shares to another buyer. See Exit Strategy for the detail on each, plus an indicative resale valuation methodology.
Can I sell my share before the resort is built?
This would be a much less liquid, harder-to-price transaction than selling once the resort is operational and generating income — there's no established market for pre-completion shares in a project this size. Treat this as illiquid capital throughout the build phase.
Who would buy my share later?
Realistically: other high-net-worth individuals seeking a tangible lifestyle asset, boutique/independent hospitality groups expanding a regional portfolio, family offices, or a buyout among existing co-investors. A 9-key asset is generally too small for institutional funds.
Is this investment liquid?
No — this is explicitly stated as 'Medium' liquidity on the site (exit via sale of company shares), not a listed, freely-tradable instrument. Only invest capital you don't need on short notice.
Practical
Do I need to travel to Indonesia to invest?
Not specified as a strict requirement on the public site — this is a reasonable question to raise during the initial conversation with the team (Step 1 of the process).
Can I stay at the lodge myself?
Not detailed publicly — unlike a directly-owned villa or apartment, an equity stake in a pooled hospitality operation doesn't automatically come with personal-use rights. Ask the team whether any investor-stay policy exists or is planned.
Do I need a visa to visit the resort?
Standard Indonesian tourist visa rules apply for a visit as a guest — this is separate from any investor/business visa questions related to your role in the PT PMA, which should be confirmed with the project's legal counsel.
What is Aetherial Studio's track record?
Not yet published on the public site as a formal portfolio — this is explicitly flagged as missing in the Team section. Ask the team directly for previously delivered projects, if any, before relying on reputation alone.
What due diligence has been done on this deal?
The financial model is built bottom-up from a real third-party construction quote and confirmed tent-structure costs (see Investment Terms methodology). Legal structure and exit valuation are explicitly marked draft, pending independent validation — this site is transparent about what has and hasn't been externally verified yet.