Bali's best hotels: 6 stays that actually live up to the hype
This week I checked out of a Bali hotel two days before intended.
The website promised a traditional setting where I could immerse in writing, find my inner yogi and perhaps take a cooking class. But none of this was possible and in the end it was the dodgy internet access that forced my hand.
The website wasn’t dishonest exactly – tourism is in hibernation after all, but it can be tricky working out if the reality will live up to expectation when booking online.
So take note these six hotels – tried and tested in the past three months – that have risen to the challenge and guarantee an idyllic Bali escape.
Hotel Tugu Bali, Canggu
Only 100m from Batu Bolong, Canggu’s most popular surf beaches, Hotel Tugu is the grande dame of Balinese accommodation. It was the first hotel in Canggu, and it has the grace and prestige of an old colonial hotel, but it speaks firmly to Indonesia’s intriguing history and a Balinese aesthetic.
The huge, thatched-roofed central pavilion serves as a reception, foyer and cocktail bar but it is also a curated space for the owner’s private collection of artefacts, antiques and artwork including paintings by Belgian artist and long-term Bali resident Adrien-Jean Le Mayeau.
Writer Penny Watson with Astungkara Way’s resident cows. All pictures: Penny Watson
Inspired by the design of a traditional Balinese family compound, Tugu’s rooms and suites occupy stand-alone buildings that are set amid a rambling garden of bougainvillea and frangipani. Guests can eat breakfast next to a lotus covered lily pond, have a poolside massage and imbibe sunset drinks at a rooftop bar with ocean views.
The beauty spa promises “connection to the ancient mythical east”, and an impressive open-side yoga pavilion, constructed during the quieter Covid months, is opening soon.
Subak Tabola Villa, Sidemen
Sidemen, on Bali’s east coast, is known for its position at the base of the Mount Agung volcano. On my visit, the volcano stayed hidden behind the clouds and mist, but that didn’t take away from the meditative vibe of this quiet town in the hills.
Subak Tabola Villa is co-owned and run by beautiful Mama Arti, a maternal figure who greets guests on arrival with a “welcome home” and treats staff like a big extended family. The property, once owned by the province’s royal family, is on a hillside with views over rice paddies and sugar palms to the distant ocean.
Guests in the hotel’s 40 or so suites share the spoils of a swimming pool and a lush garden with organic herbs and ponds with oversized goldfish.
The beauty spa and yoga studio have remained open during the past 18 months, with Mama Arti supporting the local community by calling in therapists and yoga teachers on demand. Similarly, the resort’s sunset bar offers cocktails mixed with arak brewed just down the road.
COMO Uma Ubud
Unlike its famed sister property, COMO Shambhala Estate, which is expected to re-open next year, COMO Uma has quietly and diligently remained open to visitors seeking the peace and tranquillity of Ubud much like it was 20 years ago.
Located off one of the main streets, the hotel’s glistening green pool and stately white bar are surrounded by villas that combine Indonesian architecture with clean white lines and stylish minimalist interiors. The best villas have private pools with infinity edges that disappear over a ravine of lush tropical rainforest.
Uma Cucina restaurant is known for its Italian inspired bistecca steaks and red wine-heavy drinks list while the wellness crowd will appreciate the Indonesian focus of Kemiri, which sits in a peaked-roof pond-side pavilion.
The COMO Shambhala spa is well-known in Bali. Earn your treatment by first joining staff on the daily complementary walk around the picture-perfect neighbouring rice paddies.
Tandjung Sari, Seminyak
The main pedestrian strip along Sanur beach has felt like a ghost town for much of the past 18 months, but Tandjung Sari’s swaying lanterns have remained illuminated like beacons in a storm. Owned by the Dutch-Indonesian Wawo-Runtu family, this is one of Bali’s longstanding hotels and its longevity is testament to quality staff, impeccable cleanliness and a tropical setting that channels the Bali of the 1960s.
Choose from umbrella-shaded recliners on the white sandy beach or grab a book and lounge around a pool shaded by a big beautiful banyan tree. Accommodation ranges from rustic two-storey beachfront abodes to enclosed single-storey villas with outdoor showers and big four-poster beds.
Tandjung Sari restaurant sits poolside with gorgeous teak marble-topped tables and vases of exquisite flowers. Here, Chef Wirata serves incredible Indonesian dishes including two of my favourites soto ayam and martabark.
Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay
Sweeping coastline and golden sands monopolise the view at Four Seasons which occupies a swathe of glorious manicured tropical garden overlooking Jimbaran Bay. The resort’s 147 villas are built in the Balinese tradition with thatched rooftops and traditional entries with little carved double front doors. The interiors are understatedly decadent combining dark wood panelling, floorboards and creamy furnishings with crisp white linen and pillows so plush I wanted to take one home.
The resort was celebrating 50 per cent capacity during my October stay, the first of such milestones in nearly two years. While the crowds have been away, the resort somewhat miraculously opened its wondrous Healing Village Spa in October 2020. It’s already leading the way in therapies that intertwine the Balinese philosophies of the seen physical world (health, wellness, yoga) with the unseen energetic world (crystal and gemstone therapies).
Beachfront Sundara has taken over as the go-to eating and drinking spot for the sunset crowd (and the coconut negronis don’t disappoint).
Desa Potato Head Studios, Seminyak
Desa means “village” in Indonesian, and the name is a nod to Potato Head’s vision for a creative and artistic hub that intersects between the famed Potato Head beach club, neighbouring Katamama hotel and the new Potato Head Studios.
This 168-room hotel officially opened just before Covid hit in 2020 but closed soon after. With the re-opening in July guests are privy to top-notch Covid-safe practices, and a renewed emphasis on sustainable luxury. (The aim is to be zero-waste to landfill by 2022 – it’s currently at 3 percent, mostly due to PPE waste).
The oceanfront suites are open-plan with hammock views across the swimming pool to Petitenget Beach. A huge rooftop has guests stretching in a yoga class in the morning and settling in for cocktails and tunes come the weekend.
The writer was a guest of COMO Uma Ubud, Tugu Hotels, Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, Potato Head Studios, Wonderful Indonesia and Visit Indonesia Tourism Office, Australia. She paid her own way at Subak Tabol Villa and Tandjung Sari.