Best places to stay in Bali

These six recently unveiled luxury properties are putting out the welcome mat for visitors.

Raffles Bali.

After Bali’s tourism hiatus, new properties by international brands on Indonesia’s popular holiday island are putting out the welcome mat for visitors. Styles range from landscaped hillside enclaves with strong community connections and sophisticated villa estates to funky coastal boltholes. All embody an emphasis on high-spec design, top service and a raft of features, including food trucks and beach clubs, wellness spas and yoga classes, personalised touring programs and top-notch concierges. Introductory offers apply to most of these luxury resorts and travellers are advised to look for advance deals that could cover airport transfers, breakfasts and signature experiences, or for flight-inclusive packages from leading wholesalers.

Ahead, explore six newly unveiled properties that are among the best places to stay in Bali. 

Raffles Bali

Ocean, Panoramic or Hilltop category? The choice of private pool villa location is yours, whether by the beach, with long sea views or perched upon high. This latest member property under the fabled Raffles banner is tucked away at Jimbaran, an easy hop from Denpasar airport. The inventory of just 32 extra-large villas makes for absolute privacy at this 31-hectare estate of botanical riches, including palms and tropical fruit trees. Expect yoga sessions, a tranquil wellness spa, fine dining with an Indonesian slant, personal butler service in traditional style and a local version of the Raffles Singapore sling, served here with arak spirit, jackfruit and floral garnishes.

Anantara Ubud Bali Resort

 

Anantara Ubud Bali Resort.

This third deluxe property for the Asia-based Anantara brand in Bali is tucked away in the island’s quiet uplands at the hillside village of Payangan, near Ubud. After a series of delays, it’s scheduled to open by December with an inventory covering 66 guestrooms plus tranquil villas with pools and a choice of one or two bedroom layouts. Views are of rice terraces and deep valleys and there’s a portfolio of 15 top-notch residences for sale to those seeking a more permanent Bali holiday base. Anantara’s other properties on the island are located beachside at popular Seminyak and atop cliffs at Uluwatu. The group also runs a more family-focused Anantara Vacation Club at Legian with 28 studios and self-catering suites.

Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort

 

Atomic 17 pool bar at Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort.

This Marriott Bonvoy member, on slopes overlooking the Nusa Dua coastline, takes its design cues from the world of theatre and the decor is a mix of groovy furnishings blended with the best of Balinese craftsmanship. There’s a shuttle down to the beach (where a converted food truck in a converted VW Kombi just landed), several vast pools and dining spaces that include the warehouse-style Backstage, with open kitchen and choices of mod-Indonesian and western fare. There are 310 well-kitted guestrooms and suites, open-sided breezeways, an airy lobby with bar and cafe, and young staff dressed in stage crew gear. Chill at the hip Atomic 17 pool club bar with a gelato or sun-coloured spritzer.

Read more: Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort review

Jumeirah Bali

The palatial entrance at Jumeirah Bali.

The Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has made its first foray into Indonesia with this palatial terraced spread comprising 123 villas of one or two bedrooms, all with private pools and either sunset-facing pavilions or landscaped garden enclosures. Located in the Uluwatu region on the island’s southern tip, there are three bars and restaurants, including all-day oceanfront dining and a mix of southeast Asian and local dishes at Segeran. Expect a resident “musicologist and mixologist”, underground cellar reached by a glass-walled elevator, and all the bells and whistles of five-star design and fittings. The inspiration for the layout is a Javanese-Hindu water palace and there are plenty of soaking and hydrotherapy options in the Talise Spa, including a hammam.

Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape

An open air room at Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape.

Just 16 extravagantly large villas are offered at this cloistered estate in a jungle-like setting about 40 minutes by road north of the hill-station of Ubud. The semi-open floor plans come in various configurations and there’s a guarantee of the next-to-nature privacy and seclusion that’s the hallmark of the Singapore-based Banyan Tree group. The motto of “no walls; no doors” may sound perilously like camping but the clever use of roll-down blinds and strategically placed curtains ensures privacy and shelter. Local farmers provide much of the seasonal produce for The Open Kitchen restaurant, while the rustic-luxe pavilions of the sublime Toja Spa overlook the Ayung River.

Mamaka by Ovolo

A cabana-rimmed infinity pool at Mamaka by Ovolo.

This well-priced member of the Hong Kong-headquartered OVOLO chain, known for its witty decor and trademark plant-based restaurants, is by the beach in Kuta, and attracts a youthful demographic. There’s a rooftop hangout with thatched pavilion-style roof and dazzling sunset vistas, infinity pool bordered with cabana-style sunbeds, and mixologists and hawker-style food at Street 32 bar-cafe. Music pumps pretty relentlessly but there’s plenty of old-fashioned comfort in the 191 guestrooms and suites with their vibrant decor of bright blues, lime, teal and citrus. Think: furniture with retro lines, pop art throughout, luxuriously big bathrooms and all the latest technology.

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