V&T Daily
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comfort and joy
Published in the April-June 2009 issue.
Bali’s hotels and resorts not only offer visitors some luxurious accommodation options, but everything from spa treatments to fine dining as well, says Elizabeth Markham.
Anyone heading to Bali is in for a treat: the choice of hotels and resorts on the island just gets better and more varied every year. From expansive lagoon-style swimming pools in lush, tropical garden settings, to kids’ clubs and top-end health spas, facilities offer just about everything to make a holiday special and relaxing. And for those who can afford it, five-star extras such as private villas and 24-hour butler service are taking the concept of comfort and service to another whole level.
Ayana Resort & Spa, Jimbaran
The former The Ritz-Carlton Bali Resort & Spa has just re-emerged as Ayana Resort & Spa with several new enhancements and the kind of personalized services and cultural experiences that sophisticated luxury travelers are seeking. Perched atop a bluff overlooking the sparkling Indian Ocean, Ayana Resort spans 192 acres and features 368 guestrooms, including 78 luxury oceanfront and ocean-view private villages and 71 club rooms and suites, as well as Bali’s first saltwater pool. For the pinnacle in luxury and privacy, guests may reserve the cliff-side three-bedroom Ayana Villa built on 3000 square-meters of land. The ultra luxury resort also includes one of the world’s most awarded and lavish destination spas, the Thalasso Spa Complex, with 40 spa treatment rooms, therapy villas, reflexology centre, beauty salon and the world’s largest Aquatonic Seawater Therapy Pool. Other features of Ayana Resort include a secluded private beach, four freshwater swimming pools with waterfall, a separate children’s swimming pool with waterslides, 11 restaurants and lounge areas; an 18-hole golf putting course, three tennis courts, fully-equipped gymnasium and aerobics studio and two wedding chapels. The resort is conveniently located near the area’s finest retail establishments and only 15 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Club Med Bali, Nusa Dua
Club Med Bali has been given a brand new look, with extensive renovations to the resort, revitalizing the now stylish village at its stunning beachfront location. Club Med offers a premium, all-inclusive holiday package so that guests enjoy a truly hassle-free holiday. Everything is taken care of and pre-paid in Aussie dollars, from airfares and taxes, transfers, fun activities and sports to superb gourmet food, served with wines, beers and soft drinks.
The resort features a kids’ club, nine-hole golf course, a main pool with new sundeck, and a new bar with a funky ambience that is the perfect place to chill out by day, then party all night with a DJ spinning the hottest hits. In contrast, a new spa has been created in a tranquil area of the resort, complete with its own “quiet pool” and offering nine single treatment rooms and five double rooms. Managed by Mandara Spa, everything is designed to ease the mind and relax the spirit. And the resort’s restaurant has a new buffet area with a choice of international cuisines. Guests at Club Med Bali can also look forward to the most refined and comfortable accommodation with renovated superior, deluxe and suite rooms.
Hotel Padma Bali, Legian
Situated on Legian’s legendary sunset beach just outside Kuta, Hotel Padma Bali is spaciously set within a romantic garden landscape providing guests with a village-style hideaway with comfortable accommodation, world-class facilities and Balinese hospitality. Lush tropical greenery entwined with lotus ponds throughout the hotel create a harmonious balance of peace and tranquillity. The Mandara Spa adds an extra touch of paradise with a selection of indulgent treatments including various massage therapies, exotic body scrubs and aromatherapy.
The expansive pool environment is a hive of activity during the day. Volleyball, soccer games on the beach, tennis courts and gymnasium are provided for more energetic guests. For parents who travel with kids, the complimentary Kiddies Club offer a range of facilities and activities to entertain young ones starting from four years old up to ten years old. There are numerous dining options at the Hotel Padma Bali. The Sunset Bar is an idyllic spot to witness the last rays of tropical sunlight disappear over the horizon. Bella Rosa offers Italian cuisine, including pasta and wood-fired pizzas. At Tenkai, guests can enjoy an authentic selection of Japanese dishes, while Taman Ayun coffeehouse serves a generous buffet breakfast, and international food in an al fresco ambience.
Hotel Sofitel Seminyak Bali
Situated on exclusive Seminyak Beach, the 128-room Sofitel is set amongst 4.5 hectares of tropical gardens. Along with two stunning pools, one right on the beach and another tucked into the garden area, the resort hotel offers 16 secluded spa villas, each boasting a private whirlpool or swimming pool. The Sofitel also offers an impressive ballroom and is within walking distance of Seminyak Village, home to some of the trendiest bars, restaurants and shops in Bali.
The several restaurants and bars provide the perfect setting for relaxing and socializing and offer refined French cuisine with the latest in fusion dishes from around the world. Among them, Capris Restaurant overlooks the gently lapping waters of Seminyak Beach, and serves sumptuous and superbly presented Mediterranean cuisine, plus a wide range of fine tropical cocktails and wines. Five treatments rooms at Le Spa offer a wide range of relaxing and indulgent therapies. The resort also has a beauty salon and hairdresser, fitness centre and outdoor swimming pool, as well as an outdoor tennis court.
Spacious and luxurious, all 128 guestrooms feature a private balcony with impressive tropical garden views. The 16 secluded villas are encircled by sumptuous foliage for complete privacy.
Karma Jimbaran & Karma Kandara
Karma Jimbaran, which graces the gently sloping hillside of one of the most renowned beaches in Jimbaran Bay, has 38 private luxury Bali villas in a resort that also comprises a Steakhouse Restaurant, serving modern Mediterranean and Indonesian cuisine, and a 24-metre swimming pool. Karma Kandara, meanwhile, occupies a spectacular clifftop high above the Indian Ocean at the furthest extremes of an elevated limestone peninsula at Bali’s southernmost tip, just 20 minutes from the airport. The property features a wide choice of luxury Bali villas. Bridges, stone walkways and little paths meander through its vivid tropical gardens connecting 46 expansive pool villa residences, along with the resort’s exceptional facilities, which include a restaurant, rooftop bar and a Karma Spa, all suspended on rocky outcrops 100 metres above the surf. For those requiring a closer encounter with the sea, a private inclinator takes guests down to Nammos Private Beach Club, where Mediterranean snacks, signature cocktails and white sands lapped by cobalt waters all await. Guests at Karma Kandara also benefit from a host of novel activities and special events, from sophisticated full moon beach parties to gourmet dinners with carefully selected wine pairings.
The Legian, Seminyak
Large suites make up this tranquil residence by the sea. The studio suites each have a spacious living area, pantry, bath and shower, and twin balconies. The one- and two-bedroom suites have large dining and sitting areas, as well as wide balconies for entertaining. Each bedroom of the two-bedroom suite has its own attached bathroom. In a nice touch, all the suites come with an Apple iPod.
The Club at the Legian brings another level of style and exclusivity. The 10 one-bedroom villas, as well as a three-bedroom villa, are individual compounds, each with its own private 10-metre swimming pool, with the added indulgence of a private butler, daily laundry service, and limousine service for each villa. Individual touches include espresso machines, the use of the Bose audio entertainment system and Apple iPod, and wireless Internet access. The villas enjoy the facilities of The Club Lounge, a private clubhouse with its own 35-metre lap pool and offering breakfast, light lunches, dinner and cocktails to villa guests.
The latest addition to the Legian is the Beach House, a beachfront one-bedroom villa offering absolute privacy, with lush gardens and an infinity pool. The resort also features a spa surrounded by lotus ponds and stone walkways, offering an extensive range of treatments.
Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, Ubud
This deluxe resort is located along the banks of the Petanu River across from the charming historical villages of Bedulu and Pejeng, and within walking distance of the centre of Ubud. Set in 10 hectares of hillside gardens, it has a distinctive Indonesian feel, from its open-plan lobby to its collection of local antiques. Modern Balinese style is reflected in the unique architecture with the use of thatched roofs, blending the buildings into the surrounding environment. Luxurious accommodation includes superior and deluxe rooms with balconies, as well as deluxe pool villas, each with a private plunge pool and all with spectaculars view of the river or rice terraces. All rooms have ensuite bathrooms, air-conditioning, television, minibar, international direct-dial telephone, in-room safe and tea- and coffee-making facilities.
The Spa at Maya Ubud is a riverside haven of peace, providing exotic and rejuvenating spa treatments. Set amidst the natural beauty of the rainforest along the riverbank, the spa offers secluded privacy to pamper the body and refresh the soul. The resort also has a restaurant, cafés, and informal dining overlooking the main swimming pool. Recreational and cultural activities including tennis, yoga, riverside nature walks, and cycling in the countryside.
The Oberoi Bali, Seminyak
A beachside haven that offers a complete Balinese experience, filled with serenity, hospitality and tropical beauty, The Oberoi is a wonderfully secluded cluster of luxury villas and lanai set in 15 acres of tropical gardens on Seminyak Beach. Built in traditional Balinese style, guests can relax in truly fabulous settings that celebrate privacy, with charming thatched roof villas, private pools and exquisite interiors featuring Balinese art. All bedrooms are fully air-conditioned and have satellite televisions with DVD players, broadband Internet access, 24-hour butler service and a personal bar. Bathrooms are glass-walled and sunken baths look out into private walled courtyard gardens.
The hotel also boasts a destination health spa featuring indigenous treatments and open-air massage parlours that make for a truly memorable and relaxing experience. The pavilions overlook a pond full of golden carp, water lilies and tropical plants. Beauty treatments include the traditional Javanese lulur treatment, as well as foot massages and reflexology treatments. The Thai, no-oil massage concentrates on the careful application of pressure to distribute energy, release blockage and stretch muscles leaving the body relaxed and energized. The hotel also offers fully equipped saunas, private massage rooms and a gymnasium.
St Regis Bali Resort, Nusa Dua
This resort sits on 8.8 hectares of lush, private land adjacent to the magnificent Bali Golf & Country Club in Nusa Dua. The 121 spacious suites and villas, each beautifully appointed with handcrafted Balinese art, have inviting balconies and large marble bathrooms and are surrounded by fragrant gardens. All guest accommodations have an open, airy feeling, with spacious living areas and artful, residential touches throughout. Suites and villas offer exquisite amenities, including ocean views and balconies, and all guests have access to calm, swimmable lagoons. Guests can relax at the Remède Spa, an exclusive destination with 12 treatment rooms, make use of the onsite water-sports centre and fully-equipped fitness centre, read in the resort’s library or enjoy the range of culinary options.
Villas and residences are nestled in lush tropical gardens with private pools and the classic Indonesian bale bengong, a gazebo for dining or lounging on a day bed in the balmy air. All guestrooms feature finely appointed walk-in wardrobes and plush robes, as well as the latest entertainment technologies. Day or night, a St. Regis Butler stands ready to cater to guests’ every need, from delivering a private sunrise breakfast to orchestrating a cocktail gathering or assisting with every detail of a romantic wedding.
The Westin Resort, Nusa Dua
The style of The Westin Resort is set right from the lobby, which has timber beams, large sails and sculpted glass depicting Balinese folklore. Facilities at the resort include a large freshwater pool with a 12-metre waterslide, a relaxing saltwater pool, and a children’s pool, each with its own waterfall. There are also four floodlit tennis courts, a fitness centre, an extensive Westin Kids Club for young guests aged four to 12 years old, and a rejuvenating Westin Spa, just the place to relax, revive and experience total renewal. A top-level golf course is practically on the doorstep.
Each guestroom features the Westin’s acclaimed Heavenly Bed. Guestrooms also come with a flat-screen television, an electronic laptop-size safe, three telephones, voice mail system and both broadband and WiFi Internet access. And all guestrooms have private balconies with views over the pool or beach. The premier room type at the resort is the Royal Beach Club room. This luxurious category entitles guests to an array of exclusive privileges, including access to a private lounge serviced by unobtrusive attendants 24 hours a day. Royal Beach Club rooms and 20 suites are located in a separate wing at some distance from mainstream activity, and have splendid garden and ocean views. •
Photography courtesy hotels and resorts.
TRAVEL FACTS
where to stay
- Ayana Resort & Spa, phone +62 361 702 222 or visit www.ayanaresort.com
- Club Med Bali, phone 1300 855 052 or visit www.clubmed.com.au
- Hotel Padma Bali, phone +62 361 752 111 or visit www.hotelpadma.com
- Hotel Sofitel Seminyak Bali, phone +62 361 730 730 or visit www.sofitel.com
- Karma Jimbaran, phone +62 361 708 800 or visit www.karmajimbaran.com
- Karma Kandara, phone +62 361 848 2200 or visit www.karmakandara.com
- The Legian Bali, phone 1800 667 731 or +62 361 730 622 or visit www.ghmhotels.com
- Maya Ubud, phone +62 361 977 888 or visit www.mayaubud.com
- The Oberoi Bali, phone +62 361 730 361 or visit www.oberoibali.com
- St Regis Bali Resort, phone + 62 361 8478 111 or visit www.stregis.com
- The Westin Resort, phone +62 361 77190 or visit www.westin.com
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