meu

Hi Everyone,

I'll be traveling to Bali in June, and I'm looking for guidance from those who have stayed at the following hotels that I'm considering.

I'm planning on splitting up my 9-day trip into either 2 or 3 legs (3x3x3 or 4x5).

Four Seasons at Sayan
or
Viceroy Bali

St. Regis Bali
and/or
Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay

Any advice on staying at Nusa Dua and making day trips to Jimbaran vs. splitting up the stay would be appreciated as well. I know there are knocks against Nusa Dua for its "sterility," but that doesn't particularly bother me and I definitely want to check out Jimbaran Bay's seafood restaurant scene.

Other regions I should possibly consider (Seminyak?)?

Thanks in advance.

traveller2007

I dont know these hotels but I would def mix it up and stay in one beach location, one place far from the airport area (I think Jimbaran is north so that would do it) and maybe consider Ubud as well.
I stayed in Ubud and Seminyak and liked the contrast. I met people who had only done beaches and were a bit disappointed (as I think people agree the beaches arent the best thing about Bali and arent the best in the world) so mixing it up would be a good idea.
There are some great tours to take to see different aspects of Bali so you can def see loads in 9 days! Enjoy.

Kathie

I'd choose two places to stay rather than three, and I'd avoid Nusa Dua like the plague. For you beach time, consider Seminyak and Sanur as other options.

meu

traveller2007 - Jimbaran is actually SW from the airport. Ubud is definitely in the cards - it's the beach locations that I'm uncertain about. How did you enjoy Seminyak?

Kathie - Care you share why I should avoid Nusa Dua like the plague?

Kathie

It's an isolated tourist enclave. Everything is purpose-built for the tourist. It is as if it was meant to look like Bali without being in Bali. A while back, some one stayed in Nusa Dua and reported back that our concerns about it being "not Bali" were misplaced, as there were Indonesian restaurants in the mall. If you are satisfied with a mall being your exposure to Bali restaurants and shops, you might be ok with it. But I visited Nusa Dua while staying elsewhere and had a negative visceral reaction to it. Honestly, you couldn't pay me to stay there.

rhkkmk

i agree with kathie...you even have to go through a gate with guards to enter there....like the rest of bali is undesireable...

i have been there once or twice to see if i missed something and i can honestly say i thought my initial negetive impression was correct.

i'm sure the hotels are just fine, but the area lacks that unique bali feel, which is one reason to go there...

kuluk

For Ubud, definitely Four Seasons. Hands down. Or you might even look at Komaneka Bisma.

Nusa Dua is indeed very sterile, for people who want to "be in" Bali but don't want to really experience any every day life. It's kind of a bubble. But some people want that, and really only you can decide for yourself what is comfortable. I would probably opt for Seminyak or Jimbaran. Jimbaran seafood kiosks on the beach are great, the entrance is directly across from Four Seasons Jimbaran gate.

marmot

I don't have particularly strong aversion to Nusa Dua. It is what it is: a luxury enclave of beach resorts. The beach is long and sandy, good for swimming, although very shallow during low tide. There is no real community outside of the resorts, but there are lots of resort restaurants to choose from. I haven't been to the St. Regis, but I hear it's quite nice.

I like the Four Seasons but I don't particularly like Jimbaran. The 4S is built on the side of the cliff, which allows spectacular views, but you have to go up and down a lot. The beach is so-so, somewhat eroded, good for swimming.

The seafood bbq's are okay once in while, fun but smoky and chaotic. For me, that wouldn't be the deciding factor.

My favorite beach hotel in Bali remains The Legian in Seminyak. You get luxury, nice beach (big surf, though) serene grounds and proximity to lots of restaurants, shops, spas etc.

In Ubud, I like Como Shambhala best. Everyone else seems to like the Four Seasons, but I'm not enamored. I also like Kayumanis, but it's considerably smaller. I don't think I'd put the Viceroy in the same category.

StanKase

I stayed at both Four Season hotels. They are both lovely but Sayan has it hands-down if for no other reason the physical environment surrounding the hotel. We had a Deluxe Room at Sayan twice and it was wonerful. Jimbaran area I to do am not thrilled with. Also, we try to minimize the number of times of packing and unpacvking. Why not 2 places. You will be touring to get the flavor of all that Bali has to offer.In sanur we stayed at the Hyatt which is a step lower in luxury but quite lovely. The only problem is it is very lodge and if you have a room in the furthest building it is 1/4 mile or it seems that way. Actually this coming trip we are splitting between two hotels in the Ubud area. The Chedi Club and one to be determined.

meu

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone.

Interesting hotel/resort options that I hadn't thought of.

Does anyone know why Komaneka at Bisma is categorized under "Specialty Lodging" while the other two Komanekas are "Hotels"?

kuluk

It might be some strange clerical error. Even though I live in Ubud I had the opportunity to get a silent auction prize of a night in Komaneka Bisma and it was fantastic. Definitely a real hotel, and you get the feeling you are in the middle of nowhere even though it's walking distance to Ubud downtown. Huge room with spacious balcony overlooking jungle and 2 lovely pools. I didn't see the suites but I imagine they are even better. Fantastic staff. Free afternoon tea from 4 - 6. And I believe it's less expensive than Four Seasons. (I recommended Four Seasons over Viceroy but FS is not necessarily my favorite in Ubud..it was more of a relative choice over Viceroy.

meu

For what it's worth, I ended up booking the St. Regis and Viceroy Bali.

I had the chance to interact with both hotels for initial impressions. Viceroy has been terrific and very responsive. I am hopeful that this will continue throughout our trip. Surprisingly, I can't say the same for the St. Regis. I'll report back after our trip.