There’s a reason Bali is one of the world’s most iconic islands to visit in Asia. It’s known worldwide for its welcoming Hindu culture, distinct rituals held within its ornate temples, and its scent: a delightful blend of frangipani, jasmine, and sandalwood that is unlike any other aroma on earth. That’s all without even mentioning the best hotels in Bali, which emphasize its natural bounty. Forested waterfalls, top-notch surf breaks, and hidden volcanic beaches are accessible at every turn, and our favorite spots highlight these features.
While much of the island has become increasingly developed in recent years, pockets of Bali still hold the original magic and timeless rituals that have long drawn travelers here. Whether you opt to stay in Bali’s southern bounds, where hip hotels in densely-populated areas like Seminyak and Canggu await, or you prefer to venture a bit off the beaten path to the island’s northeast or southeast areas, where clifftop properties and deserted black sand beaches are an ode to serenity, there’s a little something for every type of traveler.
Below, our guide to the best hotels in Bali.
La Reserve 1785
Located in bustling Canggu, La Reserve 1785 has a long history as a residence for entertaining. It all began in 1936 when Mademoiselle Henriette Reboul, a French antiques collector and a love priestess, purchased the estate and began hosting her friends from all over the world (the guest list for which may or may not have included a few steamy love affairs).
Now a boutique retreat, the residence still features its original parquet floors, which set the scene for modern furnishings with a French design flair. The theme continues in the rooms, where crystal chandeliers and four-poster beds make for quite the romantic stay. Guests can enjoy Mediterranean small plates at Le Café Rouge restaurant or take a short walk to Canggu Beach for some of the best surf in Bali.
- Amenities: Swimming pool, restaurant, spa
- Editor’s tip: Be sure to book a treatment fusing French beauty secrets and Balinese pampering at the La Reserve 1785’s Secret Spa.
- Address: Jalan Munduk Kedungu No.19 Pererenan, Canggu, Kec. Mengwi, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia.
Soori Bali
Set between Mount Batukaru and a shimmering stretch of black sand beach in Tabanan, Soori Bali feels like Bali as it once was. The resort was designed by architect Soo K. Chan, with interiors by his wife Ling Fu, creating a seamless blend of modernist lines, local materials, and understated elegance.
Each of the 48 villas comes with its own private pool overlooking either the sea or verdant paddy fields, making the property feel like a personal hideaway. Guests can enjoy ocean-edge dining at Ombak, where Balinese plates pair perfectly with sundowners on the beach, or venture out for experiences such as crafting traditional ceramics with nearby artisans or cycling through emerald fields that evoke the island’s slower, more authentic rhythm.
- Amenities: Four restaurants, reading room with coffee and tea, spa, infinity pool, library, gym
- Editor’s tip: Be sure to drop by Soori’s newly revamped Reading Room, which offers an introduction to Indonesian fine teas and single-origin coffees sourced from the best gardens in Indonesia.
- Address: Banjar Dukuh, Desa Kelating, Kerambitan, Tabanan Bali 82161, Indonesia.
Buahan
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About an hour outside of Ubud, this boutique property operates under a unique principle: no doors, no walls. Framed by the Ayung River and two waterfalls on each side, Buahan is isolated from the outside world and feels like stepping back into the Bali of yesteryear. When guests first arrive, they access the central lounge, bar, restaurant, and pool by walking down a pebbled pathway.
Unobstructed vistas of terraced rice paddies with sweeping views of seven mountain peaks await. Each of the 16 villas features a panoramic, open-air lens into nature—from the bed or the copper soaking tub. When not enjoying the rooms, guests will delight in meals at the property’s open kitchen, which features a zero-waste menu and a botanical bar with clean drinks using ingredients from the property’s farm.
- Amenities: Open-air restaurant, rooftop bar, swimming pool, spa, private waterfall
- Editor’s tip: Be sure to participate in a waterfall blessing at the property’s private waterfall, led by one of the hotel’s guides.
- Address: Jl, Buahan Kaja, Kec. Payangan, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80572, Indonesia.
- . Payangan, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80572, Indonesia
Revivo Wellness Resort
Entering this luxury retreat in Nusa Dua feels like a blissful exhale. The entire property is built with a minimal aesthetic, yet it’s perfect in its complexity—frangipani trees dot nearly every corner, and bougainvillea is draped down the 22 suites and villas, all with their own sunken bathtubs and some with private pools. It’s just the type of environment guests crave when they arrive for one of the hotel’s signature wellness retreats, multi-day experiences focusing on emotional balance and mindfulness, resetting and healthy sleep patterns, and more.
While on retreat, guests can book appointments with a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, participate in yoga classes, and enjoy meals at the outdoor restaurant helmed by chef Joshua Purwo Caroko, known for his vegetable-forward plates. By the end of the year, the property is will open Bali’s first longevity clinic with advanced diagnostics, aesthetic treatments, and theta float therapy.
- Amenities: Healthy restaurant, yoga shala, multiple swimming pools, spa with robust offerings
- Editor’s tip: You’ll want to take any and all of the classes offered by Sofia, the resident healer: yoga, mantra chanting, and sound healing.
- Address: Jalan Desa Sawangan, Benoa, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Potato Head Suites & Studios
Located in lively Seminyak and set on the shores of the popular Petitenget Beach, the Desa Potato Head complex is many things—the Potato Head Beach Club, a 226-room hotel, a hub of six restaurants and bars, and a wellness facility with robust classes and spa offerings.
In a way, it feels more like its own universe. You can start your day by joining a sunrise meditation, have breakfast on the beach, then spend your time participating in the hotel’s educational workshops, which include everything from the on-site Waste Lab where you can join art classes that gives new life to trash. After hours, you can dance the night away at Klymax, the property’s wood-floor nightclub known for its acoustics.
- Amenities: Boutique shop, spa, multiple swimming pools, six restaurants, nightclub
- Editor’s tip: Don’t miss the Under the Rising Sun ritual led by the hotel’s director of wellness, Kim Herben. The meditation takes place on the rooftop, and guests can welcome the sunrise amidst a magical breeze while listening to the sound of the crashing waves.
- Address: Jl. Petitenget No.51B, Kerobokan Kelod, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia.
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
Located on the outskirts of Ubud, this resort makes quite the first impression: guests can enjoy a jaunt over an outdoor bridge suspended above the sacred Ayung River Valley. This verdant landscape is speckled with tropical flowers and towering trees, with views of tiered rice paddies in the distance.
The rooms are split between hotel suites in the main building and 42 free-standing villas, most with private plunge pools, luxurious bathtubs, and views of the jungle canopy. Breakfasts are robust and health-forward, with a daily rotation of fresh juices, while dinner can be enjoyed the Ayung Terrace. The restaurant overlooks the Ayung River, and its flowing stream is like the soundtrack to stay at this serene oasis.
- Amenities: Riverside location, spa, four restaurants, multiple swimming pools
- Editor’s tip: Be sure to book the sacred nap experience at the outdoor yoga shala, where you’re rocked to sleep in a suspended, womb-like cocoon by the property’s wellness mentor, Ibu Heny Ferawati, who was once a practicing Buddhist nun.
- Address: Jl. Raya Sayan, Sayan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Further
Calling all cool kids—this is the latest hangout to open on the island. Away from the hectic streets of too-crowded Canggu, Further is located in Pererenan, a still sleepy village—for now. The brick façade of this hotel is impossible to miss. The complex is anchored by two buildings that connect to form the hotel’s singular concept: a place where guests can enjoy the intimacy of their private suites and mix and mingle with like-minded travelers in the convivial common spaces. Each of the 12 rooms is minimalist in style and features Balinese woodwork and plaster techniques and natural materials like ochre, brick, and travertine. The property has taken great care in selecting its partner concepts. Guests can expect skincare and grooming rituals provided by Oaken Lab, specialty coffee and small plates by Melbourne-based St. Ali, and an ethical way to hit the waves with boards by Thomas Surfboards.
- Amenities: Restaurant, bar, café, spa, gym, sauna
- Editor’s tip: At Bar Vera, guests can enjoy martinis, bubbly, or gin and orange blossom cocktails and bistro fare like goat cheese beignets and charcoal-roasted chicken.
- Address: No.84 Jl. Pantai Pererenan, Canggu, Bali, 80351
Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Tucked into a quiet bend of the Ayung River just north of Ubud, Mandapa feels like a hidden village devoted entirely to serenity. The spacious suites and thatched-roof pool villas feature teak furnishings, handwoven textiles, and oversized soaking tubs, each opening onto rice paddies or jungle views.
With 24-hour butlers orchestrating everything from temple visits to candlelit riverbank dinners, and a spa that weaves in Balinese healing traditions, it’s a deeply restorative escape for those who want to experience Ubud’s magic with luxury perks. Guests can enjoy elevated Indonesian cuisine at Kubu, the resort’s bamboo-clad riverside restaurant, or spend the morning cycling through quiet villages before returning for a private wellness ritual overlooking the Ayung.
- Amenities: Spa, yoga pavilion, three restaurants and bars, riverside infinity pool, butler service
- Editor’s tip: Book a Reserve Rice Terrace Pool Villa for sunrise yoga on your private deck overlooking the paddies.
- Address: Jalan Kedewatan, Banjar Kedewatan, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 80571.
The Oberoi Beach Resort
Ideally located along the golden stretch of coastline of Seminyak Beach, The Oberoi Beach Resort, Bali, offers traditional pavilion-style accommodation spread across nearly 15 acres of lush tropical gardens. Each of the resort’s hatched-roof villas and garden chalets features plenty of natural light and is open to refreshing ocean or garden views, and some even feature private pavilions perfect for an afternoon dip.
By day, guests can enjoy an outdoor breakfast at the Frangipani Cafe, with seating shaded by Balinese parasols and coconut, frangipani, and hibiscus trees, while evenings are best spent at the Amphitheatre, where guests can enjoy dinner and a traditional Balinese dance performance twice a week.
- Amenities: Oceanfront, swimming pool, three restaurants, bar, amphitheater, spa, gym
- Editor’s tip: Between May and October, you can visit the resort’s on-site sanctuary to participate in the conservation of endangered Olive Ridley turtles.
- Address: Seminyak Beach, Jl. Kayu Aya, Seminyak, Kuta, Bali, 80361, Indonesia.
Bulgari Resort Bali
Few resorts in Bali boast as spectacular a setting—or as unapologetically luxurious an experience—as the Bulgari Resort, which is perched above a cliff face on the southern tip of the Bukit Peninsula. Each of the property’s 64 private villa suites (all with infinity pools, naturally) offers the utmost in privacy; nestled among fragrant bushes of jasmine and bougainvillea, each thatched villa offers a sleek take on classic Indonesian decor, from the Javanese mahogany walls to the plush beds decked out in local Balinese linens and textiles.
The food is superb across the board, whether you want a taste of classic Bulgari-style dolce vita courtesy of the seven-course tasting menu dreamed up by chef Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, or simply to tuck into elevated South East Asian classics at Sangkar.
(The nasi goreng with Balinese lobster and homemade chili sambal is a particular standout.) Naturally, the service is impeccable too: bonus points for the on-demand buggy service available by WhatsApp, the complimentary laundry service, and the beyond-accommodating concierge team, who can arrange anything from a helicopter ride for a private lunch at a royal palace (with the royals in attendance) or dinner at a local beach town at the snap of a finger. —Liam Hess
- Amenities: Three restaurants, bar, spa, fitness center, free laundry, fast Wi-Fi, two boutiques
- Editor’s tip: If yoga is your thing, there’s no better place to do it than the dedicated outdoor area within the resort’s sprawling spa complex—and if you’re an early bird, make sure to book a private sunrise session.
- Address: Banjar Dinas Kangin Jalan Goa Lempeh Jalan Raya Uluwatu, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364.
Nirjhara
Set in southwest Bali near the Tanah Lot Temple, amidst verdant tropical foliage and built around connecting guests with the island’s ancestral culture, Nirjhara is a luxurious eco-resort that’s ideal for a wellness reset. Merging contemporary architecture and modern comfort with authentic Balinese artistry, accommodations include treehouse-style suites with private rooftop decks shaded by coconut palms and two-bedroom villas with private pools (some with bathrooms featuring Philippe Starck for Axor fixtures and freestanding tubs heated by a solar water heater).
When guests aren’t off to a massage, facial, or botanical scrub at the spa, they can enjoy the restaurant’s farm-to-table fare and views of the hotel’s natural waterfall from its 80-foot saltwater swimming pool.
- Amenities: Saltwater swimming pool, restaurant, bar, spa, library, cinema, yoga shala, gym
- Editor’s tip: Be sure to catch movie night at the property’s on-site cinema.
- Address: Jl. Nirjhara, Banjar Kedungu, Belalang, Kediri, Tabanan Regency, Bali 82121, Indonesia.
The Slow
Brutalist architecture meets the tropics at The Slow, a 12-room boutique hotel that oozes laidback charm. While it’s true that Canggu is nearly overflowing with tourists thanks to its growing popularity (the property is also located along one of the busiest streets in town), The Slow taps into Canggu’s essence—a relaxed yet somehow incredibly hip energy.
The hotel was opened by former Australian fashion designer George Gorrow and his wife, the model Cisco Tschurtschenthaler, and evokes an art-world feel with installations at every turn. Within each of the rooms, guests will find framed black-and-white images and minimalist interiors like bamboo chairs and exposed concrete walls. For dining, guests won’t have to leave the premises to dine at one of the best restaurants in Canggu. Expect Indonesian small plates and inventive cocktails.
- Amenities: Bar, restaurant, boutique shop, art gallery, robust music program
- Editor’s tip: Upgrade to one of the four suites, each with a private plunge pool.
- Address: Jl. Pantai Batu Bolong No.97, Canggu, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Lost Lindenberg
When it seems as if some areas of Bali are on the brink of over-tourism, it’s places like Pekutatan that bring the soul of the island back to its center. Located on a blissfully empty black-sand volcanic beach, this environmentally-conscious property has the vibe of an Ace Hotel and the serenity of an Aman: solar-powered treehouse-style rooms are built on stilts to minimize environmental impact and are spread throughout a jungle canopy rife with vegetation like bodhi, baobab, and banana trees.
During a stay, guests can enjoy dining on vegan, zero-waste meals at the on-site restaurant—communal style with an elegant 22-foot black wood table at its center— with all ingredients sourced from local organic farms. For the ultimate adventure, the property offers surf lessons, river tours, diving, and snorkeling trips, as well as electric bicycles and scooters for guests to explore the island’s west coast.
- Amenities: Remote location, vegan restaurant, spa, pool, surf program
- Editor’s tip: Surfers will love that the property is near the black-sand Medewi Point, home to Bali’s longest wave.
- Address: Banyar Yeh Kuning, Jl. Ngurah Rai, Pekutatan, Kec. Pekutatan, Kabupaten Jembrana, Bali 82262, Indonesia.
Hoshinoya Bali
Like a little slice of Venice landed in Ubud, this property’s 30 expansive villas are connected by three canal-like pools. Lazy river, anyone? Jokes aside, this resort is nothing like the storied Italian city. Designed by the Japanese architect Rie Azuma, the property is soothing and meditative with its blend of Japanese aesthetics and Balinese artistic principles.
It’s spread over seven forested acres and feels more like a village than a hotel thanks to its elevated gazebos and room interiors that provide a sense of place and instant calm: intricate wooden carvings line the walls, and locally-made batik lamps are bedside. It also has quite a prime location—it’s positioned above the sacred Pakerisan River.
- Amenities: Yoga, library, pool, spa
- Editor’s tip: Splurge for the air gazebo breakfast experience. Enjoy a spread of coffee, tea, tropical fruits, and Balinese black rice pudding while you’re suspended over the jungle.
- Address: Br. Pengembungan,Desa Pejeng Kangin, 80552 Ubud, Indonesia.
Mathis Lodge Amed
Off the typical tourist path—about four hours northeast of Denpasar International Airport–Mathis Lodge Amed is a gateway to the Bali travelers dream about. The 20 freestanding guest lodges, some with outdoor Jacuzzi or infinity pools, are suspended on a verdant volcanic slope in the Lean Valley and built with alang alang thatched roofs to match the local aesthetic.
Located over 1,300 feet above sea level, views of the Lombok Strait linger ahead while the volcanic Mount Seraya looms behind and gives the nearby beaches their silky black sand. Be sure to pack your tennis shoes for a stay here, as there are quite a few stone steps to access the hotel’s many amenities, including its cliffside dining area, where classic Indonesian dishes are served. Guests will likely spend plenty of quality time at the central infinity pool, a clifftop perch with plush sun loungers and stunning ocean views.
- Amenities: Infinity pool, spa, yoga classes
- Editor’s tip: Be sure to ask about the many jungle treks you can take from the hotel.
- Address: Bunutan, Abang, Karangasem Regency, Bali 80852, Indonesia.
Six Senses Uluwatu
It’s all about the dramatic cliffside views at Six Senses Uluwatu, a wellness resort perched along the edges of the Bukit Peninsula along Bali’s southern coast. The property makes a huge sustainability effort, as seen in the over 100 rooms: each is made with sustainably farmed timber, and at each of the three restaurants, guests can enjoy organic fare sourced from its organic garden and beehive. The property even offers garden tours where guests can learn more about the hotel’s composting efforts. For a dose of relaxation, go to the spa early to enjoy the sauna and steam rooms before disappearing into one of eight treatment rooms for holistic massages and reflexology treatments. There’s also a daily rotation of fitness classes: Pilates, yoga, meditation, and more.
- Amenities: Three restaurants, cliffside pools and bar, spa, kid’s club, yoga pavilion, fitness center
- Editor’s tip: If you haven’t gone before, you really can’t miss a visit to the Uluwatu Temple. Stay for the sunset dance.
- Address: Jl. Goa Lempeh, Uluwatu, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Bambu Indah
Guests will be pleased to arrive at this bohemian escape overlooking the Sayan Ridge, a far departure from the often over-the-top resorts that rim Bali’s coast. Set outside of Ubud in a luscious jungle landscape blanketed with fragrant tamarind and cinnamon trees, Bambu Indah is home to ethereal bamboo suites nestled within the verdant canopy, each proving sustainability and high design don’t need to be disparate. It all began when owners John and Cynthia Hardy transported eleven antique Javanese bridal homes to Ubud in 2005, creating a property with one of the most sustainability-minded hotels in the region. The hotel has since expanded from the original teakwood structures to include bamboo treehouses and two iconic open-air rooms with a moon-shaped roof made of copper. During a stay, guests can enjoy wellness activities and the anti-inflammatory menu at Tembaga, where dishes are made from ingredients sourced from the hotel’s permaculture farm.
- Amenities: Natural swimming pools, spa, wellness classes
- Editor’s tip: Owners John and Cynthia Hardy also started the area’s first Green School, a wall-free, nature-immersed campus guests can tour during a stay.
- Address: Jl. Baung, Sayan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Source : https://www.vogue.com
