Best Beach Hotels in Bali

Found in the southernmost part of Bali, the Aman Villas at Nusa Dua is set on a hillside overlooking the Indian Ocean. Each is designed with an inside-outside layout to fully immerse themselves in the natural surroundings. Menus revolve around local produce from the nearby Jimbaran Market, across a beach club restaurant, a Japanese restaurant, and a poolside bar Treatments at the spa make use of traditional Balinese healing techniques, plus there’s a fitness centre, a tennis court and water sports activities available. The villas are serviced by two butlers and a private chef, with guests enjoying access to a private Beach Club and the Bali National Golf Club.

The Italian designer brand has extended its hotel portfolio to include this stunning property on the south coast in Uluwatu. The resort comprises 59 exclusive villas and mansions – with bespoke butler service, private pools and all rooms containing well-stocked minibars and of course, Bulgari toiletries in the enormous bathrooms. Utilising local materials including volcanic stone, the interiors are suitably glamorous boasting exotic art, Balinese antiques and moody dark wood with flourishes of textile colour. Guests can enjoy a fine dining experience at the hotel’s sophisticated restaurant and enjoy light bites, cocktails and spectacular views from the bar which sits under a traditional Balinese alang-alang thatched roof. For guests who love the water there is an extensive outdoor pool or the idyllic sandy beach sits just below the resort. The spa is a haven of relaxation with treatments that integrate Asian and European approaches, whilst the fitness centre offers the latest digital innovations with partner Technogym. There is a children’s club and a variety of locally inspired experiences that can be enjoyed both at the resort or in the nearby area. The Bvlgari Resort Bali truly exists in an echelon of its own.

This was the first resort to arrive in the seaside town of Seminyak and while it’s close to the heart of the town’s action (a five-minute walk), it’s far enough away to provide complete serenity. The charming 15-acre grounds are littered with bright flowers, carved statues, temples, lily ponds, fountains and trees. There’s a real sense of romance and local authenticity here – you can enjoy afternoon tea accompanied by a live Balinese dance show in the hotel’s own amphitheatre. It has a spa, 74 traditional style villas with original teak features and two restaurants with amazing meat and seafood.

Indonesia’s own Jaya Ibrahim designed all 66 of the sleek suites, 13 pool villas and the stunning ocean view Beach House at The Legian; incorporating natural-fibre furnishings, polished wooden floors and artefacts from around the islands. Guests can dine in the main restaurant and at the pool bar, as well as nibbling on canapes at the thatched Champagne Bar which is nestled between the ocean and a lily-pad-covered pond. The lobby bar doubles as a library, with books in many languages, plus there’s a spa, a Grooming Lounge and a Wellness Concierge to look after you.

This sustainably minded Six Senses property on the Bukit Peninsula was created from local wood, and cleverly designed with heat-absorbing lava roofs (no need for air-con). It has 103 rooms made up of suites and villas, two pools, a spa and sleek contemporary decor. The dining options include Japanese-inspired barbecue, sushi, farm-to-table cuisine and a chef’s table offering daily specials. Vegan, gluten-free or detox-friendly dishes are all available. With an emphasis on local links and eco-friendly living, ingredients are organic, mostly grown on-site and bath products come from within Indonesia. Those preferring more casual atmos can head to the Cliff Bar for poolside pizzas and healthy homemade kombucha.

Choose one of 526 intimate guest rooms, lagoon pool rooms and grand suites with apex ceilings, for your stay at the Mulia Resort. Here you’ll have access to many restaurants serving pan-Asian, Chinese, Japanese and French cuisine, multiple lavish bars, a spa, four swimming pools with cabanas (including one by the sea and one for families), a fitness centre, a tennis centre, a games room and a kids club with a packed schedule of activities. And it enjoys a setting as glamorous as its amenities, perched on the white sandy beach that’s dotted with palm trees and comfortable loungers.

This beach and thalassotherapy spa retreat from the renowned St Regis group is full-on luxe, with less of an emphasis on local authenticity and more on the high-end bells and whistles f an international resort. Expect chandeliers, marble, statement art, 24-hour formal butler service, a cellar of imported wines, wagyu beef and caviar. There’s a champagne bar, two very fancy restaurants, a Children’s Learning Center and a regal penthouse complete with a grand piano. Take a swim in the central lagoon and you’ll discover a submerged sitting room and beach beds in the shape of human silhouettes by landscape designer Bill Bensley.

The Grand Hyatt’s meandering low-rise style ensures it blends in seamlessly with the natural surroundings; public spaces are contained within pagodas, leafy trails lead to the seashore, there’s an emerald Balinese pool and a longer thinner pool winds river-like through the trees. Yet despite this haven-like atmosphere, the resort manages to accommodate 636 bedrooms, more pools besides the ones already mentioned, a kids’ club, three tennis courts, mini golf, Kriya Spa and The Bay Club Fitness and Health Centre. Dining options include the Nampu Japanese restaurant, a buffet surrounded by fountains and freshwater pools and an eatery set up like a local night market.

Meaning “inner sanctum of well-being”, this hotel’s name gives a clue as to what lies in store if you stay here. It’s on the same beach as the Anantara, but a quieter stretch and has two restaurants; Breeze, with indoor and outdoor seating on its lantern-lit deck, and the Brasserie for Balinese food. Afternoon tea is included in your room price, as are cultural activities, yoga classes and 24-hour butler service. Your villa will come with its own pool and a four-poster bed — larger villas in the Royal Courtyard area have additional outdoor daybeds with gazebos and gardens.

Modelled on a Javanese-Hindu water palace, this villa-only resort places a strong focus on wellness, with organic farm-to-table cuisine, personalised moon-based programmes and a traditional hammam. The hotel grounds incorporate historic Majapahit ruins, a pavilion kids’ club, fountains, a sunset pool lounge and a dining terrace. The outdoor area is enormous, with a sweeping pool area butting right up to the beach and lapping sea. Guests here are lavished with Arabian-Balinese hospitality, a personal butler service and luxury airport transfers. This is a place to reconnect with yourself, enjoy being pampered, immerse in a little history and take a bespoke wellness journey surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

Surrounded by lush gardens beside a white sandy beach, with seven lagoon-style pools, this resort feels like a true oasis. The hotel in Nusa Dua has received a recent makeover, bringing it even further up to date and upping the barefoot luxury stakes. Rooms all come with around-the-clock butler service and some have direct access to the lagoon. And guests can book alfresco massages on the plush poolside cabanas. Dine on Western and pan-Asian cuisine at Banyubiru, fresh seafood at the ocean-side Arwana, lighter meals at the poolside Kul Kul Bar, with signature cocktails mixed at the Cascade and Sapphire Lagoon bars.

A huge stone W is set between a row of swaying palms and the white sandy shores of the beach, marking the spot for this trendy seaside hotel. Taking a cue from the local area, its centrepiece layered pool has been inspired by a rice field. Rooms come with terrazzo bathtubs, robes and 350-thread-count cotton linens, with villas adding private pools. Be sure to party at the outdoor Woobar accompanied by the sounds of resident DJs. And do brunch at Starfish Bloo’s; an epic and famous buffet spread featuring a BBQ smokehouse, a ceviche bar, a sushi and sashimi station, and oyster shucking stations, as well as mountains of puds.