Best Family Friendly Hotels in Bali

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.

Arrive among the tropical treetops via a dramatic suspension bridge. This stunning property is set on the banks of the Ayung, where guests are blessed with holy water before being taken to one of 60 suites graced with teak and beds draped in a white flowing net. Daily activities include yoga, life talks, village walks, cycle tours and traditional Balinese dance performances, plus there’s the infinity pool, Sacred River Spa and two restaurants serving authentic Indonesian and Mediterranean food. For an extra special dining experience, ask for a table by the candlelit water’s edge at the intimate Riverside Café.

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.

Nestled in the valley of the Ayung River, this tranquil spot is a 15-minute ride from Ubud. The resort feels much like a traditional Balinese village, albeit with attentive gracious service, regal decor and every mod con. Many of its buildings are hidden in the lush greenery and overlook rice paddies, creating a sense of privacy and escape. Healing therapies, yoga, a pool, library, four dining areas, and a choice of five villa classes and suites are all available. Romantic meals for two can be served in the paddies, or in various nooks on the estate, and for families, there’s an action-packed kids’ programme: mini explorers. Be sure to dine in Kubu while you’re there – tables are set in bamboo pods overlooking the river and the Mediterranean cuisine is divine.

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.

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.

An all-pool villa resort, Peppers offers everything from studios to a five-bedroom Presidential Suite catering for up to 14 guests. Each has indoor and outdoor living areas and bathrooms, with lashings of marble, top-notch sound systems and full kitchens. But if you don’t feel like cooking, you can dine on an international array of dishes while overlooking a rock pool at The Laneway Restaurant and Bar. Peppers’ day spa provides treatments, therapies and wellness programmes. Or you can relax in the Balè traditional pavilion set in the hotel’s tropical garden and swim in the 35-metre pool.