The 39 Best Luxury Hotels in Bali

Almost every resort in Bali has a pool; what makes the difference is where you look while you swim.Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve · PoolAbove the jungle: If you want to swim above rice terraces at a 5-star hotel in Bali, book Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve: its infinity pool sits right beside the resort’s own rice fields on the Ayung River. At Capella Ubud Bali, you swim laps in The Cistern, a 20-meter heated pool in the rainforest. And Amandari has a 28-meter pool that curves like the rice fields in the valley below.Raffles Bali · PoolAbove the sea: At Raffles Bali, you swim in a 25-meter infinity pool above Jimbaran Bay, with views all the way to Mount Agung on a clear day. At Amankila, Ed Tuttle’s three-tiered pool cascades down the hillside like rice terraces toward the Lombok Strait, and down on the beach a 41-meter pool waits in a coconut grove. The Apurva Kempinski Bali combines a 60-meter main pool with a 42-meter infinity pool at the Reef Beach Club.

Lagoons for families: In Nusa Dua, the pools wind through the gardens like streams. The Laguna Resort Nusa Dua Bali has seven pools, five of which form a lagoon landscape that you can step into directly from many rooms. At The St. Regis Bali Resort, the saltwater lagoon covers around 3,700 m², with lounging islands and whirlpools. At Conrad Bali on Tanjung Benoa, the lagoon pool winds through the entire grounds, with a small artificial beach.

A pool of your own: If you’d rather not share, book a villa with a private pool. Our tip for couples is Buahan Banyan Tree Bali, where each of the 16 bales has its own pool with jungle views. At Umana Bali Ungasan, each of the 72 villas has an infinity pool just under ten meters long above the ocean, and at Soori Bali all 48 villas come with a private pool, right on a black volcanic sand beach. Tell our travel advisors whether you want to swim laps or simply cool off – and we’ll find the luxury hotel in Bali with the right pool.

In Bali, the island’s healing traditions are part of the spa menu, from the Melukat water blessing to herbs from the resort garden. The big spas: The spa at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve sits on the Ayung River, with eight treatment rooms, a vitality pool, a meditation temple and Healing Masters in Residence. The Iridium Spa at The St. Regis Bali Resort covers 2,800 m² beside an artificial lake with wooden walkways. The spa at The Ritz-Carlton Bali has a Hydro-Vital pool with five hydrotherapy zones.The Ritz-Carlton Bali · SpaBalinese rituals: For Melukat, the traditional purification with holy water, we recommend the Raffles Spa at Raffles Bali, which works with Omorovicza and also offers Reiki and sound healing. At Capella Ubud Bali, treatments in three spa tents follow the phases of the moon, and at Amandari a resident healer accompanies guests, on request all the way to a water blessing at Tirta Empul temple.Jumeirah Bali · SpaWellness as the reason to travel: If you choose your luxury hotel in Bali by its spa, you will also find resorts where wellness takes center stage. Soori Bali focuses on acupuncture, neurotherapy and longevity treatments; the World Spa Awards named Soori Spa Best Spa in Indonesia in 2018 and 2019. At Gdas Health and Wellness Resort Bali near Ubud, daily yoga and the bathhouse are included, and the Eden Longevity Centre offers cryotherapy, salt and red-light therapy.

Special places: At Buahan Banyan Tree Bali, the Toja Spa is open to the sky, in bamboo pavilions above the Ayung. Jumeirah Bali has a traditional Turkish hammam in its Talise Spa, and the AWAY Spa at W Bali is open around the clock, with hammam, oxygen room and cold plunge, which you can use even without a treatment.

Prices start at 91 € at Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran and go up to 1,365 € at Buahan Banyan Tree Bali; half of the hotels cost no more than 246 € per night. The table shows a selection of 25 luxury hotels from all regions and price ranges. You will find all other luxury hotels in Bali with their current price in the hotel list below.

What’s included almost everywhere: daily breakfast for two, at Soori Bali for example as a changing tasting menu at the Cotta beach restaurant, at Raffles Bali at Rumari. There is also an upgrade subject to availability, usually on arrival; at the Hyatt properties and at Buahan Banyan Tree Bali it is confirmed at booking. At 29 hotels the benefits apply from the first night, at the other ten from two nights.

When it comes to hotel credit, it pays to look closely. 29 hotels add one, usually US$100. At Belmond Jimbaran Puri Bali, villa guests receive US$220, and Soori Bali gives US$200 in the Residences; from seven nights, another US$200 is added there.

On top of that come extras at individual luxury hotels in Bali: Amandari and Amankila pick you up from the airport and take you back, serve afternoon tea daily and, from two nights in selected categories, invite you to lunch or dinner for two.

A massage for two is included at Buahan Banyan Tree Bali, at Alila Manggis (60 minutes) and at Alila Ubud Bali. At The Legian Seminyak Bali, afternoon tea and the minibar are included.

Points and status: 33 of the 39 luxury hotels in Bali belong to a loyalty program. Marriott Bonvoy is represented with 13 hotels, World of Hyatt with seven, ALL (Accor), IHG One Rewards and the Leaders Club with three each, Hilton Honors with two; plus GHA Discovery and Jumeirah ONE with one hotel each. You earn double Hilton Honors points at Conrad Bali and Umana Bali Ungasan.

When it’s most beautiful: From May to September the air is drier, and evenings in Ubud are pleasantly cool. From October to April the island is at its greenest: the rice fields are full, showers usually come briefly in the afternoon, and spas, cooking classes and pools take center stage. When to book early: for July and August and over Christmas and New Year.

How long to stay: For Bali, we recommend at least a week. Many guests combine two 5-star hotels in Bali: a few nights in the hills around Ubud, then a few by the sea, for example in Jimbaran, Uluwatu or Nusa Dua.