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Find your area, then your pair. Each comparison below gives the question it answers, my verdict in a few lines, and the price. The whole comparison is one click away.
Choosing a luxury hotel in Bali is rarely a choice between good and bad. It is a choice between two good hotels that are good at different things, and the brochure will not tell you which.
Every hotel on this page is one I have slept in and paid for, and each pair is written up side by side with a verdict. The prices are my from-rates per night, with breakfast and taxes included. If your two hotels are not here, scroll to the end and I will look at them with you.
Ubud and the valley
The whole of Ubud, sorted by the kind of Ubud you want →
Mandapa, Capella or Buahan
How far along the experience line do you want to go?
Mandapa is my choice: the most conventional of the three, and the only one that is also, unmistakably, an excellent hotel. Capella is the most theatrical, and Buahan the most extreme and worth exactly one night.
From around, per night: Mandapa $1,200 · Capella $1,000 · Buahan $1,000
READ THE COMPARISON →Four Seasons Sayan or Mandapa
Same river, two kinds of theatre.
Mandapa is the better hotel. Four Seasons Sayan is the more remarkable place, and it is still where I would sleep. And if one of them has a good offer for your dates, let that decide.
The hotels: Four Seasons Sayan · Mandapa
READ THE COMPARISON →Amandari or Amankila
Which of Bali's two original Amans?
First trip, choose Amandari. Been before, or never want to leave the grounds, choose Amankila. Better still, do both, in that order.
From around, per night: Amandari $750 · Amankila $1,300 to $2,200
READ THE COMPARISON →COMO Shambhala, Uma Ubud or Uma Canggu
Three hotels, three entirely different trips.
Shambhala is for committing to something: wellness, nature, stillness. Uma Ubud is for exploring Ubud from the most quietly perfect base in town. Uma Canggu is a beach club with rooms. Choose by the trip you want, not the name on the gate.
From around, per night: COMO Shambhala $700 · COMO Uma Ubud $250 · COMO Uma Canggu $200
READ THE COMPARISON →Four Seasons Sayan or Jimbaran
Same brand, two completely different holidays: the valley or the sea.
Jimbaran Bay is the better hotel overall, and the best resort in Bali for families. Sayan is the more extraordinary place.
From around, per night: Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay $700 · Four Seasons Sayan $800
READ THE COMPARISON →Uluwatu and the Bukit
Every Uluwatu hotel I've stayed in →
Bvlgari or Jumeirah
Two private islands on the Bukit.
Bvlgari wins the view and the polish, and it is the purer escape. Jumeirah wins the villa, and with its third night free it is the sharpest deal on the cliff. If money genuinely does not matter, Bvlgari. If you want this life at a sensible price, or you are bringing children, Jumeirah.
From around, per night: Bvlgari $1,200 · Jumeirah $650
READ THE COMPARISON →Bvlgari or Alila Villas Uluwatu
The better building or the better hotel?
Alila wins on architecture, Bvlgari on everything else.
From around, per night: Bvlgari $1,200 · Alila Villas Uluwatu $850
READ THE COMPARISON →Nusa Dua
Every Nusa Dua hotel I've stayed in →
The St. Regis, The Laguna or Amarterra
Three Marriotts on one stretch of beach.
One hotel to celebrate in, one to live in, one to hide in. The Laguna is the one I would move into for a week, and the best value at this level in Nusa Dua by a clear margin.
From around, per night: The St. Regis $600 to $700 · The Laguna $250 · Amarterra $400
READ THE COMPARISON →St. Regis or The Mulia
Which Nusa Dua icon is for you?
The answer depends less on which is better than on which suits you. Both are brilliant at excess and short on Bali, and they are built for a different kind of trip.
From around, per night: The St. Regis $600 · The Mulia $350
READ THE COMPARISON →The Apurva, The Ritz-Carlton or Samabe
Which hotel on Nusa Dua's southern cliff?
Samabe is the best of the three, and one of the genuine hidden gems of Bali. The Apurva is the most spectacular. The Ritz-Carlton is excellent in every part and less than the sum of them, and close to unbeatable for weddings, groups and families who want space for their money.
From around, per night: Samabe $575 to $700, all-inclusive · The Apurva $350 · The Ritz-Carlton $375
READ THE COMPARISON →Jimbaran
Every Jimbaran hotel I've stayed in →
Raffles, Four Seasons or Jimbaran Puri
Three famous names on one bay.
Raffles is the best hotel here and one of the best on the island. Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay is the one for families. Jimbaran Puri has the one thing neither can buy: the beach.
From around, per night: Raffles $900 · Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay $700 · Jimbaran Puri $325
READ THE COMPARISON →Four Seasons Sayan or Jimbaran
Same brand, two completely different holidays: the valley or the sea.
Jimbaran Bay is the better hotel overall, and the best resort in Bali for families. Sayan is the more extraordinary place.
From around, per night: Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay $700 · Four Seasons Sayan $800
READ THE COMPARISON →Seminyak
Every Seminyak hotel I've stayed in →
W, Alila, The Samaya or Desa Potato Head
Four beachfront hotels, close in quality and close in price.
Choosing between them is like choosing at a food court: it comes down to what you are in the mood for. The Samaya is the timeless one, and for me the best value. W is playful and fun, as long as you book a villa. Alila is an honest base for going out.
From around, per night: The Samaya $300 · W Bali $325 · Alila Seminyak $250 · Desa Potato Head $225
READ THE COMPARISON →The Legian or The Oberoi
Two Seminyak classics, one beach apart.
The Legian is the better hotel: more refined, with finer food and finer suites. The Oberoi wins on everything you cannot manufacture: fifteen acres of old jungle garden, calm, space and the warmest staff in Bali. Choose The Legian for polish and the sea, The Oberoi for the ultimate Bali feeling.
From around, per night: The Legian $450 · The Oberoi $350
READ THE COMPARISON →Sanur
Every Sanur hotel I've stayed in →
Andaz or Hyatt Regency
Two hotels on the same piece of land.
Split in two and redesigned by the same hands, with opposite results. Choose the Hyatt Regency for space and value, the Andaz for design and food.
From around, per night: Hyatt Regency $175 · Andaz $275
READ THE COMPARISON →Canggu
Every Canggu hotel I've stayed in →
Regent or COMO Uma Canggu
Canggu has only two luxury hotels.
My choice is COMO Uma Canggu: you eat well, sleep beautifully and have a great beach at a very fair price. Regent has nine pools and huge suites, but at its price it does not yet deliver enough.
From around, per night: COMO Uma Canggu $200 · Regent $600
READ THE COMPARISON →Is your pair not here?
Name the two hotels and your dates, and I will look at them with you. That includes hotels I have not written up: I book through Fora, a Virtuoso member agency, which places reservations at effectively every five-star property in Bali. Send me a WhatsApp, or write to us here.