Alila Ubud Bali

“Recommended, with a few caveats.”

We stayed 6 nights at the Alila Ubud this past week. We were very happy with our stay, though it switched from Category 2 to 3 last month, and we booked before the change. So it felt like a great deal. We also used a friend's Hyatt Guest of Honor Certificate which gave us free breakfast with Glob... more

We stayed 6 nights at the Alila Ubud this past week. We were very happy with our stay, though it switched from Category 2 to 3 last month, and we booked before the change. So it felt like a great deal. We also used a friend's Hyatt Guest of Honor Certificate which gave us free breakfast with Globalist elite benefits. We had a room (119) that was standard, though we were told it's an upgrade. It was nice, everything in working condition, super clean, and spacious enough. Enjoyed sitting on the grassy patio area and listening to the birds in the morning. Was told that this hotel is 30 years old, originally built and run as the Chedi Hotel Ubud. Positives: F&B is excellent. Very good quality breakfast, every day had a different menu even in six mornings! Was told they do a 7-day rotation. You can order as much as you want from the menu, so it's unlimited but not a buffet. Really liked it. Great fresh fruits and juice station; decent pastries brought to all tables. Then you order the hot options (oatmeal, 2-3 western egg dishes, 2 local Indonesian options, and an Indonesian sweet option). Barista coffees brought to the table. Fairly quick service. Ate one dinner at the nicer restaurant, where they do breakfast. Did a Rijstaffel (look it up) and it did not disappoint. Lots of food. Did one dinner at the bar/restaurant next to the pool, good seafood burger etc. Infinity pool is very good. Heated (?) or at least warm for swimming. Nice chairs with towels and drinks brought to seats if you order. Very few kids. No kids club AFAIK (this is a positive to me!) Well located for various day trips (90 min to Virgin Beach on East Coast, 90 min to Banyumala Waterfall and some closer rice terraces, etc). 20 min to town. 4 shuttles per day, punctual, drop in center of Ubud. If you miss a shuttle, taxis seem to be a standard $10 each way. Didn't do Grab or Gojek but it's likely cheaper. Daily activity schedule rotates twice per week yoga, tai chi, or a rice field walking tour. Yoga had 12-16 people both days we did it. Nice class, by the pool. Bikes available to rent or take (free?) but main roads are too busy for me. Gym looks fine but we didn't use it. Quiet, friendly, serene place to stay in bustling Bali. Rooms super clean. Water is in glass bottles, replaced daily. Nightly turndown service also replaces towels and waters. Shower is outside and weather is warm so we liked it--but mostly (?) hidden from view, though upstairs entrance seemed visible from the shower. Happy Hour by the pool is 30% off on most drinks, I think. We went once. Nice tangerine clove margarita! Negatives: Location is far from town. Can't walk anywhere. But that's why it's serene and lovely and quiet! That's what I wanted from a week in Bali, not parties and traffic. But YMMV. Location means you need to either eat at hotel, which isn't crazy expensive but isn't cheap-- otherwise eat in town, and pay $10 each way for taxis back in evening. Rooms are not brand new, but we really didn't have any issues with maintenance. Room AC worked well, all outlets worked, etc. More activities (maybe an afternoon yoga/ rice paddy walk etc would be nice for those hanging out at the resort all day. Category 3 is still an ok deal when prices are north of $200 but unless you're Globalist you're then paying $20++pp for breakfast, that will add up quickly. Steps: Never been to a hotel like this, especially a high-end place. Kind of amazingly, there are hundreds and hundreds of steps, and no elevators. We were fine with it, but it's pretty amazing to see. We watched parents with strollers/prams have to pick up the stroller multiple times to get from front desk area to room, going up and down various steps. From pool, it's at least 50 steps up to go anywhere. No changing room for pool, nearest bathroom is shared with upstairs restaurant (so you either walk down 25 steps to use bathroom from breakfast room, OR you walk up 25 steps to use bathroom from the pool. Older people, those with mobility issues, etc-- I sadly would say to stay away. Monkeys: We saw a few monkeys here and there, and were warned by the staff not to leave doors open-- but actually we had no contact with them, nor did they come anywhere near the regular rooms. We did see them playing on the decks of some of the villas. Evidence of at least limited monkey presence in regular room areas (80% of the resort): Our neighbors (weirdly) left a banana sitting in front on their patio. It stayed there for 2 nights, no monkey came for it. Overall, we'd recommend it,

less