Best Hotels in Bali

One island. A thousand versions of yourself.

I didn’t go to Bali to find myself. I went there to breathe, to pause... For three weeks, I lived at the rhythm of the island. Barefoot in boutique hotels, reading by the pool, waking up to jungle sounds and filtered light through linen curtains. I booked massages without guilt, cried once in the middle of a temple, and started writing again. Bali isn’t just beautiful. It’s intentional. 

Before diving into the addresses that made this trip feel like a chapter I’ll want to reread, here are a few practical notes : 

• Best time to visit : April to June or September to October, perfect balance of sunshine and heat.

• Skip the queues : Apply for your visa and entry permits online before landing to save precious time.

• Travel smarter : Download the Gojek app and set up your eSIM before you fly.

While Bali is known for its luxury resorts, don’t overlook the guesthouses and villas, many are exceptional in their own quiet way. In this article, I’ll share a mix of both.

Capella Ubud – Ubud

A luxury tented retreat deep in the jungle. Every tented suite is a storybook : brass bathtubs, carved wood, flickering lanterns. At night, the sound of the jungle becomes your soundtrack : wild, alive, and oddly comforting. It’s immersive in the truest sense. No walls between you and nature. A stay here feels sacred, like you’ve stepped into another world, barefoot and unfiltered. For someone who values silence, story, and design. ​​

Mandapa – Ubud

Mandapa doesn’t just offer luxury, it takes care of you. Private villas are nestled among rice paddies, and the spa sits beside a river that seems to carry your thoughts away. Service is quiet, intentional, flawless. But more than that : it’s heartfelt. You don’t feel like a guest, you feel like someone returning home. 

Alila Villas Uluwatu

Perched on the cliffs, Alila is all sharp lines and soft energy. It’s the opposite of flashy , a place that embodies quiet luxury and architectural poetry. If you believe less is more, this is your temple. Alila is a place of balance. Air and stone. Horizon and ritual. Every corner, every shadow, feels considered. You don’t walk through the resort, you float. Your villa is a pavilion of calm: open air, black basalt stone and the constant, rhythmic sound of the ocean far below. It’s almost spiritual.

Jumeirah Bali – Uluwatu

Dreamlike palatial elegance. If Bali had a royal court, this would be its palace. Inspired by the Majapahit Empire, Jumeirah isn’t just luxurious... it’s cinematic. Vaulted arches, water flowing through stone channels, lanterns casting warm shadows across garden walls. You don’t walk around here,  you glide. You feel wrapped in something ancient and sacred, yet still effortless. The villas are temples of calm : grand beds, sunken baths, and terraces with sea views that stop time.

La Reserve 1785 – Canggu

Colonial charm meets tropical hus. Hidden behind high white walls and swaying palms, La Reserve 1785 feels like a secret from another time. This adults-only gem was once the private home of a French explorer, and you can feel it in the antique furniture, the books left open, the way the air smells like stories. It’s not flashy. It’s soulful. Rooms feel like sanctuaries, with arched windows and thoughtful silence. The garden is intimate, the pool is designed, and the beach is just a short walk away but somehow, you’ll want to stay right here. For lovers of elegance, detail, and timeless design.​

Munduk Cabins

Height, mist, and magic. Tucked away in the mountains of Munduk, this one feels like a dreamscape. Floating infinity pools above the clouds.  If Ubud is introspection, Munduk is full reset. The villas are quiet capsules of warmth : wood, stone, stillness. No agenda, no noise, just the invitation to reset. 

Bvlgari Resort Bali – Uluwatu

If elegance had a coastline. Italian sophistication meets Balinese soul. This resort is iconic, not because it tries to be, but because it can’t help it. Built on the edge of the cliffs, the architecture is sharp and sculptural, but the mood is slow and sensual. Private villas are hidden behind hand-carved gates, each one a little universe of its own. Everything is heavy : the doors, the wood, the silence. For deep lovers, quiet thinkers, and modern mystics.​

​​The Slow – Canggu

Design meets soul. More urban, more artsy. The Slow it’s all lines, curated playlists, photography, and low-lit intimacy. For someone who travels light but with taste. Someone who notices textures. For those who live to curate their moments...

​​Villa Massilia – Seminyak

A gentle hideaway in the heart of it all. Just a few steps from the energy of Seminyak, this villa offers the exact opposite: soft lines, neutral tones, handwoven textures. Each villa feels like a personal retreat : airy, intuitive, calm. There’s something about the way the light moves through the space that invites rest, but also creativity. 

​​​Umah Tampih – Ubud

Suspended between sky and jungle. Umah Tampih feels like it's a dream rather than built. Perched on the edge of a deep green ravine, the architecture seems to float : glass, stone, and curves that echo the valley below. The river far below adds a steady, meditative pulse. For  lovers of solitude with a view, and anyone who hears poetry in architecture.​​​​​

​​​​​​​​Eco Six – Ubud

Futuristic domes in a jungle dream. It’s not just eco,  it’s ethereal. Eco Six redefines what a “villa” can be: bamboo domes, curved rooftops, moon-shaped pools. It feels like stepping into a parallel world, where the future is sustainable and slow. Every space is photogenic, yes but more than that, it’s soulful. The connection to nature is total. Where future and nature speak the same gentle language.