When visiting Bali, many Singapore-based expatriates choose to stay in one of the island’s many gorgeous villas. But the option of staying in a resort hotel still has undoubted attractions.

By Rebecca Bisset
Issue 77 - December 2008

When visiting Bali, many Singapore-based expatriates choose to stay in one of the island’s many gorgeous villas. But the option of staying in a resort hotel still has undoubted attractions.


The Grand Hyatt Bali is set over 40 acres in Nusa Dua, and I thoroughly enjoyed the “grandness” of both its acreage and its service over my two-night stay. As you arrive at the welcoming lobby area, the vastness of the resort and the stunning view it provides looking out to the sea have a real “wow” factor.

It’s a cluster of four villages, based on the design of the old Balinese water palaces, linked by lovely gardens, pools (five of them) and waterfalls. This was my second visit; the first time was with the children, who were aged four and six at the time, and they loved the variety of swimming pools. A waterslide goes into one of them, and there are little rocky enclaves in which to play hide-and-seek. There’s also the option of the beach and the sea, and a kids’ club.

This time, however, I went with a friend for a wedding and enjoyed some grown-up time in the Grand Club sector. Benefits of the Club include a private swimming pool, a concierge and butler service. During Happy Hour, from 5pm to 7pm, you can have as much as you like of whatever you want to drink – we chose champagne, of course – and a light dinner. The large, cool, attap-roofed Club area stretches across a large water feature, with fish and even a monitor lizard to entertain you. You have breakfast there, and after that it is open all day for complimentary non-alcoholic drinks.

One advantage of staying in  this type of resort is the range of restaurants within a short walk of your room. After a day of shopping in Seminyak, that’s a huge advantage! Salsa Verde is an Italian restaurant near the beach that serves up excellent pizzas. Pasar Senggol is based on the design of a Balinese night market, featuring local food and craft stalls. Regular guests have breakfast at the Watercourt Restaurant, amid flowers and tinkling fountains.

The central Garden Café is surrounded by lagoons and has a Shanghai teahouse theme. There is also a Japanese restaurant, Nampu, which had a teppanyaki special during our visit. But one of the highlights was the Salsa Bar, set in the grounds looking down onto the beach. We sat there for hours beneath the stars, drinking lots of red wine while listening to the waves break.

The hotel was built in 1991 but has contemporary décor, with artwork and fabrics chosen to reflect modern Balinese style. Each spacious Grand Club room has a daybed area, a balcony and a workstation equipped with broadband. Having a walk-in wardrobe, a dressing area and a separate toilet within the bathroom makes it even more comfortable.

In keeping with the resort’s grand scale, the spa is enormous, and its 24 treatment villas, stunning walkways, relaxation and reception areas spread over a hectare. Since it opened in April 2007, the Kriya Spa has won numerous awards, and was selected by Condé Nast Traveller as a Hot List Spa 2008. It is especially beautiful at night.

Dr Sanjay Khanzode, Director of Spa and Recreation, is responsible for staff training and the superb attention to detail that shines through in every aspect of the service. He explained that the spa’s philosophy is to reflect all things local – its treatments incorporate the best of Balinese healing traditions and the products the spa uses incorporate indigenous ingredients. Whole
spices such as vanilla, cinnamon, clove and cardamom are infused into the room. The almond, safflower and dewaxed coconut oils are absorbed completely by the skin so you don’t feel sticky afterwards.

Kriya is a Sanskrit word meaning “ritual”, and the treatment rituals are based on four different themes: Purity, Harmony, Energy and Bliss.

I had the two-and-a-quarter-hour moksha kriya, which began with an exfoliating, divine-smelling papaya body buff. Then I was treated to the total indulgence of a spa bath under the stars, filled with aromatic salts and bath foam. An outdoor shower was followed by the most fantastic massage, during which I felt the tiredness and annoyance of having stood in the immigration queue for over 90 minutes dissolve and float away. At the end, the therapist shakes a bole mimpi or traditional dream ball to bring you out of the massage and wish you a good night’s rest and pleasant dreams.

Getting About
Taxis generally charge about 95,000 rupiahs (about S$14) from the airport to the resort.

Another option is to arrange for a car or mini-van to ferry you about for sightseeing and shopping for a flat daily rate, which works out far cheaper than taking a series of metered taxis. The taxi drivers often know “a man with a van”.

There is so much to see and do in Bali, from trekking and whitewater rafting to viewing temples, browsing arts and crafts, and shopping for furniture and clothes. The clothes shopping in Seminyak is my favourite – I only discovered it on about my tenth visit. It can take me a couple of hours just to do a short stretch of the main road.

And when you’re ready to call it a day, it’s nice to come back to your magnificently self-contained resort – and all the taxi drivers know where this one is!


Visit www.bali.grand.hyatt.com or www.hyatt.com for more information, or call +62 361 77 1234.