nazca8

I've stayed on both, including the suite at Conrad; twice. I would highly recommend St. Regis over Conrad anytime. A few advantages of St. Regis over Conrad to me are, better cleaner swimmable beach, excellent FREE breakfast, butler service, better swimming pool (the Conrad pool water somehow always too cold for me), more exclusive and less people on the pool and beach.

One thing I like about Conrad is the ambiance of cool lounge musics and that nightly modern balinese dance performance.

Can't wait for Westin Ubud to open.

slaman

Thanks for the advice! I hope that we can find a pest-free hotel in Ubud... Will check out the recommendations made in this thread!

Thunderroad

Re Ubud, my wife and I may be in a roughly similar boat as you, in that we like the hotels our points can get us but look for good, moderately priced places when points hotels are not available. If that does apply to you, you might consider Tegal Sari, particularly the duplex unit if available, since it overlooks rice paddies both ways and has a nice upstairs balcony to sit on. (Not sure if you can get Scotch there, though!) Hotel is well located, clean and very well run, but certainly isn't of an international caliber iin that there's no lounge and the swimming pool has a pleasant setting but very small.

nazca8

I don't know about pest in Ubud, but we once stayed in a very nice Maya Ubud resort, stayed in a one bedroom villa, with plunge pool and all; just one thing; little critters. Since it's a villa, sitting next to gardens, rice paddies field and all, so small insects like big ants, little lizards does come into the villa. Which is why they equipped the room with bug sprays as well. So if you're not into those, may want to stay in a multi-story hotel building.

slaman

Thanks to both of you... I have decided on the Komaneka at Bisma - any suggestions on getting the best rate? Tried a few online sites and found one for about $230 a night (calling the hotel directly got me a rate of $450 / night) but someone mentioned something about booking through agents in Asia for the best rates...

I've chosen the Conrad Bali since they treat Diamonds well...

jamienbaker

The answer is mosquito netting. I rent a house in Ubud that doesn't have any windows. Yup, a bird can fly right in and sit on the desk. BUT, it has mosquito netting. Meanwhile, the W Seminyak is ultra modern, without mosquito netting. Guess where I got over 12 bites in a single night? You got it - W. Never got a single one while sleeping in Ubud.

Netting works every time. Bugs are part of the landscape there, same as offerings, incense, scooters, hawkers on the beach, uneven sidewalks, wild dogs, etc. If this isn't your thing, well, then why bother?

Safe travels and good luck at Komaneka Bisma. Gorgeous property!

PatMike

When do you think this hotel will "actually" be open ?
What are the prospects of it being open by Nov 2012 ?

Jailer

I called a CSR as I'm thinking of Dec 2012/Jan 2013 and there is no new info, although I suspect that it will be posted here before it becomes common knowledge to *wood customer service.

AZ Travels the World

FYI, as a matter of practice, we designate a master thread once a property has opened and a substantive review has been posted. It's at that point we add it to the properties master thread list.

-AZ

ashaboe

Don't want to burst your bubbles, but believe me that it is a big stretch by SPG to call this property Westin "Ubud" ... actually the website's view of the list of Bali properties is downright misleading, saying (bolding mine):
"The Westin Ubud Resort & Spa - Opening July 1, 2012
Ubud
Ubud, Bali Indonesia
Phone: To be Announced Fax: To be Announced
0.29 km / 0.18 miles from center of [U]bud."

If you open the resort's few pages, even the website then mentions that it's 12 kms from the center of Ubud. With the ever increasing traffic in Bali including Ubud, this distance (most of which not on main roads, even for Ubud standards) can easily mean 30+ mins drive/shuttle ride to Ubud.

Kagehitokiri

http://www.ubudresidences.com/news-p...oject-progress
http://www.ubudresidences.com/location/the-map

doesnt compare to luxury, but great for starwood, interesting not luxury collection or st regis

condohotel only (no residences) - 99 condos and 8 villas

SanDiego1K

"99 all-suite and villas resort" - that means double points for redemptions.

mario33

Isn't Ubud supposed to be a 'district' ?

If the property is meant to be a 'resort' , I would want to be as far away from the 'centre' as possible.

starpoint_galaxy

Just got back from another awesome trip to Ubud; stayed at the Kajane Mua on Monkey Forest and found the service to be nearly as good as at the top Starwood properties in Asia and certainly much better than the average SW properties. Fantastic.

It think it is hard for SW to compete head-to-head with with traditional Balinese hospitality. The Balinese have a natural ability to try to make their guests very comfortable. I've stayed at 2 star locally owned Balinese properties where the rooms were fantastic and the service above most SW properties.

One of my favorites in Bali is when I leave the room at 2 PM and they ask, "Did you take your breakfast yet?" ... and I reply "no, it is late and past the time for serving breakfast, right?" ... and in Bali the typical reply is "you can take your breakfast when you like it, just enjoy!" "Do you want your breakfast in your villa or in the restaurant?" (smile, smile, smiles)

You don't get this kind of reply even at most 5 star SW properties in Thailand. If Thailand is "the land of smiles".... then Bali is "the heaven of smiles" !!!!

I'm looking forward to trying the SW property in Ubud; but my experience all over Bali is that the local Balinese resorts can provide service that is very hard for for "international standards" to compete with!

MSPeconomist

Note that the Starwoods in Bali are generally staffed by Indonesians who are not Bali natives. I wonder whether some of the locally owned and managed hotels on Bali have bigger proportions of native Balinese staff. That might make a difference in the attitude of traditional hospitality and smiles. It must be tough for some young Indonesians to be far from their families and local cultures for jobs.