We spent 6 nights at the HR in early January. I think I’m well equipped to offer the following observations, seeing that we’ve stayed at GH Bali several times (and also Westin/W/SR/Laguna/LM/Sheraton/4Ps/Conrad/IC), as well as all Hyatt resorts in SE Asia.
When we stayed, just a few weeks after the hotel had opened, some things were still a little rough around the edges (e.g., check-in and check-out took a long time as something was off with the credit card machines), but mostly, we were impressed with how smoothly things ran. The hotel has some great and incredibly hard-working staff.
Suites either weren’t ready, or weren’t available, so we ended up with the best non-suite room, an ocean-view Premium room. These are 39sqm, and located on the ground floor. I like being higher up, but learned that due to the shape of the building, rooms get smaller as you go up. I was shown an ocean view room on the top floor, and it’s noticeably smaller (under 30sqm). The Premium room was very well appointed, and clearly, a lot of money had been spent on the remodel. The rooms are rather narrow and very long – bathroom, sleeping area, sitting/dining area, and an outside terrace. It’s a good layout, given the available space, and the only downside I’d point out is that you don’t have a lot of natural light. As is common in Bali, very few of the rooms have a view of the ocean, due to the angles of the buildings, and various obstructions. We had one of the handful of rooms where you could see the water, along with the very pleasant hotel grounds with old-growth trees.
The pool and outdoor restaurants are brand new, and the lobby is huge and has also undergone a thorough remodel. The pool area is fairly plain, and reminded me a bit of HR Danang. Lots of empty loungers (probably 80%+ vacant) when we were there, but of course the hotel wasn’t in full operation yet. Beach also has countless loungers, with no more than a half dozen taken at any point. Like at GH Bali, there’s a public walkway between the property and the beach, and occasionally non-guests try to poach loungers; this is very well policed. Most Bali beaches are lame, and it’s hard to say whether this one is better than the one at GH. At the latter, swimming is borderline even during high tide, and during low tide, water recedes way out. Form that perspective, the HR beach is better. On the other hand, the GH beach is wider, more kept up, and perhaps more “grand.” The HR beach has life, though – fishing boats to watch and some local activity, so I’d prefer it.
The club lounge is excellent, certainly for a Cat 1, but also compared to other Hyatt resorts in Asia. It’s of the outdoor variety (like GH Bali and HR Hua Hin), fully covered, and very large. Breakfast would be strong for any club lounge – 3 hot Indonesian items (fried noodles etc), an egg station with real bacon/potatoes, a soup station, cold cuts (including, some days, delicious tuna tataki), fresh fruit, and very tasty breads/pastries. The evening happy hour is also strong – 4 hot items, usually two fried (wonton etc) plus two semi-healthy (like satays or teriyaki fish), cold cuts/vegetables/dips/breads, plus a delicious selection of desserts. As seems to be standard with Hyatt, there is no cocktail list, and the mixers supplied are basic. That said, staff are eager to please, and will mix drinks using the fresh juices and soda/ginger ale/etc that’s available. Of course you can also get creative on your own. All things told, I’d probably rank this club lounge ahead of not just GH Bali, but also of the HRs in Danang, Phuket, and Hua Hin.
As for which Hyatt to choose in Bali, I think it depends on individual preferences. In some ways I’m inclined to say that at 5k points, the HR is such a strong buy, it’s not even worth considering other hotels. Value for points aside, here are some differences between HR and GH that may help your choice:
- The GH has about twice as many rooms, is very spread out and feels very generic. The difference in size perhaps also means that it has some “better” attractions – for instance, I would think most kids would prefer the GH pools.
- In terms of suite upgrades, it’s worth considering that the entry level suite at GH is almost 100sqm, and they often upgrade further to a massive 140sqm suite (we’ve even been getting those recently without applying DSU). I haven’t seen any of the HR suites, but the website lists them at 54-78sqm (I assume that, like the rooms, they get smaller on higher floors). 54sqm would be fine for a couple, but for a family, you may conclude that you’re better off in the GH suite that’s almost twice as large.
- There’s obviously a difference between a newly remodeled hotel (and we’re talking thorough remodel, with a lot of money spent) and one that’s 30+ old with only some touch-ups. We never had bad luck with any of the rooms at GH, but there have been reports of some rooms that are in desperate need of an update.
- In terms of location, I find Nusa Dua pretty dreadful. It’s a gated community, and the GH could literally be located anywhere in the world. You’re captive, and there are few good food options in walking distance. All you can walk to is other large hotels plus the dreadful Bali Collection – basically an outdoor mall with mediocre food and overpriced tourist stores. From the HR, you can walk outside to a number of decent restaurants, stores (many mediocre, some not), even see some village life (including a fishing harbor). Sanur is very quiet compared to the tourist hell of Kuta, but IMO in a pleasantly laid-back, rather than boring way, and in any case it feels a lot less like a nursing home than does Nusa Dua.
- If cost is a consideration: Prices for food at GH are high by Bali standards (probably because, see above, there are fewer alternatives around). The HR food is reasonably priced, 80-120k for a poolside pizza or salad. Local restaurants are minutes away, so the HR probably priced their menu to be competitive.
Anyway, make your bookings and enjoy! Nice place, and great deal!