*Full disclosure before the review, I was visiting a friend who works at the resort. He holds a management position at the resort, thus, some benefits I got might or might not have gotten because of him.

We still held Accor Platinum Status and paid fully for our stay with both cash and points as this resort is quite pricey to begin with*

A few days before our arrival to the resort, a member of the Concierge team contacted us to enquire about our arrival time and if we had any allergies to begin with, so that they could input that in their system. 

I have to admit I was quite excited to visit this resort after seeing all the videos and pictures of this resort online. 

Check In

Check-In

As we had used two separate Accor accounts to book this stay, the first night was under the Silver Account while the rest of the nights were under the Platinum account.

Arrival at the Resort was very smooth as I was escorted directly to Front Office for check in. We arrived at 1pm and check-in was done in 10 minutes. We were granted early check-in and upgraded from Luxury Room to Luxury Room Pool Access. A four category jump from the lowest room. 

As I also arrived on AccorHotels LeClub Day, the resort was holding a lucky draw of which we won a Buffet Dinner for two at Kwee Zeen Restaurant. We were also invited to the Cocktail events held for all LeClub members at the resort. 

Room

We were given room 2005 with direct pool access. The room is well appointed and spacious with all the necessary amenities within reach. Cleanliness of the room was good. Bath amenities were Sofitel In-House brand however a quick call to Housekeeping and it was changed to Lanvin Bath amenities. Slightly disappointing in my opinion as I felt that one of Sofitel signature services were the French branded amenities they put in their bathrooms. I did feedback to my friend about the amenities.

I have to add that the resort is slowly going under some refurbishments in which they are refreshing their rooms. I got one of their refreshed rooms by which they replaced the floorings, cleaned up the toilets and etc.

The only drawback of the room/resort was the WI-FI signal, as it was bad throughout the resort and I kept on having to reconnect over and over. Perhaps it’s just Bali as connection over the island wasn’t as fantastic either. However when I brought this issue up with my friend, he said the resort is working on it with the Telco.

(I will let the pictures do the talking as one picture tells a thousand words)

Service

Service at the resort was generally good however with a few hits and misses here and there. Service at Club Millésime was so good, I felt it was one of the best I have received at any Club/Executive Lounge I have been to yet. The staff were just amazing and so friendly that it rivals Thailand's Club/Executive Lounges. 

I also like the fact that when you walk around the resort, staff greet you always, either in Bahasa, French or both. Really makes us feel welcome at the resort. (It's the small details that count)

When dining at Kwee Zeen, it was hit and miss when it came to service. Certain staff attended to us very well and ensured all our needs were met and were so nice to us. However, not all staff were as friendly though as when I tried to order a Coconut from one of the staff, she told me that the Kwee Zeen does not serve coconuts, however should I want coconuts, I can head over to the Pool Bar or Beach Restaurant to get them. That in my opinion was quite disappointing as this is a 5 star Resort and you shouldn’t have said no to your guest. Furthermore, since we are in Bali, coconuts would be a staple item everywhere in a resort.

When dining by the pool, the pool staff were friendly and made good drinks for us. The staff that took care of the sunbeds also ensured that our personal belongings that we left on the pool chairs were well taken care off when we went into the pool. We also dined at Cucina for dinner where the food was pretty good and service was excellent there.

Club Millésime

There are not many AccorHotels Resorts in South East Asia that has a Club/Executive Lounge located within their property. Additionally, being the only Sofitel in Indonesia, this resort has a Club Millésime which makes it quite unique. 

Personally, the decoration and ambience of Club Millésime wasn't to my taste. I felt that it was abit too dark/dim for a Resort and felt that lighter colours would have made the Club more lively. But I think that is just me nit-picking.

Breakfast at the Lounge was pretty good. Not the best but good enough. The buffet spread was adequate and Hot dishes/Main Items could be ordered off a menu and done "Ala Minute". Food was delicious and would recommend you to come here should you feel Kwee Zeen is too crowded for you.

For Afternoon Tea, the resort did a 3 tier platter of food with two hot dishes at the Buffet Counter. The rest is served to your table. The food quality was excellent and the local kuehs were so delicious, I had to ask for a second round.

When it was time for Evening Cockatils, the lounge was slightly packed but not to the point of overcrowding. Food was tasty and drinks were "alright". The Cocktails were excellent but the wines were not so good. From what I understand, they are Australian grapes but made in Indonesia. So you kind of get where I am coming from. 

There was sufficent food to fill someone should they be planning to have a light meal.

Dining

Genrally, Dining at the hotel is pretty good. I never really encountered any bad food and all my meals at the hotel were enjoyable.... except for the coconut ordeal.

Breakfast at Kwee Zeen is good. The selection was big and it was quality of quanity in my opinion. The only drawback at dining at Kwee Zeen for brekafast was the crowd. As this is quite a big resort, breakfast can be crowded at times but not chaotic. If you time yourelf to go during the non peak timings, you should be fine. Below is the buffet selection. 

If you're by the pool and you're too lazy to get out to go and eat, just swim up to the Pool Bar and order some food and drinks. The staff there are so friendly and the food is pretty good. I ordered the Nasi Goreng and Stay by the pool and enjoyed them both. I also utlised my Welcome drink voucher there where they whipped up a mean Lychee Gin Tonic.

The Welcome Drink Voucher Menu.

Yes, I was reading China Rich Girlfriend after watching Crazy Rich Asians. It was a funny book worth ready.

I also dined at Kwee Zeen for lunch once and had the opportunity to try their Indonesian Platter. All I can say is if you dine at Kwee Zeen soon and this platter is still on the meuu, please order it, it was so amazing I still miss it so much. Worth ordering 10x over.

My coconut at Kwee Zeen, after talking to my friend about my ordeal the day before. I also like the fact they stamp the coconuts with their Resort name.

Pool, Beach & Gym

Call me mad but I have to say I am in love with the resort's pool. I feel it is the best resort pool I have been to and I love it so much. I like the fact it snakes around the resort and to the rooms. The ease of jumping into the pool from your room and swimming up to the pool bar is just great. I also have to say that the decorations and ambiance of the pool surrounding areas is fantastic. I love the greenery that surrounds the pool. Also, the jacuzzi in the pool is unique too as it is a lie down jacuzzi and not a sit up jacuzzi.

On my last day, I took part with other guests in the pool to do Water Aerobics that was condicted by a trainer in the resort and it was quite fun. 

The beach at the resort is beautiful as the sand is almost white. The only major drawback is the ocean. The ocean infront of the Resort is horrible. Rid with stones and seaweed, But to be honest, with the resort having a pool like that, I was more than happy to stay within the pool areas and beach.

The Gym was well equipped and there were trainers on stand by ready to help. It did get abit crowded in the morning but it was quiet after 10am.

Short Tour of the Resort

I also had a short tour of the resort and was guided by my friend. He showed me some rooms by which I will share whatever photos I took.

Overall

Overall, my stay at this resort was no less than good. I throughly enjoyed my stay and wished I had stayed longer. I still miss the resort and hope to go back soon. The only thing that annoys me is why this resort is so expensive, Hahahas. If only it would be cheaper. I would definitely recommend this resort to my friends, family and fellow FT members.