chinmoylad

Disclaimer: Was hosted courtesy of the resort at all of the below. Under no obligation to review on FlyerTalk.
As always, feel free to ask any question about any of the places.

Bit delayed, did the stays at these resorts back in November 2019 (some of the reviews have been up on my site for a month or two or longer...just finally putting it all together on FlyerTalk now) - in that order (following my first stay at Alila Seminyak - was there for a travel event; not revieiwng that one as I don't think it would be of interest to anyone here anyway. If you really want to know, let me know and I'll do that one too very quickly...).

CAPELLA UBUD
Welcome to the jungle...
More photos and full review: https://www.thesuitelife.com.hk/cape...-hotel-review/

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Loved:

• It's a very romantic/scenic place for sure. Wouldn't go there with anyone other than someone special, to be honest. The rooms (and relative lack of privacy), the outdoor day bed etc - not really made to take your mum or your dad or your grandpa or your friend. Go with someone special.
• It's also crazy Bill Bensley (more about that later) so weird/fun themes all over. Definitely enjoyable for a short amount of time. Other than that, the design/architecture is pretty cool. Not my style at all, but I do appreciate it and how well it blends into everything around it. The rooms are cozy but sizeable tents.
• Food. Some of the best we've had in Bali and we didn't even (have time to) eat at one of their restaurants...!
• Service was really, really good throughout (the usual housekeeping snafu of interrupting when least wanted which has become a running theme/joke for everywhere I stay now...and a minor incident at the restaurant aside). It's run by Mark Swinton, whom many of the Amanjunkies here will recognise. He recognised me straight away from our last meeting a while back.

Things to note:

• It is far from Ubud town if you are inclined to go that way (especially regularly/daily). You'd end up spending an hour or more just going back and forth. So if you do plan to go there regularly or on a daily basis, stay somewhere else - especially for first time visitors who maybe really want to "do Ubud (town)". Capella Ubud is to enjoy the scenery of northern Ubud and the region around it, rather than drive 30+ mins down to Ubud town. Had a lot of question about Amandari (or X resort) vs Capella. They're very different...location, style etc. It CAN combine well with another Ubud resort but then you'd also end up spending a LOT of time in Ubud which I'm not a fan of anyway - to me, Capella Ubud's scenery and the region around it symbolises what people expect of Ubud more than Ubud town itself, which has become overrun. Especially if you're on a honeymoon, this is a great place to stay.
• Not made for those with walking difficulties, elderly etc. No buggies. Lots and lots of steps, lots and lots of walking. We also ended up ordering room service a few times because it was too much effort to go up to the main camp.
• Not made for kids either though they do accept them. Also, lack of real space/multi-bedroom options.
• It is crazy Bill Bensley quirky. So if it's not for you, it's not for you. I usually prefer something more toned down, but for 2-3 nights, this was really fun. Couldn't pesronally imagine staying a week here though....
• Private pool: Cold. Main pool: Ugly (except in photos taken from the main camp site where it looks gorgeous...weird).
• The "throne" (read disguised toilet seat) is a complete pain in the ..., pardon the pun. Form over function

AMANDARI
Timeless
More photos and full review: https://www.thesuitelife.com.hk/aman...-hotel-review/
Previous stay 2014

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To be honest, not much of note has changed at Amandari since my last stay.

LOVED:

• If you want to do Ubud town but want a peaceful/quiet resort with good service, stay here. It couldn't be more conveniently located, and yet relatively peaceful.
• I forgot how spacious the rooms are here. They felt HUGE after coming from Capella Ubud. Didn't have a private pool suite this time, but did have a room overlooking the valley. Didn't spend much time in the room.
• It does have a rep for being dated - I think its' actually one of the most underrated Aman properties, certainly in terms of design: that whole "(luxury resort) Balinese village" thing, it's almost perfectly done at Amandari. With a caveat...
• Service was excellent throughout. Mark Wright is the GM. Never got asked for my room number, never had to sign, housekeeping was always done promptly and without any interference (hoorah!).

POINTS TO NOTE:

• Following on from the dated point, however, I can see why many do prefer to stay at other (or newer) resorts in Ubud. I wouldn't mind either to be honest, I quite like Amandari but I can see that just by looking at the photos, it's not as appealing as it can be - because it's a very 'homely' resort.
• I'd already spent a few nights in "Ubud" at Capella prior to this, and I'd been to Ubud a few times before. Because of the small footprint of the resort, it's not really a place made for relaxing - there's only the main pooll, really (and everything centred around it), so not many places to 'be' at where everyone else isn't. But with that said, they did have me do a pretty nice hike through some of Ubud's quieter areas which was wonderful.
• Food wasn't as good as I remember it being, to be honest (but maybe that's because we'd just eaten at Capella too). It wasn't bad, it just wasn't spectacular - decent enough.

AMANKILA
Oh you beauty...
More photos and full review: https://www.thesuitelife.com.hk/aman...l-review-2019/
Previous stay 2015

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LOVED

• The transfer from Amandari to Amankila couldn't have been more seamless - helps doing the two Amans in a row.
• Definitely my favourite location in Bali. Hands down (but that's not hard) - but it's still incredible how beautiful this region/side of Bali really is.
• The oil tankers have moved a bit further south, replaced by large Lombok ferries. Still a lot in number, less of an eyesore but still there. Nothing we can do about it.
• The new ATV ride (through a third party) through east Bali is good fun! Great way to explore the region 'in the open' - there are a few time options. My time was limited so I think we did about a ~2-hour ride overall, but would have loved to have done longer.
• Was also surprised at the snorkeling nearby. I'm not that keen of a snorkeler/diver, so I can't comment too much, but I didn't expect such good visibility and such a (relatively - for Bali) marine life. Of course there are more diving/snorkeling options further away, with east Bali (and north Bali) being the key centres for that.
• The biggest change: the new Infinity Pool Suites are very much welcomed. I've detailed them in the review - I personally loved the one I was in (#25, next to Kilasari) but others may have different preferences based on walking distances/ease of access vs views vs privacy vs amenity (#25 is the only one that has a bale).
• Beach was very, very clean throughout our stay. The new Batu Jati Lounge (a wooden platform at the northern end of the beach) is great for small get-togethers or for private dining.
• Ernst. A real treasure! Florian (F&B Manager) is wonderful too, as are the whole team really. Service, housekeeping everything was more than on point.
• Food was really, really good throughout.

POINTS TO NOTE

• The lack of a proper gym/spa is still not ideal (but for me not a dealbreaker). The new destination spa will hopefully be ready in the next year or two (but hard to say now with Covid-10 etc).
• More multi-bedroom options needed. Still in the works...might be 3-4 years I guess.

SIX SENSES ULUWATU
A sight for sore eyes

Photos - since I didn't do a full review on my site for this one, I'm uploading all the best photos I took. It's a surprisingly photogenic resort for a resort I didn't like all that much...








I really didn't like this place (the crowd - young and somewhat loud..., the overall style, the music that was blaring at the restaurants right next to massive construction worketc). To me, it was similar in style to an Alila Seminyak, albeit in Uluwatu with a cliff view rather than beachfront. Guests who are more into a lively scene/ social atmosphere might enjoy it a bit more. Surprising that it's a Six Senses.
Also on the Six Senses point, the interiors are almost nothing like a Six Senses. Definitely more elegant than usual rustic Six Senses vibe, interestingly. I did like the interior style/design, actually, but the maintenance of the villas was lacking to be honest.
The villas are built RIGHT next to each other (and there lots of them, on multiple levels) - so no real privacy..
I did not enjoy the food.
It's nice to have a 'pool villa' come with an actual sizeable pool (annoying when some new build resorts build 'private pools' and it's a tiny plunge pool).

But one of the reasons I didn't like that much was maybe mostly because I was coming in from Amankila, and my 'expectation' of what a Six Senses would be (rustic, remote etc).
If you rebrand this to something else (it doesn't feel like a Six Senses at all) and set the appropriate expectations and maybe drop the price another 15-20% or so, it could work as a decent resort of its style...it's not the worst resort in the world...it's just not for me.

Also did a lunch at the Aman Villas at Nusa Dua.
They've changed the concept around slightly so people can do single room stays and don't have to book the whole villa - I've only ever had guests book the whole villa (as there are other options that are less pricey if just doing a 1-2 night stay for an early morning flight) so not sure how well that concept takes, I was only there for a few hours.

Nizar

Amankila has had its critics on here of late, but looking at those photos, I can see nothing wrong, at least not with the hard product. Looks amazing

FlyerEC

We enjoy Kila tremendously , seen some hardware changes through the years but the classic style thankfully remains .
Just hope that they do not destroy the atmosphere like what has been done at Puri ..
It would be another calamity which AMAN cannot afford during times like these

Some folks need to appreciate Ed TUTTLE ‘ s art !!

Aman Villas at Nusa Dua stays for us have always been just a suite or 2 . Appreciate being assigned a villa with no other guests

chinmoylad

Thanks!

Yea the hard product is maintained really beautifully, and there have been some new additions (the suites and the lounge as mentioned) and also the shower/toilet have had an upgrade in the rooms, along with a tablet to make things a bit more tech friendly. Small but good changes.

Seems from the other reports the complaints were about service, but I found it to be exceptional (yet again), better than ever in fact, - and have had guests there of late (just pre-Covid-19) who have agreed.

nmuva98

Just one date point, but I feel Ernst understands the situation at Puri and is working to make sure Kila stays true(er) to the Aman spirit.

I did my 3rd visit last August (2019) and he was telling me about the completed & planned changes to the rooms. As chinmoylad point out above, adding tablets & Toto toilets were great additions.

But one thing Ernst specifically said they would avoid was moving to proper, smart rooms. Apparently Puri's rooms are now smart in that everything from lights to aircon can be controlled via phones or iPads. Ernst commented they don't want to go that far at Kila because it would take away from the vibe.

I know that's just one tiny point compared to all the awful aspects of Puri, but does show that Ernst "gets it".

FlyerEC

Yes , to many Amanjunkies relief , Ernst is one of the GMs who “ gets “ it , a rarity these days . The thing is also not so much with the GMs now , more to do with the owners and their inclinations which are , dare I even mention here , having some mismatch with AZ ‘ s vision .
Had another encouraging yarn with Ernst a couple days ago . As always , enthusiastic , practical .. and readying for guests return - making stays comfortable & fun with the new “ normal “ .

So glad that it will still be a relaxing Kila ( & Aman Villas at Nusa Dua) stay .. except that our August trip will not be happening as Bali hotels possibly open to foreigners only in September .
When Tracy A was GM , she managed to track the number of stays we had had by the time we arrived for Kila ‘ s 20 th years celebration .

While Puri cannot seem to track our number of stays , seems computer system upgraded awhile back & information was lost then .
The Puri team was so excited pre arrival last year , telling us about the updates & finally being able to show us their “ newfangled “ gadgets .. Still had not figured out the room lighting system , etc .. by departure ! ..
Now we cannot fly in , even with Puri open , to resume mastering the new systems ..

Thanks chinmoylad for the reviews !

nufftravel

My wife and I are planning on visiting Bali next year (April to June 2022 timeframe). Looking for suggestions on uber luxurious resorts we can visit at the lowest price either cash ($200 to $500 per night) or combination with hotel points.

So far we have Alila Villas Uluwatu and Andaz Bali on the potential list. I am not sure the brand new W Bali -Ubud will be open but that is a possibility.

We have Hyatt, Hilton and IHG points saved.

Recommendations please. Thanks.

louisc

Thank you for the great info. I'm planning a honeymoon in 2023 and will have 8 nights to split between Capella Ubud, Amankila, and Amandari. Based on your experience how would you break out the 8 nights? Thanks.

bearbrick

amandari is in Ubud and Capella too but it’s at a remote part / long bumpy ride into ubud town.
So I would spend 3 nights at Amandari and 3 nights at AmanKila ( or with additional nights at Klia if you wanted to extend )
the remaining 2 nights could be at a property in “town” Seminyak or Sanur or Aman villas Nusa Dua at the end of trip.
Capella ubud is just not worth staying - from theOTT decor in rooms to adventure like pathway layout of the place.

if you insist on a 3 rd property suggest you take a look at Hoshinoya - nearer Ubud. Andaz Sanur, Kimpton Nusa Dua, PotatoHead suites/ studios
hope this helps !

Aventine

I would stay all of them at Kila. They can advise on outside excursions or you can use the 3 tier pool and beach club. The views never gets old.

EfficientTraveller

Having just got back from a quite disappointing stay at Kila, I hesitate to agree with the suggestion.

While the suites are lovely, we found a number of pretty substantial issues during our recent stay:

- The Beach Club and pool are currently closed for rennovation. This is intended to be completed soon but I’d want to know that this was complete before returning as currently there is just a portaloo for guests by the beach.
- When we arrived, the beach was absolutely filthy - covered in plastic and distinctly unloved. Following a lot of complaints (not just by us), it got better but is still not great.
- There is currently only one restaurant operating with a fairly limited menu. Michael (ex-Amanpulo head chef has just arrived on an interim basis to help develop the menu and get two restaurants open but it hasn’t happened yet).
- The excursions offered lacked the “Aman magic” with no ability to customise or make things bespoke. We were travelling with two small children and getting them to tailor anything was really hard. Similarly, there is a big gap between facilities / activities promoted on the website and what is a available in reality.

That said, the new GM was very responsive to our feedback and seems to be trying to get things sorted but there is some work to be done to get things right post Covid.

I think Amankila was particularly disappointing as we had come from a superb stay stay at Tanah Gajah in Ubud (formerly Chedi but now independent but retaining the same management). It is well under half Amankila’s rates (and you get a two bed villa with private pool rather than an ocean / garden suite). The grounds are fabulous, food was great and we had none of the service / communication issues that we had at Aman. Furthermore, the amount thrown in on the rate (private shuttles to Ubud, rice paddy trekking, photo session with photographer, hot air balloon ride, pre-dinner cocktails, unlimited minibar (inc spirits) added to the experience. I’d return there without question.

Aventine

Sounds like Akira S has a lot on his plate to solve in the short term. I wouldn't recommend Kila if the Beach club and pools aren't operational and only serving a limited menu. Disappointing about the excursions too. Half of the Aman magic comes from bespoke excursions and experiences.

louisc

Thank you everyone for the input. Booked 3 nights Amankila/Amandari (First Aman experience) and 2 nights Capella to go along with my Alila Villas reservation on points. Trip is in June/July of 2023 which should leave enough time for the renovations. Mixing Bill Bensley over the top with the timeless/classic Aman experience is exactly what we we are looking for.

benjinito

This got me concerned for an upcoming trip, so I emailed the hotel. They confirmed that the maintenance work will be done on 7/29.

JWo

Just returned from Amankila. Confirmed that the Beach Club Pool and changing rooms/bathrooms are fully open. They are doing work on the floors of the restaurant - unclear when that's going to open. Meals can still be ordered to be enjoyed on the beach or by the beach club pool.