daberlin

Awesome! Looking forward to hearing all about it. I can't decide between the same room as what you've booked - but I've a choice between resort view balcony and the ocean/pool access. Your input would be welcome.

Bjornstrom

First impressions:

The Ritz-Carlton luxury van picked is up on time and had captains chairs on every row, brand new. We were greeted by name by eight people on arrival after quick x-Ray security check.

Resort has been open since mid December but the actual official launch-promotion starts today. Occupancy level is 4% today (!) so we are almost alone here.

Resort has six wings, oddly named 1,2,3,5,6,8 plus pool pavilions and private villas. We are in wing 3 close to Club Lounge (actually it's a separate house) and its a fair walk to the beach. They have offered us buggy rides both ways. We are bringing two kids and the area is not well suited to prams/strollers - lots of stairs.

Club Lounge has private pool and a manned cocktail bar and currently serves breakfast to the whole hotel since the main restaurant is too big for the small amount of guests.

Work is ongoing all over the place, seems about 95% finished with a few months until plants and trees have grown into perfection.

Our Junior Suite is beautiful - pics coming when I have time to upload from computer. Lagoon access rooms have direct access to small lagoons connected to each wing but not together. You can splash and swim a bit near the room but can't get to main pool. Rooms without Lagoon access can't use lagoons at all.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the update. Looking forward to more & pics.

Cheers.

JHake10

I just booked this property for 5 nights in April for 200K points. I have never stayed at any Ritz Carlton property before. I am excited to see what it has to offer!

I have platinum status with Marriott, hopefully that can get me a nice upgrade (if available, of course).

SkiAdcock

Officially open according to Marriott news section; details here:

http://news.marriott.com/2015/02/the...spitality.html

Looking forward to more reports by those who are staying there.

Cheers.

daberlin

Not a single quality Flyer Talk community review of this place yet. A few typical RC reviews have popped up on trip advisor. Not too many photos. No real detail. Would very much appreciate anyone who takes the time to do this between now and May. I promise to write a good trip report during our 5 days there in May.

sammyindc

Any update on this property? Will be there in May.

escapefromphl

I'm curious as well, I am thinking about a week in early July. It seems there is some major construction going on right next to the completed section of the property. I would prefer that it were complete by then and it may well be.

sammyindc

A friend of mine just returned from a stay at the RC in Bali, here is some updates he gave me.
- Resort is still in soft opening mode - still lots to finish.
- Spa is not open but guest room is being used for limited spa treatments.
- Gym is not open but guest room is being used as makeshift gym with limited equipment.
- Some restaurants are still not fully open.
- Still lots of small construction going on throughout the resort.
- Very massive construction going on next door.

Based on this I'm switching my stay to the St Regis which looks amazing.
Also my email communication with the RC staff has been quite annoying. Lots of back and forth emails to answer very simple questions regarding rooms and what is open and what is not.

Will definitely be staying at the RC Bali at some point but might wait a year for that. As the St Regis is pretty close I'll try and visit the resort and see if there any changes when we're there in 2 weeks.

daberlin

Ok folks, looks like it'll be on me to write up a comprehensive review. We arrived in Bali two days ago and have spent the time at the Conrad Suites (excellent property by the way) getting over the jet lag from Los Angeles. I'll block some space here for the 5 day stay at the Ritz that begins this afternoon.

daberlin

I'm not much of a travel blogger (actually this is my first attempt), but I do enjoy taking photographs thus you can give me a hard time about my photos but not my prose. :-)

(Note - I'll keep adding more detail in a few days). Wanted to get this posted today.

About the trip:

1) We spent nearly two weeks in Bali (between Nusa Dua and Ubud), and wanted to try the new Ritz Carlton in Nusa Dua. We stayed using Marriott Rewards Points (200,000) for 5 nights from May 19-24, 2015.

2) About us: Couple from Los Angeles, CA on our second trip to Bali. Purpose of the trip was to dump pre-devaluation UA mileage plus miles (flying F on an OZ A380) and have a nice R&R vacation. No sightseeing; just going to spas, eat, visit friends, relax;

3) All photos taken with a Nikon D800 with 14-24mm f2.8 and 24-70mm f2.8 lenses. I chose to present more commercial style photos vice our 'Vacation Snap Shots' (But I did appreciate Mrs. daberlin's shot of me with the coconut).

4) Reservation was for a 'Sawangan Lagoon Access', but stayed the 5 nights in a 'Sawangan Pool Pavillion' (explained below);

5) The property was maybe 10% occupied during our entire stay;

6) Overall impression was great. People, food, property all wonderful. Well worth the time spent here vice the many other options in Nusa Dua. Wife was thrilled at how quiet it was. We felt we had the property to ourselves.


Main Entrance - Very typical Nusa Dua



The area immediately external to the property is under heavy construction and not nearly as pretty as the street views in front of the Nikko or the Mulia which are in close proximity to the Ritz.



The lobby itself looked quite plain during daytime hours (seating areas here and there), but was really amazing at twilight and in the evening. View of the beachside from the lobby.



Beach Level Property Views





The landscaping was really well done. But, it will certainly be several years before the palm tress, rice fields, plants, and flowers all fully bloom. I thought the white stone in the shape of the tiered rice fields was a nice touch. It will look amazing in the future.



- Villas -

I had a chance to walk through many of the different suites and villas at the property. They are all beautiful with typical RC amenities.


Sawangan Lagoon Access Jr. Suite











Didn't like these heavy gauge aluminum privacy dividers used for the bathroom and the bedroom found in the Jr. Suites. They are hung on ceiling tracks and felt quite flimsy. I can't image they will survive a great deal of wear and tear. In the Jr. Suite we were briefly in while waiting to move to the Pavillion Suite, the doors and walls were already showing signs of minor damage.



Our only 'are you kidding me moment' during the entire 6 days and 5 nights at the RC occurred within the first 15 minutes on property. Without warning, the sky filled with smoke accompanied by the noise of a loud machine. When we figured out what was going on, we booked it out of the pool, slammed the doors shut and let the fog clear. Seriously? 4pm bug spraying? Not a great first impression, guys. Glad this only occurred once and was the only grumble (and I mean the only one) we had during the whole stay.





Sawangan Pool Pavillion, 1 Bedroom Suite.


We were upgraded to a Pool Pavillon Suite (7803) from the Sawangan Jr. Suite which was quite a nice upgrade (nearly $600/night difference between the two rates). Besides the private pool (a divided wall separates your pool from the other two), the Pool Pavillon Suite is in close proximity to the main resort pool, beach, club, and pool side restaurants.

Under the addage of 'You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar', I simply handed the front desk staff on check-in my Ritz Carlton Platinum card and asked about a 'comp upgrade'. They seemed confused by this (I was on a point stay after all...) and after some very polite and friendly back and forth with the reservations manager, she obliged and said 'just this once' she's willing to let us upgrade to a Pavillon suite. Wonderful!













Lots of international TV stations to choose from; CNN, NBC International and found the Formula 1 race with little problem. 110/220 outlets and adapters were available. Hot water worked well and nice water pressure in the rain shower bathroom inside as well as outside. No problems with flying or walking critters. Only comment was that it was difficult to keep the AC balanced. We either had it on or off.



I'd never seen this before (outside of the Middle East)



These Toto toilets (in all suites, villas, and main property bathrooms) were AMAZING. Pools weren't heated, but these toilet seats were. Infrared seat popped up upon entering bathroom, and closed on exit. Was so impressed that I priced one as soon as we were back in LA. $6,500. I guess I'll just have fond memories of it from vacation.





Outside Shower and Tub



Transportation

We used these 'buggies' extensively during our stay and loved it (talk about a lazy way to get around). We never waited more than 5 minutes for any pick up and the staff were wonderfully accommodating. There is a road currently under construction that will add more convenient access from the lobby to the beach side areas. I'm guessing this will primarily be used for luggage transfer, but I hope we could use it to skip the elevator to the lobby.



Ritz Carlton Bali 2 Bedroom Sky Villa




Sky Villa Infinity Pool. Pools were a very comfortable temperature and clean.








Ritz Carlton Bali Cliff Villa.

I received a tour of this beautiful Villa before it was completed. Upside is the privacy and beauty of the amenities and rooms in this villa. Downside is the location. You really don't have a cliffside view, and access to the main property would be a pain. But maybe, this was just my 'American' perspective....

What was explained by my trusty tour guide Gatot, the resort was designed for all different cultures. Western Europeans/Americans, Chinese, Japanese, and Russians etc. all seek different accommodation types while on vacation. The RC Bali has taken this into consideration and created many different suites, and villa types to please each of these different cultures. It was impressive to say the least.

All of the woodwork on the property was beautiful.





The grounds looked rough. But the Villa was not completed yet, so I'm sure this will be addressed.









Ritz Carlton Bali 3 Bedroom Oceanfront Villa



Kempinski brand hotel under construction next door. The noise never bothered us nor was ever loud, but I wasn't too impressed at the sheer size and what will no doubt look like something straight out of Las Vegas once it's complete. Definitely the 'downside' of Nusa Dua.



Spa/Gym still under construction. (June/July '15 completion?)



Main Pool / Pool Side / Beach Views









Drinking coconut juice in the main pool I shared with maybe two or three other couples. Never had a difficult time getting a beach side or a pool side bale or bed. Mrs. daberlin appreciated this more than I expected. She was honestly thrilled that the resort was still in it's 'soft' opening.




Beach





Indonesian Army Foot Patrol. Overall, we felt very safe in Nusa Dua. People visiting Bali for the first time might be alarmed by the presence of armed military/police/security but I've always felt their visibility is quite balanced given Bali's recent history.







Romanic lunch or dinner opportunities.



Grand Nikko Camel Rides. (Indonesian Camels???)





Beachside lunch (every meal we had on property was outstanding).



Beachside Gelato / Ice Cream Bar







Wedding Chapel Views

daberlin

Held for future use.

sammyindc

I'd be interested to read your review. Can't say anything else about the RC but the St Regis is absolutely amazing. The best resort I've ever stayed at no doubt about it! It's making me rethink my loyalty and relationship with Ritz Carlton and Marriott. The resort is not only beautiful but the staff and the level of service is something I've never experienced anywhere before and I've stayed at many Ritz Carlton properties throughout Asia which have been excellent but this one is at another level!
I'll be posting a trip report with pictures for anyone who is interested in the Trip Report Forum at the end of our vacation next week.

daberlin

Hey there. Just getting around to uploading photos and reporting. We had an awesome time at the RC and glad we stayed there. Obviously from a price point (we stayed on points), it was very inexpensive for us to stay in an $1100/night suite, and my wife was THRILLED that the property was so quiet. We were looking for total R&R. It was perfect.

canuickstan420

Thanks for the pictures and review!