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Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa [Master Thread]

Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa [Master Thread]

Old Mar 13, 2019, 1:50 am
  #46  
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Considering a stay here… worried about being resort captive. I imagine the main activity to do would be to visit Uluwatu temple (already been, but could do it again). What else do you occupy yourself with when staying here? I imagine I'd want to move to a Seminyak/Ubud hotel after a few days here to get some variety
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Old Mar 13, 2019, 8:02 am
  #47  
 
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I visited this property a few weeks ago. Helpful staff but not particularly lux feel about it. I'm unfamiliar with the Ren brand so wasn't really sure what to expect.

The property felt quite remote and very few rooms had a sea view (which is a way off in the distance anyway). Most rooms had a 'jungle' view which wasn't particularly interesting IMO.

There is a free van service down to their beach club which is apparently 15 mins drive away but I didn't bother with it.

Personally I'd get bored quickly there and decided against making a booking.
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Old Jun 10, 2019, 11:19 am
  #48  
 
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Anyone stayed here and at the Conrad? Which do you prefer?
What is the major draw of the Renaissance?

I have a reservation at both as well as the Indigo Seminyak.

I read Conrad does not have great generosity towards Diamond members. Indigo was ok as Spire - no real special treatment, but the hotel is nice.
(I'm Titanium with Marriott) and the Renaissance seems to be good for elites.

Conrad is newly renovated but the hotel seems a bit bigger and likely more crowded.
However the Renaissance doesn't not seem really that luxurious? The room designs appear just alright and rather standard in furnishings.
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Old Jun 10, 2019, 12:50 pm
  #49  
 
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Can't speak to the Conrad but my wife and myself stayed at the REN in February. It all depends on what you are looking for?
This was our relaxation part of our trip. We thought the hotel was fantastic and we were also upgraded as PLATS to an executive suite overlooking the quiet pool with a nice view across to the ocean. We loved the room - very modern with a HUGE open shower area and nice balcony.

We were treated great. We thought the food was fantastic and there are happy hours rotating throughout the bars each day. All the staff knew our names and we were greeted everywhere we went. We also had a chance to meet the GM briefly one morning during breakfast and enjoyed the chat.

Correct, not much to do in the immediate area but if you have a car or want to use LYFT or UBER, we had no issues of them picking us up! We also used the beach shuttle one day just to check it out. It was o.k...we stayed for maybe 4-5 hours then headed back to the hotel. The shuttle runs every hour I believe.

If you are looking for nightlife and right on the beach and able to walk out your door to restaurants then this might not be the place. We really liked spending time at the lower pool which was much quieter and relax!! Exactly what we wanted to do to end our vacation. For what we were looking for, I don't think we could have picked a better spot.......but again to each their own.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 1:21 pm
  #50  
 
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Thanks for the review! I think I'll cancel the Conrad then.
I initially chose this hotel as I wanted some relaxation on this trip.

I previously stayed at Alila Uluwatu and really liked this area of Bali.

Also great that there is no taxi mafia issue at the REN. I try to avoid hotels that have that problem.

Btw how's the situation like with mosquitos at the resort? I always get bitten like crazy. At the RC Langkawi it had so many bites. The staff don't seem to be affected and hence didn't really care.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 2:38 pm
  #51  
 
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Originally Posted by lsed
Thanks for the review! I think I'll cancel the Conrad then.
I initially chose this hotel as I wanted some relaxation on this trip.

I previously stayed at Alila Uluwatu and really liked this area of Bali.

Also great that there is no taxi mafia issue at the REN. I try to avoid hotels that have that problem.

Btw how's the situation like with mosquitos at the resort? I always get bitten like crazy. At the RC Langkawi it had so many bites. The staff don't seem to be affected and hence didn't really care.
When are you going? Would love to get your thoughts of Bali vs. Langkawi.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 6:08 pm
  #52  
 
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When we were there I don't recall one mosquito? I also forgot to mention they also had a happy hour in the Lobby Lounge. We came in later in the evening after eating out and sat there for a bit for a few nightcaps........it sits at the highest part of the resort and had great views with a nice breeze. We enjoyed that too.

There were a few nights when we went down to the pool bar for happy hour ( a little earlier ) and were so relaxed we just sat there and ate our dinner. The hotel was fairly quiet when we were there so more often then not we were the only ones there.......others were in the restaurants. It was much more casual and simply enjoyed sitting outside to ourselves. Maybe not as comfortable as sitting in the restaurant but we survived (after mucho cocktails )

I hope it works out for you and you enjoy it! Crossing my fingers as everyone has different expectations.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 6:17 pm
  #53  
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Originally Posted by Bfhause
When are you going? Would love to get your thoughts of Bali vs. Langkawi.
Not the OP but having been to both

I also got absolutely destroyed by mosquitos at the RC Langkawi, but what an amazing hotel.

Bali has a lot more to offer than Langkawi, but is a lot more crowded. Nature is equally beautiful and interesting. There's far better food in Bali. There's more tourists. Langkawi is amazingly easy to get around with empty roads, Bali is the exact opposite of that.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 10:58 pm
  #54  
 
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Originally Posted by helvetic
Not the OP but having been to both

I also got absolutely destroyed by mosquitos at the RC Langkawi, but what an amazing hotel.

Bali has a lot more to offer than Langkawi, but is a lot more crowded. Nature is equally beautiful and interesting. There's far better food in Bali. There's more tourists. Langkawi is amazingly easy to get around with empty roads, Bali is the exact opposite of that.

I actually didn't leave the RC Langkawi during my stay, which was for almost a week. The resort itself and the villas are absolutely beautiful - but the staff so terribly lacking in training.
I believe the main reasons the hotel has problems with mosquitos is that: yes they are located in a jungle, so it does get worse when it rains. But more importantly the GM does not get bitten by mosquitoes, and hence the lack of top down approach to stop mosquitos as much as possible. The local staff don't care either, as the mosquitos do not bother them.

As for other resorts in Langkawi - didn't try any others so can't attest to them.

Bali on the other hand is a much bigger island with multiple times more inhabitants and tourists, and has many different areas with different vibes. Traffic is almost always terrible if you're crossing different parts of the island.
But there is something for everyone and resorts / villas for all budgets. Diving is amazing too and not expensive. Food is spectacular and the culture is much more unique and interesting in my opinion.

Although there is always something about Bali that gets to me - taxi mafia issues, traffic jams, mosquitos, etc.
I seem to keep being drawn back lol
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 11:03 pm
  #55  
 
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Oh that's cool, is the happy hour only for elite members or all guests are entitled to this?

On this trip I'm looking to mostly chill and reflect, so I think this hotel would be the right choice.
Occupancy seems quite high though, none of the suites and even king rooms are available fully on my dates
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 5:36 am
  #56  
 
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Happy Hour was for all guests...…….On regular food/items we did get the 20% off if I recall correctly as PLAT. If spending time at the pool, I would definitely recommend the lower pool as it seemed MUCH quieter than the main one. Our room was situated right in front of the lower pool so it was very convenient for us but wherever you are it would be well worth the jaunt down there.

This hotel is built with several different layers up the hill. The first couple times it was like a maze trying to figure out which / where the elevator was to get us to the top. We always ended up walking down the pathway/roadway back to our room. It was a nice little walk.
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Old Jun 26, 2019, 5:22 am
  #57  
 
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This hotel is a winner!

So I just checked out after a week's stay. I was also upgraded from basic room on points, to Executive Suite overlooking the lower pool on the second floor. I find this area to be the best. My room was second from the end and I could see the sea quite clearly from the balcony and from the bathroom.

The resort is beautiful, nice modern layout and the lower pool is usually very private. Service is incredibly amazing - the staff are all so eager to help and are always smiling that it rubs off on you.

The hotel was full on the weekend as there was a large wedding and so I was really grateful to have been upgraded in advance. But with the resort at full occupancy it didn't feel crowded at all, even at the lower pool. I only knew it was full as I could see there were no rooms available for sale, and also I peeked at the breakfast guest list.


Here are some examples of the service:

1) My friend asked if she could have sleeves for the beers to keep them cool at the lower pool. When the staff said they didnt, my friend said it's ok no problem then. Staff returned with a bucket filled with ice for the beers.

2) I tried toasting a croissant using the sliced bread toaster. Had some difficulty and the flakes started catching fire in the toaster. Staff saw I was having trouble and offered to toast my croissant in the large oven instead. After that I would ask them to head up my pastries every morning and they were all so happy to help.

3) At breakfast on the first 2 days, a staff member would make a healthy smoothie and present it to me at breakfast and thanked me for my loyalty

4) At breakfast on another day, the hostess noticed I did not have drinking water, asked if I would like some - she returned with some and also addressed me by name

You could sit and chat with the staff and they would be so happy to speak to you and share with you about their lives.

Each time you called for a buggy, they would show up in 2-3 mins.

On Saturday, there was a big event at Roosterfish with a renown DJ spinning, tickets were 60 USD at the door (as cheap as 20+ for online bookings) but I received a letter with an invitation and free VVIP tickets for 2.
We ended up having a great time, and also spending quite a bit haha, as the prices during the event were quite expensive ($17 USD for Hendrick's G&T)

Do note - the prepaid discount option for food is still available - simply ask for the Gourmet Package. You can opt for it up till 1 day before check out.
I did a 1.2M package (+300K extra value) and another a few days later.

This Gourmet Package can be used at Roosterfish, but not during special events, as you have to buy credits at the door to spend.


Other notes:

The hotel partners with Ungasan Taxis, which has a parking space 100m away from the hotel. When you book a car with the Grab app - from, or close to the hotel, you are assigned a car from this taxi company. Min charge is 55K IDR or 4USD, but if you use Gojek it is much cheaper, although availability will likely be lower and hence longer waiting times.

Grab to airport was quoted at 163K (small taxi) and Gojek - 55K (normal car) or 66K for a larger 6 seater car
I booked the 6 seat Gojek as it was more comfortable and tipped the driver heavily.

Lastly - the food is wonderful at both restaurants, and the pricing is really reasonable after the 20% Plat / Titanium discount and stacking the Gourmet Package on top. You can even use the credits from the Gourmet package to cover the tips you pay to the staff.


If I were to list any drawbacks - I just felt the executive suite was not really designed to maximize the space. The bathroom is way too huge and without a shower door you get cold when you finish showering. However my suite was situated where I could see the sea, so in the end it's quite alright. Also the gym could have more machines for upper body. But that's about it!

It's a bit sad that this hotel is now cat 5. But they've really got such a great operation running here that my friend and I were really impressed!
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Old Jun 26, 2019, 6:15 am
  #58  
 
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Fantastic! Glad it all worked out for you. Wish I was back there right now relaxing! It sounds like you had the exact same service and recognition as we received in February.
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Old Jun 27, 2019, 11:28 am
  #59  
 
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Yeah the hotel seems to be really consistent. I have a booking at the St Regis Bali in Oct but I'm wondering if it makes sense when the REN works so well.

I definitely won't be going back to Langkawi anytime soon, that's for sure. The service standard in Bali is way ahead - not just at the REN but even in restaurants outside the hotel.
We ate at a Korean restaurant just 30 mins before closing, and the staff were still highly enthusiastic and cheerful even at 10PM.

One other thing to note about Uluwatu in general - if heading out in the evening - before sunset, traffic is bad towards the south as tourist are flocking south for the view.
And after sunset, traffic is bad heading north. Just keep in mind if you have a late check out etc. [I missed my flight few years back when I had a 6+pm late check out from Alila Uluwatu lol!]
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 7:02 am
  #60  
 
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A couple "Pro Tips," and my overall review (which repeats some previous FTers)

SELECT "PRO TIPS":
- Get 50% off cost of food if you book on the "firsttable" app/webapp for 5pm at Roosterfish or 6pm at Double Ikat. If you book on firsttable and are also plat, you should expect to get 50% off food and 20% off alcohol. (You have to pay $7 each time you book on firsttable, but it works very well, and if you and your group are hungry, definitely worth it.)
- If your flight leaves in the evening after checkout, and you don't care for an airport lounge, try to ask the front desk to stay for a few hours (it's free) in the "Departure Lounge." Basically a room (or set of rooms) near the rear entry of Clay Craft, that have been converted from bedrooms to lounges. No bed, but a couple couches and a desk where you can rest, watch TV, or work in air-con peace. There's a private shower and bathroom there too. Not sure how the hotel manages these lounges when at capacity, but especially during low season, I imagine that some can be made available... Our lounge was easily big enough to hold a family of four just chilling out and working/relaxing.


-----------------------
WHOLE REVIEW
Came during low season, for 3 nights during the 2nd week of February 2020. At 9:30am in the morning, we saw maybe about 20 people having breakfast during our stay.

Treatment for plats good (20% discount off food in the resort's restaurants), 4pm checkout, upgraded from garden room king to executive suite.

For what it is and what it tries to be, it easily gets 5 stars: a relaxing resort with satisfying views (esp. from the lobby and the infinity pool) where you aren't trying to go out to explore too much. Max for my wife and I would be 4 nights but it's an excellent / great stay. People who are disappointed didn't bother to see the pictures or read the reviews or see its location: if you want to explore nightlife, stay in the Seminyak area!

What my wife and I liked:
* Food good to great
- Breakfast buffet in clay craft has nice variety, asian/western/continental changing from day to day... wonderful fruit... hot foods a bit on the cool/cold side sometimes but I'm nit-picking.
- Soft shell crab buns and a cocktail are pretty amazing by the pool
- Room service food well-prepared, made from fresh ingredients, and reasonably priced (we had a crab salad, a garlic broccoli side, and an order of spring rolls).

* Roosterfish (their beach club) is free entry, but if you stay at the Renaissance, the hotel will also give you a 30% discount card for food/drinks. Music a bit loud (my wife was able to ask them to turn it down a bit but 30 minutes later it was loud again) but on a Monday afternoon during low season we were 2 of 7 guests in the whole club... Shuttle makes a return trip (i.e. back and forth) once every hour.

* Service was generally impeccable. From top to bottom, all staff is willing and ready to make your stay pretty special. We would be happy to come back again for the hospitality. (Plats apparently get a direct whatsapp line to the managerial staff; they contacted me shortly before my arrival on whatsapp, and I was able to ask any questions on there).

Pro tips:
- Get 50% off cost of food if you book on the firsttable app/webapp for 5pm at Roosterfish or 6pm at Double Ikat. If you book on firsttable and are also plat, you'll get 50% off food and 20% off alcohol.
- Executive suites have two thermostats (a hidden one by the bed; it took us a while to figure it out).
- If your flight leaves in the evening after checkout, try to ask the front desk to stay for a few hours (it's free) in the "Departure Lounge." Basically a room (or set of rooms) near the rear entry of Clay Craft, that have been converted from bedrooms to lounges. No bed, but a couple couches and a desk where you can rest, watch TV, or work in air-con peace. There's a private shower and bathroom there too. Not sure how the hotel manages these lounges when at capacity, but especially during low season, I imagine that some can be made available... Our lounge was easily big enough to hold a family of four just chilling out and working/relaxing.

Probably the only small detail that took some getting used to, was the bathroom layout in the suite. Open bathroom layout a bit too open; somebody making coffee will be able to directly see people showering or bathing, there are no partitions at all.

Overall, though, my wife and I were very happy to find this place. We hope that the prices can stay similarly low during low season! (Management: I hope you praise/reward your staff, the vast majority are very sweet people!)
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Last edited by cmhsieh54; Feb 12, 2020 at 1:56 pm
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