Sam P. Goodman

Thanks. I should add that this place attracts a lot of people celebrating special occasions. A lot of couples with very shiny new rings...weddings onsite (we saw two in our two days--can you imagine the cost?)...heck Nani from Manchester United was there sporting his 8-pack next to us on the beach. Despite all of that, this place excels at making you feel special. From the personal greeting from the chief butler at check-in (complete with rose for Mrs. G) to the bathtub full of rose petals in the shape of a heart to the cake they sent to our room with an anniversary card, we felt like they were there to help us celebrate. Our first day at breakfast, we were even greeted by name and wished a "Happy Anniversary" on arrival to the restaurant. The level of personalized service is what you might expect from the Haciendas in Mexico (~12 room properties), not a resort of this size.

As requested, here's a link to a few photos of the resort.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickand...7626939014639/

Quasiconvexity

Great pics! Thanks for posting - and congratulations on the anniversary!

Flying Lawyer

One of the most remarkable places I have been to. We had the pleasure to stay at a Strand Villa with direct access to the beach - simply opened your garden door and we were there. The garden itself and the villa were gorgeous, albeit lacked a bit of privacy (comared eg with the Spa Pool Villas at Phuket Banyan Tree). Service in the hotel more than perfect. Most of the staff called me by name. The breakfast is as described (even the staff at the W spoke about it) and the evening buffet dinner was as good as the very expensive dinner we had in the fine dining restaurant.

Two aspects I found a bit irrititating here on FT: Certainly do not buy the cheapest room - the charme of the Strand Villas cannot be beaten. And you certainly do not need a buggy from the Strand Villas to the main building unless you have never walked for five minutes. It took us these five minutes to walk slowly from Villa 720 to the main building.....

fred8ab

@Flying Lawyer only to make sure that ppl here know what you are talking about. We have been there in feb. this year. Nice place to be...

[IMG] Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]

coffeeblack

I've been very lucky in convincing the family to head to Bali for a trip, and then convincing them that St. Regis will be the perfect place to stay on holiday. We will be staying in the Ocean Suite and the St. Regis suite (View of the Golf Course). Any tips tricks and suggestions will be appreciated! Thanks flyertalkers!

jamienbaker

My advice is spend as little time in Nusa Dua as possible. It isn't Bali, as far as I'm concerned, just as Times Square or the crosswalk at Shibuya aren't the real New York or Tokyo, respectively. Great resort, but location leaves MUCH to be desired. I'd opt for W Seminyak, personally, if beach access is important.

mario33

And W Seminyak is the 'real' Bali

jamienbaker

No, it isn't. However, Seminyak is a superior "jumping off" point to explore, at least relative to Nusa Dua. There are shops and local warungs in the vicinity, you can walk to some great places which is not an option from the SR. But your point (if I understand) is well taken. As much as I've enjoyed the St Regis and the W, I would head to the interior of the island and rent a villa or stay at a Komaneka property, for example.

stephem

I've been a big fan of the St Regis, but last month when we were back in Bali we just couldn't make it work for 3 adults and 2 toddlers. For 2 separate rooms or a large suite we were getting up around $1k per night, which then opened up many other options including private villas elsewhere on the island. We wound up booking a residence villa at Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay. It was an interesting option to put side-by-side with the St Regis, especially now that we have a 1yr and 2.5yr old in tow. As a couple we prefer the St Regis, and I know they arent really catering to young kids so this probably isnt news to anyone, but I think there are better options if you have toddlers. Here were some of the comments I would make in retrospect:

St Regis:
-great beach and good pools, very private and exclusive feel
-new property (and in this climate, the wear sets in fast!)
-best breakfast, good lunch/sandwich shop
-very good treatment of children (we stayed once with our daughter when she was 6 months)
-nice basic suites for a couple, but smallish or costly to go for family sized accomodations
-more stylish property overall

FS Residence:
-private pool for each villa, very nice beach (public) a short walk across the street, but not very exclusive
-breakfast ok, dinner not really good at hotel restaurants
-all the perks of a private house including 24 hour butler, kitchen, etc
-not in Nusa Dua ++
-lots more space, 2 giant ensuite bedrooms in 2 separate buildings, but showing some wear.
-same or lower cost than 2 basic suites or one larger suite at St Regis, especially with 4for3 promos and using a FS Preferred agent to get free breakfasts for us all.

dparkinson

I've heard some unflattering things about the cleanliness of the water/beaches in Bali. Is this an issue at the SR or the W? Being from New York, the last thing I need to see is litter/waste.

broadwayboy

SR, no. W, yes.

pokeable

Beach quality for Bali in general was underwhelming due to the litter.

coffeeblack

From what I remember the St. Regis Bali beach was very well maintained. It is the water that is not quite as pristine as the pictures make it look.

pokeable

I'm sure the St. Regis does a wonderful job sweeping up the litter that floats in with the morning tide.

The ubiquitous plastic bags floating about really did put a damper on swimming in Bali, though

Not trying to bash Bali; we really did enjoy our stay there. Just not quite the beachy paradise we were expecting.

bouncingbug

Very disappointing to hear! I havent been to Bali in 15 years but when Imlast went, it was pristine. I guess heavy tourism eventually takes its toll

Not as excited about my upcoming trip anymore!