TravelManagers Troy Coelho recently stayed at Raffles Bali and found a level of service rarely seen. Read his exclusive review for Karryon Luxury here.
Arrival
WOW is all you can say upon your arrival at Raffles Bali located in Jimbaran Bay.
Once you pull up into the “gates” of the property, it’s another one kilometre of pristine gardens until you make your entrance to the main building. As with Raffles Singapore property, you are greeted by your name, and the first-class service starts.
Upon arrival, you are welcomed with a traditional Balinese welcoming ceremony before being taken to the lounge for your check-in (and welcome cocktail).
Walking through the building, you’ve forgotten you’re in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Bali, and you’re at one with nature, with the signature scent of Raffles taking over your mind, body and soul.
Raffles Bali is truly a wellness retreat, focusing on your mind, body and belly. Once check-in is complete, you are driven by buggy to your villa (one of 32) within the 23-hectare property with your baggage waiting for you and left in the care of your own dedicated butler.
As there is construction next door, Raffles Bali has taken a few villas offline, which are kept for those clients needing a late check-out and day use of a villa and pool. They really do think of everything.
Each of the one-bedroom villas is 470m2 in size, plus an incredible garden and private pool. You can walk into your villa and forget the world, as it’s so quiet and private.
Wine and dine
There are three main kitchens: Rumari, The Writers Bar and Loloan Beach Bar and Grill.
On top of this, you have The Farm Terrace (for private group dining), The Purnama Honeymoon Bale with its romantic oceanfront view, or dine in The Secret Cave.
The breakfasts at Rumari are incredible. The à la carte menu lets you try EVERYTHING on the menu in one sitting, and due to the perfect portion sizes, you can indulge with the lobster omelette and have your pancakes.
Chef Gaetan Biesuz (or Chef G as he’s known) has sourced some of the best seafood the area can get. With an ever-changing menu, you can stay for nine nights and never repeat a meal! The BBQ lobster, prawns, calamari and fish at Loloan Beach Bar & Grill cannot be missed!
Wellness
Raffles Bali has a stunning spa, with everything you can expect, and the hotel also offers private deck top yoga sessions, chakra balancing and sound healing meditation in The Secret Cave, something that words can’t describe by the sound and effect the meditation session has on the body.
Raffles also has two tennis courts and three pickleball courts, so if your other half is relaxing by the pool, you can test your skills out against one of the fitness club staff members.
Raffles Bali also gives back to the local culture, offering all guests complimentary cultural experiences. I was lucky enough to experience two.
The first was a visit to a local Balinese house, where we learnt the meaning of their offerings and the reasoning behind the placement of the flowers.
My second experience was creating our own Balinese Batik (which is a traditional Indonesian textile art that involves applying wax to fabric to create a pattern).
Out and about
For me, Raffles Bali is where you go to flop and drop and not deal with the craziness Bali can bring.
If you do want to venture out, Locca Sea House (beach club) is a short eight-minute drive away, and the streets of Jimbaran/Uluwatu are only five minutes away.
For those wanting something different, the hotel has a private helicopter landing pad, so you can fly up to Ubud and be back in your villa in under four hours, unheard of in Bali!
The verdict
10 out of 10! Raffles Bali lives up to the brand, and the levels of service are out of the park, exactly what you expect when you stay at a Raffles. You know the staff love what they do and who they work for when 307 out of the 310 staff are locals. It’s a credit to them.
The details
Address: Jalan Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, South Kuta, Bali
Room type: Panoramic One Bedroom Pool Villa
Check-in: 3pm
Check-out: midday
Rates: $2,045 – $2,500 per night
For more information, visit Raffles.
