Best Luxury Resorts in Bali

The Four Seasons at Sayan is routinely ranked among Asia's finest hotels and for good reason. Approaching the resort, you cross a dramatic pedestrian bridge high above the Ayung River that leads to a rooftop lotus pond atop an elliptical building that seems to float above the jungle canopy. The design by architect John Heah is a masterpiece of integration with nature, channeling the sacred geometry of Balinese water temples. The 18 suites in the main building offer sweeping valley views, but the 42 private pool villas scattered along the riverbank are the signature experience. Each villa features a plunge pool, outdoor shower, sunken bathtub, and a private garden enclosed by tropical vegetation so dense you cannot see your neighbors. The sound of the Ayung River rushing past below provides a constant natural soundtrack. Villa butlers handle everything from unpacking your luggage to arranging private candlelit dinners on your terrace. The resort's Healing Village spa is built into the river gorge and uses jamu herbal remedies alongside modern wellness techniques. The daily complimentary yoga and meditation sessions, held on a platform overlooking the valley, are among the most memorable wellness experiences in Bali. Dining options include Ayung Terrace for Indonesian tasting menus and Riverside Cafe for casual poolside meals.

The Four Seasons Jimbaran occupies a prime stretch of Jimbaran Bay, one of Bali's most beautiful crescent-shaped beaches, with 147 Balinese-style villas spread across 14 hectares of landscaped gardens stepping down a gentle hillside toward the sand. Unlike the intimate jungle setting of its sister property in Sayan, this resort delivers a classic tropical beach holiday elevated to the highest standard. Every villa comes with a private plunge pool and a walled garden compound that mirrors traditional Balinese family housing. The one-bedroom premier villas offer the best value, while the two and three-bedroom royal villas add private gyms, full kitchens, and direct beach access. The Imperial Villa, spanning over 1,300 square meters, includes its own spa treatment room and a 20-meter private pool. The resort is particularly renowned for its culinary program. Sundara, the signature restaurant and beach club, serves modern Indonesian cuisine with ocean views and operates one of Bali's best sunset cocktail bars. The resort also runs a cooking school, spice garden tours, and a Saturday night seafood barbecue on the beach. The Healing Village spa mirrors the Sayan property's excellence with beachfront treatment pavilions. For families, the dedicated kids club and shallow pool areas make this one of Bali's most family-friendly luxury options.

Mandapa represents the pinnacle of the Ritz-Carlton brand, being one of only a handful of Reserve properties worldwide. Set along the banks of the Ayung River in Ubud, the resort occupies a site that was once a Balinese village, and the design preserves the village layout with 60 suites and villas arranged as a traditional Balinese community complete with a working rice paddy, resident priest, and a temple where daily offerings are made. The villas are architecturally stunning, combining traditional Balinese craftsmanship with modern luxury amenities. Thatched roofs, hand-carved stone details, and antique Javanese teak furniture sit alongside heated infinity pools, Bose sound systems, and Nespresso machines. The two-bedroom reserve villas along the river feature private pools that extend right to the gorge edge, creating a seamless visual connection between your pool and the jungle canopy below. Service at Mandapa operates on a level of personalization that few hotels in the world can match. Each villa is assigned a patih, a traditional Balinese term for a trusted advisor, who functions as a combination butler, concierge, and cultural guide. They learn your preferences, anticipate your needs, and can arrange everything from a private blessing ceremony at the resort temple to a helicopter transfer to a remote beach for a private picnic. The spa, fitness center, and yoga shala are all world-class, and the three restaurants cover fine dining, casual Asian, and healthy living cuisines.

Perched on a cliff 150 meters above the Indian Ocean on Bali's Bukit Peninsula, the Bulgari Resort Bali combines Italian design sophistication with the dramatic natural landscape of Uluwatu. The approach through a serene pathway flanked by water features reveals the resort's main pavilion, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame a panoramic ocean view that stretches to the horizon. The design, a collaboration between Italian architects and Balinese craftsmen, uses local volcanic stone, tropical hardwoods, and handwoven fabrics throughout. The 59 villas are arranged along the clifftop and down the hillside, each with a private pool, indoor-outdoor living areas, and unobstructed ocean views. The Mansion, the resort's most exclusive accommodation, spans 2,000 square meters with three bedrooms, a private spa, cinema room, and a 25-meter infinity pool cantilevered over the cliff edge. Even the entry-level ocean cliff villas feel extraordinary, with their plunge pools appearing to merge with the sea far below. The resort includes a private beach accessible by an inclinator that descends the cliff face, arriving at a secluded cove with a beach bar and lounge chairs on the sand. The spa draws on both Italian and Balinese wellness traditions, and the signature Il Ristorante by Luca Fantin offers a unique Italian-Japanese fusion fine dining experience. The resort's wedding chapel, a glass-walled structure extending from the cliff, is one of Bali's most spectacular ceremony venues.

The Mulia complex in Nusa Dua is Bali's largest luxury resort development, comprising three distinct properties: The Mulia (an all-suite beachfront hotel), Mulia Resort (the main resort with 526 rooms), and Mulia Villas (an exclusive collection of private pool villas). Together they occupy a prime stretch of Nusa Dua's white sand beach and offer a scale of facilities that no single boutique property can match. The Mulia Villas represent the highest tier, with one to three-bedroom villas each featuring private pools up to 18 meters long, full butler service, dedicated check-in, and exclusive access to the Mulia Villas pool and lounge. The design blends contemporary international luxury with subtle Balinese touches, leaning more toward the grand resort aesthetic of a Mediterranean palace than the tropical vernacular of most Bali properties. The result is a distinctly different luxury experience, one that emphasizes opulence, space, and polished service. The resort complex features an extraordinary collection of dining options, including Table8 for refined Chinese cuisine, Soleil for Mediterranean cooking, The Cafe for an all-day international buffet that is genuinely one of the best hotel buffets in Asia, and Edogin for Japanese. The Mulia Spa spans over 3,500 square meters and includes an ice room, aquatonic pool, and an extensive menu of treatments. Six swimming pools, a fitness center, tennis courts, and direct access to Nusa Dua's calm swimming beach round out the facilities.

The Viceroy Bali is Ubud's most intimate luxury property, a family-owned boutique resort with just 40 pool villas perched on the rim of the Petanu River valley. Unlike the large-scale jungle resorts nearby, the Viceroy delivers a personal, owner-managed experience where the founding family knows many repeat guests by name. Each villa features a heated infinity pool overlooking the valley, a king-sized four-poster bed, and a terrace positioned for sunrise views over the rice terraces. CasCades restaurant, helmed by talented chefs who source from local markets daily, consistently ranks among Ubud's best fine dining experiences. Rates start at approximately $350 per night for a terrace villa. Ayana Resort and Spa in Jimbaran offers a different luxury proposition altogether, sprawling across 90 hectares of cliff-top gardens above Jimbaran Bay. The resort is famous for Rock Bar Bali, a cocktail bar built on natural rocks 14 meters above the ocean and accessible by cable car. The 290 rooms and 78 private pool villas cover a vast property that includes 12 restaurants, an 18-hole putting course, and the Aquatonic seawater therapy pool. Ayana also manages the adjacent Rimba property for a more contemporary style. The resort connects to its own private beach via a winding clifftop path. Room rates begin at approximately $250 per night, with pool villas from $450. Both properties demonstrate the remarkable range of Bali's luxury hotel scene, from the intimate boutique scale of the Viceroy to the grand resort ambition of Ayana. Your choice depends on whether you prefer seclusion and personal touches or comprehensive facilities and social energy.