#1 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Ultra-luxury . ***** · from USD 1,200/night
"COMO's Ubud estate, the founding COMO Shambhala property, the global wellness benchmark in Bali."
9.8Room & Design
10.0Service
9.9Location
Why this rank, COMO Shambhala Estate opened in 2005 in the jungle north of Ubud, on a 23-acre site overlooking the Ayung River gorge. 30 rooms and suites across five residences (the Estate House, Tirta Ening, Wanakasa, Umabona, Tejasuara), each named for one of the property's five wellness focuses. The COMO Shambhala curriculum was developed here and now runs as the brand's global wellness programme across COMO properties; the Ubud Estate remains its operational headquarters. The kitchen runs the COMO Shambhala Cuisine programme (raw, clean, macronutrient-balanced). The Estate is sold across three, five and seven-day curriculum programmes. Best for the structured wellness Bali stay where the curriculum is the reason to come and the property is the global benchmark.
Best room: Tirta Ening, river-view residence
#2 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Ultra-luxury . ***** · from USD 1,500/night
"Marriott's Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Ubud, the Ayung River gorge, the working Bali ultra-luxury anchor."
9.8Room & Design
9.9Service
9.9Location
Why this rank, Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve opened in 2015 on the Ayung River gorge north of Ubud, a 12-hectare site that includes a working rice paddy. 35 suites and 25 pool villas across the property. The Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand operates at a deeper service tier than the standard Ritz-Carlton portfolio; only four Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties exist globally. The Spa at Mandapa runs the Healing Village programme with a three-day to nine-day integrated curriculum. The yoga pavilion overlooks the river. The Sawah Terrace restaurant runs the wellness-aligned dining; Kubu by the river handles the formal dinner anchor with private rattan-cocoon dining pods. Best for the Bali stay at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve service tier with the working Ayung River gorge setting.
Best room: Pool Villa with private pool, river view
#3 in Bali
Sayan, Ubud, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 1,200/night
"The 1998 John Heah-designed Ubud Four Seasons, the iconic lily pond, the working Bali Four Seasons flagship."
9.7Room & Design
9.9Service
9.9Location
Why this rank, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan opened in 1998 above the Ayung River gorge at Sayan, 15 minutes from central Ubud. 60 suites and villas across the property; the suites are arranged around the iconic elliptical lily pond at the entrance that the John Heah design has made one of Bali's most-photographed hotel architectural moments. The Sacred River Spa is set within the riverbank below the main property, with treatment rooms cantilevered over the river. The Wellness Mentor programme runs the property's curriculum, with one to seven-day journeys integrating massage, meditation, yoga, and the Four Seasons-specific Earth Awakening and Mind & Body programmes. The Ayung Terrace restaurant runs the dinner anchor; Sokasi handles the casual Indonesian programme. Best for the Bali luxury stay at Four Seasons service tier with the most-recognisable architectural setting in Ubud.
Best room: Sayan Villa, one-bedroom, river view, private pool
#4 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Ultra-luxury . ***** · from USD 1,400/night
"The 1989 Ubud Aman, the founding Bali Aman, the working heritage Bali ultra-luxury address."
9.7Room & Design
9.9Service
9.8Location
Why this rank, Amandari opened in 1989 in the village of Kedewatan above the Ayung River gorge, the founding Aman property in Bali and one of the founding properties of the Aman portfolio globally. 30 thatched suites and one Amandari Villa across the property, the layout configured as a Balinese village. The Aman Spa runs the property's wellness curriculum, with treatments integrating Indonesian-tradition Boreh wraps, Javanese Lulur scrubs, and the Amandari-specific Healing Stone Bath in the river gorge. Yoga is taken in the wantilan (the Balinese open pavilion). The Restaurant Amandari and the Bar Amandari anchor the dining. The Kedewatan village setting (the property is set within the working village rather than separated from it) is the structural difference from newer Bali wellness retreats. Best for the heritage Bali stay at the property that defined Bali ultra-luxury.
Best room: Amandari Villa, private pool, three-bedroom
#5 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Ultra-luxury . ***** · from USD 1,400/night
"Bill Bensley's all-tent Ubud property, the working design-led tented wellness retreat in Asia."
9.7Room & Design
9.9Service
9.8Location
Why this rank, Capella Ubud opened in 2018 in the Ubud rainforest at Keliki, designed by Bill Bensley as a tented camp inspired by the European explorer tradition. 23 tents across the property, including the Tent at the Top of the World and the multi-bedroom Cliff Edge Tent. Auriga Wellness is the property's wellness operation; the curriculum runs across half-day, one-day and three-day programmes integrating massage, sound healing, the property's herbal apothecary, and the moon-cycle-aligned rituals from the Balinese Saka calendar. Api Jiwa restaurant runs the wellness-aligned dining; Mads Lange handles the formal dinner anchor. The Bensley design (the Bali jungle reinterpreted through the explorer-camp lens) is the property's structural difference from the more traditionally Balinese Mandapa or Como Shambhala. Best for the design-led Bali stay where the tented architecture is part of the property's positioning.
Best room: Cliff Edge Tent, multi-bedroom, jungle view
#6 in Bali
Uluwatu, Bali · Ultra-luxury . ***** · from USD 2,000/night
"Bulgari's 2006 Uluwatu clifftop resort, the working ultra-luxury cliff-edge Bali address."
9.7Room & Design
9.9Service
9.8Location
Why this rank, Bulgari Resort Bali opened in 2006 on a 150-metre clifftop above the Indian Ocean at Uluwatu, on Bali's southwestern peninsula. 59 villas and 5 mansions across the property. The Cliff Villas and the Bulgari Villa floor plans are the working accommodations, all with private pool and clifftop ocean views. The Bulgari Spa runs the property's wellness curriculum integrating Italian-tradition treatments, Balinese-tradition Boreh wraps, and the property's clifftop-yoga programme. Sangkar runs the all-day dining; Il Ristorante Niko Romito (one Michelin star) runs the property's signature dinner anchor. The Uluwatu clifftop position is the structural difference from the Ubud forest properties: ocean-facing luxury rather than jungle-and-river. The Bali airport drive is 45 minutes from Ngurah Rai International. Best for the Bali clifftop ultra-luxury stay where the ocean-and-sunset register is the primary setting.
Best room: Mansion, private pool, clifftop ocean view
#7 in Bali
Buahan, Bali · Ultra-luxury . ***** · from USD 1,200/night
"Banyan Tree's 2022 no-walls villa escape, the working most-private contemporary Bali retreat."
9.6Room & Design
9.8Service
9.7Location
Why this rank, Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape opened in 2022 in the village of Buahan north of Ubud, designed as a no-walls villa experience set within the jungle. 16 villas only across the property, each with open-air design (no exterior walls, with retractable canvas covers for weather), private pool and integrated outdoor living space. The wellness curriculum is delivered as a fully integrated component of the stay: every guest has a wellness host who coordinates the curriculum across the property. The kitchen runs the Open Kitchen programme with no fixed menu; the chef cooks what is available from the property's organic garden and local producers each day. The no-walls villa design is the property's defining asset: the guest sleeps, eats, exercises and recovers in continuous contact with the jungle. The 16-villa scale combined with the no-walls design produces the most-private ultra-luxury wellness format in Bali. Best for the ultra-luxury Bali stay at the working most-private new property.
Best room: Bayugita Villa, no-walls design, private pool
#8 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 900/night
"The 2003 family-owned Petanu River valley Viceroy, all-villa pool product, the working family-owned Ubud anchor."
9.5Room & Design
9.7Service
9.7Location
Why this rank, Viceroy Bali opened in 2003 above the Petanu River valley in central Ubud, an all-villa property with 25 villas, each with private pool and butler service. The Lembah Spa runs the property's wellness programming, integrating Balinese-tradition treatments (Boreh wraps, Mandi Lulur scrubs), Ayurvedic protocols, and the property's-specific Valley of the Kings meditation programmes. Yoga is taken at the wantilan overlooking the valley. CasCades restaurant runs the dinner anchor (one of the deepest wine programmes in Bali, with floor-to-ceiling wine cellar). The Viceroy is family-owned (the Hadiprana family), which has produced a different operational character from the larger international-brand Bali properties: the property's wellness programming runs at the operational depth of a family-run business rather than at the brand-standard depth of an international hotel group. Best for the Bali stay at a smaller family-owned property with the working Ubud valley setting.
Best room: Pool Villa, private pool, valley view
#9 in Bali
Payangan, Ubud, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 600/night
"The 1996 Kerry Hill-designed Payangan property, the working entry-level Bali ultra-luxury address."
9.4Room & Design
9.6Service
9.7Location
Why this rank, Alila Ubud opened in 1996 above the Ayung River gorge at Payangan, designed by Kerry Hill, one of the most architecturally significant Bali hotels of the past three decades. 56 rooms and villas across the property. Hyatt acquired Alila in 2018; the property has retained the original Kerry Hill design. The Spa Alila runs the property's wellness programming with Balinese-tradition treatments and the property's signature Resilience three-day programme integrating yoga, meditation and breathwork. The iconic green-tiled infinity pool overlooking the river gorge is the most-photographed Bali pool. The Plantation restaurant runs the wellness-aligned dining. The property's lower entry rate combined with the architectural significance and the Kerry Hill design make Alila Ubud the working entry-level Bali stay at the architectural significance tier. Best for the entry-level Bali stay at an architecturally significant property.
Best room: Pool Villa, one-bedroom, private pool, valley view
#10 in Bali
Payangan, Ubud, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 800/night
"The Payangan jungle property, the most-photographed Bali infinity pool, the working Instagram-iconic Bali address."
9.5Room & Design
9.6Service
9.6Location
Why this rank, Hanging Gardens of Bali opened in 2005 in the Payangan jungle north of Ubud, on a steep ridge above the Ayung River gorge. 44 villas across the property, all with private pool. The property's two-level cantilevered infinity pool with the iconic Bali jungle backdrop is the most-photographed Bali pool image and the property's working social-media anchor. The Glass House restaurant on the property runs the dinner anchor; the property's wellness programme runs Balinese-tradition treatments and yoga on the deck overlooking the jungle. The property's steep-ridge geography means the funicular runs from the main lobby down to the villas (the only Bali property with a funicular). The Payangan jungle position is twenty minutes north of central Ubud. Best for the Bali stay where the iconic infinity-pool image is the visual register.
Best room: Riverside Pool Villa, private pool, river view
#11 in Bali
Nusa Dua, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 600/night
"The 2019 Nusa Dua Kempinski, palace-style architecture, the working Nusa Dua beach-resort anchor."
9.4Room & Design
9.5Service
9.7Location
Why this rank, The Apurva Kempinski Bali opened in 2019 on Nusa Dua's beachfront, the property is the Indonesian palace-style architectural Kempinski property and the largest single resort in Nusa Dua. 475 rooms and villas across the property. The Royal Suite with private terrace, the Cliff Villa with private pool, and the multi-bedroom Cliff Pool Villa are the working accommodations. The dining roster includes Reef Beach Club, Koral (the property's signature aquarium restaurant where one wall is the largest reef aquarium in any Bali hotel), and Selasar Deli (the casual venue). The Apurva Spa runs the wellness anchor. The Nusa Dua beachfront position with the palace-style architecture (the property is built up the cliff face from the beach in a tiered Indonesian-palace layout) is the property's distinguishing design moment. Best for the Nusa Dua beach-resort Bali stay at Kempinski service tier.
Best room: Cliff Pool Villa, private pool, sea view
#12 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 700/night
"The Royal Pita Maha Ubud property, owned by the Ubud royal family, the working Bali heritage Ubud villa-resort."
9.3Room & Design
9.5Service
9.6Location
Why this rank, Royal Pita Maha opened in 2004 on the Ayung River gorge at Kedewatan, owned and operated by the Ubud royal family. 52 villas across the property, each with private pool. The property's heritage register is the Ubud royal-family connection: every Balinese ritual at the property is run with authentic Ubud-court protocol, and the wellness programme integrates the royal-family-tradition treatments specific to the Ubud court. The Senjana restaurant runs the dinner anchor; the spa pavilion across the property handles the wellness register. The river-gorge position is alongside the Four Seasons Sayan, Amandari, COMO Shambhala and Mandapa cluster, giving the property the same gorge-views-and-jungle setting at a lower entry rate. The 52-villa scale combined with the royal-family operational ownership produces a different Bali register from the international-brand properties. Best for the Bali stay where the royal-family Balinese-tradition register is the operational core.
Best room: Royal Heritage Pool Villa, two-bedroom
#13 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 700/night
"The Hadiprana art-collector estate, the working art-led Ubud boutique."
9.4Room & Design
9.6Service
9.5Location
Why this rank, Tanah Gajah, A Resort By Hadiprana opened in 1995 as Chedi Club Tanah Gajah (rebranded under Hadiprana family ownership in 2018), the working art-led Ubud boutique. 20 villas only across the 5-hectare estate, all with private pool. The property is the former private estate of Indonesian-Chinese collector Hendra Hadiprana, and the contemporary Indonesian art collection across the property (the largest private contemporary Indonesian art collection in any Bali hotel) is the property's defining register. The dining programme runs at the Restaurant at Tanah Gajah with the working Indonesian-modern dinner anchor. The spa runs Balinese-tradition treatments. The 20-villa scale combined with the art-collection setting produces a different Bali register from the international-brand properties: more art-and-design-led, smaller-scale, family-owned operational depth. Best for the art-and-design-led Bali stay at the working art-collector estate.
Best room: One-Bedroom Pool Villa, private pool
#14 in Bali
Sayan, Ubud, Bali · Boutique . ***** · from USD 500/night
"John and Cynthia Hardy's bamboo-architecture boutique, the working sustainable-design Bali anchor."
9.4Room & Design
9.5Service
9.6Location
Why this rank, Bambu Indah opened in 2005 above the Ayung River gorge at Sayan, the working sustainable-design Bali boutique built by jewellery designer John Hardy and Cynthia Hardy as the family's private guesthouse and now operated as a 13-house boutique hotel. Each house is an antique Javanese bridal house relocated to the property combined with John Hardy's signature bamboo-architecture additions. The Copper House (the bamboo-and-copper signature building), the Sumba House (the antique Sumbanese palace), and the multi-bedroom Moon House are the working accommodations. The dining runs at the Three Beans restaurant (the working Indonesian-vegetarian dinner anchor). The river-gorge swimming hole (the property's natural-pool replacement for a conventional chlorine pool) is the property's defining wellness asset. Best for the sustainability-and-architecture-led Bali stay at the working Hardy-family boutique.
Best room: Sumba House, antique palace, private pool
#15 in Bali
Payangan, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 400/night
"The Padma Group's Payangan property, the working family-resort Ubud anchor, 89 by infinity pool."
9.2Room & Design
9.3Service
9.5Location
Why this rank, Padma Resort Ubud opened in 2013 on a steep Payangan ridge above the Ayung River valley, 25 minutes north of central Ubud. 149 rooms and villas across the property. The 89-metre infinity pool (one of the longest hotel pools in Bali) is the property's working family-and-resort anchor. The Padma Spa runs Balinese-tradition treatments. The dining programme includes Padma Brasserie, the Open Stage Restaurant, and the Pool Bar. The Padma Group (an Indonesian hospitality operator) runs the property at a different scale from the smaller Ubud boutiques: more family-resort, more amenity-rich, more children's-club-friendly. The Payangan ridge position gives the property the working family-resort Ubud option with the jungle setting that the Nusa Dua family resorts cannot deliver. Best for the working family-resort Ubud Bali stay.
Best room: Premium Club Pool Suite, one-bedroom, private pool
#16 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 400/night
"The Komaneka family's central Ubud property, working walkable-Ubud boutique anchor."
9.3Room & Design
9.5Service
9.6Location
Why this rank, Komaneka at Bisma opened in 2014 on Jalan Bisma in central Ubud, the family-owned working Ubud boutique five minutes' walk from Monkey Forest Road and Ubud Palace. 65 villas across the property. The Komaneka Group runs four properties across Ubud (Bisma, Monkey Forest, Tanggayuda, and Rasa Sayang); the Bisma property is the group's working flagship. The Komaneka Spa runs Balinese-tradition treatments. The dining programme runs at the Bisma Cafe (the working dinner anchor) and the Pool Lounge. The central-Ubud position (the property is on a small valley directly off Jalan Bisma) means the working Ubud walkable programme (Ubud Palace, Saraswati Temple, Sacred Monkey Forest, Ubud Market, Yoga Barn) runs without requiring a vehicle, which is the structural difference from the Ayung River gorge properties. Best for the central-Ubud walkable Bali stay.
Best room: Bisma Pool Villa, private pool
#17 in Bali
Mas, Ubud, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 350/night
"The 2023 Marriott Element Westin property, the working contemporary Marriott-aligned Ubud anchor."
9.2Room & Design
9.3Service
9.5Location
Why this rank, Element by Westin Bali Ubud opened in 2023 in Mas village south of central Ubud, the working Marriott-aligned contemporary Ubud property under the sustainability-led Element brand within the Westin portfolio. 89 rooms across the property. The Element-brand sustainability standard (LEED certification, no plastics, renewable-energy programming) is the property's working positioning. The Element Spa runs Balinese-tradition treatments combined with the brand's Element-specific wellness programming. The dining roster runs the working all-day venue. The Mas village position is ten minutes south of central Ubud, the working alternative to the busier Ubud Town and the more remote Payangan ridge. The Marriott Bonvoy points-earning at the Element tier suits the Bonvoy-aligned traveller looking for the Ubud stay at the brand-points-earning rate. Best for the Marriott Bonvoy Ubud Bali stay.
Best room: One-Bedroom Suite, two queen beds
#18 in Bali
Mambal, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 800/night
"The Fivelements wellness retreat at Mambal, the working living-foods plant-based Ubud anchor."
9.3Room & Design
9.6Service
9.4Location
Why this rank, Fivelements Retreat Bali opened in 2010 on the Ayung River at Mambal, halfway between Ubud and Denpasar, the working plant-based wellness retreat in Bali. 9 villas only across the property, each with private river-facing terrace. The Fivelements wellness programme runs Balinese-tradition Tri Hita Karana healing rituals, Balinese sacred-arts programming, and plant-based living-foods dining (the property is one of the very few Bali resorts running fully plant-based, raw-or-low-temperature dining as the working register). The Sakti Dining Room runs the dinner anchor. The Padma yoga pavilion overlooks the river. The 9-villa scale combined with the plant-based-wellness operational positioning produces the most-pointed wellness register in Bali outside COMO Shambhala. Best for the plant-based wellness Bali stay at the working Tri Hita Karana register.
Best room: Balian Riverfront Suite, private terrace
#19 in Bali
Ubud, Bali · Boutique . ***** · from USD 350/night
"The 2014 contemporary Ubud boutique, the rooftop pool, the working design-led Ubud anchor."
9.3Room & Design
9.4Service
9.6Location
Why this rank, Bisma Eight opened in 2014 on Jalan Bisma in central Ubud, the working contemporary design-led Ubud boutique. 38 rooms and suites across the property. The rooftop infinity pool overlooking the central Ubud rice paddies is the property's working social-media anchor. The Copper Kitchen runs the modern-Indonesian dinner anchor; the rooftop pool bar handles the cocktail programme. The Bisma Eight spa runs Balinese-tradition treatments. The central-Ubud position (the property is on Jalan Bisma directly off Monkey Forest Road) means the working Ubud walkable programme runs without requiring a vehicle. The 38-room scale combined with the contemporary design register produces a different Ubud-luxury format from the more conventional jungle-villa Ubud properties: urban-design, rooftop-led, walkable-to-Ubud-Centre rather than ridge-and-gorge. Best for the design-led central-Ubud walkable Bali stay at the entry-level price tier.
Best room: Deluxe King Room, rooftop view
#20 in Bali
Tabanan, Bali · Five-Star . ***** · from USD 700/night
"The 2022 Tabanan eco-resort, the working 3D-printed bamboo-design retreat."
9.4Room & Design
9.5Service
9.4Location
Why this rank, Ulaman Eco Luxury Resort opened in 2022 in Tabanan, southwest of central Bali, the working 3D-printed bamboo-design eco-luxury retreat. 16 villas only across the property; the 3D-printed earth construction combined with the bamboo-architecture pavilions is the property's working signature (the property is one of the first hospitality properties globally to use 3D-printed-earth construction at scale). The dining programme runs at the Ulaman Restaurant with the working plant-forward farm-to-table programme. The spa runs Balinese-tradition treatments combined with the property's signature breathwork and sound-bath programmes. The Tabanan position is 45 minutes west of Ubud and 30 minutes north of Canggu, the working alternative to the Ubud-and-Uluwatu axis. The 16-villa scale combined with the 3D-printed-construction architectural register produces the most-original new Bali property of the post-2020 cycle. Best for the working architectural-and-sustainability-led Bali stay at the new construction anchor.
Best room: Honeymoon Villa, private pool
