Following our superb stay at the Marriott Phuket Nai Yang, which hosted our wedding on the Thai peninsula, we’re off to Bali for our honeymoon.

And it was after two excellent flights on Singapore Airlines, one with a particularly motivated crew, that we arrived in Bali under a tropical downpour… Which won’t reflect at all on our stay on the Indonesian island, which will be perfect.

A look back at the first leg of our honeymoon in Ubud. As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:

Booking

We booked this hotel when planning our wedding and honeymoon, a few months before our departure.

At that time, the property wasn’t open and the only Marriott available was the Element Ubud, which was good value but not very premium for a honeymoon.

Shtala was also possible, but only standard rooms were available.

But a few weeks before our arrival, a miracle: The Westin Ubud seems to be open for bookings, and villas are available… Or rather one villa, which we quickly booked for just under €450 a night.

Between the time of booking and the time of our arrival, I’m worried because I still only see rendered images on the site… Fortunately, the Facebook account seems active, and everything will be ready for our arrival.

Arrival

We arrive from Denpasar airport in the pouring rain. As a result of the COVID crisis in full swing in Asia in mid-February, traffic on the island is very light, and we arrive at the hotel in just under an hour, thanks to the booked shuttle service.

It’s pitch-dark when we arrive, but we’re immediately taken care of by a lift attendant who looks after our luggage.

The receptionist then proceeds with our check-in formalities, visibly taken aback by the arrival of an Ambassador (the first in the hotel) and the fact that I had booked a villa directly. You don’t go on a honeymoon every day!

He fumbles, but, as usual in Southeast Asia, it’s all done with a big smile, and we’re in no hurry!

I confirm that I’d like breakfast as an Ambassador benefit, then the receptionist escorts us to our villa.

It’s not easy to find your way around without an escort, I must admit, and although I’m not a fan of in-room escorts, it was very useful this time.

Even though the hotel has just opened, the paths are already landscaped.

Our luggage will be brought to the villa within minutes of our arrival.

Room

Our villa is one of two available in the hotel, and the only one with a king-size bed, the other being equipped with two double beds. This second villa seems to be occupied by the hotel manager.

The decor of this villa is just perfect. Balinese, but very modern.

The entrance is quite spacious, with space for a change of shoes, and leads immediately down a few steps to the lounge area.

A desk provides work space, and is topped by a large TV.

On the other side of the lounge is a coffee table on which a welcome gift and a note from the General Manager have been left for us.

The lounge area is quite pleasant, even if the sofa isn’t the most comfortable, and the library is seriously under-decorated.

A sliding door separates the lounge from the cosy night space, which has also been decorated for the occasion.

A walk-in wardrobe links the night zone to the bathroom. It’s very spacious and will easily accommodate our large suitcases and clothes for the three nights we’ll be here.

The bathroom is very spacious, certainly more spacious than a standard room in the same property!

The orchid enhances the soothing ambience created by the harmony of colors and materials.

Deux vasques permettent aux couples de se préparer sans problème en parallèle.

Bottles of water were prepared for teeth cleaning.

Nice chubby towels are available to put on the deckchairs.

Everything is obviously brand new in this newly opened hotel.

The shower is certainly bigger than the rooms in some Accor hotels, but in any case it’s very pleasant, and the pressure is excellent.

Westin white tea toiletries are placed in the shower.

A large bathtub overlooking the pool is installed near the windows. We won’t be using it, but it’s big enough for two people to take a bath at the same time!

The highlight of this villa is its outdoor space, and the brand-new private pool that makes you want to dive in, day or night.

The view over the jungle is totally unobstructed, and there are no neighbours to deplore.

At night, the space is also very pleasant, and the water is always warm.

Even under the rain, it is very pleasant.

To finish, here is a video visit of this villa:

Hotel facilities

Like any resort, the hotel is of course richly equipped with facilities of all kinds.

Swimming pool and pool bar

The pool and the pool bar are the center of the hotel. The combination of the recent opening and the COVID crisis means that the hotel is virtually empty, which means that the pool area is also empty, as is the restaurant/bar, which won’t be very busy during our 3-night visit.

At night, it’s just as pretty, and although you can’t use the public pool at night, its surroundings make an excellent decorum for dining.

Gym

The fitness room is located in the same building as the spa, in close proximity to both villas. As the hotel has just opened, it is equipped with the latest generation of equipment and is very spacious.

However, we won’t enjoy the fitness room during our stay in Ubud.

Westin Heavenly Spa

The spa, located in the same building as the fitness room, is extremely pleasant. We booked a 90-minute massage for two for 1.35 million, and were able to take advantage of the 20% discount offered to Ambassador members.

It was probably the best massage we’ve had in a very long time: in addition to the ultra-relaxing atmosphere (beginning of the treatment on the terrace, natural light), the professionalism of the masseuses was perfect.

Please pardon the lack of photos.

Food options

The restaurants were a minor disappointment of this stay. And you know how much we, at TravelGuys, love to eat…

As the hotel was in soft opening, not all restaurants were open. In particular, the main restaurant, Tabia, was only open for breakfast, leaving the poolside bar/snack bar as the only option for lunch or dinner.

Breakfast service – Tabia

Breakfast is served in the main restaurant, Tabia. It’s located on the 3rd floor of the hotel, and is accessible from the villas via a ramp to the terrace, so you don’t have to go through reception again.

As on most of my stays when breakfast is not included, I choose this benefit as the Ambassador gift, in my opinion the one with the best value. Here, the atmosphere is excellent and the breakfast top-notch.

The hot items are excellent, certainly due to the British nationality of the executive chef, who will be on hand every morning and will chat with most guests. We’ll have an interesting conversation about the hotel business.

The cold cuts are also of good quality.

The viennoiseries are pretty good, but clearly not up to French standards.

The yogurts are of excellent quality.

The fresh juices are delightful, and vary every morning.

The fresh fruits are good, without being exceptional (a bit disappointing for Asia).

A pleasant breakfast experience.

Lobby bar

The lobby bar is very pleasant, and offers a daily Happy Hour for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members and above. We’ll enjoy it one evening, for a very pleasant pre-dinner drink.

Departure

Our late check-out was confirmed on arrival, as was our transfer to the St. Regis Bali at 4pm. So we enjoyed our villa for one last long morning, before saying goodbye to this excellent hotel.

Very fast and friendly check-out. We’ll return!

Bottom line

Although the hotel, at the time of our visit, was still in Soft Opening, with work being carried out on part of the façade, the villa was magnificent. A few service adjustments and full opening of the restaurants would have been preferable, but nothing too serious.

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