Alia Ubud, Bali, Luxury Hotel Review

Location: Ubud, Bali
Price: £££
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Perfect for: Tranquil stay close to Ubud

Alila Ubud is a tranquil hillside retreat that is located on the edge of the rich green Ayung River valley.

This beautiful jungle getaway oozes a sense of calm and tranquillity, yet it is close to Ubud’s town centre and its popular attractions.

Location

Alila Ubud is located about 1 hour 30 mins drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport. Once you turn into the road the hotel is located on, you’ll drive for at least another 5 minutes through lush green rice fields and have the opportunity to see rice cultivation through it’s different stages.

This gives the hotel a secluded and peaceful nature, yet it is only 5 miles from Ubud centre and is easily reached by the hotel’s free shuttle service.

Design & Character

Blending contemporary design and traditional Balinese architecture, Alila Ubud has a intimate feeling about it, especially due to the secluded courtyards, spacious terraces and private hidden away villas.

The design of the buildings always highlights the nature around it, with villas offering panoramic views of the jungle, and the restaurants and pool all showing the lush valley.

Accommodation

We stayed in the 1 bedroom forest-edge villa and absolutely loved it. The villa has a large and spacious balcony with views of the lush jungle, which continues into the villa as this is also lined with large windows offering beautiful panoramic views.

The villa consisted of the bedroom with a large bed and comfortable window-side seating area, as well as a dressing area and expansive bathroom, which was almost larger than the bedroom. This included his and her sinks with customised toiletries, and stunning bath with epic views, and a large showroom and toilet.

This was a beautiful space with a serene feel to it. In fact we spent many hours just gazing out the window at the jungle and the many monkeys that would sit on the trees directly in front of us.

We did miss having our own private pool, however the main infinity pool wasn’t too busy and we were able to use this.

TIP: Alila Ubud has a lot of monkeys on its ground, and you’ll often come across groups of them. This can be slightly off-putting to some people, who may feel uncomfortable enjoying the balcony when there is a chance a monkey may appear.

Dining

Plantation restaurant is the main restaurant at Alila Ubud. It is a beautiful building which consists simply of a thatched roof and so offers uninterrupted views of the infinity pool and valley. This is where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served, including a weekly barbecue night too.

The dinner menu here consists of farm-to-table Indonesian and Western-style dishes inspired by seasonal local produce. We really enjoyed our dinner here as the food felt healthy, fresh and light.

The second restaurant is the Cabana Lounge which has a much more chilled vibe to it. It overlooks the pool and offers soaring valley views.

This is where complimentary afternoon tea is served on a daily basis, which includes coffee or tea of your choice and some small traditional sweet bites. I recommend trying the herbal tea, and the coffee here is also very good.

Breakfast

I really enjoyed breakfast at the Plantation Restaurant, as the menu changes every day and the dishes were always delicious.

The breakfast menu includes a bread basket with homemade jams, including a delicious papaya jam which is a must-try. There is a choice of western breakfast dishes such as omelettes and ciabattas as well as indonesian dishes including bubur ayam and mie goreng.

There is also dessert on the menu and a selection of teas, coffee, juices and healthy ‘Jamu’ drinks too.

The portions are deliberately small in order to reduce waste and align with the hotel’s sustainability policy, but guests are welcome to ask for more, or larger portions if they like a particular dish. I liked this approach as it allowed me to sample several different dishes, and if I did particularly enjoy a dish I was easily able to order another portion.

Facilities

Alila Ubud has the most stunning infinity pool with breath-taking views of the valley. It is a 25-meter pool and is the central feature of the hotel. This is a gorgeous place to lay back and unwind. You may even spot the occasional monkey too!

Spa Alila is the on-site spa which specialises in treatments that blend ancient Asian healing techniques with the curative benefits of fresh, natural and quality ingredients.

I had a 60-minute massage here which was restful and restorative. They also offer unique outdoor treatments in inspiring settings. There is also a 24-hour fitness centre too.

Overall

My stay at Alila Ubud was restful and restorative. I spent long lazy afternoons gazing at the beautiful valley with a delicious coffee at hand. It is also convenient to get into the centre for the days you want to do some exploring. It was easy for us to get a Grab or Gojek to the many fantastic local restaurants for dinner.

The food at the restaurants and particularly at breakfast was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the focus on healthy and light dishes made with locally grown ingredients.

The staff also deserve a particular call-out, as they are all so genuinely kind and friendly - it was a pleasure to talk to them throughout the stay.

I would recommend Alila Ubud for those wanting a tranquil stay, but still close enough to easily explore the area.