Viceroy Bali Ubud - Luxury Hotel Review

Location: Ubud, Bali
Price: £££
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Perfect for: Private pool, great food, luxury service

Ubud can be a busy and bustling place, but you leave all that behind when your taxi turns into Viceroy Bali. This is a small hotel with less than 30 villas, but it has a lot going for it and uses it’s size to its advantage.

Location

Located in the majestic Petanu Valley, also known as the ‘Valley of the Kings’, Viceroy Bali is a short drive to the Ubud centre, but feels like it is a world away. The hotel actually overlooks the site of former royal palaces, and this regal nature sweeps throughout the hotel.

The collection of luxurious villas all overlook the lush green valley, as does the main pool and Cascade restaurant. This is a magnificent view to have, and you’ll never get tired of looking at it.

There is a free shuttle service that will take guests to Ubud centre and it doesn’t take very long either. This means guests can enjoy both the tranquillity of the hotel, as well as the vibrancy of Ubud centre.

Design and Character

There is an elegance to Viceroy Bali which is very hard to master. There is nothing garish about the high level of luxury here, instead it boasts an understated old-world charm.

All the buildings have a traditional thatched roof, including the two-tier lobby which channels the eye to sweeping views of the valley below. Descending the steps of the lobby leads to the infinity pool which is surrounded by green grass and perfectly potted palms. This is also where the traditionally designed Cascades restaurant is located.

Accommodation

The villas at Viceroy Bali are it’s pride and joy and our one bedroom villa with a private pool was a sublime sight.

We entered into an immense but elegant space, separated into a living space in the front with a comfortable sofa and coffee table, and a large king size bed towards the back of the room. This was flanked by a large marble bathroom with his and her sinks and a statement bathtub too.

The toiletries are of a high quality, including an Oral B toothbrush and insect repellent too. Be sure to use this as I did get quite a few bites during my stay, and probably more so because the bed didn’t have mosquito net around it.

This was most certainly an impressive space, but it was made even better when we stepped out onto our deck.

The patio included two sunbeds, a stunning overwater balé or daybed, and of course our private infinity pool. This pool offered uninterrupted views of the valley ahead of us, and it spanned the entire deck, meaning it was both large and deep.

The pool can also be heated, which we requested for the evenings of our stay as the temperature did drop at night. It takes a few hours so be sure to request this in advance.

The room also included an espresso machine, mini bar and 24-hour room service menu. I was impressed that there was also a very good quality bluetooth speaker which you could use to fill the large space with your music.

There is a turndown service where the staff leave gorgeous mini chocolates gifts on your bed and fold out kimonos for you too.

Dining

Dinner at Cascade

Cascades is the restaurant located in the centre of the hotel and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu is a well thought through mixture of both Indonesian and European cuisine.

Some of my highlights from the menu included the gado gado (Balinese vegetable salad) and bebek betutu (Balinese confit duck leg).

Dinner at Apéritif

The second restaurant is Apéritif, is a stunning fine dining venue serving a sublime degustation menu.

Apéritif is set slightly aside from the main hotel, so I recommend asking for a buggy to take you straight to the entrance. As soon as you see the building, you’ll know you are in for a treat.

We started our experience with cocktails in the Apéritif bar, a classy colonial-style bar with comfortable Chesterfields and a collection a high-end spirits on show on the impressive bar.

We then moved into the main dining room which has sleek, monochrome interiors, creating a sophisticated but modern feel that captures the glamour and elegance of the 1920s.

The degustation menu is an epic journey through Indonesia’s culinary diversity, seen through a modern lens. Belgian Executive Chef, Nic Vanderbeeken presents an array of opulent dishes and my highlights included creamy local oyster from lombok, served with a dashi. I enjoyed the zero waste tomato dish which exuded the classic combination of cheese and tomato.

The highlight of the menu is the Venison Wellington, which is served with foie gras, delicious rendang and sweet potato.

But it doesn’t end there, as there are 2 desserts, and a petit fours left to indulge in. We definitely needed the buggy to drive us back to our villa after this fantastic meal.

Breakfast

Breakfast takes place at the Cascades restaurant and is currently served a la carte, which I much prefer over buffets.

The menu is vast, inviting and includes both Indonesian and European favourites such as seasonal tropical fruit salads, waffles, salmon scrambled eggs, mie goreng and more.

I really enjoyed the breakfasts here as we never felt rushed and were able to try a few different dishes and drinks, including coffees and juices. It was also nice to spend this time talking to the friendly staff, all of whom were welcoming and open to sharing their experience of Bali and Ubud.

Facilities

The infinity pool is the centrepiece of the hotel has sweeping views of the valley. The pool is lined with comfortable sun beds facing valley, and there is a swim-up bar, making this is a gorgeous space to spend a few hours.

The on-site Lembah Spa offers high quality Western and local treatments. There is a steam room, hot tub and lounge area and treatments can be booked through reception or by calling them directly.

There’s also a gym, a shop and even a helipad if that’s your preferred mode of travel.

The grounds are quite hilly and so we usually requested the buggy to take us from our villa to different parts of the hotel. don’t be afraid to use this service if you want to avoid slopes.

Social hour at Viceroy Bali

On certain afternoons the hotel hosts a social hour for all guests in Cascades restaurant. Here guests can enjoy a selection of cocktails and nibbles too and spend time with staff and other guests.

I would recommend attending this as the snacks are high quality and include things like cheese, charcuterie and more. You can even enjoy a few complimentary cocktails in the bar whilst watching the sunset - a must do!

Overall

Viceroy Bali is a hotel which will make you feel like Balinese royalty. The service here was always top-notch, whilst being genuinely friendly at the same time too.

The villas are sumptuous and we happily spent an entire day lounging by our private pool. Don’t book too much into your itinerary, as you’ll probably want to make the most of the villas too.

I was also very impressed with the food at both Cascades and Apéritif restaurant and would recommend them both.