I am quite a fan of W brand and stayed regularly at W Hong Kong and also recently W Taipei. So naturally I am very interested to try the W Bali. During my recent trip to Bali, I decided to cut short my stay at another resort in order to accommodate a one night stay here. It was a last minute spur of the moment thing. As it was too late to book online, I tried to book by phone by contacting the resort directly and managed to secure a good rate from the reservation agent. However, this was not without hiccups as their email don’t seems to work so I could not receive my reservation. Fortunately, it was sorted out in the end.

First thing first, before you read on the review, we need to get two things straight. First, the W is not Balinese. What?? It’s in Bali, how can it be not Balinese? Well, I am referring to the décor and the way the hotel is run, it’s not Balinese. All the rooms are modern and high-tech. The common areas are very funky and contemporary, not traditional. This resort can be in Miami beach or Hawaii and it will not look out of place. So if you are looking to stay at a traditional Balinese resort, look elsewhere. Second, the W Bali, being a W, means there’s always a crowd, with a party atmosphere and it sometimes gets really loud and rowdy. So if you are looking for peace and quiet, want to experience nature, and tranquility etc, look elsewhere, this is also not for you.

Now we got this sorted out, we can continue with the review.


Arriving

I ordered a car pickup from the W to pick me up from the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay. It’s a BMW X5 and the ride was relatively comfortable. The journey is about 45 mins and they have thoughtfully included pillows, ample supply of mineral water, sweets, magazines and even the resort’s in-house restaurant menu for browsing. A large W signboard hangs outside the resort entrance and I knew I had arrived. After the mandatory security check, my bags were unloaded and I was escorted to the check-in desk. I immediately notice the difference in atmosphere compared to my previous resort. It’s much more busy and noisier especially in the lobby. A nice lady checked me in and assigned me the suite at the highest floor. That means better view and less noisy. I was initially given the key and she lead me to the lift, but then she decided to escort me directly to the room and give a brief introduction of the suite to me and explained its features.

The Marvelous Suite

I booked a Marvelous Suite at the W Bali. The Suite is an expansive 127m2 one bedroom suite. The most eye catching feature is the huge living room with a long sofa that extends from one end of the wall to the other. The bedroom is equally spacious, with a large king size bed. The bathroom is a full ensuite with dual vanity basins, a rainforest shower and a large terrano bathtub. As the suite is located at the top floor, the bathroom features natural light from the windows overhead.

The design and style is very “W”, ie modern and contemporary. The color scheme is almost mono-chromatic with shades of grey but is never for a moment dull looking. There are the usual W-touches, such as munchies box, cutesy welcome amenity ( a toy-pig on a scale and some honeycomb biscuits ) and generous Bliss Spa toiletries in full size bottles.
The suite also features a large outdoor balcony with panoramic ocean views. And what a view! Now this is true ocean view! No longer do I have to put up with postage stamp size “ocean views” from villas that have just a glimpse of the ocean while they charge you double the price. It’s a full on, unobstructed, 180 deg view of the Indian ocean and the Seminyak beach as well as the colorful W lagoon below. It’s especially spectacular at sunset, and you can see and hear the waves crushing on shore. Just marvelous.

The in-room technology is just as sophisticated. There’s mood lighting, top of the line Samsung 55” LED TV, Bose sound system and iPod docks. A/V connections of all kind. And that’s in both the living room and the bedroom. The bed, as expected of a W, is extremely comfortable, with top quality linens.

However, it isn’t perfect. The main problem I had during my stay is the bathroom. First the water pressure was low. It was very low when I checked-in and a technician came to repair it upon my complaint and it was better afterwards. However, it was still not “rain” shower. Trying to take a bath was a trial in patience. First, the water took anywhere from 2 to 5 mins to get hot. The hotel even put a card there to warn the guest that it takes 2 mins to get the water hot. And when it finally got hot, it became too hot. When I try to adjust it the other way quickly made it turn cold again. It’s like the thermostat is not working. The tub is useless because I couldn’t get the water hot enough to fill the tub.

Another design flaw is that the working desk is at middle of the sitting room but there are no plugs. To charge your stuff, you have to do that in the bedroom, right below the TV console. Basically there’s no working desk. However, it’s a small issue and most guests that come and stay at a W resort will not be thinking of work.

Overall, despite the bathroom problems, I still like this suite very much. I enjoyed the in-room A/V system and the spectacular view from my large balcony. There were some noise in the evening from the loud music playing in the Woo-Bar but it was not loud enough to disturb my sleep, and I am a light sleeper. Perhaps that’s because my suite was located at the top floor and away from the Woo-bar. I can understand guests whose rooms are located directly in front of or near the Wow-bar is going to get upset at the loud music ( noise ).


Common Areas

The W resort Bali is actually not very big compared to some of the mega resorts in Bali. It doesn’t feature any expansive compounds or gardens. Basically, the accommodations in the resort are rooms at the main building and some private villas ( with no views ) at a separate compound away from the main building for those who desired privacy. All the facilities and restaurants are located at the main building, which features two world class restaurants, a gym, a spa, a lounge, a library and business center, a large outdoor lagoon with swimming pool and of course, a shopping gallery and finally, the noisy Woo-Bar with a sun-deck. All these facilities fronted the Seminyak beach, with long sandy beaches ( dark sand ). The beach might not be swimmable at times depending on the tide.

Most of the common areas as mentioned earlier are decorated in contemporary style, with some Balinese touches here and there, but you have to look for it. The lobby and lounge is open-to-all and you are free to sit or lounge anywhere you want, without the obligation to order any food or drinks. That’s what’s nice about the W. They are not restrictive. I did not try the Spa but did went there to take a look and it felt rather peaceful. It’s not the Bliss Spa but the Away Spa. The gym looks reasonably high tech.

Wow Food!

The hotel features two signature restaurants, the Fire and the Star Fish Boo, both having received rave reviews from many travel magazines. I had an early morning buffet breakfast at the Fire and the food quality is superb. Muffins, waffles, eggs cooked to order, the freshest of croissants, pasteries etc, you name it, they probably have it. They even feature a separate menu where you can choose your own cooked to order items, such as noodles, minute steak, Balinese breakfast items etc and it’s all included in the price for a very reasonable Rp300,000/= or about USD35/=.

I also ordered my dinner at the same restaurant Fire. As I wanted to enjoy my sunset view from the comfort of my suite, I ordered at the restaurant but asked them to deliver to my room, which they happily obliged without hassle. The food was brought up just in time, freshly cooked and piping hot. It’s a three course meal with a delightful risotto appertizer cooked to perfection, a literally mouth watering Veal Chop with a crispy crust skin and a chocolate dessert with icecream, all of which were very delicious and top top quality.

The other restaurant in W is the Star Fish Boo which I have yet to try. I will definitely try on my next stay there and I am confident it will be just as good. The F&B offerings in this hotel are delightful. The breakfast is to die for, both in quality and quantity. The food at the Fire is excellent. Both restaurants features an extensive menu to suit whatever your hearts desired. They also served snacks and drinks in the Lagoon as well as the lobby bar. The prices are of course higher than outside but still very reasonable.

Service

I usually do not have very high expectation of service at the W. The staff are generally nice and helpful but usually nothing more and I often lamented the lack of personal touch that can be found in top luxury chains such as the Four Seasons. However, not this W. From check-in to check-out, everyone was very nice, even the security guard that greeted me warmly after I came back to the resort from a walk at the beach. The service during breakfast was attentive and excellent and it was delightful to find a cheerful face in the morning. It feels like the people here, mostly young people by the way, really like their job, and they are well trained and not employed just for their good looks.

Case in point, when I checked out, I carried my own luggage down since there isn’t many and when I came out from the lift, a hotel staff immediately walked to me and offered to carry my bags. I was very surprised later on to know that he’s actually the Director of Rooms in the resort and not a bellboy. We had a chat and I took the opportunity to feedback about the problems with the bathroom. He promised that the management is definitely looking into this currently.

In another incident, I was browsing the Internet on one of the new iMacs at the resort’s business center. Silly of me, I wanted to check out my pictures from my camera using the computer and accidentally inserted my camera’s memory card into the CD slot! Of course, it got stucked inside. I nearly freaked out when that happened as the card holds the photos of my entire trip which I took painstakingly over the last few days. The card was stucked inside and cannot be retrieved unless the computer was opened up and this can only be done by a qualified technician. Of course, it was the weekend and they won’t be working until Monday while I will be leaving that day Sunday. Fortunately, a senior manager took charge of the situation and assured me not to worry and he will do his best. One hour later, I got my memory card back! Phew!

Overall, the service is top notch, I cannot be more pleased. And I am one that are used to good service. It’s sincere without pretense and they get things done when you really need it.


Conclusion

So in summary, I can evaluate the hotel as follows :

Common Areas – wow
The suite – Wow
The View :- Wow!
Service – WOW!!!
Food – SUPER WOW!!!!!!!!!
Except bathroom – Not Wow… Please fix the hot water system and water pressure issues.

As it is not perfect ( bathroom problems ), I will give it a 4/5. But it’s more a solid 4.5, and it’s certainly the best resort I have tried in Bali so far. I have to be fair. I previously denied the W Taipei, another superb hotel, a 5/5 despite a great stay because of the bad arrival experience so I can’t rate it a perfect 5/5 due to the bathroom problems. Fix that, and I will gladly upgrade it to a perfect 5/5. That said, I genuinely like this place and can’t wait to pack up my flip-flops and come back here again!

Wonderful retreat in a great location by the Seminyak beach, modern design throughout the resort, has great atmosphere with lounge music. Loved the sunset view by the pool!

Very nice hotel on a top location! The wow effect is really there...
Comfortable rooms, wonderfull view and superb service! Bit expensive, but is is worth it...

I've been looking forward to my Bali trip coz this is supposed to be my quick break and late birthday celebration. From the time I arrived to the time I left, the service is simply fantastic. I was also surprised when the hotel gave me a birthday cake and gift when I arrived, shows how much they really look after you at the W. Yes, it can be pricey but i think the service compensates very well for it. The rooms are lovely. I stayed on the top floor and i love the touch they have on the bathroom wherein you have natural light filtering through. It will be a nice place for couples, i think it will incite the romantic in you. When I arrived, i hardly didn't even want to leave the property so any plans i made of shopping or visiting nearby places were minimized and instead, i stayed in more at the hotel -- lounging around and relaxing at the many interesting nooks & corners.

my only gripe is that 1 towel i was given when i went swimming at the pool. it has some rust marks on it. but i can overlook it with the superb talent's that you have at the W.

Overall, a very nice experience. A place i would definitely recommend and come back to.

<3 W