Hotel Review: Alila Ubud in Bali, Indonesia

After falling in love with Bali on our 2023 trip, we returned in 2024 for 3 weeks. We split our time between four World of Hyatt hotels, Hyatt Regency (Sanur), Andaz (Sanur), Desa Hay (Canggu [SLH and Mr and Mrs Smith]) and Alila Ubud (Ubud).

We stayed at Alila Ubud for four nights. It is currently a category 3 World of Hyatt property (it was a category 2 when we booked it). My motto is affordable luxury, and this hotel certainly qualifies as that. And more.

To say that the Alila Ubud is picturesque is an understatement. It is a luxurious and beautiful Balinese sanctuary in the midst of an authentic jungle. The grounds are just gorgeous, but they are sprawling with many steep steps, so you may want to keep this in mind if it is relevant to you.

Pardon me if I say wow and gorgeous a lot!

We were upgraded to a Terrace Tree Villa (a premium suite). Here is a video walk through of the Villa. Gorgeous, gorgeous!!

Here are some more photos of the villa:

Of course, I know you want to know about the monkeys. Yes, we saw quite a few jumping around from our windows.

Back to our private porch . . .

The shower and bathtub are outdoors – something you might love or loathe.

The Plantation Restaurant, which is near the lobby and pool, is where we had breakfast each morning. The staff and the meals were phenomenal – the menu changed each day, and we had to try everything.

The food presentation was a work of art!

Next to the pool was a small bar/restaurant. They served tea and sweets each afternoon. We also had dinner here one evening.

Each day there was a morning activity. The first day it was a guided walk around the rice fields right outside the hotel. The second, third and fourth days, it was Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong. I really enjoyed the activities (except for the killer mosquitoes which loved me even more). It was good to meet other people at the hotel, and it all seemed to add to the Ubud experience.

This is the fitness center. It was dark and most of the equipment was out of date. This could certainly benefit from a renovation.

Some reflections, first the positives:

The hotel grounds, and the accommodations are simply gorgeous.

The food is delicious.

The staff is incredible. Everyone is helpful. We really enjoyed spending time getting to know the General Manager, Bagus. He is truly a gentleman, and he loves rock n’ roll music.

The pool and the daily activities enrich the experience even moreso.

Some possible negatives:

The hotel is actually in a town called Payangan and is approximately a 20 minute ride to Ubud town. Although a shuttle bus runs regularly, if you want a hotel that is close to the center of Ubud, this hotel may not be for you.

As I mentioned earlier, the grounds are sprawling with tons of steps. However, the hotel is more than happy to transport you to your room area in a golf cart.

My sincere thanks to Bagus Jelantik, the General Manager, and his entire staff, for making the hotel and our stay there so special.