Bvlgari Resort Bali — Hotel in Kuta Selatan

This post is for those who are deciding between the Bvlgari or the nearby Six Senses. The comparison is made because for villas, the price range between both are somewhat the same. We stayed in both during the same trip. Hands down, Bvlgari wins in all aspects. From the check-in experience, to detailing in the room, the services from butlers (ours are Stefanus and Ferry), food, cocktails, landscaping, building maintenance and service level from all staffs, Bvlgari exudes luxury and thoughtfulness in their presentation. Every morning, the butler at Bvlgari come and greet us during breakfast and anticipate our needs ahead and make arrangement. No expense is spared for the hotel breakfast and one can expect top ingredients made with love and presented with pride. Even a simple fried rice dish is made so beautifully with quality ingredients and I have to say it is the best that I have tasted. Another example is the chef special which changes every morning, we have egg shashuka one morning and it came with 2 sizeable soft shell crabs. There’s also chef creation to every meal, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner that’s on the house and it’s a different creation each meal. Clearly, there’s a lot of thought out through to ensure the client experience stays top notch. One of the 3 mornings that we were at Bvlgari, we couldn’t finish our breakfast and left the fruit platter untouched, the waiter offered to call the butler to get the fruits delivered to our room so we can enjoy it anytime - which we did - that is anticipate clients need ahead! Our butler is one of the main reason why we extended additional night at Bvlgari. We had 2 birthday cakes arranged and each was carefully customised and on the house! Also, when we can’t decide if we should check out early to venture out for lunch in town, the butler suggested to have the meal delivered so that we don’t have to queue and can relax instead at the resort for late checkout. We had the famous Babi guling Dobiel ordered, delivered and served in our villa by our thoughtful and generous butler as a gift! It’s truly exceptional service, very thoughtful and a must try to experience this level of luxury. From this 3 nights stay, I learn to appreciate the landscaping and the plants that surround us. There are many gardeners can be seen throughout the day (in their discreet way) to maintain this beautiful masterpiece. So many types of plants and each thriving. The vibe is so relaxing and restorative. I ended up buying plants online to be sent home after being so inspired by the landscape here. There is also a beautiful private beach that is easily accessible by a lift!

We experienced a sharp and almost shocking contrast when we came to Six senses. Going to six senses was not planned as we failed to board our flight back as we didn’t do our PCR test and had to extend another night in Bali. We decided to checkout another hotel and chose Six senses’s room (not villa). The landscaping at six senses is a mess and one can see dead trees and bushes around the premise. We understand the six senses staffs were laid off during the pandemic and the upkeep of this place took a huge hit - building maintenance and landscaping included. Food is pale in comparison to Bvlgari. Whilst the staffs at Six senses tried to make up in service, it’s truly no match to the team at Bvlgari.

I am truly so glad that we stayed in Bvlgari Bali. To the team at Bvlgari from Pak Harry, Stefanus, Ferry, waiter Wayan, yoga instructor, gardeners, housekeeping and the entire team, well done and I experienced your hospitality and each of you played an important part to the excellent experience. Thank...

There's no shortage of luxury resorts in Bali, but Bulgari tries its utmost to redefine the 5* experience. We arrived late at night and were greeted by a host of guards checking our taxi for explosives including a metal detector sweep you typically see on Homeland. It's a shame that the state of the world today requires such precautions, but we were deeply relieved that Bulgari considers this a necessary expense. After checking in at the lobby (with breathtaking views in the daytime), our porter/driver/general man about town, Rifki, swiftly escorted us in a buggy to our villa and took the opportunity to inform us about various events taking place during our stay and parts of the property we might want to check out. So many places from resorts to corporations claim their people are what makes them tick, and no truer is this than at Bulgari. All the staff we encountered went out of their way to make our stay extra special, from the cheerful waiter who recommended some must-see Balinese sights upon learning it's our first trip, to the pool staff who are always on hand to bring an extra towel or refill your water, to the concierge and butlers who coordinate to make your requests a reality. We didn't always ask things of the same people, but somehow the communication between them means that they know your name, enquire about your dinner at ABC the night before, ask about your daytime activity at XYZ etc. I believe the resort is around 10yrs old and its age is starting to show in places, but we saw some renovation work which we understand is being rolled out across the villas so I hope to enjoy Bulgari again after its facelift.

A few insider tips:

1. The Balinese restaurant sometimes plays host to mainland Chinese tour groups for afternoon tea outside of prime lunch and dinner hours. If you're looking for a romantic lunch for two (or even just to hold a conversation), book ahead for lunch at the beach club. We were frequently the only 2 people there and very much enjoyed the grilled fresh seafood and crackers with sambal bajak (which is better than the rendition up at the restaurant).

2. Anyone looking to catch some rays at the beach should go in the morning. The sun bed area gets thrown into shade by the afternoon.

3. Allow more time for checkout as the buggy service to pick you and your bag up gets understandably busy around the noon deadline.

4. The gym is well-equipped with your standard cardio machines and free weights as well as yoga mats, medicine balls and even...

Bulgari Resort in Bali is probably one of the most well known or hyped super luxury place to spoil yourself. I came here with my wife as she really wanted to give it a try and see for herself what the hype is all about.

First Impression, the place is beautiful, surrounded by beautifully decorated nature around us, and the villa is wonderful. As you can see the villa is quite over the top, in a good way of course. It has a huge outdoor area, a beautiful mini pool to dip yourself as you sunbath, but it's definitely not for swimming for its size.

Food, I have to say is unfortunately not all that special at all in any way. We had the chance to have dinner in one of their restaurant, the view is magnificent overlooking the endless sea with a beautiful sunset to end our day. The food experience however is, not memorable. It's not bad by any means, but it simply doesn't leave a memorable impression that will bring you back to eat there. We had breakfast in room service for a balinese breakfast set, and once again is not very impressive, you can tell it's quality but taste does not justify. Let me put it this way, the price vs taste simply does not justify. I can't blame them for setting such a high price, as they are a branded luxury resort.

Last of all which impresses the most is their service from the staff. They really put their utmost effort to make you feel serviced, comfortable and like a royalty for once. We were planning to go down to the beach but unfortunately the elevator is under maintenance, totally understandable for me. They apologise for the inconvenience and later bring an apology letter with a box of chocolate. That is world class service right there.

Conclusion, the place is a beauty, one of a small little paradise in this island of Gods, their service is top notch, but the price does not make much sense to me. There are a couple of places which I have visited in the past which is equally as good in certain ways, yet priced half or less compared to this resort. It's probably due to its brand, if you're a fan of it, its worth going, give it a try and feel it...