Gdas Bali Health and Wellness Resort — Hotel in Pulau Bali

A Disappointing Experience at a Construction Site Masquerading as a Wellness Resort

I visited the Gdas Bali Health and Wellness Resort with high expectations, seeking a tranquil and rejuvenating experience. Unfortunately, what I found was a chaotic construction site that bore little resemblance to the serene spa retreat advertised on their website.

From the moment I arrived, it was clear that the resort was far from the peaceful haven it claimed to be. The images on their website were blatantly misleading—showcasing an idealized “planned” vision rather than the harsh reality. Instead of serenity, I was greeted by the constant sound of construction. Workers hammered, drilled, and clanged throughout our entire stay.

One of the main attractions, the sauna facility, was nothing more than a hastily assembled, poorly designed structure perched on the edge of the hotel. It lacked the quality and ambiance you would expect from a luxury spa. The woodwork was rough and unfinished, and the so-called hammam was damp, musty, and improperly ventilated—making it nearly impossible to use comfortably. As if that weren’t bad enough, I ended up with a splinter in my foot due to the rough, unpolished wooden surfaces—a painful reminder of the resort’s shocking lack of attention to detail.

Privacy was another major issue. The changing rooms were nothing more than a shared bathroom with a shower, offering no privacy whatsoever. On more than one occasion, construction workers casually strolled in, making the entire experience feel awkward and invasive. The absence of basic privacy in a place that markets itself as a wellness retreat is simply unacceptable. The showers were clogged, and the drainage had formed a pool of water, making it incredibly unhygienic to shower there.

The restaurant was no better. The food at the restaurant was a catastrophe. When they brought out the salt and pepper, I knew it was time to leave. The quality was the cheapest you could find, and the food itself was a disaster. The jackfruit steak was like chewing on leather, and my Thai curry was nothing more than tomato water with flavorless eggplants floating in it. Seriously, when you go to a restaurant, you expect the chef to cook better than you can at home, but here, the only thing they had in common with other restaurants was the plates, forks, and knives. There was no edible food to speak of.

At a glance, the resort might appear impressive, but a closer inspection reveals the amateurish craftsmanship behind it. The hotel staff, while numerous, moved about mechanically, showing little warmth or genuine hospitality. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the friends who stayed there for several nights, enduring the same disappointing experience. Thankfully, Ubud has many better and truly luxurious accommodations to choose from.

In summary, this resort is extremely disappointing—almost every photo on their website is misleading, and the reality falls far short of the wellness retreat they advertise. The ongoing construction, the unbearable noise, and the poor-quality facilities make it impossible to relax. Save yourself the trouble and book somewhere else—Ubud has much...

Firstly, the service is specacular. The staff were very considerate and went above and beyond to address tge issues we had with our rooms. Now to the negative: we stayed at the resort during their 'soft open', which would be fine if they didn't use this as an excuse to provide subpar accommodations. The doors are paper thin and are difficult to maneuver. Being situated on a rice paddy, there will naturally be insects in The surrounding environment, which is fine and acceptable only if the rooms accommodated to keep the insects out. The glass doors of the rooms are cheap and have visible gaps between the two sliding panel segments. Not only that but the entire upper portion of the door is not sealed and is completely open to the outside, leaving at least a 6 cm segment of open space. Not only are the doors cheap and not sealed properly but the wooden flooring has visible separation between the floor boards, again exposing the inside of the room to the oppressive: humidity, heat, and insects of the outside. One of the staff stated that this was due to the humidity warping the wood but for the price we pay per night, this is UNACCEPTABLE. She further states that only the deluxe rooms can utilize a mosquito net for sleeping. If i wanted to be exposed to the jungle elements, i would have pitched a tent and not spent my money on lodging made with cheap materials. Not only does the improper sealing of the rooms let insects in but it wastes and enormous amount of energy as the AC units are constantly running. They claim to be for health and wellness yet do not hold the environment in Consideration. They are a wellness resort yet they hhave ZERO curriculum for wellness activities, they offer yoga once per day at 7 AM. I came here to relax. Not wake up at 7 to do the only available yoga class for the day. They have a hot yoga room but its for doing yoga on our own initiative. Its not hard to offer separate yoga classes during the day with the option of hot or normal.

The listing is disingenuous as they do not inform you of the temporary accommodations for the fitness and spa center which they state will be ready later.

They need much improvement before asking for the price they do.

If you want to stay here, be wary and dont waste you money until they have completely finished...

I would give this place 100 stars if I could.

Immaculately designed with a modern mixed with traditional Balinese style. The common space has an indoor-outdoor concept complete with gorgeous pool, jacuzzi, hot yoga studio and the restaurant— it is to-DIE-for (ironically, completely vegan, so no animals were harmed in the making of its dishes). Out of the 4 walls of my room, 2 of them were floor to ceiling glass. The view from my bed were vast rice paddy fields, but because it was all glass and not actually open-air, no bugs could get in. I felt so safe and contained and yet, immersed in nature at the same time.

But this is not even where GDAS really shines… From the moment I arrived, I felt taken care of like family. Every staff member is delightfully warm, welcoming and genuinely cared so much about my every need and well-being. One night, I thought I had Bali belly (it ended up just being indigestion) and didn’t know where I could get activated charcoal. I texted the front desk and they ran out to get it for me at 9pm. Another time, I was heading out to a restaurant a 10-min walk away but it was dark, so one of the staff members, Devi, insisted on scootering me over. That same staff member scootered over a few items I had left in the fridge in my room AFTER I had already checked out to my new hotel. An absolute angel. To say they go above and beyond is an understatement. Juni, the in-house mixologist, made me surprise mocktails from time to time— little concoctions to help me sleep, a drink on my last night, etc. He also teaches the Loh Loh-making class (a traditional Balinese drink) and is truly so talented at what he does. And I learned so much from Chef Dewa at my 1:1 cooking class (where I got to personally select 5 dishes I wanted to make off his amazing menu)— everything from knife skills to making Sambal Matah to the secret to his amazing Black Pepper Jackfruit Beef.

I will never forget my time at GDAS. And how well taken care of I was by the staff there. And I will 100% return— hopefully with friends and family in...