Hanging Gardens Of Bali — Hotel in Pulau Bali

A Breathtaking Jungle Retreat with Impeccable Service and a Few Policy Flaws

We stayed at the Hanging Gardens of Bali from May 22nd to 26th in the Panoramic Villa, and overall it was a truly special experience.

Arrival & Setting We arrived at night but the magic of the resort was immediately apparent. Nestled deep in the jungle on the side of a lush valley with a river running below, the Hanging Gardens feels like a hidden sanctuary. From the moment you arrive it exudes premium elegance. The funicular-style elevator is a unique and exciting touch, adding to the sense of adventure and exclusivity.

Room The villa was immaculate, spacious, and beautifully appointed with stunning panoramic views of the forest. There’s more than enough room for two and potentially a small group to visit. The coffee machine, mini fridge, and tea station were great touches although having to go outside to access the tea station at night was slightly inconvenient. The bed was exceptionally comfortable and the mosquito net and in-room pest control were excellent, which is crucial in such a dense jungle setting.

Service Service is where Hanging Gardens excels. The staff are phenomenal attentive, warm, and willing to go above and beyond to help. Even when we were asked not to use a drone it was done with grace and professionalism. Their kindness really made the stay feel special.

We were celebrating our honeymoon, and the resort made sure we felt truly celebrated. They decorated our room beautifully, brought us a lovely cake, and offered complimentary drinks, which made the experience feel extra thoughtful and personal. These little touches went a long way in making us feel welcomed and valued.

Dining The on-site restaurant offers delicious food, a diverse menu, and excellent service. However, the pricing felt inflated. While Hanging Gardens positions itself alongside the likes of the Four Seasons, it lacks the accessibility and pedigree to justify the same pricing strategy, especially given its remote location. The high cost of food came across as a bit disingenuous, which undermines the integrity of such a premium setting.

Facilities The infinity pool is everything you’d hope for, picturesque and serene, but a few loose tiles are a sign that maintenance may be due soon. The spa appeared well-maintained, though we didn’t use it during our stay. One significant downside is the lack of a dedicated gym. For a resort claiming 5-star status, a proper gym is a must. The alternative, a shuttle to a general-purpose gym, is underwhelming.

Location The resort is beautifully remote, perfect if you’re looking to disconnect. However, this seclusion comes with drawbacks. It’s about a 40-minute drive to central Ubud, and the nearest ATM or alternative restaurants are not within walking distance. It’s a trade-off between immersiveness and convenience.

Memorable Moments The jungle immersion, wild monkeys, and proximity to a local temple made for a truly authentic and grounding experience. These are moments you can’t get at just any luxury resort.

Room for Improvement Beyond the gym and food pricing, our biggest issue was the airport shuttle. We paid $56 USD expecting a hotel-operated service but ended up with a local cab driver. The driver was lovely, but for that price, we could’ve booked a Grab for far less. Premium resorts should offer dedicated, branded transport for such services. This experience felt more about profit than premium care.

Final Verdict Despite a few policy missteps and the lack of a gym, Hanging Gardens of Bali is a beautiful, serene escape with world-class service and jaw-dropping views. With some thoughtful adjustments at a management level, it could truly rival the world’s best.

Rating: 4.3 / 5

Would definitely recommend for those seeking tranquility and jungle luxury with a...

What can I say??? The superlatives simply don't do this resort any justice!

I booked three night's in a panoramic villa, we checked in with a welcome drink and was Impressed at how swift this process was. We were escorted to villa 24 via the magical track lift and decended into paradise.

Prior to arrival I had researched this hotel, read reviews & watched videos therefore I knew what to expect. However, being there in person having viewed that information via social media prior still didn't lesson the impact of that WOW factor you encounter when you see the resort in person!

We entered our room and was absolutely blown away by the decor, cleanliness, choice of furnishings and the bathroom which had the biggest tub I've seen in a hotel. Still Impressed we were wowed by our own private deck, pool, outdoor seating area and then that VIEW! Amazing...

The resort is the gift that keeps on giving, as a result of the location you feel so connected with nature, the resort has been constructed sensitively to its surroundings and every corner you turn provides your senses with a real treat.

The flowers, landscape and views are to die for, the sounds of nature are also noteworthy and range from the sound of birds, monkeys, and of course the river water running through the resort which all provide an instant sparkle of calmness.

Afternoon tea was included as part of stay and this was another treat! The journey down to the lower spa area where tea is served also provides a treat on your senses. You take the lift down the mountainside where you can access a path down through the gardens and across the river to the other side of the mountain, this is where you are able to climb the otherside of the mountain to the temple. Please note this is a sweaty hike but worth it so please consider good shoes / trainers / footwear.

Then you have the most photographed pool in the world - that 2 tier infinity that blends into the jungle setting - words cannot express the sheer beauty of this view! This was a very special resort that captured our heart, it was an amazing area that was also very quiet therefore you can certainly retreat and relax here if you've tired of your villa.

We ate in the restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner and every meal was beautifully presented and tasted as you would expect.

This resort knows how to please a food lover, the menu was varied and provided something for everyone. Nice touches at meal times came in the form of expensive boxed chocolates, they served a warm and damp flannel soaked in frangipani oil for your hands - a scent that will always be remembered, you will want to hold on to that flannel simply for the smell!

The view from the restaurant during dining overlooks the 2 tier pool, in the mornings whilst having breakfast you enjoy an absolute treat of hundreds of butterflies and birds flying in view which is a sight to enjoy.

The attention to detail was second to none, the staff were friendly and went above and beyond. An example of their efforts to provide exceptional service was demonstrated when my partner had an unexpected flair up of his sciatica. This came on suddenly and crippled him leaving him struggling to walk. Out of nowhere and without prompting the staff stopped the lift and began to apply pressure points to his feet in a bid to provide relief. WOW, what a lovely touch! it did ease his symptoms for a a few hours and was an illustration of how Important they make their guests feel.

I would return in a heart beat and encourage others to book, it represented great value for money compared to other hotels I've stayed at around the world and the stay was amazing from start to finish. Well done team...

Do not stay here. Worst stay out of everywhere we went in Bali. The photos online make it look nicer than it is. Short Version: 1) Bad service 2) food poisoning + mediocre food 3) outdated 4) staff can’t speak English well, everything a hassle 5) they try to sell you on things at every turn 6) bad soundproofing between rooms —— Long version: The hotel and furniture and rooms are fine but are dated. They try to sell you something at every turn. At check-in they immediately tried to give us a tour around the gift shop which felt cheesy for a high end hotel, especially after we told them we are tired and we asked to be brought straight to our room as we had a long travel day. When we declined the gift shop they tried to then take us to the spa to see the spa menu when we made it clear we were trying to get to our room. Upon arrival to our room, our mini bar was broken and It numerous phone calls with multiple staff before they understood we needed buckets of ice to cool our drinks. The issues only grew worse after this, as most of the staff spoke only minimal English. We’d often waste an hour just trying to get the staff to understand we needed to print out boarding passes or help with the WiFi which often did not work. WiFi was not useable and we ended up paying a lot of extra money for a WiFi router. It worked for basic emailing at a slow pace, but not for downloading PDFs or streaming video. When we tried to explain this to them they just kept saying “we confirmed internet works” over and over, showing that google loads. Google loading does not mean the internet is functional in a practical manner but they didn’t understand this. We had a loud family near to us so we couldn’t sleep in past 7:00am when they were up and using the pool, the sound proofing between the rooms needs to improve as they are marketing this as a romantic place good for honeymoon / couples. They only provided a few free transfers to Ubud town. We waited a while for the 3:30 one to arrive after our day in Ubud and it never came. When we called, they said it hit traffic and would take them 30 mins to get there. That’s the distance to the hotel so we suspected the shuttle had never been sent. We grabbed a cab back and there was absolutely no traffic, so they must have lied to us, they never sent anyone to one of the few scheduled free pickup times. To top it off, we did not get “Bali belly” ( food poisoning ) anywhere else in all our Bali travels (even at cheaper restaurants) until the breakfasts here. We spent two days on the toilet before we learned to avoid the juice and stick to cooked foods. We stayed at Capella Ubud which was a similar price but capella had much higher end design, better service and had more included (such as complimentary rum, free mini bar drinks, complimentary lite meals at tea time) Hanging gardens also charge 100$ for airport transfer. It’s included in other places like Capella. It was just one problem after the next with this place. The hanging pool setting is very dramatic in setting but that’s the best I can say about this place. After we spent 1/5 if the price on an Airbnb after which came with a full time maid and cook and had far better service. Do not take the risk on this place, Ubud / Bali has many wonderful options at the same price or cheaper. From reading the managers responses to bad reviews here its clear they are defensive and don’t want to improve. Management: try to own up to the issues and try to correct the issues with guests,...