The Ubud Village Resort & Spa — Hotel in Pulau Bali

We had been in Ubud before and were looking for a hotel that was a bit away from Ubud center with a more quiet vibe, and we found it. Note that Ubud Village has two hotels: one is close to Monkey Forest, and this one is Ubud Village Resort & Spa.||This place has an amazing larger main infinity pool which is really the star of this place and is surrounded by rice fields, plants, and flowers—simply a beautiful place.||Villa & Atmosphere:|We had 6 nights in a Garden Villa with private pool. The villa, garden, and pool were lovely, and there were fishponds surrounding part of the villa. We appreciated that the bed already had a mosquito net around it. We liked that it’s a smaller hotel, it was nice and quiet and we could relax. |We decided to have the hotel do our laundry, since their pricing was very reasonable compared to normal hotel prices.||Library:|We liked the library situated next to the main pool where we could pick up new paperbacks and leave the ones we already read.||Dining:|We had breakfast and liked the daily menu change for different choices. We had dinner a few times but mostly had our lunch and dinner downtown Ubud. We found the lunch and dinner options were limited.|The restaurant staff is really helpful, but they could use some training. A couple of times we had to ask the staff—after a 25-minute wait—if the food was coming, and then they told us either the kitchen printer suddenly didn’t work or there was a mistake in our order. It would have been nice if they could have been proactive.|What was odd is that we had to ask for a napkin every single time—it was never provided on the table. The staff seems young and could use some guidance on how to be proactive, e.g., asking the guest if they want more to drink or a dessert. Walking from our villa to the restaurant along the garden paths was dimly lit, and it would be great if there were a bit more lighting. We ended up using our mobile phones to make sure we didn’t accidentally step on any frogs along the way.||Spa:|The spa is quite large with multiple rooms, and we had massages three times. Wow—Ms. Pande really had the massage technique down and could easily shift between deep tissue hard pressure massage (where it felt as if I was a piece of pizza dough she rolled completely flat) and another time I had a relaxing Balinese massage with soft pressure. She was amazing.||Cooking Class:|We loved how Chef Mrs. Lastari showed us how to make Indonesian food and how to create the fundamental ingredients for any Indonesian dish. We did the cooking in their own vegetable garden, and made Balinese spice paste, fish soup, nasi goreng, and pisang goreng. It was wonderful. Take the class. ||Staff:|The staff is really helpful—you just have to ask, and they will come and fix it straight away, which is very impressive.||Ubud Center:|There is a free shuttle going from the hotel to the sister hotel Ubud Village, but due to the heavy traffic on weekdays during the afternoon and evening, the shuttle will be stuck. We decided to walk, and it takes approx. 20 minutes—even on poor sidewalks—to reach the first shops, cafés, and restaurants. Wear sneakers and not slippers if you decide to walk, and remember to pay attention to...

Overall, we had a pleasant stay at this villas-only resort. The staff was warm and welcoming at all times, and the price-value ratio is good. The public areas are well maintained, and overall, it is a beautiful resort.

However, there are some issues with this property:

Rooms: The rooms are spacious but dated and noisy. Other reviews from a couple of years ago mentioned this problem, and it seems like nothing has changed. If you have a problem with insects or other creatures inside your room, this hotel is not for you. The doors do not close properly, and there are many gaps where insects can easily enter your villa (e.g., in the shower and toilet). This also allows outside noise to be heard in your room, so be prepared to bring ear plugs for your stay.

Service: While the service is warm and welcoming, there are some struggles. The staff did not respect the "do not disturb" sign and rang the bell four times before having the reception call our room, all just to deliver a bedtime story. This is not great if you are already sleeping or simply want some privacy. "Do not disturb" means DO NOT DISTURB! At dinner, the restaurant service was chaotic. We were asked for our room number four times by different employees. They messed up another couple’s order by delivering their appetizer and main course together. I asked for ingredient XYZ to be excluded from my order, and while the waiter repeated my request correctly, XYZ was still in the food. This is unacceptable, especially for those with allergies.

Breakfast: Breakfast is à la carte only. Everything is prepared fresh and is tasty, with an okay selection. However, due to the fresh cooking, everything takes a long time. If many people are having breakfast at the same time, you might easily wait 45+ minutes for your order, as we did.

Proximity to a local temple: The proximity to a local temple may be bothersome if you stay during a time when prayers are made over a loudspeaker (similar to an Arabic muezzin call, but for 14 hours a day with small breaks in between). During our 5-day stay, we heard prayers on 3 days. While this is out of the hotel's control, it still needs to be mentioned for transparency.

Normally, all of the above would result in a 3-star rating from me, but considering the price I paid for our stay, I can accept most of these issues. Would I come back? Yes, if problems...

This is the third time I have come to this beautiful place and there is good reason for that. Though the last time I was here was 10 years ago, everything is still just as beautiful and peaceful as it was back then. This resort deserves every one of the 5 stars it has! The villas, built in traditional Balinese style with thatched rooves are large and elegantly made up. Instead of walls, there are glass doors that leave the view open and allow for enough light. The furnature is made of dark, local wood and brings a special charm with it and the outside bathtub is an experience in itself! All villas come have a small private pool. The view from the breakfast room onto the surrounding rice fields is breathtaking. The pool in the centre of the grounds overlooks little rice paddys and the smell of Frangipanie flowers floats on the breeze. The restaurant serves a variety of foods, both western and Indonesian/Balinese for all meals. I was so happy to find that the afternoon tea ritual is still in place where you are served with little snacks along with a pot of tea or coffee. There are different dinner events spread out over the week. My highlight being the traditional Balinese BBQ with traditional music and dance. The Spa offers a wide variety of different treatments. If you get the chance, try the Reiki Healing Massage with Master Jan. He truely is a master! There is a shuttle servive that runs from the resort into the village of Ubud and to the nearby Monkey Forest. The hotel also offers a wide variety of tours, both half day and full day, to different destinations on the island from which you can pick and choose. You have a private airconditioned car with your personal driver that will take you on your adventure across the Island of the Gods. If you happen to be here during a full moon, take the chance and join the staff for the full moon ceremony in the temple on the hotel grounds. It's an amazing experience and they are more than happy to have you join and will explain everything to you. Everyone on the staff, from front desk to the ground keepers, are so friendly and attentive and will make anything possible for you, even the impossible! It's the perfect place to unwind and find peace and tranquillity! You can tell I'm a fan of this place, right? Suksuma for everything. I hope it won't be 10 years before I come back...