Why Stay?

Through a timeless design rooted in local culture and craftsmanship, Andaz Bali interprets the spirit of its island home with a worldly flair. This village-like retreat on Bali’s sunrise coast has an easygoing community vibe (the hotel manager is informally titled “Chief of the Village”) and feels much more established than its age suggests: the place opened in 2021 as the first Andaz resort in Asia. The emphasis on local heritage, combined with its forest-like garden setting, makes Andaz Bali a solid choice even for travelers who don’t gravitate toward beach resorts.

The Neighborhood

Sanur, Bali’s original beach destination, is a family-friendly locale that’s far more sedate than the likes of Seminyak, Kuta, or Canggu. Outrigger fishing boats bob on the water off a long stretch of golden sand; joggers, cyclists, and dog-walkers flock to the four-kilometer beach promenade directly outside the Andaz in the early morning and late afternoon. The resort shares some facilities with its next-door sister property Hyatt Regency Bali, which first opened in 1973 as the legendary Bali Hyatt. Both back on to Jalan Danau Tamblingan, a street lined with small cafés, shops, and eateries. Sanur Port, the departure point for fast ferries to the nearby islands of Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, is a 20-minute drive up the coast.

The adults-only Santhi Pool at Andaz Bali.

The Feel

Singapore-based Tierra Design has reinterpreted Balinese vernacular architecture for a contemporary resort; the harmonious interiors by Japanese firm Design Studio Spin reflect a similar ethos. Arriving guests pull up at the monumental red-brick Kori Agung gateway and circle a koi pond with a four-faced fountain to reach the lobby. Housed in a high-hatted thatched pavilion, the reception faces the Alun-Alun lawn, as do four F&B outlets collectively dubbed Village Square. Guest accommodations are arranged around courtyards and water features set in six hectares of lush gardens dotted with majestic fig, banyan, and tropical almond trees. The Hindu iconography dotting the leafy grounds, like a bubbling linga-yoni fountain and a marigold-garlanded nandi statue carved by Javanese craftsmen, give the resort a quiet character more associated with Ubud but transplanted to a beachfront setting.

Guest Quarters

The 149 rooms at Andaz Bali include 20 suites and 22 pool villas. Balinese accents are evident in the fabric headboards with batik or ikat motifs, intricately carved wooden panels, and wall-mounted artworks recalling palm-leaf temple offerings. Expect to see a bedside Bluetooth speaker and a massive flatscreen TV with built-in Chromecast; all snacks and non-alcoholic drinks in the minibar are free and refilled daily. The 170-plus square meter Garden Pool villas have a plush outdoor sitting area by the pool, as well as a tuberose-scented living room with a sofa deep enough to act as a daybed. Also notable is the separate pantry and an enormous bathroom with an egg-shaped bathtub and Dyson Supersonic hairdryer. The sumptuous two-bedroom Beach Pool villas feature butler service and a terrace big enough for parties.

Food and Drink

Andaz Bali is especially known for its Boundless Breakfast featuring unlimited à la carte dishes served in smaller portions. Standouts include the fluffy Thai-style prawn omelet, babi guling (Balinese suckling pig) rillette, and French toast with grilled pineapple and coconut ice cream. Village Square is made up of Mediterranean restaurant Blue Oven, the open-air Deli and Bakery, steakhouse Fire Fox, and Wok Wok for Indonesian comfort food. (Wok Wok’s chunky chicken satay is a must-order: it’s drenched in rich peanut sauce and served with pressed rice cakes and pickles.) Mina Oh, the Busan-born executive sous chef at both the Andaz and Hyatt Regency, oversees year-round Korean barbecue dinners at Fire Fox. The experience is offered five nights a week with tables set up on the Alun-Alun lawn in dry season. Don’t miss the samgyeopsal (pork belly) in a DIY wrapping of fresh leaves, and the excellent seafood pancakes with a crispy crust and an almost creamy interior. Down by the beach, the breezy Fisherman’s Club spotlights the catch of the day: think freshly grilled totok clams brushed in a spicy, zesty Balinese marinade, and barbecued octopus with an addictive sambal jam.

Making coconut-frond hats at Village Square; the lobby of Andaz Bali.

Wellness Factor

The spa and gym are both a short stroll away at the next-door Hyatt Regency. Billed as Sanur’s largest wellness facility, Shankha Spa has 12 treatment rooms, a thatched relaxation lounge surrounded by a serene lily pond, and a health club with its own outdoor pool. Therapies range from jade-stone facials to Ayurvedic herbal compresses; the signature Balinese deep-tissue massage focuses on the spine and upper back, scalp, and hands to combat the effects of gadget overuse. If you’re lucky, you’ll be in the care of a long-serving therapist whose hands have massaged plenty of celebrities and high-level politicians.

Family Matters

Andaz Bali offers parents two hours of complimentary childcare per day at the Kemu Mai kids’ club. Zumba, origami, and puppet- and mask-making are all part of the fun; treasure hunts and pottery painting can be enjoyed at a small fee. Kemu Mai doubles as the starting point for the daily Kul-Kul Parade, a 6 p.m. procession that sees children in Balinese attire playing slit-log drums as they meander around the resort to the Kori Agung gateway. The property features a kids’ pool, while the beachfront main pool also welcomes children. Supervised activities at Village Square keep the little ones entertained at breakfast.

Sustainability Cred

Eco-initiatives go well beyond swapping out plastics for bamboo key cards and cassava-based straws. The resort itself was designed around the site’s mature trees, ensuring they were not cut down during construction. Andaz Bali and Hyatt Regency Bali run a sea turtle conservation center in partnership with a local NGO, and also operate Indonesia’s only beach-cleaning robot, which removes microplastics and other man-made debris each morning. The Andaz’s sweet-smelling herb garden is planted with fennel, turmeric, and papaya trees.

What Else?

Bale Kulkul, the thatched pavilion at Village Square, hosts a lineup of free crafts workshops. Depending on the day, activities might include weaving hats from coconut fronds, drawing batik by hand using traditional tools, or writing on lontar palm leaves. Wellness-minded guests can join aqua aerobics sessions and sunrise pranayama or standing asanas elsewhere on the property.

Reviewed by James Louie

hyatt.com
+62 361 320 1234
Jl. Danau Tamblingan No.89A, Sanur, Bali, Indonesia

Andaz Bali: Laidback Vibes

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