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<h2><strong>Why stay?</strong></h2>
<p>For the peacefulness and sense of intimacy that comes with being in an upcountry retreat of just 24 suites and 14 villas. Half an hour up the road from the bustling center of Ubud, and perched on the side of a jungled valley carved out by the fast-flowing Wos River, Hiliwatu Bali Ubud debuted in January 2026 as part of Marriott International’s Tribute Portfolio collection. Heartfelt Balinese hospitality underpins a guest experience rooted in Indonesian culture, from mealtime rituals to a distinctive design that draws elements from aesthetic traditions on four different islands.</p>
<h2><strong>The area</strong></h2>
<p>The boutique resort is located in Bresela, a quiet village on the southeast fringe of the bucolic Payangan district. To the east, the renowned Tegallalang Rice Terraces are a 20-minute drive away, while the much-less-touristed Taro village to the north can be reached in a similar time; community-led ecotourism experiences there include a coconut oil–making workshop and a countryside cycling excursion with the prospect of seeing fireflies at twilight.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-158525 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Resort-Aerial-Blue-Hour.jpeg" alt="An aerial view of Hiliwatu Bali Ubud at blue hour." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Resort-Aerial-Blue-Hour.jpeg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Resort-Aerial-Blue-Hour-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Resort-Aerial-Blue-Hour-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Resort-Aerial-Blue-Hour-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<h4><strong>The feel</strong></h4>
<p>Guests arriving at Hiliwatu Bali Ubud step into a breezy lobby that crowns the main building with two tiers of freeform infinity pools. Beneath the 26-meter-high ceiling and a handful of lotus-shaped chandeliers, staff wheel out a trolley with a Tibetan singing bowl and the Tirta Santi welcome drink (orange juice, spiced honey, ginger, and Angostura bitters) against a soothing backdrop of rice terraces and dense forest. Indonesia’s cultural diversity is echoed in the design: public spaces feature miniatures of Hindu-Buddhist Javanese temples, while Torajan woodcarvings add texture to the walls and cabinets in the suites. Down the hillside, the villas have Balinese-style water features and high-hatted shingle roofs recalling the traditional houses of Sumba Island. Rather than a funicular, customized buggies are used to navigate the steep gradients.</p>
<h5><strong>Guest quarters</strong></h5>
<p>Spanning 60 square meters, the suites are dispersed across three floors in the main building; private balconies are standard (those in Panoramic suites face the valley). On a canvas of wood, whitewashed walls, and polished stone floors, soft furnishings nod to the forest outside through botanical prints and hues of teal and celadon green. Bathrooms have twin washbasins and a round wooden tub. The 12 one-bedroom villas each offer 150 square meters of indoor and outdoor living space, while a three- and a four-bedroom villa are in the pipeline. All villas come with private butler service, a garden pavilion and heated outdoor pool, and a semi-outdoor bathroom centered on an oversize stone tub.</p>
<h6><strong>Food and drink</strong></h6>
<p>Hiliwatu Bali Ubud excels in pan-Indonesian cuisine: served with spiced <em>urap</em> vegetable salad, the crispy-skinned <em>bebek goreng</em> (fried duck) at all-day restaurant Tapis is a sublime balance of meat and fat; the kitchen sources the birds from farmers who have crossbred Balinese runner ducks with heavier Pekin ducks. Desserts are delicious, too: leave room for the fluffy pudding of fermented cassava topped with coconut meringue and vanilla ice cream. Tapis’s semi-buffet breakfast service includes free-flow à la carte dishes and pass-arounds of Balinese treats such as <em>sumping waluh</em>—a steamed cake of pumpkin, rice flour, and coconut milk. Mealtimes feature a <em>jamu</em> trolley in the mornings and the <em>mewacik</em> ritual at lunch and dinner, whereby guests wash their hands in flower-infused water poured from a copper pitcher. You’ll also get to make your own highly addictive <em>sambal</em> in a lava stone mortar to eat with market-fresh greens.</p>
<p>Directly upstairs, pool bar Nira turns locally grown botanicals into refreshing cocktails. Served in a hollowed-out pineapple, The Sacred Valley Spritz mixes Bacardi white rum, Campari, and elderflower liqueur with pineapple, mint, and carbonated coconut water. Feeling peckish? Italian-leaning bites with a local twist are on the menu: think tuna <em>lawar</em> crostini and arancini with <em>rendang</em> sauce. Omber, the resort’s specialty Mediterranean steakhouse, was not yet open at the time of my visit.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158527" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Samya-Wellness-Spa-Boreh-Making-Experience.jpeg" alt="Guests at Hiliwatu Bali Ubud can sign up for a boreh-making class at Samya Wellness Spa." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Samya-Wellness-Spa-Boreh-Making-Experience.jpeg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Samya-Wellness-Spa-Boreh-Making-Experience-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Samya-Wellness-Spa-Boreh-Making-Experience-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hiliwatu-Bali-Ubud-Samya-Wellness-Spa-Boreh-Making-Experience-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<h6><strong>Wellness factor</strong></h6>
<p>Samya Wellness Spa currently operates out of a converted villa, but it will soon move into a dedicated space with expanded facilities like a hair salon and a yoga <em>shala</em>. The 60-minute deep-tissue massage proved effective at straightening out my body with its long kneading strokes and targeted stretching; guests can add on half-hour indulgences like a <em>boreh</em> wrap or body scrub. Samya also runs daily sunrise yoga sessions and bath salt– and boreh-making workshops twice a week on alternate days. The resort’s main building features two saunas and a compact gym equipped with Matrix Fitness cross-trainers and treadmills.</p>
<h6><strong>Family matters</strong></h6>
<p>Hiliwatu Bali Ubud welcomes younger guests but doesn’t advertise itself as a family-oriented resort. The absence of a kids’ club and regular children’s recreation program is understandable given its small scale and limited footprint, but activities such as Balinese dance classes are available on request.</p>
<h6><strong>Sustainability cred</strong></h6>
<p>Eco-friendly touches in the suites and villas include bath amenities in refillable pump bottles, compostable capsules by Indonesia’s Tanamera Coffee, and chocolates handmade in Taro village using local cacao. At Hiliwatu Bali Ubud, there’s a strong emphasis on island-sourced ingredients in the kitchens, from eggs and ducks to red and white rice grown in the paddy fields of nearby Bresela village. About 60 percent of staff have been recruited from the immediate surroundings, while management hires are almost all Balinese.</p>
<h6><strong>What else?</strong></h6>
<p>Marriott Bonvoy members can earn bonus points by joining activities outlined in a “hotel passport” handed out at check-in; the guided early morning nature walk offers insights into Balinese culture. The resort runs complimentary shuttles into Ubud, while its private helipad opens the way for transfers that will cut journey times from the airport to a mere 15–20 minutes.</p>
<p>Reviewed by <strong>James Louie</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dpshb-hiliwatu-bali-ubud-a-tribute-portfolio-resort/overview/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hiliwatubaliubud.com</a><br />
+62 361 209 1988<br />
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/RMx9Vh2paT7s6jW27" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jl. Pura Dalem No. 88, Desa Bresela, Payangan, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia</a></p>


A top-down aerial view of Hiliwatu Bali Ubud, a boutique luxury resort in the countryside of Bali.

Hiliwatu Bali Ubud: Forest Hideaway