Alila Ubud

Not only located in a gorgeous location with five star accommodations, but what sets this hotel apart is the staff. Everyone at Alila is so kind, thoughtful and helpful in a genuine way. The staff really made my trip special.

This is probably going to be a long review because I want to ensure I give it the time and attention it deserves.

When the driver alerted me to the fact we had arrived at Alila, it took a short drive through the rice fields and banana trees before I had the opportunity to see the hotel. When I got to reception, I thought "where are the rooms?" That is because Alila is far from your normal average hotel setup. The design is beautiful, unique and authentic. One of the things that hit me immediately as I waited at reception was the sense of peace and calm I felt. There was no music, only the sound of nature and the surrounding jungle.

The Welcome:

I was given a welcome drink (Jamu, which is absolutely delicious, and I will be making at home) and a refreshing hand towel - see photo. Before going to my room, everything was explained clearly, and I was given a mini-information pamphlet with key information.

My Room:

The walk to my room was a bit of a workout (in a good way)! In terms of design, it's like homes next to each other. No swipe card, just a proper front door key that auto locks when the door is closed. My room was super comfortable and my bathroom... just WOW! I had a big bath and shower outside with gorgeous wooden blinds I would unroll at night - see photo. I am one of those people that would never use the bath in a hotel, but I loved using my one! You get a bubble bath to use and it was so nice to relax and chill in the bath and then take a shower. I had to touch on the products (body gel, hand soap, lotion etc.) as I really did not need to bring body wash and normal lotion to use before bed with me. Beautiful smelling products that actually felt amazing on my skin. Truly moisturising and non-drying, so if you are a fan of lemongrass (not overpowering) save yourself some space in your suitcase and just bring sunscreen cream.

My room was cleaned every single day and there was one evening I came back to the hotel, and it touched my heart that the team had rolled down all the blinds for me. The team came round in the evening too to check if anything was needed - they would knock and when I was not there they would check in my absence. For example, providing additional towels.

My room was directly opposite the jungle, so when it got super dark, a member of the team would walk me to my room, as it felt scary to me simply because I wasn't used to it. You may see monkeys outside your room during the day and at night big gecko's so be sure to keep your doors and windows closed.

Breakfast and Dinner:

OMG... the food and drinks were absolutely delicious!! Everything was super fresh and not made for the masses. From fresh juices, baskets with baked goods and made to order breakfast meals, the experience was top-notch (views included). The dinner menu was spot on for me and everything I ate was tasty, well seasoned and authentic. I appreciated the ambiance at night and the darkness of the jungle.

The Spa:

I had the following treatments with Suka (team - please correct me if I have misspelled her name), and she made me feel comfortable and at peace.

Gentle Purification Facial Balinese Avocado Hair Crème Bath Beauty and Balance - massage, body scrub and body mask. My skin was glowing and felt so darn soft!! Best scrub EVER.

Suka is a true PRO and provides all treatments with the upmost care and attention to detail. I had a pain in the top of my foot from dropping a weight on it around 4 weeks before and after the massaging of my feet the pain was good.

I had a change of nail colour for both my hands and feet. In terms of improvement there needs to be:

Proper lighting to support with application of nail polish and outside treatments as a whole A more diverse range of colours to choose from as it was limited Proper dryers that can be used for hands and feet

General:

The pool and lounge area is a wonderful experience and great for getting a tan! Plus, you can get tea, drinks, snacks and small plates from the Cabana.

Gym is good for keeping up with your workouts if you are a gym bunny like me. Also, there are bikes you can access for free, and I would ride around the grounds to get additional workouts, which was a brilliant experience!

I felt completely safe, and I did not feel like I needed to lock all of my things up in my room.

Wellbeing and hygiene - absolutely everything was super-duper clean.

Customer service is incredible. Every single person I came into contact with was so warm, kind and friendly and always wanted to ensure I had everything I needed. Widi, Nila and Mr Teguh were individuals I came into contact with often and I adore them!! So grateful for the interactions we had.

I also have to give a shoutout to Chrisnayanth, Nova and Agung. Thank you so much for helping me with changing my booking, so I could spend 6 nights as Alila instead of 3. Soo happy I made the decision to do so!

My experience of Bali was a transformative one that has left a mark on my heart and staying at Alila contributed to that massively. The best way I can describe it is that my soul was at home in Alila, and it changed me for the better.

Nova, you and your team are amazing!!!! I am truly in love with the place and I cannot wait to come back next year.

Please pass on my deep gratitude and appreciation to everyone.