Visiting Bali over Christmas sounds like a dream, but there is one big thing to keep in mind, it is the rainy season. Jumeirah Bali—a five-star resort, of course. But is it really?
That means hot weather, high humidity, and frequent downpours. Our stay at Jumeirah Bali might have been different if we had visited during the dry season. Imagine enjoying dinner at Aksasa, watching the sun set over the ocean. But things should be great, no matter the season.
Here is how our three-night stay at Jumeirah Bali went, before we moved on to Raffles Bali for six nights. We decided to split our time because nine days is too long to spend at any resort. In the end, the difference between the two resorts was bigger than we expected.
Breakfast music at Segaran Terrace.
Jumeirah Bali is in Uluwatu, perched on a beautiful cliff overlooking the ocean. It is about a 45-minute drive from Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport, though that can change depending on traffic. The main road to the resort can get quite busy, especially at popular times.
If you have an important appointment to catch, such as a departure time at the airport or a doctor’s appointment, you can inquire at the hotel about booking a police escort. It is worth considering if you are short on time, or just want to avoid sitting in traffic.
The resort is not far from popular spots like Uluwatu Temple and Padang Padang Beach, but once you are there, it feels like its own private world.
Entrance to Segaran Terrace with Koi ponds.
Jumeirah Bali opened in 2022, and feels fresh and modern. There are 123 private villas, each with its own pool. The design mixes luxury with Balinese touches, and the resort’s signature blue colour runs throughout, from the lobby to the villas.
We were greeted warmly when we arrived, the check-in went smoothly, and we were off in a buggy to our Panoramic Ocean Villa. The open-air lobby is impressive and breezy, making a great first impression.
However, as we explored the resort, it quickly became clear that it is much bigger and busier than smaller resorts, like Raffles Bali, which only has 32 villas, though we imagine that families might find the size and activities more appealing.
We chose the Panoramic Ocean Villa. All the villas come with their own pool. The pool was actually larger in reality, compared to the pictures on their website, which was a nice surprise.
But, calling it a panoramic villa is a stretch—you could see the ocean, but only between the greenery. I am unsure what differentiates the Panoramic Ocean Villas from the standard Ocean Villas, as the interiors were exactly the same.
Despite its flaws, the villas design hold a clear five-star standard.
Panoramic Ocean Villa
The first villa was so damp that it felt like the AC was competing with the Balinese rainy season in a humidity contest, and losing. When I sat down on the sofa, I felt the dampness soak into my clothes. The sofa was wet from the humidity.
We tried to optimise the rather loud air conditioning, which could be controlled in two rooms. We attempted to figure out how it worked, and even asked for assistance, but we received conflicting instructions.
The main control was in the living room, and another unit was in the bedroom. The final instruction we received was that the living room unit controlled everything, with the fan speed adjustable in the bedroom.
Yes, there is a traditional fan above the bed, but we are not fond of having a propeller hovering over us while we sleep.
Then one of the toilets started to smell like sewage, spreading through the villa, probably because of the heavy rain. That was the last straw, and we asked to switch villas. The staff handled the request well, and the new villa had quieter air conditioning (though still too loud), slightly drier air, a better view, and the toilets worked properly.
The shower, however, remained an issue—it kept to hot temperature, no matter what setting was selected.
Our first Panoramic Ocean Villa. To call it panoramic is a stretch.
The best part of the villa? The bed, pillows, and linens—they were absolute heaven. However, the sensor beside your bed was an irritation, triggering lights whenever you put your feet down in the middle of the night. The temperature panel also lit up the room like an airport runway in the dark—a glaring reminder to always pack some black tape when travelling. Thankfully, the staff addressed both issues during our stay.
The minibar was a letdown. There was also a small wine fridge, but the selection was nothing special.
The bathrooms had Duravit fittings—not bad, but we were hoping for Toto, which is often standard at top-tier resorts. One small but funny detail: the housekeeping staff always left the toilet lid open, perhaps to show it was cleaned. Maybe I should start practising this at home, though I suspect my wife would stage an intervention before the week is out.
The curtains were controlled beside the bed, but they did not go wall-to-wall, offering only about 80% blackout.
The water pressure in the shower was fine, but the temperature stayed hot no matter how much you tried to adjust it.
The pool had just the right temperature—perhaps slightly on the cooler side—but refreshing.
Breakfast was served at Segaran Terrace, where you could sit inside or outside, depending on the weather. The buffet had plenty of choices, and you could also order from an à la carte menu. The food was good enough, though the service sometimes mixed up the orders.
When it was too windy or hot to sit outside, the inside breakfast dining area felt chaotic and cramped.
The lunch and dinner options were okay—the quality of the dishes had its ups and downs. Orders were sometimes mixed up here, as well, which meant that we occasionally had to repeat our requests more than once.
One lunch, we ordered Wagyu burgers, and made sure to ask for them well done.
The Food & Beverage Manager, as he presented himself, stopped by to ask how everything was going, and we mentioned we were worried the waitress had misunderstood our order. He promised to check on it right away.
Even so, the burgers arrived undercooked—red and cold in the middle and super dense. It was obvious the patties where pre-made frozen meat. The menu said they were Australian Wagyu, but the quality did not live up to the name. It is strange how the “Wagyu” label gets used so loosely these days.
I am pretty sure even the cow would have raised an eyebrow at being labelled so fancy.
The staff were friendly, but many of them seemed to follow the same script. By the time we reached our villa, four or five different people had asked us how our lunch was. While it was nice that they asked, it became a bit repetitive.
We were also asked, “Is this your first time in Bali?” more times than I could count.
One morning at breakfast, we were asked, “What are your plans for today?” multiple times by different staff members. It became a running theme throughout our stay.
One highlight, however, was the General Manager—a very sweet lady. She walked around the resort in the mornings, and sometimes checked in with guests at dinner. That level of attention made a good impression.
The resort’s shop only sold local crafts. If you were hoping to buy a cap or T-shirt with the Jumeirah logo, you would be disappointed. It is strange that a brand as well-known as Jumeirah would not offer branded items, like other hotels. Most of them do this really well, and guests love taking a piece of the experience home.
At Jumeirah, the only item with the logo was a water bottle. Why not let the brand live on after the guest has left, and charge them for it? Just mind-puzzling!
One evening, we had dinner at Akasa Restaurant & Bar, a cliffside venue. We were looking forward to a romantic evening. Unfortunately, nobody informed us, and there was no information available, that the evening was a “warm-up” event for New Year’s Eve. Dressed for an elegant dinner, we were seated among guests wearing shorts and T-shirts.
The event was in full swing—Balinese dancers, a DJ turning the restaurant into a nightclub, a Christmas tree pulsating with disco lights, and a live band whose singer sounded more like a karaoke hopeful. He completely butchered classic songs. Another round of Balinese dancers appeared, this time set to techno music. We could only laugh at the absurdity of it all.
The food? Let us just say it needs work.
After three nights, we could not shake the feeling that something was off. Jumeirah Bali has a fantastic location and stylish design, but it felt more like a four-star, charter resort than a true five-star retreat.
Luxury is all about the details, and too many details were missing.
Breakfast music at Segaran Terrace.
First Time
3
Panoramic Ocean Villa
One
We did not work it out.
80%
Ok, buffet and a menu to order from.
Around 5 MB down, and be prepared that the Indonesian government censors some pages.
No,
At this time of year, no.
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