The staff here is simply amazing, but unfortunately, that can only do so much when the resort itself feels misplaced and a little outdated. In my opinion, Raffles does not have a future in its current location.
These are hard words, but after spending six nights at the resort, this is my honest impression. The construction site next door certainly does not help. This resort is held together by its staff, who are among the best teams we have ever encountered.
Yes, it is unmistakably Raffles in the details—the luxury touches that set them apart from others. However, the location simply feels wrong.
Opposite Denpassar airport
Raffles Bali is situated in Jimbaran, Bali, closer to the airport than Jumeirah. You can actually see planes landing and taking off across the bay. The resort encompasses approximately 57 acres, or 23 hectares, of lush, tropical landscape.
It features 32 private pool villas, each offering panoramic views. This time, it is truly panoramic compared to Jumeirah.
Panoramic Pool Villa
Raffles sent a car to pick us up from Jumeirah, which was included. As soon as you stepped into the car, you noticed that this was a completely different experience. The details were there from the beginning—you even received your own toiletries kit. It felt like stepping into a new world. I just wished the flask contained whisky, but instead, it was Jamu, the Indonesian health drink we had grown to love.
The traffic on the way was fierce, with scooters swarming around like maniacs. If one of them had to brake suddenly, it would cause a pile-up reminiscent of a crash in the peloton at the Tour de France. At that moment, I started to miss the whisky to calm my nerves.
Arriving at Raffles Bali gave the same luxurious impression. The greetings, the check-in, and the butler introducing were all handled with finesse and flair. We were offered a small ceremony, which was a nice touch, along with a choice of cocktails, with or without alcohol. In comparison, Jumeirah’s check-in experience simply paled.
The first thing that struck us was how much greener it was here. The resort is surrounded by lush greenery, with a ravine and a forested mountain ridge on one side adding a jungle-like atmosphere.
A healthy Jamu shot.
It is small and intimate. The lobby building is at the top of the resort and includes the reception, a Bar, their take on the Writers Bar and a small library beside it, and the Rumari restaurant.
One floor down, you will find the spa and their souvenir shop. The villas are spread out leading down to the sea, ending at their more casual restaurant, Loloan, which is located beside the pool area.
The Writers Bar
Every detail signals that this is Raffles. From the minibar to your own Raffles toiletries kit in the bathroom, the details are here, including a Toto toilet. The beds are fine, although not as good as Jumeirah. The air conditioning works very well, and the room did not feel damp.
Personally, the style is not to my taste; it felt and looked a little outdated. One thing is for sure, they would win the “tuck-in world championship” if there were such a competition.
The villa is quite small compared to Jumeirah, with one bathroom and the bedroom and living room combined.
Raffles President Villa
As I wrote earlier, the villas are not up to par with other resorts in the world. Even though Raffles Bali is only four years old, it does not show. In my view, the villas should be renovated. At the moment, there are too many gaps in the construction inviting small wildlife indoors.
We had large cockroaches on the first night. After the incident in the villa, we switched to another one the same night. The new villa was the same but had a better view. It was high season for the hotel, and some of the villas could not be rented out as they were too close to the construction site. This meant the staff had to juggle the villa allocations. They offered us a special upgrade price for the Presidential Villa, which we chose for our remaining days. However, the construction issues remained.
Here, we had geckos inside the room, a larger Tokay gecko outside waking us up at night with its loud call, a large spider falling from the ceiling in the bathroom, and, of course, mosquitoes.
When going to the bathroom at night, we would use the torch on our phone to check the surroundings.
One night I heard something behind the TV. No, I did not go and look. By this time, we had called pest control far too many times, and I did not want to wake up my wife.
Outside at the pool area, whatever you lift—a towel, a cushion, or even under the sunbeds—there are small geckos. We do not mind geckos; they eat mosquitoes.
Restaurant Loloan
Breakfast is served at the Rumari restaurant and is entirely from a menu. We missed having a small buffet, which would have been a nice complement.
Loloan is an cozy outdoor bar and restaurant. Most meals were good, although sometimes inconsistent. One day, the steak was amazing, but the next, we chose from the prime Wagyu cuts, and it was subpar.
Rumari is run by their French chef, Gaetan Biesuz, or “Chef G” as they call him. It is the only Krug Ambassador in Indonesia. If you fancy breaking the bank, a bottle of Krug Mesnil 2006 will cost you 88,000,000 rupiah, which is around 5,500 US dollars for a weak vintage.
The concept follows an 80/20 philosophy, with 80 percent of the ingredients sourced locally from the Indonesian archipelago, while the remaining 20 percent are imported. We had dinner there only once. There was nothing wrong with the food, but we did not fully understand the dishes that were served. The menu simply did not suit our tastes.
This is a brilliant campaign by Raffles, our butler, Endah Pratiwi, Raffles Wellbeing Butler exemplified it beautifully. Her warmth, attentiveness, and ability to anticipate our needs embodied the very best of hospitality.
In our travels, we can count on one hand the people who have truly left a lasting impression in the hospitality business, and Endah is one of them.
She made our stay unforgettable and reminded us why the butler service is such a celebrated part of Raffles.
The construction next door is just metres away from some of the villas. Raffles Bali will never be the same again. Privacy is gone. For now, beware of construction noise. The future remains uncertain.
Google map showing how close the new construction is.
View from Raffles President Villa
Raffles Bali is best suited for those who value exceptional service and intimate settings above all else. It works well for a short two- or three-night stay, especially for travellers who want a quiet retreat close to the airport.
However, those looking for modern villas, a polished dining experience, or guaranteed privacy may be disappointed.
With serious action against mosquitoes and some improvements to the villas and food, this resort could better justify its Raffles name.
Infinity pool – Raffles Presidential Villa
We may not miss the hotel, but we will certainly miss the Raffles team.
Their warmth and professionalism were the highlight of our stay.
Some of the names we remember include Katya (GM), Bernadine (HM), and Krishna, the butler. Others who stood out were Arri, the masseuse, Jack, the bartender, and Rina, who made breakfast delightful. Wisnu and Josline at Loloan were wonderful, and lastly, Adi (Addi?) also at Loloan. Even the pest control man left an impression.
There were many more who contributed to our stay, and their exceptional hospitality truly showcased the heart of Raffles.
Breakfast music at Segaran Terrace.
First Time
December 2024 – January 2025
6
Panoramic Pool Villa upgraded to Raffles Presidential Villa.
Two
Ok
95%
Menu to order.
Around 5 MB down, and be prepared that the Indonesian government censors some pages.
While we appreciated certain aspects, we would not choose to return.
Ultimately, we did not feel it was worth the money.
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