Amandari

Don’t hesitate!! As other reviewers have said, it is an enclave of natural beauty and serenity in the middle of somewhat chaotic Ubud. Service is fantastic, as was the food. And our garden pavilion room had unbelievable views over the river valley from its balcony. Thanks to the hotel staff for everything. One suggestion would be to have an inconspicuous place for the pool staff to hang out when not busy. They often stood idle on their phones in the bale where the schools children would have their dance lessons. Not the best sight, and it was sometimes hard to get their attention when we wanted something.

I had lived in Bali, and this was my second visit back since leaving. Amandari's welcome felt particularly personal. Our stay fell during Galungan and Kuningan, with beautifully decorated penjor adding to atmosphere. Our Village Suite felt like a private Balinese house: a thatched roof, carved teak furniture, a huge four-poster bed, a balcony overlooking rice terraces and a soaking tub on a secluded terrace. The fruit bowl was replenished daily, and the suite was always immaculate without housekeeping interrupting us. The infinity pool and valley setting were beautiful, but the service made the strongest impression. Staff knew us without repeatedly asking for our room number, and the hotel gave us a complimentry late checkout until 6 p.m. before our night flight. We enjoyed the spa, a guided walk through the rice fields and cooking class in a Balinese family's home. I would recommend Amandari for its privacy, thoughtful service and connection to local life.

This was my first visit to an Aman resort property. I had been curious about Aman for some time — Amandari is one of their earliest properties, and a good friend of mine is a frequent visitor there — so I decided to try it for myself. Before making a reservation, I emailed them with some questions, and they responded quickly and cleared up my concerns. As soon as I booked, they began taking care of my entire plan: transfers to and from the resort, dinners, activities, and more. By the time I arrived, most everything had already been arranged. Amandari is located in Ubud, but not in the downtown area. It sits about fifteen minutes away from the busy center, so I heard little of the street noise. The moment you enter Amandari, you see both what the designers intended and Bali's natural beauty. The Duplex Pool Villa I reserved gave me a sense of genuinely traditional furnishing. You could call it luxurious, but it isn't designed to show off. The designers seem to have aimed for a truly relaxing environment for guests. Needless to say, it was spacious, clean, very well equipped, and thoughtful. The integration with outdoor features — the bathtub especially — is impressive. I fully enjoyed my time in the villa. The property is, of course, well staffed. But the staff don't merely do what they are supposed to do; they are there to give you what you desire. Even for something they have never done before, they will try hard to make it happen. It's not like choosing off a menu. They paid attention to every guest as much as possible — and at the same time, they completely respected my privacy. Unless I asked for something, they stayed in the background. I asked for a guided tour of the rice fields outside Ubud. The tour gave me a glimpse of traditional Balinese life, and some scenes reminded me of my childhood in Japan. The driver also took me to the water temple. The area must have always been rich in water — a critical resource for growing rice — and the temple expressed the people's hopes for well-being. My only issue was that there are so many ways to enjoy the property. I stayed three nights this time, but that is definitely not enough to experience all they offer. I couldn't even explore the entire property well, and I wish I could have joined more of their tours and excursions. Hopefully I will have another opportunity to visit. Then again, I've come to realize that Aman offers several other properties, and it will be hard to choose the next one. Still, it's a wonderful problem to have.