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In mid-April, I spent a few days in beautiful Bali, at the renowned W Bali Seminyak. Known as the “Island of Gods”, Bali offers many distinct areas with different vibes. Seminyak is easily one of the most upscale and trendy areas in Bali, and the W Bali Seminyak captures that vibe.
The entrance to W Bali Seminyak sets the mood right from the start, by entering via a long path with bamboo on both sides. Soon, the iconic W letter appears at the perimeter walls of the resort. You then travel along on a cobblestone road to reach the large circular foyer of the resort to be dropped off. The whole entrance design mimics the experience of entering a traditional village in Bali.
The lobby of the W Bali Seminyak is airy, with tall ceilings decorated with henna motifs. The resort is divided into 2 parts, with the left side hosting the various facilities and 157 regular rooms and suites in a 5 storey building, while the right side houses 72 luxurious one to three-room villas, each complete with their own pool! I have photographed one of these in my slider above.
Upon entering the resort lobby, you immediately notice the small but distinct Balinese designs all over, such as the chandeliers resembling temple roofs. The cultural touches were accented with the distinctive bold W pink and bright colors.
For this trip, I was staying in a Spectacular Ocean Facing Escape room on the fourth floor. My check-in process was smooth, and I was offered a welcome smoothie and cute pick you own scent towel.
The lift to go upstairs was nearby the check-in area and faced a large open-aired circular courtyard. Opposite the lifts was a cool mural painting with the Whatever/Whenever concierge. A signature of the W hotels, the Whatever/Whenever concierge embodies the W hotel’s service philosophy and will go the extra mile to get guests whatever they want, whenever they want it – as long as it’s legal!
Upon opening the doors to my spectacular ocean-facing escape room, I heard an awesome EDM song booming through the room. Although this room did not have direct pool access, it had the most incredible views. Inside, a row of cabinets lined the left side of the room upon entering, while on my right was the large bathroom area. In the room’s main area was the signature W bed, topped with 350 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. The room also had a large working desk area, as well as a sleeper sofa. At the end of the room was the spacious balcony which faced the Balinese-inspired rice terrace, WET pool, Woo bar, and the calming ocean, which stretched all the way across the horizon. There were two lounging chairs here sit down and relax while taking in the sound of the ocean waves.
The large bathroom area had 2 separate sinks, a separate bathroom cubicle, and a whole standalone Terrazzo bathtub and separate rainforest shower area, complete with a sky roof with retractable shade!
Amongst the amenities in the room include a W mix bar, which had a good variety of snacks and a cocktail kit, the mini-fridge cabinet area, which also has a tea and french press coffee maker, a large 40 inch TV, and a superb BOSE surround sound system which could be connected to via Bluetooth. In short, the room had everything you needed to have a good time, and more!
During my time in the resort, I also took the time to explore the grounds of the resort and all the facilities. The resort lobby opened to a row of day beds where guests laze around and sip cocktails made by the excellent bartenders in the lobby bar. The lobby bar also sold some snacks, such as ice cream, coconuts, and juices.
On the right end of the lobby area was a peaceful business lounge and library, as well as a colorful gift shop with an assortment of crafts and clothes for sale. Underneath the business, the lounge was one of the two resort restaurants. The first, Starfish Bloo, focused on Asian cuisine. The restaurant was airy with bright colors and rattan wood used as decorations. I had the breakfast buffet here one day and sat in their outside seats facing the ocean. The buffet selection was diverse, with many different Asian choices and some stations where they prepared fresh food to order. I also read that Starfish Bloo has one of the best brunches in Bali on Sundays.
The other restaurant in the resort was FIRE, an upscale western restaurant which served superb steak options. FIRE was located on the left side of the resort building and was more enclosed and cozy compared to Starfish Bloo. The centerpiece of the restaurant was a beautiful chandelier inspired by the Balinese bonfire Kecak dance. I had a buffet breakfast here one morning, where you could pick your own cup from a really random selection. I chose a Hello Kitty one! Similar to Starfish Bloo, the buffet options here was also diverse, and they had a few made to order stations.
During one of the nights, I had dinner at FIRE. I had a multi-course meal, where I feasted on fresh shrimps, ceviche, superbly marbled steak, and a beautiful dessert chocolate sphere which deconstructed with hot fudge. I was very impressed with the high quality of the food and the selection of steak. The staff also offered great service in recommending the food, and constantly checked up on me throughout the meal to fill my water or take away plates. The experience was easily on par with a fine dining restaurant, all while on paradise island!
I also enjoyed my time hanging out at Woo bar, the signature three-story bar next to the WET pool. The Woo bar had many comfortable couches and faced the ocean. There were guest DJs creating a great atmosphere almost every night, while the attendants buzzing around to ensure that all guests are well fed and well lubricated with the delicious drinks.
Throughout the day, people were hanging out all over the hotel and the multiple pools. There were various seating options, from the day beds to sunbathing chairs and cabanas facing the pool. The resort is actually located on Petitenget beach – a stretch of public beach with shimmering black sand. Despite it being next to a public beach, the resort had proper perimeter security. A large W sculpture serves as the entry and exit point, where guests can easily walk onto the beach to enjoy the ocean. As you can imagine, this W sculpture was also a very popular spot for pictures! Another notable sculpture is Goby, the fish – a newly installed large see-through fish-shaped sculpture that raises the awareness for people to dispose of their recyclable plastics. This fish sculpture has become a great hit on the island, with various copycat springing up soon thereafter the W Bali Seminyak unveiling.
With the copious amount of good food and drinks, I also had to burn off some calories at the state of the art gym – SWEAT. The gym is located behind the Whenever/Whatever area and is connected to the AWAY spa. The AWAY spa is another special place with multiple cool treatment rooms, an oxygen treatment mask, an outdoor and indoor relaxing area, as well as a jacuzzi, steam room, and a cold pool. The best part is that the AWAY spa is open 24 hours and offers late-night discounts after 11:00 pm!
With all these amenities and facilities, the W Bali Seminyak completely exceeded my expectations. The playful touch and superb service, combined with the great food and beverage options, made my stay a wonderful experience. I can safely say that W Bali Seminyak is definitely the coolest luxury hotel in Bali!
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