Stay here: Jimbaran Puri, A Belmond Hotel, Bali review

What’s the deal?

On an island like Bali that’s full of ever-more, ever-larger hotels, there’s so much to be said for quiet, smaller-scale serenity. Jimbaran Puri, A Belmond Hotel is the ideal example of a boutique-style property that wears its luxury lightly. It offers a deeply peaceful stay underpinned by thoughtful service, all just 15 minutes from Denpasar International Airport.

You’re welcomed by a Balinese gong, into the open-air lobby and past the adjoining lily pond, while waves crash serenely onto the shoreline. This boutique Bali resort might sit right on Jimbaran Beach, but it thankfully remains tucked away from the action – so peaceful it could be a private stretch of sand. 

Throughout the resort you’ll find understated traditional Balinese design, with cottages and villas set among a wealth of lush, tropical gardens. Dark stone contrasts with light walls and the texture of alang-alang thatch roofing. Frangipani flowers litter the paths and adorn the four small temples on site. 

The life of the resort is based around the water. At the infinity pool, deep blue-green stone tiles create a deeply inviting hue. Meanwhile, the Beach Spa is rightly named: this open-air space offers Balinese and ayurvedic treatments, right by the beach. It’s truly refreshing to swap the canned tinkle of spa music for the infinitely more relaxing sound of real-life birdsong and crashing waves. 

As for the rooms, interiors are traditional but lean towards the timeless – dark teak and light bamboo, intricate carvings and high-vaulted ceilings. The One-Bedroom Deluxe Pool Villas feature a separate living room building, plentiful green space and a gorgeous plunge pool.

The Garden View Cottage Suites, meanwhile, offer a small garden and beautiful marble-filled bathroom, complete with sunken terrazzo bathtub. An open-air shower, however, is the best option in the Balinese sun.  

Why stay?  

The location is hard to beat. On an island increasingly beset by traffic, being based a 15-minute drive from the airport means that you could be sliding into the pool an hour after the wheels touch tarmac. That also makes it an ideal spot to bookend a Bali trip: next head up to Ubud for a few nights, then back down to Jimbaran for a few days on the sand before returning home.

It’s an easy stroll up the beach to the many seafood restaurants of Jimbaran, but you’re more than set if you don’t want to leave the resort. Tanjung Café serves up a superb breakfast selection and the Puri Bar puts the emphasis on cocktails featuring Balinese-crafted spirits. The standout, however, is Nelayan Restaurant, a bamboo-vaulted space where tables are set up right on the beach, serving Mediterranean-meets-Balinese fare. Jimbaran faces due west, making for some of the island’s prettiest sunsets. So come for sundowners which slide into a dinner: think coconut lobster bisque, sand between the toes and the crash of waves, all while you watch the planes float down into Denpasar. A quiet slice of a very good life – in many ways, that’s Bali at its best.

Cathay editors say…

“The Jimbaran Puri, A Belmond Hotel is a serene escape rolled into a convenient boutique-sized package. If you’re after traditional Balinese vibes and quiet luxury, this is the hotel for you.”