You know how resort life makes you feel like you are living in another world? I’ve reviewed some pretty nice resorts in Bali like the Grand Mirage and Samabe Bali, but The St Regis Bali Resort in Nusa Dua is definitely in its own class – an alternate universe you can’t possibly bring yourself to leave.
An oasis of serenity in busy Bali
Sadly, I only had time for 1 night at St Regis (in fact I was on the grounds not even for a full day because I was busy reviewing the Casio EXILIM FR100) which is far, far too short a time to spend in an amazing place like that. If you’re already going all out to splurge on a stay at a beautiful resort like that, at least stay the weekend or longer if you can afford it.
But in my short time here, I managed a quick wander around the resort to get the highlights so I can tell you what to zoom in on if you are spending just one weekend here. Consider this my ‘to-do’ list should I ever find my way back to the St Regis in the near future.
Lydia getting her yoga on
Big props to Lydia from Lydiascapes who kindly towed me along with her when this opportunity came up. We might have had a bit too much fun pretending we were chi-chi lifestyle bloggers and doing the posey ‘you should be here’ type of shots, but hey when you have a beautiful backdrop like this, it’s hard to resist the urge to break out everything that you’ve learned from watching America’s Next Top Model.
A slightly ridiculously OTT hair flick shot on the beach just because – let me just say it looks a lot more glamorous than it actually was when we were taking this, me trying not to get seawater up my nose and getting quite sunburnt in the process. The Casio Exilim FR100’s burst capability is 10/10 though!
Make time to enjoy your room properly
Lydia and I were put up in a St Regis Suite, which was a very comfortable space – the urge to squeal upon seeing the room was only tamped down so as not to embarrass ourselves in front of the butler who escorted us to our digs. Considering that this is the most basic of room types available here, the bar has indeed been set quite high.
Very large and comfy beds – the left side leads to the balcony, while the right side has a curtain separator that divides the bedroom from the sitting room area
The living room – I sprawled on that couch for a good long time. The entrance hallway is behind me when I took this pic
The bathroom is quite large – besides a nice bathtub for soaking in, there is a long counter with 2 sinks so you don’t have to share, and separate cubicles for toilet and shower. I would have happily slept in this toilet
The butler who brought us up graciously explained everything we needed to know about the room, even though it was practically 11pm by the time we were in the room. He offered to bring up a pot of tea for us, and even offered to unpack our bags, which is all sorts of weird for economy-class folk like me whose luggage was a rather lowly backpack, but wow is this how rich people live~
Our welcome was accompanied by a personally addressed note, and a selection of fruits, delectable macarons and chocolate truffles.
Addressed to us! What’s also notable is that they even laid out two complementary ladies sunhats instead of one male and one female hat as most rooms expect couples
Living the high life – Lydia enjoys her tea and snacks out on the verandah
You might not even need to venture out of your room at all if you were staying at one of the pool suites or villas with your own private pool!
The daily rate for the St Regis Suite starts from S$560/night for 2 pax, with villas ranging around the S$1.2k – $2k/night range.
Find your chill zone
Beyond your luxurious room, your main dilemma when staying at the St Regis Bali will be deciding where exactly to chill out at. The grounds are quite large and you can take a buggy to get from place to place more easily, but I suggest taking a slow walk around instead because you might find some nice quiet nooks.
If for some reason you are tired of beach and water, we found a little garden with lovely hammocks while walking around the villas!
There are plenty of staff who will attend to your needs wherever you go – whether you are by the pool or by the beach, someone will provide you with a small bottle of chilled water and a cold towel, blessed relief from the hot sun. There was even a staff member who came around and polished our sunglasses for us – another first for me.
Taking a stroll on the lovely beach
The resort is also surprisingly kid friendly – lots of families and their children, not just honeymooning couples. Apparently the St Regis brand has done such a good job of reaching affluent couples that they remain the resort of choice even after these couples start their own families. What’s also nice is that it never felt hectic or bustling and noisy like some family friendly resorts tend to feel like with all the activities going on.
These are deckchairs, a signature for St Regis. I don’t think I can really get the feeling that I’m lounging on ‘someone’ out of my head though
My favourite spot to chill at was the beach – quiet and clean white sand, a far cry from busy Kuta or Seminyak beach. The deckchairs are some of the most comfortable I have ever put my lazy butt on – Lydia can tell you how reluctant I was to move after lying down and chillaxing.
If you are staying at the beachfront resorts, your gate opens up to a quieter part of the beach just a short walk away from the main beach area, and you have specially reserved deckchairs right in front of your villa. Pretty damn swanky if you ask me!
Something so lulling when you sit down here – the sounds of the sea, the warm blaze of the sun…
The resort is to the right – in the distance is the sports and activities centre, a little removed from the main complex but probably how it maintains its serenity
If you’re not a beach bunny, there are two pools you can choose to soak in. The main freshwater pool just by the beach side is very large and surrounds the in-house restaurant Kayaputi. It even has its own mini beach, so for parents concerned about their kiddies being swept aside by waves, that’s an option too.
Testing the waters at the main pool. The hat definitely helped set the mood~
In the center of the resort is the saltwater lagoon – some of the suites and villas open up to this lagoon area where you can have a leisurely soak or laze in the cabanas around the lagoon.
Balinese boat in the lagoon
Soaking in the sun rays before breakfast
There is a rather interesting stone installation of a ‘living room’ in the middle of the lagoon – that’s me sitting on the ‘couch’ half soaked in water
Indulge and pamper yourself
So between your comfortable room and all these lovely spaces to check out, you’re probably quite set for an excellent relaxing holiday, but make sure you check out the food and facilities in the resort as well.
Breakfast at Boneka is excellent stuff – a good spread of food without being too overwhelming and offering nice diverse choices. You can grab your food from the buffet, order a la carte through a menu on your table or help yourself to whatever the staff bring around.
Steak and eggs and various drinks. There’s always something new to try!
Before we left, we managed to sneak a drink at King Cole Bar – this lovely lounge is at its busiest in the afternoon, usually around 6-8pm when it’s champagne hour, and it offers the best view of the daily fire dance ritual that happens right in the middle of the resort. The resort’s Bloody Mary is a signature drink you should try as well.
Quiet in mid afternoon – it opens from 3pm onwards for afternoon tea and evening drinks
Freshly prepared Bloody Mary – it’s not my usual fare but it’s definitely… interesting. A little like drinking ketchup somehow
There is a long runway that runs through the resort leading to the beach, which is where the traditional fire dance takes place every evening at 630pm
Also, we only got a quick glimpse of the Remede Spa before leaving – book your appointment early because even though there are 12 rooms, the spots fill up very quickly! They also have this lovely aqua-medic pool where you can water massages in.
The Aqua media pool
Doing up this post is making me really miss this place – it’s not for your everyday holiday but if you are willing to spend and you want top notch facilities and service, definitely a place to consider on your next Bali visit!
Getting There
St Regis is located in Nusa Dua on the south eastern shore of Bali, about half an hour’s drive from the airport if traffic is good. Check out their website here.
Thanks to St Regis Bali Resort for sponsoring the overnight stay. The opinions in this review are my own.