I booked a long weekend in Bali with my partner using Velocity Points for a Sydney to Denpasar Business Class return redemption using 99,000 points per person.
As I was using points for the flights, I decided to splurge on the accommodation and booked a Marvellous 1 Bedroom Villa using my American Express Platinum Card to earn 2 points per dollar on accommodation.
Research & booking
The W Hotel Bali Seminyak is ranked #26 out of 163 hotels in Seminyak on TripAdvisor, which is pretty good considering the quality of hotels around the area.
As it was booked six months in advance, I first chose a flexible rate and kept checking back for a ‘Hot Escape’ promotion. Two months out, a 30% off promotion was announced + 5% extra for SPG members, so I updated the booking to the new rate.
At the time of writing this review, this property was classified as an SPG Category 7 property, costing 30,000 Starpoints per night for a Wonderful Garden View, however, not for a villa.
Due to the merger of SPG into Marriott Rewards, this is now a Marriott Category 7 property, costing 50,000/60,000/70,000 Marriott Rewards points per night (off-peak/standard/peak).
The room: Marvellous 1 Bedroom Villa
All villas are on the ground floor and The Marvelous 1 Bedroom Villa was enormous at over 225m². As the hotel staff member opens the gate to the villa, funky tunes play through the Bose speakers located both inside and outside to welcome you.
You enter into the courtyard and to a 43m² private plunge pool, day bed, deck chairs and table.
Inside, the king-sized bed splits the villa in half, with a lounge room on one side and the ensuite on the other.
The hotel staff show you all the features of the villa, including the music controls and automatic blinds. Natural light fills the room from all four sides yet the high exterior walls mean it is very private.
There is a desk on the rear wall behind the bed.
There was also a box of macaroons to welcome us, which was a nice touch.
The bathroom has a separate shower at one end and a bath which looks out to the plunge pool at the other end.
The hotel provides full-size Bliss toiletries and anything else you could possibly need, including bathrobes, shavers, a nail kit, a shower cap, toothbrushes, shoeshine kits, a shoe horn and bug spray.
The hotel
The hotel premises are really visually engaging.
You will not go hungry at the W Bali! You can start with breakfast at the FIRE restaurant:
or if you are staying in a suite or villa, you can also choose to eat at Starfish Bloo, which has a pan-Asian influence.
SPG Platinum guests were treated with elaborate smoking non-alcoholic cocktails for breakfast, which are brought out in birdcages!
The W Lounge in the lobby serves up an extensive cocktail list, including six different espresso martinis.
The WooBar, situated by the pool and beach, has a relaxed vibe and cool tunes playing.
The W Bali is renowned for its Sunday brunch and it did not disappoint.
It kicks off at midday at Starfish Bloo and there is something for everyone: fresh seafood, cuisine from all over the world, an amazing dessert selection and, depending on your package, unlimited beer, wine and champagne.
The beautiful tiered WET outdoor pools are huge. Staying in a villa allowed us to enjoy the private plunge pool during half the day and have the flexibility to also relax by the main pool the other half.
There are lots of deck chairs and day beds positioned around the pool – the ones that face the ocean are ideal to watch the sunset.
The service at the W Bali was exceptional! After the check-in formalities, the manager on duty came over to personally introduce himself and specifically acknowledge my SPG status.
Throughout the stay, all staff were super friendly. There were a couple of small problems during dinner on two nights, however, in both instances the staff promptly resolved them and in one case offered us suitable compensation.
Around the hotel
It is best to hire a driver if you are planning on venturing out of the resort for day trips. The W have luxurious ‘Wheels’ transfer cars available to book from the concierge.
We booked a driver that a family friend had recommended. We took a day trip to Ubud and Tanah Lot and used a driver for the total cost of $50 AUD.
Summing up
I would definitely book the W Bali again without hesitation.
The villa was beautifully appointed, the service was incredible and it had one of the best hotel breakfasts/brunches I have experienced.
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I’m sure the staff in Bali were wonderful (they always are), but at my W stays I have experienced staff who were just too cool for school, like they are trying to redefine 5 star service to a different level, some unnamed ‘W’ level which they perceive to be better – but to me was just uncomfortable and sometimes creepy. W is just not for me, I guess I’m not W enough