Candi Beach Resort & Spa

Popular with vacationing couples, Candi Beach Resort & Spa is an intimate property situated on a lush, palm-fringed plot that leads out to a small sandy beach. The lobby is minimalistic but elegant, with gray-slate floors, wood-beamed ceilings with recessed light, and lots of light wood in the furniture and support beams.  The grounds are prettier, still, with gray stone paths and stairways flanked with thick walls of tropical foliage. Eco-friendly policies include rainwater harvesting, energy-saving electrical and plumbing features, and a recycling program -- the resort even uses old cooking oil to light the lanterns used in the evening to illuminate some of the property's common areas. Most guests are couples on vacation, though families book here too. 

This beachfront hotel is located in the town of Candidasa on the east coast of Bali, within walking distance of minimarts, shops, and restaurants. Nearby swimming options include Virgin Beach, in Karangasem, which has calm waters and plenty of beach shacks serving up food and drinks. Padang Bai is a half-hour drive in the opposite direction, and ferries and fast boats to Lombok and the Gili Islands depart from here. The Tirta Ganga water temple and royal palace is about a 35-minute drive inland, while Ubud -- known for its art and temples and home to the island's famed Monkey Forest -- takes just over an hour to get to by car. Ngurah Rai International Airport takes about an hour and 20 minutes to reach from the hotel.

This hotel offers rooms, single-story bungalows, suites, and villas. Bungalows and suites have balconies with either garden or ocean views and measure 30 square meters (323 square feet). Decor is similar in both categories, with cream marble floors, dark-brown bed furniture and matching bed frames and canopies with wispy white curtains, and stark-white walls accented with pops of yellow in throw cushions and bed runners. Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, kettles, minibars, and free Wi-Fi. The bathrooms follow a coordinating color scheme with yellow accents behind vanities with small counters and vessel sinks, plus tan granite walls. Most have shower/tub combos but some of the bungalows only have walk-in showers.

Suites (70 square meters/754 square feet) and villas (237 square meters/2,551 square feet, including garden areas) are considerably snazzier, and both have more modern decor, with lighter wood and low-lying furniture, but still integrate plenty of Balinese design elements, such as rich linens and dark blues and greens and locally inspired bas-relief-style sculptural elements on the walls. Villas feature traditional balinese ceilings with exposed wood. Both have huge cream-colored marble bathrooms with double vanities. Those in suites have deep soaking tubs while the villas have double showers for side-by-side bathing and jetted hot tubs. Suite balconies feature daybeds with curtains and whirlpool hot tubs that look straight out on the ocean, while villas upgrade to patio/gardens with their own private pools

This hotel sits right on a small sandy beach with a few lounge chairs, and while it's a pleasant spot to watch the sunset, conditions aren't always ideal for swimming. However, there is a gorgeous infinity pool set just back from the beach, separated from the sand by a patch of grass, with Balinese sculptures and lots of padded lounge chairs. A second pool is located further inland and is surrounded by elegant pagoda-style gazebos and lush greenery. 

While there's no fitness center, the hotel can arrange private yoga classes, trekking, diving, and snorkeling and there are regularly scheduled activities that are free for all guests, ranging from cooking classes to coconut tree climbing demonstrations. There's also the gorgeous Ocean Spa, which offers Balinese treatments and massages in a beautiful space, with outdoor relaxation areas and a ritual bath area featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with ocean views.

Dining options here include the all-day Biru Restaurant, which serves pan-Asian and Balinese food and the all-day Ocean Terrace Restaurant, which serves Western food overlooking the beach. Next to the main, interior pool, Ombak Bar serves cocktails and snacks throughout the day and well into the evening. Room service is available during restaurant hours. Breakfast and Wi-Fi are included in room rates.