The Seminyak Beach Resort & Spa

The Seminyak has a peaceful atmosphere, with beautifully landscaped grounds dotted with stone statuettes, traditional wooden pavilions that double as private cabanas, lily ponds, and wooden bridges crossing over serene streams. The main building (known as the Beach Wing) is located adjacent to the beach and is where most of the rooms and hotel amenities are, including two of the three pools, the restaurant, the spa, and the fitness center. The Garden Wing is located across the street from the main section and houses 30 rooms and a pool with a swim-up bar. The main lobby is airy and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows and an off-white palette throughout. The design here may lack the wow factor of other high-end hotels in the area, but wood carved chairs with traditional motifs, padded stone and wood benches, and colorful artwork adds some local charm to the lobby. This mix of contemporary decor and traditional Balinese elements continues in the rest of the common spaces and the rooms. Most guests are couples, including a good number of honeymooners, though families with kids can also be seen hanging out at the pool. 

The Seminyak Beach Resort & Spa is located directly on a sandy beach -- the well-known Ku De Ta beach club is just down the shore and equally popular Potato Head is a 15-minute walk in the opposite direction. There are dozens of restaurants and shops within easy walking distance along Kalan Kayu Aya and around the Seminyak Square mall -- both are around a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Pura Petitenget, a famous Hindu temple, can be reached on foot in about five minutes, and Bali TrickArt 3D Gallery is just a 10-minute drive away. The waves at Echo Beach, popular with surfers, are 30 minutes away by car, and Ngurah Rai International Airport can be reached in about 25 minutes. 

The Seminyak has 105 units ranging from spacious Garden Rooms to luxurious two-bedroom Villas with private pools and indoor/outdoor lounges. The hotel’s 30 Garden Rooms (which are the standard units here) are all located in the Garden Wing across the street from the main building, while the Beach Wing houses 38 standard rooms, 26 Ocean Side Suites with living areas and jetted tubs, and 11 one- and two-bedroom Garden Villas with private pools and outdoor lounges. There's also seven one-bedroom Ocean View Villas with open-air gazebos, jetted tubs, and private pools. 

Units are stylish and contemporary, with a subdued earth tone palette, hardwood floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto small furnished balconies offering views of either the lush grounds or the ocean. Balinese wood carvings, small Indonesian artworks, and the use of stone and wood throughout add local charm, though overall the look is a little bland when compared to other high-end properties in the area. 

All rooms have air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, DVD players, safes, minibars, iPod docks, and electric kettles; villas have coffeemakers. Bathrooms are spacious and luxurious, with deep soaking tubs, separate showers with rainfall showerheads, and a wide array of toiletries. Some bathrooms have glass walls overlooking the rooms, but there are shades for privacy. Some rooms in the Garden Wing of the hotel are close to the road and may pick up some traffic noise.

The Seminyak’s Santan Restaurant serves international cuisine in several pavilions surrounded by lily ponds and small artificial streams lined with rocks and Indonesian statues. Sanje Restaurant offers a seafood and international menu on a deck overlooking the ocean, and has a beachfront lounge popular for sunset drinks. Both restaurants serve tasty food at reasonable prices, but the breakfast spread seems to be a favorite among guests -- the a la carte options are varied, allowing for plenty of choice during one's stay. Not all rooms include breakfast in the rate, and paying for it on arrival is expensive. 

The hotel has three pools, including a quiet one in the Garden Wing complete with a swim-up bar, and two with ocean views in the Beach Wing. They’re all relaxing and stylish, but the highlight here is the infinity-edge pool overlooking the ocean. It offers cabanas, loungers, parasols, and a lounge area, and is a popular spot for watching the sunset. Kahyangan Spa provides three massage rooms for couples, four single treatment rooms, a sauna, salon services, and hot and cold plunge pools in a sophisticated space with hardwood floors and delicate wood carvings. The gym offers a decent array of cardio and strength-training machines in a small room with large windows overlooking the grounds. Additionally, the hotel has loaner bikes that guests can use free of charge. 

Other freebies include Wi-Fi, afternoon tea, and daily activities such as Balinese massage classes, yoga classes, and games and art activities for kids. The hotel also has a wedding chapel with beach views, an open-air pavilion for ceremonies or events, and a business center with a couple of computers and a printer.