When we grow up, we want to live in a house just like our Alila Uluwatu villa.
Alila Hotels manages almost 20 luxury hotels in Asia, India and the U.S.
But it’s probably garnered the most ink – in prestigious travel mags like Conde Nast Traveler and the Robb Report – for its ultra-sumptuous, private-pool villa resorts in Bali.
Specifically, we’re talking about the Alila Villas Uluwatu.
Alila Villas Uluwatu
Alila Villas Uluwatu clings to a clifftop on Bali’s southern coast.
It cranks up the wow factor for boutique villa resorts, making you wish you could replicate their fab architectural features in your own home. (They sure gave us serious villa envy.)
Alila Uluwatu accommodation
You want big?
Then get this – the 65 extraordinary Uluwatu villas are all larger than 3,000 square feet! Our living room was touching distance from our L-shaped pool.
We could push back glass wall-to-wall windows and almost jump right into the pool.
In fact, most of the window walls around the villa opened up to the outdoors to allow the sea breeze in.
The bathroom boasted an indoor and outdoor shower, together with his-and-hers, leather-and-wood amenity boxes with organic products – scented pillow spray anyone?
Pool and lounge
Nothing is cookie-cutter.
Wood design materials have been recycled from railway sleepers and telephone poles.
And a huge birdcage (aka, a sunset lounge) is cantilevered over the cliff edge beside the resort’s main infinity pool – from here, the Indian Ocean looks as if it stretches forever beyond the horizon.
Go on, stay at another fabulous Bali hotel too! see more luxury Bali hotel reviews here!
Dining
The hotel’s secluded location means that you’ll likely eat in (unless you don’t mind hefty taxi charges to try an outside restaurant).
Mind you, it’s not a hardship to eat the food at the hotel!
Alila Villas Uluwatu review: Bottom line?
We’ve stayed at many gorgeous, five-star Bali hotels.
And it’s possible, just possible, that the Alila Villas Uluwatu is the most deluxe hotel in Bali.
Alila Villas Bali
Sailing on the Alila Purnama
After this amazing stay, we wondered how the Alila group could possibly impress us on our subsequent week-long Indonesian expedition on the Alila Purnama (a stylish sailing vessel modeled after a traditional phinisi).
Well, they did!
Read next: The Alila Purnama – it’s all about sailing, diving and, oh my, Komodo dragons!
Our top travel tips and resources
Here are our favorite travel resources:
Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one. (We especially like their flexible cancellation policy!)
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out GetYourGuide and Viator.
Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more.
Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.
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Photo credits: 3, 5 and 8 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase| Other photos courtesy this Alila hotel
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
Find destination guides, global food-and-wine stories, luxury hotel reviews, articles on cultural explorations and soft adventure trips, cruise reviews, insanely useful travel tips and more!
James Linville
Thursday 11th of February 2016
We seem to be in many of the same destinations lately and coming away equally impressed. My wife and I were in Bali earlier this and stayed at the new Alila hotel in Seminyak. We have been to Alila hotels in Ubud and Manggis, as well, but the Uluwatu facility certainly appears to be a step above. I remember seeing renderings of the proposed Uluwatu villas on another trip and the developers seemed to have exceeded their luxurious intentions. My family also visited Tulum and Chichén Itzá in late 2015 and felt your post about Tulum captured well why one should visit these historic sites.
Janice and George
Thursday 11th of February 2016
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment :-). Glad to hear the new Alila hotel in Seminyak is appealing. We stayed in Seminyak as well (in a couple of different villa properties) and the Seminyak vibe is definitely different than what you get at Soori and Uluwatu! (as in more happening!) The good thing about the Seminyak location would be the close access to all sorts of great restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, etc., which you don't get when you're coddled in the private cocoons at Soori and Uluwatu.
Aparna
Wednesday 10th of February 2016
Whooo!!!! What am amazing place to be, just looking at the pictures made me stunned, I think this is the perfect place I have to visit with my fiancee ;-) and yeah the pool villa over the rice paddies towards the mountains is just perfect. Truly Awesome.. (kiss) Janice and George really thank you for sharing this lovely post. keep posting... :-) Cheers!!!
Janice and George
Thursday 11th of February 2016
Both of these Alila villa properties in Bali are honeymoon-worthy, so yes, you and your fiancee would be sure to love them :-).
Shikha
Wednesday 10th of February 2016
I adored every minute of my time in Bali so am always up for hearing about great places to stay there and the Alila properties sound so relaxing and remote :) That body mask sounds utterly aromatic and wholesome as well!
Suze
Tuesday 9th of February 2016
We had an incredible stay at Alila Ubud and I would have loved to visit their Uluwatu property if we'd have had time - that birdcage lounge looks really unique
Janice and George
Tuesday 9th of February 2016
It's hard to do everything on a trip, isn't it? Maybe you'll just have to plan another visit to Bali :-)
Irene S. Levine
Monday 8th of February 2016
These Alila villas look amazing---and a great setting and bespoke service to boot! Would love to visit someday~