Bali’s best pool villas: luxury to budget-friendly options

Amarterra Villas in Nusa Dua boasts villas with 10m private pools and a mini bar included. Photo / Supplied

Plenty of Kiwis will be heading to Bali in 2024 and if you’re after somewhere with a little (or “a lotta”) luxury, Tiana Templeman knows just the spot

Bali is famous for its pool villas, but there are so many it can be hard to know which one to choose. Here are some of the best options for every budget, plus some hints, tips and important things to know if you’re booking this style of accommodation, like the fact not all plunge pool rooms are completely private (cue major embarrassment if, like me, you only notice this on day three). * Prices mentioned are all in New Zealand dollars.

The Slow

Imagine an art gallery crossed with a designer New York apartment and you have the four pool villas available on the ground floor of The Slow. This ultra-modern hipster accommodation has all you could ask for in a cool chillout pad in Bali, with a curated retro playlist and pared-back architecture that puts the focus solely on you in all those Instagram photos you won’t be able to resist taking. Located in the up-and-coming destination of Canguu, there are plenty of trendy restaurants and bars to tempt you to venture outside your trendy accommodation.

Priced from $325 per night. theslow.com

Peppers Seminyak

Peppers Seminyak is a villa-only resort located in the heart of Seminyak, with easy access to the beaches, shopping, cafes and restaurants that make this destination so popular with travellers of all ages. If you’re visiting Bali as a group or with extended family, the choice of pool villas at this resort ranges from one to five bedrooms, ensuring there’s accommodation for all. For a special dinner, you can book one of the hotel’s chefs to cook up a bespoke barbeque feast at your villa.

Priced from $750 per night. peppersseminyak.com

At Peppers Seminyak, guests can enjoy a bespoke barbeque feast cooked by the hotel’s chef in their villa. Photo / Edy Gautama

Mahe Garden Inn & Villas

Located in one of Bali’s best-known tourist areas, this low-key resort has pool villa rooms within easy walking distance of everything Kuta has to offer. The décor is homely rather than fancy but the garden views, complimentary Wi-Fi and modern bathrooms make this pool villa accommodation excellent value, especially when you consider the central location.

Priced from $125. mahegardeninn.com

Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay

Kids up to the age of 18 stay free in their parent’s villa at this luxe all-villa resort at Jimbaran Bay. With a minimum room size of 250 sqm, even the most affordable accommodation is enormous and offers room for families to spread out. Complimentary on-site activities include sailing, kayaking, yoga, beach games, and tennis and the fully supervised Jimba Club has its own luxurious kiddie-size pool and activities to keep under 12s entertained.

Priced from $1,290 per night. fourseasons.com

The Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay allows children up to 18 to stay free in their parents' villa. Photo / Supplied

COMO Uma Ubud

The four pool suites at this leafy resort have a sundeck for soaking up the rays, and a private plunge pool. There’s a king-size bed in the master bedroom and a second room with a fold-out couch that can be used as an extra bedroom or as a sitting room. With 100 sqm of space and a large bathroom with a separate shower and a bathtub, there’s plenty of room to relax.

Priced from $540 per night. comohotels.com

COMO Uma Canggu's pool suites feature a sundeck and a private plunge pool for ultimate relaxation. Photo / Supplied

Mick’s Place

Book the Honeymoon Bungalow at Mick’s Place at Uluwatu and you’ll get a private infinity pool, an indoor/outdoor bathroom and a bathtub that’s big enough for two, plus incredible views of Bali’s coastline. If you can tear yourself away from the view, you can check out the local restaurants, book a private spa therapist or yoga instructor or catch some of Indonesia’s best waves. Room service is available if you don’t want to leave the romantic confines of your room.

Priced from $645 per night. micksplace.com

Aria Villas Ubud

Aria Villas Bali is a boutique all-villa property that’s located in the heart of Ubud, but also extremely secluded and quiet. It’s got the magic formula of private jungle views and easy access to that amazing “I heart Bali” T-shirt you secretly know you really, really want. Book a one- or three-bedroom villa or combine two adjoining villas to create a four-bedroom accommodation option with two pools. Well-priced room service is available, and breakfast is included and served in your villa.

Priced from $210 per night. ariavillasubud.com

Amarterra Villas Resort Bali Nusa Dua, Autograph Collection

Located 20 minutes’ drive from the airport, Amarterra Villas Resort at Nusa Dua provides the perfect excuse to never leave the romantic sanctuary of your villa. Here, even the most affordable villas have a 10m private pool, a complimentary mini bar filled with non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, and a large open living area and deck shaded by fragrant frangipani trees. There’s a spa specialising in traditional Balinese treatments and the beach is a short stroll away.

Priced from $520 per night. marriott.com

Skove Canggu

This contemporary boutique pool villa complex at Canggu has a choice of one and two-bedroom pool villas plus a two-bedroom pool villa penthouse. A communal pool is shared with four studio units if you feel like getting out and about and socialising with other guests. Complimentary afternoon tea with delicious sweet treats is served daily between 4pm and 5pm.

Priced from $175 per night. skovecanggu.com

Novotel Bali Benoa

These 210 sqm villas have a frangipani-draped plunge pool, outdoor bathroom, jacuzzi, gazebo, and outdoor dining pavilion. If you want to get active, swim some laps in the large resort pool overlooking the beach or sign up for the complimentary guest activities programme featuring pool games and activities. Accommodation is free for up to two children under-16 using existing bedding. Room service is an affordable luxury at this mid-priced resort, with most meals costing around $15.

Priced from $475 per night. accor.com

Hints and tips for renting a private pool villa

Check if anyone can see your pool before you go skinny dipping.

Hotels with pool villas offer the convenience of a resort plus a classic Bali villa holiday experience.

Most villas don’t have pools with a fence so take care if you’re travelling with young children.

Dining out and services like getting your laundry done are affordable in Bali, so don’t get caught up looking for villas with Airbnb-type features like a washing machine or a kitchen for self-catering.

If you’re booking a privately owned villa, choose your location carefully as some of these villas are quite isolated (a bonus for some travellers, but not for others).

Checklist

BALI

GETTING THERE

Fly from Auckland to Bali with one stopover with Qantas and Jetstar. Air New Zealand flies from Auckland to Bali non-stop seasonally: three times a week between April 1 - June 30 and five times a week between July 1 - October 27, 2024.

DETAILS

balitourismboard.org