"# The Ritz-Carlton Bali, Nusa Dua — Beautiful Service and a Relaxing Family Resort, but Showing Its Age. We recently stayed at **The Ritz-Carlton Bali in Nusa Dua** as a family of four and, overall, had a very enjoyable stay. The resort has a great deal going for it: consistently excellent staff, enormous accommodation, beautiful grounds, a very good breakfast spread, several memorable dining experiences and an atmosphere that feels calm and genuinely relaxing. That said, this is also a resort where **expectations need to be calibrated against the price**. The property is undeniably dated in places, there were a number of minor maintenance issues, and some aspects of the rooms and villas did not deliver the immediate “wow” factor I would normally expect at this price point. There were some genuinely disappointing experiences that my partner thought under-delivered comparative to our hotel experience elsewhere. For us, the strength of the Ritz-Carlton was ultimately **the service, space and relaxed atmosphere rather than the physical product itself**. ## Getting to Bali — AirAsia Indonesia and DPS A few practical tips made the journey remarkably painless. Download the **All Indonesia application** before travelling, as the arrival declaration and B1 eVOA can be completed before departure. We also checked in online and saved the boarding-pass QR codes to our phones. With carry-on luggage only, we were able to bypass the airport check-in counters entirely at both home and in Indonesia. Having the eVOA organised beforehand makes a substantial difference. You can apply on arrival and one family at the front of the queue forgot and was redirected at immigration. There was effectively no queue for the electronic gates, although **children under seven are directed to the manual immigration line**. That process took us around 30 minutes. Once through immigration, customs was straightforward. There are plenty of foreign-exchange counters, Telkomsel outlets and taxi/transfer representatives immediately outside. We arranged our airport transfer through the Ritz-Carlton. Impressively, our driver recognised our family before we had even managed to find him amongst the enormous crowd of drivers holding signs. On a Sunday around midday, traffic to Nusa Dua was minimal and the trip took approximately **30 minutes**. ## Arrival and Service This is where the Ritz-Carlton immediately begins to justify its reputation. The training and service culture are obvious throughout the resort. Staff consistently make eye contact, greet guests as they walk past and appear genuinely willing to assist. We arrived around midday and our room was not yet ready, so we were offered a welcome drink and invited to relax in the lobby. The room was ready before 1pm. I strongly recommend downloading the **Marriott Bonvoy app** and linking your reservation before arriving. The mobile key is convenient, but the messaging function is arguably even more useful. We used it to contact the front desk, organise buggies and request assistance without repeatedly having to telephone reception. Service throughout our stay remained **prompt, courteous** from the vast majority of staff from grounds, pool and restaurants. ## The Resort The Ritz-Carlton Bali is often described as dated, and that is fair. However, “dated” does not necessarily mean unpleasant. The resort still has a lovely **old-world tropical character**, with mature greenery, landscaped gardens and accommodation spread between separate buildings rather than concentrated in one enormous hotel tower. There are buggies available throughout the property. You can request one through the Marriott app or simply ask a staff member with a radio. We generally waited only around five minutes. Our children thought travelling around by buggy was great fun. Ironically, after about three days we realised that most destinations within the resort were actually quite walkable. Walking also lets you discover more of the grounds, including the **koi pond**, where fish food is left out for guests at certain times, and the meandering jogging/walking paths. Bring mosquito repellent. The resort fogs the vegetation regularly at 4pm and this appears to work reasonably well. Despite normally attracting mosquitoes, I was bitten only once or twice during evening walks. ## Ritz-Carlton Suite with Lagoon Access We initially stayed in a **Ritz-Carlton Suite with Lagoon Access**. At more than 100 square metres, it is enormous by normal hotel standards. There is a huge amount of room for a family, and the double-glazed doors do an excellent job of keeping external noise down. We occasionally heard footsteps from the room above and briefly heard wedding fireworks from the Kempinski around 9pm, but neither was particularly intrusive. The accommodation, however, is showing its age. We experienced several relatively minor maintenance issues: a loose light switch, drains that occasionally needed some encouragement, bathroom/lift odours and the slightly musty, damp smell that can accompany tropical ground-floor accommodation. None individually ruined the stay, and guest services responded when contacted, but collectively they reinforce the impression of a property that is **ready for a meaningful refurbishment**. Beds are very comfortable “Super King”. Our eldest slept on the sofa-bed and our youngest only kicked us a few times every night. There are also two issues families should know about. Firstly, the **outdoor tiles around the lagoon are extremely slippery when wet**. Both my daughter and I had significant falls while simply walking normally though thankfully no lasting injury. These tiles did not feel appropriately slip-resistant for an area immediately adjoining water. Secondly, the lagoon is not separately fenced. The room door has a relatively small latch between the accommodation and the water. Our children understand that they cannot approach a pool without an adult, but families with particularly adventurous toddlers may want to think carefully before booking direct lagoon or pool access. This is common throughout Bali. And while the room is called a Ritz-Carlton Suite, anyone familiar with the Ritz-Carlton elsewhere should not expect something comparable to its name-sake. This is a spacious mid-tier resort suite at this property rather than that style of ultra-luxury city-hotel penthouse. ## Two-Bedroom Sky Villa We spent a few nights in the **two-bedroom Sky Villa**, which is enormous at more than 200 square metres. There are different villa positions, and I would strongly recommend requesting one of the **oceanfront villas** if available. They were unfortunately fully booked during our stay. The hotel does not make it clear on booking they also have rearward sky villas with a much different outlook. We suggest respectfully that they should actually be categorised different as “ocean” view and “resort” view as many other (including Ritz Carlton elsewhere) properties often do. The villa itself provides an extraordinary amount of space: two large bedrooms, substantial bathrooms with separate showers and baths, a large living and dining area, kitchenette, microwave, full-size refrigerator and private infinity pool. For a family of four, it was exceptionally comfortable. Our children effectively had their own bedroom area with two queen beds, which meant that — unusually on a family holiday — the adults actually had some genuine private time as well. Sky Villas come with a butler who found us the day prior at breakfast and contacted us on WhatsApp to liaise re: room move. It was convenient to WhatsApp any room requests and issues. Guest Services via the Bonvoy App were very good also. Again, there were several minor signs of wear: chipped tiles and stone, a loose bidet panel and another loose light switch requiring attention but being in the kids bedroom a potential electrical hazard. None of these issues was catastrophic, but at this level of pricing you notice them. The villa succeeds overwhelmingly on **space and practicality**, rather than being a flawless ultra-modern luxury product. The nightly rate is what it is. ## Ritz-Carlton vs Kempinski Vibe We visited the neighbouring **Apurva Kempinski Bali** several times for dining. It is only around a five-minute walk along the beach from the Ritz-Carlton. The walk is safe, easy even after dinner. It makes more sense than walking along the footpath along the front of the hotel. The two resorts have noticeably different personalities. The Kempinski is visually dramatic, with its huge cliffside architecture, ocean views and long sequence of interconnecting pools. It has more of the immediate architectural spectacle that many guests associate with a modern luxury resort. The Ritz-Carlton is softer and more understated. Accommodation buildings sit around landscaped gardens, tropical greenery and the koi pond. We also found the overall guest atmosphere at the Ritz more reserved and relaxed. Most importantly, we consistently found the **Ritz-Carlton staff warmer, more courteous and more helpful**. The Kempinski probably has the edge in destination dining — particularly if **Bai Yun** or the underwater **Koral Restaurant** are priorities — but as a resort to actually live in for several days, we felt more comfortable at the Ritz-Carlton and were ultimately happy that we had chosen it. Perhaps the analogy would be comparing Marina Bay Sands to the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons. #IFKYK ## Kids Club The Ritz Kids Club was relatively quiet during our stay, which we considered a positive despite the resort being at near capacity. Most of the children appeared to be around four to eight years old. Activities changed hourly and included things such as UNO, bracelet making and colouring. There is also a shallow-water splash playground with a slide. Parents and nannies are welcome to stay, although resort staff are also available to supervise activities. Interestingly, our children still preferred spending most of their time at the **main swimming pool with their nanny**. ## Hiring a Nanny For families travelling with young children, hiring a nanny in Bali can transform the holiday. We booked months in advance. Our nanny was booked months in advance who was fabulous and a recommendation from a colleague. She was mature, engaged and proactive rather than simply supervising the children from the sidelines. She arrived with her own bag of activities including balloons, bubbles, colouring and bracelet-making supplies. A good nanny is approximately **IDR120,000 per hour plus IDR100,000 for travel** during our visit, which we considered extraordinarily reasonable. Hours were flexible and arranged day by day. Our children are already accustomed to daycare, after-school care and babysitters, so they adjusted almost immediately. ## Photo Shoot There is a complimentary photo shoot although be warned, the photo packages are very, very expensive (e.g. $400-500 for the digital files of about 80 usable photos). As a photographer, the in-house photographer was lovely though not at the level of a professional wedding photographer back home. As a photographer myself, I noted a few ideas relating to detail, composition and depth of field as well as lighting. That said, we got some great family photos we would not have otherwise and he agreed to us having access to the RAW files so I can further post edit at home. His service was exemplary and his photos are amongst our most valued. For that , we were very happy. ## Spa The Spa at the Ritz Carlton has some of the best trained massage therapists we’ve met. Genuinely receptive to feedback and if a remedial style massage is what you’re after, they’re very talented. We found a package on Luxury Escapes at a significant discount but would have been happy to pay for the usual price. The hydro-pool are mostly water jets in a lagoon where my wife found the water a tad too cold. I wouldn’t go out of my way. The Ritz Carlton back home heats their HydroPool to a much more comfortable temperature. Kempinski’s therapists in comparison were fine but not quite as talented getting into those muscle knots. ## Breakfast at Senses Breakfast at **Senses** is excellent and continues until 11am. The variety is enormous. There are Indian dishes including dosa, freshly prepared eggs, continental and English breakfast options, Indonesian dishes, noodle and Chinese stations and an extensive selection of tropical fruit. You can also request plates of tropical fruits such as **pink dragon fruit, longan and mangosteen**. Coffee is freshly ground and the espresso is perfectly respectable. This is one of those hotel breakfasts where it is entirely possible to eat sufficiently well that lunch becomes unnecessary. ## Bejana — One of the Highlights **Bejana**, the Ritz-Carlton's Indonesian restaurant, was one of our favourite experiences. The food is flavoursome and authentically Indonesian, with freshly made sambals and spice pastes. However, the highlight was the **private Indonesian cooking class**. It was essentially just the two of us with the sous chef. We prepared ingredients from scratch — galangal, turmeric, onions, garlic and spices — before turning them into soups, steamed chicken parcels, fried rice and pandan crepes filled with palm-sugar coconut. It was genuinely enjoyable rather than feeling like a token hotel activity. The sous chef even gave us his contact details and invited us to message him in future if we had questions about Indonesian cooking, and we were given the recipes for the dishes we prepared. My only tiny criticism: the chef's knives for us were understandably very blunt. I would **strongly recommend the cooking class**. ## Dining With Children The resort handles children very well. A children's menu is available across the restaurants, although the choices vary slightly by venue. Options included things such as beef sliders, spaghetti bolognese, sausage rolls and congee. My personal recommendation would be the Kids Menu at the Beach grill. The Australian tenderloin on the kids menu is magnificent and amongst the best steak I’ve had. At around **IDR150,000**, children received a drink, appetiser, main and dessert. Considering the setting, we thought this represented excellent value. ## Food and Drink Prices Dining at luxury resorts in Nusa Dua is **not cheap**. Prices frequently resemble Australian or European restaurant prices rather than what many travellers associate with Bali. Alcohol is particularly expensive, especially imported wine. Fortunately, **Kura Kura Island Ale** is a very decent local craft beer and was around AUD$10 on tap. It compares surprisingly well with Australian craft beer. Bintang is substantially cheaper, although personally I would choose the Kura Kura every time. ## Missoni Beach Club and Beach Grill Both **Missoni Beach Club** and **The Beach Grill** offer predominantly modern Western food. The prawns, however, were excellent, and seafood is where I would concentrate when dining in Bali. Does not make sense to order Steak with the quality that is available at the local butcher/farmers market back home. ## Afternoon Tea at The Ritz-Carlton Lounge The lounge has a **beautiful elevated ocean view**. We ended up having afternoon tea because the children had skipped lunch, were hungry, and it was still too early for dinner. The tea itself was quality loose-leaf **TWG**, which was a pleasant surprise. Many other venues we visited — including Koral — served Dilmah tea bags. The afternoon-tea spread was perfectly acceptable and our children enthusiastically demolished the desserts. Would I travel across Bali specifically for it? Probably not. But if you are already staying at the Ritz-Carlton, the combination of tea, food and that view makes for a very pleasant afternoon. ## Food and Water Safety The resort water is centrally treated and obviously perfectly suitable for bathing and showering, although we treated it as we would water on an aircraft or cruise ship and did not drink directly from the tap. We used bottled water for brushing our teeth. Complimentary bottled water was replenished generously, and housekeeping was consistently fast when we requested additional supplies — typically within 30 minutes and often considerably sooner. Fresh fruit, salads, vegetables, juices, herbs and ice were widely served throughout the resorts and we consumed them without issue. My gut feel (pun intended) is that much of Bali Belly may also be viral gastroenteritis. The social isolation at the Ritz Carlton I suspect would be much different than Club Med or Hard Rock. ## What Is There to Do in Nusa Dua? Nusa Dua is primarily about **resort life**. If your ideal holiday involves spending the day beside the pool, swimming with the children, reading on a villa recliner, eating well and occasionally walking along the beach to another luxury resort, it works extremely well. If you want constant sightseeing, nightlife and a sense of being immersed in everyday Bali, this probably isn't the part of the island you are looking for. There is the Bali Collection shopping area and various water sports, paragliding and temple excursions available, but we did not feel compelled to do them. For us, the whole point was to switch off. ## Final Verdict The **Ritz-Carlton Bali is not a flawless modern luxury resort**. The rooms and villas are showing their age. There are minor maintenance issues that should really be addressed at this price point. The slippery outdoor tiles around the lagoon are a genuine concern, particularly for families. And guests paying the very substantial premium for a Sky Villa should understand that villa position matters if view it’s important. The staff are consistently excellent with only a few notable exceptions. Unfortunately one of them had a lasting impact on my partners opinion of her holiday. It only takes one significant incident to outweigh many good memories. I was going to rate my review 4 / 5 and my partner insisted insisted it was average. Otherwise service feels genuine rather than scripted. The grounds are lush and relaxing. Accommodation is extraordinarily spacious. Breakfast is superb. Bejana's cooking class was a highlight. The children's offering is thoughtful. And with a nanny, pool, good food and very little need to leave the property, it becomes an exceptionally easy family holiday. After visiting the Kempinski several times, we still felt **more at home at the Ritz-Carlton and were glad we had chosen it**. The Kempinski may win for architectural drama and perhaps destination dining. The Ritz-Carlton wins on culture and vibe - **warmth, service and the feeling of actually being able to relax**. For a family looking for a quiet luxury resort holiday in Nusa Dua and don’t mind spending an Australian or Singaporean holiday budget, I would generally recommend it — **provided you go in knowing that you are paying for space, service and atmosphere rather than a pristine, newly built physical product**."

"One of the best hotels we have stayed in. Ritz never disappoints us. Staff are so nice and welcoming. We enjoyed every single moment in ritz. We will definitely be back."

"This hotel is very big, but in the best possible way. Despite its size, everything is incredibly accessible, whether you choose to walk or make use of the convenient buggies. Getting around is easy and effortless. The staff throughout the hotel are exceptionally friendly, accommodating, and genuinely willing to go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable and well looked after. A very special thank you, however, must go to JaJa, one of the chefs at the breakfast restaurant. His service and the food he prepared for us were truly exceptional. Every morning, he would personally come over to check that we were okay and ask whether we had any special requests. If there was something we wanted, he would personally go and prepare it for us. This was truly remarkable, especially considering the hotel was at full occupancy and breakfast was extremely busy every single day. Despite the pressure and volume of guests, JaJa made us feel genuinely valued and cared for. Having stayed at many five-star properties around the world, this level of personal attention really stood out to me and my family. It is these thoughtful touches and genuine acts of hospitality that make a stay truly memorable. We are extremely grateful to JaJa and to all of the wonderful staff for making our stay so special. The hospitality we received was outstanding, and JaJa in particular deserves a very special mention for his exceptional service, kindness, and dedication. He truly went above and beyond, and we will remember his warmth and hospitality for a long time to come."

"Spent 3 nights in a Sawagan juinor suite. This is a really nice resort with exceptional services. The resort was exceptionally busy as Aug is peak period but no massive issues The resort is huge, like most in Nusa Dua. While we walked to places days its handy to get a buggy to whereever you want to go. You never wait a couple of minutes for one. The service from all the staff is exceptional. The beach and pool are nice and there are plenty of beach or pool loungers even with the resort being a full capacity. There are about 12 bed loungers but they were always taken by the time we headed down to the beach around 10am. The suite we stayed in was large with couches, tables and nice balcony with couches. I like the modular approach to turn the shower and bath area from open plan to closed using sliding doors. Breakfast gets really busy between 8.30-9.30, outside tables are sometimes not available. The food options are excellent with western, Indonesian, Japanese and Indian hot food options are available. Given how busy it gets we were pleased how quick specific orders arrived e.g. Coffee, eggs to order etc. Unless you want to spend stupid times in traffic in peak season you are very much a hostage in your resort or other resorts or places around Nusa Dua. We tried all of the restaurants at the resort over the 3 days. Note, you MUST book in advance and they appear to have 2 sittings 6pm and 8.30pm. This was a bit of an issue for us as 6pm is too early for us and 8pm plus a little late, but we made it work. Prices are on par with what you'd expect at a Ritz Calton. A local beer is around 105k, glass of wine 200-250k, dishes around 500-900k. The Beach grill was our favorite albeit the most expensive place to dine. We tried the Indonesian restaurant on our last night and enjoyed the food. Overall a nice resort for a relaxing holiday. Its in a fairly isolated area together with some other resorts, nothing of note outside the resort on the roads. Will definitely come back."

"Nice beach location, great service, food selection is limited but expensive. The facilities and rooms are dated/old. What caused me a great deal of anxiety is the walking paths, forcing people through windy , indirect way passing restaurants and shops to my room. I logged >12,000 steps going down to the beach once."