We were excited to head to Bali for the first time, although also unsure about the best place to base ourselves. Since this trip was for our honeymoon we were wanting something more relaxed, but still with enough going on.
In the end we opted for Novotel Bali Benoa. If returning, we probably wouldn’t head back to this part. Not because it isn’t perfectly fine, but the beach wasn’t so amazing (unless you’re into watersports) and after a couple of nights the nearby restaurant options became somewhat repetitive.
Benoa is a peaceful place to stay. If you’re wanting to stay somewhere with a bit more action, the Pullman Bali Legian is a good option. You can see our review here.
This said, we did enjoy our stay at the Novotel Bali Benoa, and would have no problem recommending it if you’re heading to this area of Bali. It’s also worth considering the fact that transport within Bali is very cheap. This meant it was perfectly possible to head to other places for a very reasonable price.
Arrival
We arrived in the afternoon, a couple of hours prior to check-in time. This was no problem. The staff checking us in were charming, and we were offered welcome drinks and a brief explanation of the facilities.
Le Club Accor recognition was good, and we were offered an upgrade to a ‘Tropical Terrace’ room in the beach wing. It’s worth noting the hotel has two sections – a garden and beach wing. I’d have been disappointed if we’d been staying in the garden wing as it’s located across the road from the main facilities, although does have two pools of its own.
The Room
The room was large and well maintained, with a particularly impressive bathroom. It was also nice that the hotel went to a special effort to provide some special treatment since this was our honeymoon. Welcome gifts included a cake and fruit, along with a keepsake of some incense sticks, along with a holder. This was an appreciated and nice touch.
Apart from two small bottles per day, the hotel didn’t provide complimentary water – which I think comes across as a little mean. To be fair, the water available to purchase in the room, although more than if purchased at the supermarket, wasn’t excessive in cost, but it still seemed a little mean. The room could also have benefitted from the addition of a coffee machine- Whilst there was a kettle, the only options provided were instant coffee, and a limited selection of teabags.
On the first day of our stay the internet didn’t work at all. This was apparently a hotel wide problem. When access was restored the internet was variable. Sometimes it worked perfectly fine, whilst other times it was extremely slow and almost unusable.
Leisure
The hotel benefits from three pools, one of which is by a private beach area. There were plenty of sun loungers dotted about by the pool, and close to the beach. The beach itself is not particularly impressive. This was fairly clear from the hotel website though. It’s limited in size, and the water wasn’t particularly clean to swim in. It was still a nice place to sit by.
The hotel did have a daily list of activities and excursions (some complimentary, others at an additional cost). We didn’t try these out but they seemed to be quite varied (although not so much to our taste).
Bars and Restaurants
The hotel offers a daily themed buffet. During our stay these included French, Mediterranean, Italian and Indonesian. We didn’t try this out (I’m not a huge fan of buffets at dinner), and I prefer to eat away from the hotel and choose local options when I’m away.
The hotel has two bars, one by reception, and one by the beach. We tried both and they were very good. The beach bar was a particularly nice place to spend some time. As you’d expect, the prices were somewhat higher than if you headed to a local bar with beach views.
The hotel doesn’t have a lounge for guests in higher room categories, or with Le Club Accor Platinum Status. If you do have Platinum (or Diamond) Status all Accor hotels in the Asia Pacific region now offer a complimentary breakfast. This is a nice feature (although should be introduced in all regions).
Breakfast was of a very good standard. It varied every day, so it wasn’t overly repetitive. The ingredient quality and selection was very good, with a nice balance between Asian and Western dishes. There was also a good mix between hot and cold dishes.
Upon checking-in we were informed we’d be able to have breakfast in our room one morning without an additional fee. We opted to do this (I now usually don’t bother because it’s normally either cold, or heavily balanced in favour of items they clearly can’t get rid of at the buffet…). On this occasion, however, it couldn’t be faulted. The selection delivered was very extensive and still hot. I was happy to have made an exception.
Recommended?
As said prior, I probably wouldn’t return – not through any fault of the hotel, but simply because I’d choose to stay in a different part of the island if I was back in Bali. This said, if Benoa takes your fancy, or you think it’d be a good base for some of the places you plan to visit on your trip, I’d have no hesitation in recommending the Novotel Bali Benoa. Levels of service were excellent, without being over the top, whilst the accommodation provided was of a very high standard. The leisure facilities were very good, and although the beach wasn’t amazing, it was still a nice environment to chill-out in.
