Review: Conrad Bali (Bali, Indonesia)

As my taxi headed to the Conrad Bali, I couldn’t help but wonder, “why am I switching hotels?”

I had just stayed a couple of nights at the Hyatt Regency Bali, and I had zero complaints. It was wonderful.

Once the taxi pulled up to the Conrad Bali, my fears were instantly allayed, and I reminded myself, “for the points, I’m doing this for the points”.

Review: Conrad Bali (Bali, Indonesia)

Editor’s Note: This post is part of my ongoing Asia Travel Series, click here for more posts on all things Indonesia, and click here for all things Singapore. 

About The Conrad Bali

This is the official marketing video for the Conrad Bali.

Location And Getting There

The Corad Bali is located about 20 minutes away from DPS Airport by taxi.

The hotel is located on the east side of the island, on a strip of land known as Benoa.

The Lobby

The interior decor of the lobby at the Conrad was attractive, relying heavily on stone and marble and dark wood accents (a palette scheme found throughout the hotel).

The Check-In

I was immediately greeted and helped by way of the elite line at the front desk.

I was recognized for being a Hilton Honors Diamond member and handed the welcome letter below.

To my surprise, the representative informed me I was to be upgraded from a “Premier Garden Deluxe” room to a “Deluxe Oceanfront King” room.

The Diamond welcome letter

The customer service agent also handed me a map of the property and a schedule of activities.

The Walk To The Room

This hotel is HUGE

The Conrad waterfall

The courtyard and fountain design on the walk to my room

The Unique Conrad Bali Keepsake

The unique Conrad Bali keepsake

The Deluxe Oceanfront King Room

The Deluxe Oceanfront King room was a clean, bright room with a breezy oceanic theme.

There were some small signs of the room’s age (minor stains on the furniture and wear on the carpet), but they were rendered negligible by the view of paradise outside the window.

In fact, (from the marketing materials I’ve seen of the Conrad) I believe I may have had the best view in the entire hotel (see below)!

The daybed

The Diamond Member Welcome Fruit Platter

I don’t even know what some of these fruits were

Room Amenities

The room came with all the standard amenities.

The Bathroom

The bathroom too, was clean, bright and attractively decorated.

It had a large bathtub and an even larger shower.

The View From The Room

Remember I mentioned the view from the room?

This is it (and why it pays to be a Diamond member)!

The best view in the house!

The Swimming Pool(s)

The large rectangular [main] swimming pool was the centerpiece of the the resort. It was where most lounge chairs were placed and where most people swam.

FHOP Tip: I was informed by hotel staff that swimming in the ocean was not permitted at this hotel (and I believe this section of Benoa beach due to extremely shallow waters and the high density of water sports activities). If you are looking for ocean swimming, you should choose another hotel. For me, the pool here was more than sufficient.  

The Main Pool

The view from East Lobby Lounge

Coconuts and beers from Azure Bar

Bintang, Indonesian for beer

The Surrounding Pool(s)

There was another much larger [interconnected] set of pools that surrounded the main pool (and even led to the balconies of some rooms on the ground level), but for whatever reason, people didn’t really seem to swim in them.

Walking The Property

The footprint of the property was immense.

Most of the hotel amenities (like the fitness center, spa, and shopping) were located north of the front desk.

The property was beautiful to walk.

The Conrad Suites Lounge

Diamond members were able to access the Conrad Suites Lounge, and what a lounge it was.

Exclusive and upscale, the large studious lounge was “the place to be” for cocktail hour.

Click here for a full review of the Conrad Suites Lounge at the Conrad Bali

The Fitness Center

Tea Time At East

The tea time menu at East

Breakfast At SUKU

Daily breakfast at SUKU was great, dare I say the most superior breakfast spread I had on this entire trip to Southeast Asia.

The restaurant-accurate description reads on the website, “SUKU offers authentic street food from Bali, Java, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore”; to which I would add “delicious coffee and Western breakfast items” to that.

100 Years Of Hilton Hospitality (Employee Event)

During my stay, there just happened to be an employee event celebrating “100 Yeas of Hilton Hospitality”.

I was invited to grab drinks and stroll around the event.

OK, who cut that piece out of the cake?

Nearby

FHOP Tip: There is an awesome spa just south of the Conrad, it’s walking distance (about 5 minutes) and on the same side of the street. It’s called Nusa Bali Spa and they have the most amazing and affordable massages I found in Bali! I highly recommend it. 

Pick your antidote

The Bottom-Line Review: Conrad Bali (Bali, Indonesia)

I’ll keep this really simple. I loved the Conrad Bali.

Sure, there were signs of age – but the food was unbeatable, the tea time and Conrad Suites Lounge were both wonderful, and the service was great.

It was relaxing, luxurious, upscale, but most of all – it was just plain fun! There was always something fun to do (I’m talking tennis, swimming, biking, dining, drinking, lounging) and the large pool area was the perfect centerpiece for it all.

Final Rating: 8.5 out of 10. Highly Recommended!

Cheers!