It may still be some months before international leisure travel to Bali is possible, but when we do hopefully return next year there will be another fantastic looking hotel option, with the Andaz Bali now accepting reservations from 1st April 2021.
This will be the eighth Hyatt property on the island, joining five Alila resorts, the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua and the Hyatt Regency Bali (formerly Bali Hyatt), the latter being adjacent to this new Andaz resort in Sanur.
The Andaz brand of “luxury lifestyle hotels and resorts” was launched in 2007 with its first property in London, and has since grown to 23 hotels worldwide.
The Andaz Bali will be the first Andaz-branded property in Indonesia and is part of a big growth phase for the brand, joining at least five new properties either recently opened or also slated to welcome guests in the near future.
- Andaz Gangnam Seoul (opened September 2019)
- Andaz Dubai The Palm (opened December 2019)
- Andaz Xiamen (opened September 2020)
- Andaz Shenzhen Bay (opening 28 December 2020)
- Andaz Sunny Bay Sanya (opening 2021)
The resort was first announced in early 2014, with opening proposed for 2016, but as ever with hotel projects the timescale turned out to be far too optimistic and the Q2 2021 opening will represent a total delay of over four years.
Location
The Andaz Bali is located in the seaside town of Sanur, where Bali’s first international hotels started to spring up in the 1960s.
It’s around a 30-minute drive from Bali’s airport at Denpasar.
Design
The property has been designed by international architects Tierra Design as a modern interpretation of a traditional Balinese village.
The resort is laid out in a series of low-rise clusters set among landscaped gardens with many original trees retained.
“Despite its location by the beach, the original site of Andaz was a dense wilderness full of mature old trees and dense greeneries. These old trees were preserved to keep the lush image for its landscape.”
Landscape consultants SHL Asia
Elements common to traditional Balinese architecture including thatched roofs and red bricks feature throughout.
“From the architecture to the music, from the food to the interior design, each Andaz property is an elevated reflection of its location and, therefore, one of a kind. Sanur’s history and charm will add special character to our hotel”
Rina Mariani, General Manager, Andaz Bali
Inside the finish has been completed by Japanese design firm Spin Design Studio, who also took charge of the recent renovation at the adjacent Hyatt Regency Bali.
Room types and design
The Andaz Bali has 127 rooms and suites, plus 18 garden villas and four beachfront villas, for a total of 149 keys.
That makes it a much more intimate resort than the other major Hyatt-branded properties in Bali, with the Grand Hyatt (636 rooms) and the Hyatt Regency (363 rooms) dwarfing this hotel.
The furnishings and finish in the rooms are a balance between the modern Andaz style and more traditional Balinese tones, including traditional batik patterns and dark wood accents.
Here’s a summary of the room categories on offer.
Rooms
| Room Type | Size | Beds |
| Standard | 50 sq m (538 sq ft) |
1 King or 2 Twin |
| Ocean View | ||
| Lagoon Access | ||
| Deluxe | 51 sq m (548 sq ft) |
1 King or 2 Twin |
| Premium | 63 sq m (678 sq ft) |
1 King |
Suites
| Suite Type | Size | Beds |
| Andaz Suite | 81 sq m (871 sq ft) |
1 King |
| Andaz Suite Lagoon Access | ||
| Ocean View Lagoon Suite |
Villas
| Villa Type | Size | Beds |
| 1 Bedroom Garden Villa* | 172 sq m (1,851 sq ft) |
1 King or 2 Twin |
| 2 Bedroom Beach Villa** | 396 sq m (4,262 sq ft) |
1 King and 2 Twin |
* Can be connected to another garden villa, making it a two-bedroom villa.
** Can be connected to another beach villa, making it a four-bedroom villa.
All rooms are equipped with a private balcony or terrace, 65-inch flat screen TVs and bathtubs.
You may recognise the circular bathroom mirrors from the Andaz Singapore.
Premium rooms and suites benefit from private daybeds on the oversized balcony or terrace, and all villas include a private pool.
The Andaz Suite is a ‘Standard Suite’, for the purposes of the World of Hyatt programme, so Globalists can expect an upgrade to this category on check-in, subject to availability.
All Andaz hotels and resorts offer a complimentary minibar in every room, inclusive of snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, and while it isn’t specifically mentioned we don’t expect the Andaz Bali to buck the trend!
Spa and fitness centre
The Andaz will share Shankha Spa with the adjacent Hyatt Regency Bali, a recently renovated hotel with the same owner as the Andaz.
This facility includes 10 spa villas, a sauna and steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, an adults-only swimming pool, a kombucha bar and a yoga studio.
There is also a 2,000 sq ft fitness centre, open 24-hours a day. Access is via a private walkway connecting the two properties to allow Andaz guests easy access to these facilities.
Swimming pool and beach
The Andaz resort has three swimming pools:
- Liang (or joy): The main beachfront infinity pool
- Alit (or youth): The children’s pool
- Shanti (or peace): A secluded pool tucked in a quiet corner of the resort
The hotel also benefits from beachfront access.
Restaurants
There will be a total of five restaurants in the resort. Fisherman’s Club on the beachfront is the seafood restaurant, also set to be the nightlife centre with an attached beach club.
Enjoy the freshest seafood and catch of the day by local fishermen, grilled using traditional method on coconut husk.
Andaz Bali
The four additional restaurants at the property are centred around the Village Square, designed to replicate a traditional Balinese village.
Here there is a choice of four individual outlets:
- Wok Wok (Asian)
- Fire Fox (Steak and grill)
- Blue Oven (Western)
- Deli & Bakery (Sweets, breads and pastries)
If you can’t decide which restaurant to dine in, you’ll also have the option to order from various outlets and enjoy your food in the communal seating area of the square.
With the resort linked to the Hyatt Regency next door, there’s also the choice of two further restaurants there; an Italian beachfront pizzeria and an Indonesian option.
Room rates and awards
Over the first couple of months from opening, room-only rates at the Andaz Bali start at US$260 (around S$350) per night in a King Bed room including taxes and fees, for World of Hyatt members.
Suites start at US$417 per night (around S$560) and 1 bedroom private pool villas begin at US$865 per night (around S$1,150).
For redemptions and free night awards, the property is World of Hyatt Award Category 4. For comparison, both the Andaz Singapore and Grand Hyatt Singapore are Category 5 properties.
Free night awards start at 15,000 points per night or 7,500 points + 50% of the standard room rate.
Category 4 properties can be a ‘sweet spot’ for the Hyatt programme, because they represent the top tier in which you can redeem your reward night certificates.
With relatively high room rates at this hotel, which we expect may increase further once borders open up given the property’s relatively small size, this could be a good use of your free night award.
You may be able to pick up one of these certificates if you’re aiming to obtain Globalist status through Hyatt’s recent cut for elite status requirements, combined with 2x elite qualifying nights stays clocked through the bonus journeys promotion between now and the end of February 2021.
When can we visit Bali?
Indonesia is the worst hit country in South East Asia when it comes to COVID-19, and while Bali remains relatively unaffected with 980 active cases as of 19th December 2020 (compared to around 100,000 nationally), the final part of the island’s three-phase reopening has been postponed.
The third phase initially proposed allowing international tourists to visit Bali from 11th September 2020, likely with a requirement for some negative COVID-19 testing along the way, however it has been confirmed that there will be no overseas visitors allowed until 2021.
Tourism makes up about 80% of Bali’s economy (for comparison, in Singapore, it’s around 5%).
The Indonesian government is therefore very keen to reopen tourism to the island as soon as it’s safe to do so. Bali will also be among the first regions in the country to receive COVID-19 vaccines. This is all cause for optimism towards international travel restrictions being lifted, though realistically it could still be well into 2021 before this is possible.
Summary
We absolutely loved our stay at the Andaz Maui in 2016, from start to finish, though it’s fair to say the brand’s new Singapore property had lousy service when we reviewed it in 2018, and from what we hear that hasn’t improved.
“Our associates will be trained as Cultural Insiders, always on hand to connect with guests and share their secret tips on enjoying the best of Bali like a local rather than just a tourist.”
Rina Mariani, General Manager, Andaz Bali
Poor service is not something we tend to experience in Indonesia, so the brand new Andaz Bali with its modern finish in combination with some traditional styles could be a winning combination if the service element lives up to expectations.
It’s great to see all the rooms feature indoor and outdoor lounging or seating areas and even though the private pool villas don’t come cheap, there’s the less expensive option of lagoon pool access rooms for the next best thing.
This is definitely one on our list for a future Bali trip, and we’ve got our fingers crossed that won’t be too far into 2021!
(Cover Photo: Andaz Bali)
Hat-tip to PinterPoin.
See also:
The tourism, travel and hotel industry and will not recover for many years. One can bid goodbye to new hotels.
Wonder how Andaz can fund this hotel completion.
Pretty crazy prices…I just stayed at the very nice (but admittedly not new) Marriott Renaissance Mai Kao Beach in Phuket, Thailand, for about $85 per nite…and am looking to book at the JW Marriott in Mai Kao Beach for January 2021 for an even less $65 a nite for a standard deluxe room.