Ultimate Relaxation

“I’ve stayed at this hotel with my parents twice – once in 2014 and once in 2016. It was then known as Kenanga. I hope that the name change doesn’t impact anything else, because our stays were both so perfect.

The staff are SO attentive and friendly. The service is really amazing. You’re welcomed with warm smiles every morning, and really begin to feel at home.

We stayed in the bungalows the first time. They are renovated so beautifully, with a cool and comfortable design. Every detail, from the bathtub to the nightstand to the soaps, seems to be intentionally planned. The second time we stayed in normal rooms. Like the bungalow, the room was lovely (only a little smaller). The only difference is that the bungalow is closer to the pool/restaurant and that the room has a nicer view of the rice paddies. All in all, I could stay in either and be just as content.

The entire property is so beautiful and peaceful. They play quiet but fitting music in the open air restaurant, the pool is spotless and has a perfect temperature, there are shady and sunny spots surrounding the pool to read and relax at, the restaurant is beautiful during day and night, and the hotel isn’t too far away from Ubud. During both stays we walked from the hotel to Ubud, and it’s really a charming walk. The drive is less than ten minutes. I would really recommend staying outside of Ubud and going into the town during the day. It’s a lot more peaceful. When I look back on our stays at Kenanga, I really feel an inner bliss.

The food (again, I hope this stays the same in spite of the name change) is actually AMAZING. You have several different breakfast choices from the menu, all of which are prepared so well. It leaves you full, but not too full like at many other buffet-style breakfasts. I hate to be the kind of tourist who eats most meals at the hotel, but I have to admit that my mom and I ate two of four dinners at the hotel. Absolutely no regrets. The food is so tasty, and you can choose from local flavors to western food. I mean it when I say that this is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. They also prepare the most lovely drinks out of all kinds of fresh fruit. I’m under 18, so I only had fresh juices, but I’m sure their cocktail and alcohol selection is great. The kitchen really knows how to use natural ingredients. I had papaya juice every morning with my breakfast, and tried out several of their mixed juices during the evening when my parents had wine.

My family usually doesn’t go back to past destinations, and definitely not back to old hotels, just because second and third stays usually can’t compare with first impressions. Kenanga is an outlier, however. We couldn’t help but return for a second stay, and I’m having a hard time not knowing when I’ll get to go back again. I hope everything about this hotel stays the same – the atmosphere, the charm, the service, the food, the views, and the size. I’m fine with a name change (though the name Kenanga has a special place in my heart) as long as the experience will be the same whenever I get a chance to return.”