Of the luxury hotels in Bali I have chosen 3, and the first choice is between the interior and the sea. Mandapa is on the Ayung River at Kedewatan, on the edge of Ubud: 35 suites and 25 pool villas, rice terraces of its own and a butler for every one. Capella Ubud is a camp of 22 tents and a lodge in the Keliki forest, north of Ubud, each with its own pool. Bvlgari is on the Uluwatu cliffs, 160 metres above the Indian Ocean, with 59 villas and mansions and a funicular down to a beach kept for its guests.
For rice terraces, temples and slow days you sleep inland: Mandapa is 15 minutes by car from Ubud’s centre, Capella about 20, with a free shuttle 3 times a day. For the ocean you go south, to the Bukit: from Bvlgari, Ubud is 48 km by road and the airport about 17.
| Hotel | Suits | The trip | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capella Ubud, Bali | Couples who want a few nights in the forest, with rituals, dinner over fire and a Culturist planning the days | 22 tents and one lodge by Bill Bensley in the Keliki forest, each with a pool, Api Jiwa and Auriga, 10 km north of Ubud | The camp is a slope of steps and the hotel advises against it under age 6: families with small children look elsewhere |
| Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | Couples on a honeymoon and families in a villa who want to stay inside the resort, with a butler and the river below | 35 suites and 25 pool villas on the Ayung at Kedewatan, with Kubu’s cocoons, a riverside spa and rice terraces of its own | Ubud’s centre is 15 minutes by car: for evenings out on foot, sleep in town |
| Bvlgari Resort Bali | Couples who want a villa with its own pool over the ocean, a butler and a beach reached by funicular | 59 villas and mansions on the Uluwatu cliffs, 160 metres above the Indian Ocean, with Il Ristorante – Niko Romito and The Bvlgari Spa | Ubud is 48 km by road: for rice terraces and temples at the door, stay inland |
Bvlgari Resort Bali turned 20 on 23 September 2026; Mandapa marked 10 years in 2026; Capella Ubud celebrated 8 years in July 2026.
Ubud, Bali
22 tents and one lodge by Bill Bensley in the Keliki forest, each with its own pool, with Api Jiwa’s dinner over fire and a shuttle to Ubud
Ubud, Bali
Suites and pool villas stepping down to the Ayung River, rice terraces of its own, a butler for each and dinner in Kubu’s bamboo cocoons.
Uluwatu, Bali
59 villas and mansions with private pools on the Uluwatu cliffs, 160 metres above the ocean, a butler for each and a funicular down to a guests-only beach
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Ubud is forest and rice terraces: Mandapa is on the Ayung River, 15 minutes by car from the palace and the market, and Capella is at Keliki, about 10 km by road from the centre, with a free shuttle 3 times a day, booked ahead. Uluwatu is the island’s southern tip, on the cliffs: Bvlgari is 160 metres above the ocean and about 17 km from Ngurah Rai airport, while Ubud is 48 km by road.
Every villa at Bvlgari, from the 300 m² Ocean View to the mansions; the only one the hotel calls heated is the 20-metre pool of the Bvlgari Villa. At Capella every tent and the lodge have their own pool, heated in the 6 Keliki Tents and the lodge. At Mandapa the villas have the private pools, from 30 m² in the Ubud Pool Villa to 172 m² in The Mandapa River Estate; the suites have none.
On Google Hotels, read on 16 October 2026 for 2 adults and one night, with tax and service included, the cheapest night in the calendar was IDR 14,566,912 on 2 March 2027 at Capella, IDR 22,411,264 on 13 December 2026 at Mandapa and IDR 30,970,350 on 22 January 2027 at Bvlgari. The figures name no room or villa.
Mandapa has Mandapa Camp, its children’s club among the paddies, and the 2-bedroom Reserve Pool Villa for 6. Bvlgari has the Little Gems Clvb, free cots under 2 and 2-bedroom villas for up to 6; Il Ristorante takes no child of 5 or under. Capella advises against the camp under 6, for its steps and slopes; for families there is the 2-bedroom lodge.
Written and checked by Lumina, independently of the hotels it names. Lumina sells no rooms: every link leads to its source.
This guide is written with Lumina, the marketing system for hotels.
