The View: From a ground floor room I can look across an expanse of lawn to the sea promenade and beyond. For people watchers, it’s a great spot to eye the passing parade along the hotels 500-metres of beachfront.
First impressions: After being closed for years, the Bali Hyatt Hyatt’s first property in Indonesia has been caressed back to its glory days. The Geoffrey Bawa-designed resort, which opened in 1973, has stood the test of time. It’s legion of fans who waited patiently for the reopening won’t be disappointed.
Thanks to sympathetic conservation and renewal, the magnificent nine hectares of gardens planted by the late Made Wijaya remain the resort’s standout feature, while Kerry Hill’s expansive open-air lobby design still gives arriving guests a sense of good things to come.
The Location: Sanur has been something of a Bali backwater since Seminyak and Canggu grabbed most of the attention – as well as the pollution and the traffic. The arrival of the Hyatt Regency Bali , and soon a neighbouring Andaz Bali, has pumped new life into the area, and with new beachside restaurants arriving, Sanur will shed its Cinderella image.
The Room: Excellent use of space with rain shower, separate toilet and living area which can be partitioned into a child’s bedroom. In total there are 363 rooms and 39 suites spread over three buildings. One thing you are never short of at Hyatt Regency Bali is space.
And even if things do get a little crowded, there’s an adults-only swimming pool tucked away behind the Shanka Spa - and complimentary therapeutic pools for relaxation.
The Service: A busy breakfast room is often a good test of a hotel’s service ethic. There’s always plenty happening as guest try to locate their breakfast favourites among all the hot and cold dishes. Staff were up the task, living up a back-of- house pledge to “Work Hard, Stay Humble”.
Memorable Moment: Many of the staff who were employed at the Bali Hyatt when it closed in 2013 are again working at the hotel thanks to its owner, who kept his promise to keep them on the payroll as long as they clocked on each day during the renovation.
Andaz Bali will open in 2020.
Final Word: Hyatt’s presence in Sanur will be further enhanced in 2020 with the opening of Andaz Bali, a creative interpretation of a Balinese village.