Wow, from the minute you arrive and walk into the elaborate foyer that pays homage to Indonesian culture and design you quickly realise that you’ll be having a luxury stay at The Apurva Kempinski Bali.
The quality, detail, craftsmanship and sheer scale of the property will leave you picking your jaw up off the floor at every turn. The atmosphere, the smells and warm greetings from the Kempinski team make you feel like you are on a luxurious cultural journey and trust me when I say you will want to stay forever!
The Apurva Kempinksi Bali is located in the swanky area of Nusa Dua, which is known for its five-star resorts, white sandy beaches and relaxing atmosphere. The amazing views of the Indian Ocean can be seen from nearly every angle of the resort which is absolutely phenomenal to see – especially from the foyer.
The Apurva Kempinski Bali opened for “soft launch” in February 2019 and on the 8th January 2020 announced that that the resort was complete with the opening of 43 private villas.
At the time of writing this article there were only three areas that required completion which included:
Koral Restaurant – The aquarium and restaurant build look complete, due to open Q4 2019
Now Open (updated 26 November 2019)
Exclusive Villas – The villas are at the very front of the property and are currently under construction, there is no impact to the main resort. Due to open early 2020
Now Open (updated 8 January 2020)
Nusantara Presidential Villa – This huge villa is located on the beachfront and looks amazing! They appear to be completing the internal build which has no impact on the main resort. Due to open early 2020
Now Open (updated 8 January 2020)
Guest Rooms
There are 475 rooms to choose from at The Apurva Kempinski Bali that range from:
Grand Deluxe Rooms
Grand Deluxe Pool Access Rooms
Junior Suites with Private Plunge Pool
Specialty Suites with Private Plunge Pool
One, two or Three-bedroom Villas
Each and every room delivers a modern yet traditional Balinese feel which adds class and sophistication to every element. The rooms are stunning and absolutely enormous!
Over our seven-night stay at The Apurva Kempinski Bali, we booked four nights in a “Grand Deluxe Ocean Court Room” and three nights in a “Cliff Private Pool Junior Suite”. We actually loved the Grand Deluxe Ocean Court Room so much that when we moved to the Cliff Private Pool Suite we asked to move back to the Grand Deluxe Ocean Court Room – which was not a problem at all.
Both room types have the same beautiful furnishing and finishes and are of similar size but we found the deluxe room was closer to the restaurants, main pool and offered a great ocean view. We checked into room 6558 which was on the highest floor and seemed to have the best view of the ocean and pool.
If you book a suite room you will get exclusive access to the Cliff Lounge pools and Cliff Lounge where you are able to have breakfast, refreshments, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. You will also be checked in by a “Lady in Red” who is there to assist you with your every need. As we moved back to the Grand Deluxe Ocean Court Room we didn’t get to experience the above services but did get an opportunity to have a coffee in the Cliff Lounge which has views across the Indian Ocean – pretty spectacular!
Each room is fitted with all of the essentials including tea and coffee facilities, minibar, freshwater for brushing your teeth and drinking, bathtub, TV, Wi-Fi, in-room safe and something I didn’t expect… your preferred pillow choice which you can request in the pre-check-in survey that you will receive before your stay.
Restaurants
One of the main reasons I love Bali so much is for its food, especially the Balinese Mie Goreng and Beef Satay which I literally think I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I guarantee you will not be disappointed with the selection of cuisine that is available from the Apurva Kempinski’s restaurants, They have focused on ensuring that guests are able to experience traditional cuisine or the creature comforts of home – there is something for everyone. The restaurants include:
Reef Beach Club
The Reef Beach Club was one of our absolute favourite places to eat and drink. It is the first beach club to open in Nusa Dua and has a relaxed vibe where you can eat inside in the air conditioning, outside on the terrace or by the 42-meter infinity pool which overlooks the ocean. You can choose from a variety of delicious eats including pizza, burgers, pasta, salads, steaks but there are four things that you just have to try …. Beef Satay, Kebab Mix Grill, The Club Tradition and the Nasi Goreng Wagyu – they are all seriously DELICIOUS!
The Reef Beach Club also makes banging cocktails, healthy juices, smoothies, iced coffees and margaritas baby!! But on a hot balmy day a Bintang also goes down just nicely.
Opening Hours: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm with live entertainment most nights.
Food Cost : Beef Satay IDR 190,000++ Kebab Mixed Grill IDR 390,000++
Beverage Cost : Soft Drink IDR 55,000++ Bintang IDR 60,000++ Margarita IDR 150,000++
Pala Restaurant
Pala is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers guests a great view of the pool and ocean. Here you are able to choose from various food stations which cater to every kind of cuisine possible. We had breakfast here every morning and tasted everything from waffles, pancakes, Indonesian noodles, sushi, stir fry, dumplings, panna cotta jars, eggs, bacon oh the list just goes on and on! We didn’t eat here for lunch but did order the Mie Goreng while we are at the Beach Club which was cooked and delivered to us from the Pala… and yes it was YUM!
Opening Hours: Breakfast from 6:30 am – 11:00 am and all-day dining till 10:00 pm
Roof Top Bar
The Roof Top Bar sits above the Pala Restaurant and was another one of our favoutite spots to sit back and relax. It has chic relaxed feel where you could sit back in the comfy lounges or double day beds and enjoy a Hendricks G & T and light snack while watching the sun go down – absolutely perfect!
Opening Hours: 5:00 pm till midnight (last drinks are called around 11.30 pm)
Izakaya by OKU
Apurva’s Signature restaurant serves up some amazing Japanese food. Each dish looks like a work of art and the flavours are amazing, The restaurant has a contemporary feel and the open kitchen allows guests to watch the chefs create their magic. We had the Edamame, Gyoza, Tomorokoshi, Dragon Sushi and the most delicious dessert the Apple Candy!
Opening Hours: 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Selasar Deli
The Deli is located within the main foyer and is another spot that we loved to visit in the afternoon for a caramel frappe. Here you can sit back are appreciate the view of the hotel and Indian Ocean. It is the perfect place to enjoy a light bite, ice cream or a traditional Indonesian Luwak Coffee…the lemon meringue was pretty delicious too!
The Deli is most famous for its high teas which start from IDR 230,000++ pp
Kubu Pool Bar
If your relaxing by the pool the staff will take care of your every need, we found the service was excellent – just the right level of attentiveness. Along with taking your order for drinks or light bites, suncream, facial aqua spray and magazines were also available.
Opening Hours: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
In Room Dining
24 hour room service is available to all guests. I can highly recommend the Club Sandwich and the Mie Goreng!
Koral Restaurant – Now Open (updated 26 November 2019)
This restaurant is due to open Q4 2019 and will offer guests the opportunity to dine underneath the aquarium. We took a sneak peak in the restaurant and this does look like lots of fun as the fish are swimming over you as you eat! This is a seafood inspired restaurant which will also focus on BBQ and Indonesian spices – yum!
*prices, menus and opening times may change over time, be sure to check out the hotel website for more information.
Activities
This is a place where you can either sit back and relax with a cocktail in hand and enjoy being waitered on (that’s me) or you can be entertained all day with an abundance of activities.
Upon check-in, you will be given a daily activities program which includes activities like yoga, meditation, pool games, beach games, resort tours, Balinese village tours, Indonesian craft lessons, Jamu herbal drink experience and on top of all of that you can have a spa treatment, work out in the gym or shop in the boutique.
We didn’t venture near the kid’s pool as it is separate from the main pool but I am sure the slippery slide was popular with the kids. We liked that the pools were separated as we could sit back in the main pool on an in-water lilo and really relax!
My Opinion
The Apurva Kempinski Bali is a spectacular property that is committed to honouring Indonesian culture and its heritage. The architecture and sheer size of the resort blew me away along with the unbelievably friendly staff and Kempinksi’s ability to keep you feeling like a valued guest every single day.
The food is delicious and there are plenty of cuisine options to choose from. The food, beverage and accommodation prices fall in line with most 5-star hotels.
With the hotel being in Nusa Dua you do have to travel approximately half an hour into Kuta but just pre-plan your week and travel in once or twice to see the sites and then enjoy your time relaxing by the pool in Nusa Dua or shopping at the Bali Collection.
I loved my seven-night stay and would definitely check back into The Apurva Kempinski Bali for the service, accommodation and the food – especially the satay sticks!
Accommodation: Luxury
Price Range: $$$ – $$$$
Would I Check Back In: Absolutely Yes!
Ready to experience a Luxury Stay at the Apurva Kempinski Bali? Check out The Apurva Kempinski Bali
Good to Know
♡ Travel time from Ngurah Rai International Airport to Nusa Dua is approximately 20 minutes via the toll road. Kempinksi concierge can arrange transfers for you starting from IDR 360,000 each way
♡ Blue Bird Taxis are the most reputable in Bali and are called by a concierge when you request a taxi. Just make sure they start the meter before you start your journey
♡ If your breakfast is included in your package you will still be charged a service charge on your bill
♡ Taxi to Nusa Dua Galleria (Bali Collection – shopping, dining, and entertainment complex) from The Apurva Kempinksi Bali costs approximately IDR 30,000
♡ Taxi to Seminyak from The Apurva Kempinski Bali costs approximately IDR 200,000
♡ On check-in ask for a copy of the hotel map
♡ We booked our accommodation via the Kempinksi website and booked our transfers by emailing concierge.bali@kempinski.com
♡ Join up to The KEMPINSKI DISCOVERY Loyalty Programme so you can start earning points
♡ If you’re not staying at the resort you can visit for the day. An Apurva Kempinski day pass will cost approximately IDR 400,000++pp (300,000 can be used for food and beverage). But be quick as the resort only allocates a small amount of these per day
Want to know more about Bali?
Sokasi Cooking School, Bali’s Best Beach Clubs
Bali’s Best Restaurants
Bali’s Five Star Luxury Resorts
Thoughts, opinions and photos shared here about my Luxury Stay at The Apurva Kempinski Bali are entirely my own.
