Hotel Review: W Bali - Seminyak (Spectacular Ocean Facing Room) - Great Property in Seminyak with Fantastic Location!
Bali is home to a multitude of luxury resorts, hotels, and villas but the W Bali - Seminyak remains to be one of the most desirable beachfront properties to stay at on the Island of Gods. Opened back in 2011, the W Bali - Seminyak may not be the newest hotel around (the Alila Seminyak which is just a short stroll down opened back in 2014), but its location and reputation make it one of the best places to stay at while in Bali. While I was staying at the Grand Hyatt Bali in Nusa Dua a couple of months ago, I got tired of traveling between Seminyak/Canggu and Nusa Dua so I decided to redeem a free night at the W Bali - Seminyak using my Free Gift Night Award (the Annual Choice Benefit from hitting 75 elite night credits) since it required only 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points on the weekend that I was interested in.
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In case you have forgotten, Marriott Bonvoy has already gotten rid of its fixed award charts since 29 March 2022 and Flexible Point Redemptions are positively correlated to the cash rates of the property - free nights require more points on a day with higher projected demand. The room rates at the W Bali - Seminyak have gone up quite a fair bit as I remember them to hover between IDR 4-5 million per night (after taxes) before the global pandemic but they are averaging around IDR 7-9 million per night (after taxes) now. If you are planning to use your Marriott Bonvoy points for a free night year, you should expect to pay anywhere between 40,000 points (PointSavers) to 70,000 points - even more on high-demand dates! Since I had a reservation at Finns Beach Club (which was a lot nearer to the W Bali - Seminyak than the Grand Hyatt Bali, I decided to try my luck by checking in to the property early. It is also worth noting that my stay was on a Sunday which is definitely less in demand as compared to Fridays and Saturdays. As mentioned earlier, the property was charging only 40,000 points for a free night here for my date of stay (the cash rate was going for approximately IDR 5.7 million IDR) and so I have decided to use my Free Gift Night Award (I got it from clocking 75 elite night credits in the previous year) here for a stay.
At the time of check-in, my Titanium Elite status was promptly recognised and I was offered a one-category upgrade from the Wonderful Garden Escape Room (which I had booked) to a Spectacular Ocean Facing room (with Twin Beds). It should not come as a surprise that the W Bali - Seminyak runs relatively high in terms of occupancy on a daily basis so upgrades for elite members are pretty hard to come by. Marriott Luminous is currently offering a ‘Stay 5 Pay 4’ promotion at the W Bali - Seminyak which means you can stay five nights for the price of four when you book directly through a luxury travel advisor like HoteLux or ClassicTravel.com. This is a great way to bring the average cost per night down and the elite-qualifying rate also comes with USD 100 worth of property credit as well as daily breakfast at Fire Restaurant for the whole duration of your stay. If you are a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite or higher-tier member, you will be able to pick 1,000 points as your welcome amenity as opposed to complimentary breakfast if you book a luxury travel advisor rate.
My initial reservation was for a Wonderful Garden Escape (with King Bed) but I was proactively given an upgrade at the time of check-in to the Spectacular Ocean Facing room (with 2 Queen Beds). Granted that my preferred bed type was not available for the upgraded room, it certainly is nice to see a property recognising elite benefits where it is due. I am obviously a strong believer in hotel loyalty programs and I spend a good amount of time and money each year to retain elite statuses across a number of strong loyalty programs that I see value in - customers always have the option of taking their money elsewhere (or book through an OTA to save money using discounts and coupons) so it is imperative that properties adhere closely to the loyalty program rules if they do participate in it.
All of the rooms and suites here at the W Bali - Seminyak are pretty large - the Spectacular Ocean Facing rooms measure 64 sqm in size and as the name suggests, they look out to the Batu Belig Beach as well as the resort area. As mentioned earlier, I was offered an upgrade to the Spectacular Ocean Facing Room as a Titanium Elite member at the time of check-in but I was also informed that the room comes with two queen-size beds instead of one king-size bed (as per my original reservation). The beds were very comfortable as you would expect from a W Hotel and you will also find a panel by the side of the bed where you can turn on and off all the lights in the room.
The Spectacular Ocean Facing Room at W Bali - Seminyak comes with a 40-inch LED flat-screen TV which is definitely something that needs upgrading - while it may be been cutting edge ten years ago, it is not a smart TV that supports wireless content streaming (something that is extremely important in this day and age). There is a BOSE-branded surround sound system in the rooms which is pretty impressive and definitely in line with the whole W Hotels brand.
I was also given a slice of strawberry cheesecake as my welcome amenity for being a Titanium Elite member. While I am not usually a fan of sweets, this cake slice was delicious and I finished it entirely after getting back from the beach club that afternoon.
Despite having two queen-size beds in the room, the Spectacular Ocean Facing Room felt spacious with plenty of space to open a suitcase in. Even though the property has been open for slightly over a decade, the the maintenance of the property is pretty decent and the design is still relevant in this day and age.
One of the main selling-points of the Spectacular Ocean Facing Room here at the W Bali - Seminyak have got to be the spacious balcony which looks out to the Batu Belig Beach. Since the property is facing the east, you may get lucky with sunsets so it is also a good idea to stay-in if you do not wish to jostle with the crowd at a nearby beach club.
Even though the view from the balcony is pretty fantastic, I have to say that the sound of ocean waves can get pretty loud even when the balcony door is closed. Honestly, I actually struggled with falling asleep at night because I could hear the waves very clearly (and loudly!) even when the sliding doors were closed and locked. Having just stayed at the Alila Seminyak a month ago (which is located pretty much just two doors down), the latter property has much better soundproofing so this is definitely something that you should consider - I am not sure if it is just this room type or was it due to the fact that my assigned room was pretty close to the beach.
Outside on the balcony is also where you will find some seats for you to take in the natural breeze, sights, and sounds. If you are staying at the W Bali - Seminyak, you are really paying a premium for its locations so if you are planning to simply stay-in (either because you are traveling with young children, or you are simply not the kind to head out), you may consider staying somewhere else because the property’s superior location contributes quite a fair bit to its average room rate.
While you will find a fully-stocked minibar here in your room, you will not find a Nespresso coffee machine here as only a coffee plunger as well as teabags from TWG are provided - on the other hand, Alila Seminyak offers a Nespresso coffee machine (complete with coffee capsules from Tanamera) for your convenience. I am a huge coffee drinker and I average around four coffees a day (even more when I am on vacation) so not having a decent coffee machine in the room is a huge downside. Drinking water is provided in the room and they are also replenished in the evening during turndown, as well as in the morning when housekeeping comes in to make-up the room if you are staying multiple nights.
While my bathroom did not come with any natural light, I understand that the rooms located on Levels 5 and 6 come with a skylight which looks fantastic. With that said, I am surprised at how large the bathroom actually is - there are double vanity sinks, his & her amenities, as well as a separate wet area where you will find a massive bathtub and a separate standing shower.
I really like it when hotels have a dedicated wet area in the bathroom so you do not have to worry about the bathtub overflowing or keeping the floor dry when you step out of the tub.
Strangely, bath amenities were still provided by Bliss and a generic shower gel was also provided here at the W Bali - Seminyak during my stay. While I do love the Bliss-branded shower amenities (especially the face wash!), all W properties around the world should be providing Davines-branded bath amenities as part of the global brand standards so I was a little surprised to see these here.
At the time of writing, WOOBAR at W Bali - Seminyak opens from 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM daily and you will find some drink offers on certain days of the week - this is a great spot to watch the sunset in Bali and as you can imagine, it does get pretty crowded (since it is also open to the public) so be sure to make a reservation if you already have plans to visit. There are both indoor and outdoor spaces with a live DJ that plays every night when the sun begins to set.
Even though I did not make a prior reservation (I made a booking for the stay at W Bali - Seminyak only a couple of nights before) for WOOBAR, I was fortunate enough to get an outdoor table with a pretty decent view. There is no minimum spending as far as I know (most beach clubs in the area charge up to 3,000,000 IDR for a beachfront daybed) so if you are looking for a pretty chill place to watch the sunset in Seminyak, this is honestly a great spot regardless of whether you are an in-house guest or not.
Classic cocktails are priced around IDR 155,000++ to IDR 165,000++ each which are pretty typical but if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member, you will be able to earn points on these expenses - just have your Marriott Bonvoy membership number handy! The drinks are pretty innovative and they are also quite boozy as you would expect of a drink from a WOOBAR.
Apart from the delicious cocktails, the bar bites were also equally impressive - I particularly enjoyed the Beer Battered Fish signature cone from WOOBAR which was served with a lemon-truffle mayo, parmesan and gherkin on the side. Shisha and tobacco is also sold here so if that is something that is up your alley, you may wish to consider it as well.
After spending the evening at WOOBAR and getting a light dinner at Biku across the road, I decided to spend the rest of my evening in the comfort of my own room. As mentioned earlier, the sound from the ocean waves was a lot louder than expected and this may even affect your sleep if you are a moderately light sleeper. I did eventually drift off to bed and it goes without saying that the bedding at W Bali - Seminyak is fantastic as always so a good night’s sleep is almost always guaranteed.
As a Titanium Elite member, I was given the choice of 1,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points or breakfast for two (for the whole duration of my stay) at the W Bali - Seminyak during check-in. Since this is an award stay that I have redeemed points for (and I did not book it under an eligible luxury travel agent rate), I decided to opt for the buffet breakfast experience so I can get a better feel of the property and the value that it provides. Breakfast is served at FIRE every morning and since I got up pretty early that day, I managed to settle down on one of the much-coveted al fresco tables that look out to the pool and the beach.
There is a wide selection of food on offer at the buffet but guests will also be able to order off an a la carte breakfast menu where classics like Eggs Benedict as well as more indulgent options like fried chicken and waffles can be found. Most of the dishes that I tried during breakfast were delicious and I really like the variety - this is extremely important if you are planning to stay at the W Bali - Seminyak for multiple nights.
It goes without saying that the W Bali - Seminyak is one of the best hotels in Seminyak and there are just so many great restaurants, bars, and cafes within a 10-15 minute walking radius. While the property has been open for slightly over a decade now, the facilities are well-maintained, and the rooms are still beautiful (even though a touch of modernisation is always appreciated). Staff on the property are extremely well-trained to handle international guests and elite members of the Marriott Bonvoy program but honestly, the average room rate of the property has gone up quite a fair bit since Bali has reopened to international tourists. Depending on how much you are actually willing to pay, there is no doubt that the W Bali - Seminyak is still a strong contender when it comes to accommodation, but you may also consider redeeming some points here as an Elite member if you get it at a PointSaver rate as that may offer you even greater value.
W Bali - Seminyak
Kerobokan, Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak, Bali 80361, Indonesia
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