A Weekend Stay at Grand Hyatt Bali: Breath-taking Beachfront Luxury

Finding an enjoyable hotel to stay in Bali is not a difficult task. Go into any hotel review site and their listings will show you more than 1,000 hotels you can choose from. If you go through those lists very thoroughly, you can tell that the island packs some of the most popular hotel chains in the world, which guarantees renowned standard from the moment you arrive until the day you drag yourself out from the hotel feeling sad having to end a holiday.

My recent stay at Grand Hyatt Bali had that effect on me too, if not more. I stayed for two nights over the weekend during my personal favourite weather in Bali, when the sea breeze is cool and the sun is powerful as ever. I should thank the Pacific downunder for their winter season. It is one of those weekends when the universe cooperates and decides to give everyone a good time in Bali, as always.

Expect a grand entrance, as the name tells you; it’s a Grand Hyatt property after all. The resort compound in Nusa Dua boasts lush greeneries and flower gardens. I believe Grand Hyatt Bali just takes it to the next level with endless bougainvillea beds on the entranceway, which are also visible in the entire premise.

I love how green, red, pink and blue colours from the sea blend very well, feasts the eyes and surely contribute to a relaxing start of the weekend. I arrived just minutes past sunset, which was a misfortune. While I still could see how some of the lobby lights were lit and the daylight escaped layer after layer until it got dark, my tummy surely called for a reload.

I knew I had the right choice when I went to Nampu, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant. Do you have a restaurant that you can safely rely on, like every time? The kind of restaurant that nails it where every meal becomes an experience. Nampu is one of those restaurants for me. After multiple visits to Nampu, dining here is not only about taste, but also the whole ambiance and service touch points that scream Japan.

My morning started on a high note as the weather called for a bit of outdoors and, a bit of indoors in the cool the luxury of my air-conditioned Club Room when it got hotter – which it did. This time of day, I had a clearer view of how the resort looks like. From the grand-but-Balinese-modest lobby to the bougainvillea walkways, the Club Room building facades to the pine woods decorating the room, just about everything here is smooth, feel-good relaxing—one of those concepts that never ceases being sought-after. It’s offset by stone outside, browns in the bedrooms, and touches of wood—cabinets of crisp brown, inviting garden-side pools that can be turned into water maze.

If you have been to Bali, you would know that the island has sufficient top notch restaurants to indulge your tastebuds. Brunch spots such as the ones in Seminyak always have that spot in most Bali itinerary, but I stayed back and was gastronomically pleased. My Nasi Goreng from the room service was just what I needed before hitting the beach as it came full-throttle on portion and taste. Later in the evening, I enjoyed Pasar Senggol’s buffet dinner. It is not a regular hotel buffet dinner as the dishes are cooked in the open kitchens and Balinese dancers perform and amaze the dinner crowd. I understand now why the open-air restaurant is packed every day.

Grand Hyatt Bali boasts the longest beach stretch in Nusa Dua. I lost count of the number of sun loungers provided, probably around 300 of them, surrounding the beach and the pools. This extensive beach is indeed a very popular feature of the resort. Come noon time, the beach got even more crowd, yet I never had to fight or hurry to get a lounger.

Beaches in Nusa Dua are generally more calm and shallow, perfect for swimming and some water sports like canoeing. I was happy with some breaststrokes and when I was off the water, a book and orange juice.

There are of course countless spas in Bali, but then there is this marvelous Kriya Spa. A visit to this day spa was the highlight of my day as I was immensely healed, just like the treatment name told me – Moksha Kriya (harmony ritual). All signature spa rituals begin with the Kriya ritual, sea salt foot soak and chakra stimulation to start the healing journey. The Balinese Hindu-inspired healing massage was professionally done by a lovely therapist who was very knowledgeable about herbal treatments, as she carefully explained each treatment for me. All this concluded in an aromatic salts hydro soak, within the luxury of my private spa villa.

A weekend full of content, that’s what I told myself after spa. Before I even finished contemplating on the beautiful day, I was brought to Pesona Lounge for an afternoon tea, well, coffee to be exact. At eight metres above sea level with an ocean view to boast, the venue is perfect for sunset gazing.

The day came to an end in a visit to the Grand Club one more time, which led to my fondness for Grand Hyatt’s puff pastry. I craved for it and literally looked for it at the next morning’s breakfast and I still crave for those now.

The concierge gave me the resort map and took pride in explaining how big the resort is. Later that evening, I couldn’t stop thinking about the gesture and became thankful for it as I almost got lost between the wings, on the way to the restaurant. But apart from taking walking as your obvious exercise in the resort, guests are encouraged to rent a bike or spend an hour or two at the complimentary fitness centre. While most are free, activities such as tennis, squash and yoga, to name a few, have additional charge.

For first time Nusa Dua visitors, head east to Water Blow, reachable by walking or 5-min cycling from the resort. A visit to this rock cliff formation gets exciting when the waves blow to the cliff that produces upsurges once every 20 seconds on a high tide. Sounds like a perfect photo opportunity? You bet.

In a nutshell, while the resort is not one of those swanky newer properties, the classic Balinese concept that comes in grand size, authentic dining venues and endless beach and pool activities appeal to me easily. I enjoyed soaking in the sea, which was conveniently a short walk away from my room, as much as I enjoyed soaking in the salt bath at Kriya Spa. These days I crave for the kushiyakis at Nampu, or slices of puff pastry at the Grand Club, which would do me just fine. It was truly a weekend of content, the kind of weekend that tells me to go back and repeat the whole experience once again and again.

Grand Hyatt Bali
Kawasan Wisata Nusa Dua BTDC, Nusa Dua
Bali, Indonesia 80363
Tel +62 361 77 1234