Where to stay in Bali when it comes to exotic travel accommodations, visitors are always left wondering if they should book a boutique villa or a hotel room.

Everyone has their own personal preferences when we talk about holidays. There are people that just love to be away from everybody, switch off the mobile phone (and head), others prefer to stay in the hustle bustle and socialise.

 So before finding the right accommodation in Bali I strongly suggest you stop dreaming for  a second and decide what you are looking for:

• Is it a Luxury hotel? If so, perhaps you have to compromise your privacy. 
• Small villas in Bali are another type of accommodation. You can definitely have your long dreamed intimacy here, but honestly, who wants to do their own washing or cleaning on holiday?
• Third option can be found with Luxury Bali Villas. Here you can really have the right compromise between the privacy and intimacy of your house while enjoying the super comfort of a boutique hotel with all the staff at your exclusive service. So if you dream to swim naked in the pool with your beloved or you wish to have a private chef cooking anything you want. Stop looking, this is the place you want.

Of course it is not easy to find the perfect option, but who really wants to spend his/her time off in a big building as you would be in the middle of New York. Don’t we deserve the best accommodation in Bali possible after one year of work?

What does make accommodation unique?

I have travelled to most of Bali and I have tried pretty much every kind of Accommodation in Seminyak, Canggu and Ubud:

1. Luxury hotels
2. Large resorts
3. Small Motels
4. Flats and apartments
5. Luxury villas

Which one was the best? Actually which one was the most magical, relaxing and comfortable?

Like many I discovered it is not all about the accommodation, location matters too. So when you look for an accommodation in Bali make sure that you have the right mix between, seclusion, privacy, nature but also restaurants, beach, shops, surf spots and spas.

Always bear in mind that there is no public transport in Bali, your only way to move around is either by car (taxi or rental) or by bike.

Therefore make sure you check where you are on google maps so you won’t have nasty surprises. You could double check if near by you have golf courses or private clubs. How far are the best surf spots or even the nicest restaurants for a beautiful dinner out. Never forget the beach, the spas or the yoga centre which will enrich your holiday in this beautiful paradise.

Bali accommodations: Pros and Cons

Clearly not all the accommodation you can find in Bali offer you the same opportunities and in some cases, you could face few unexpected issues, which really is the last thing you want on holiday.

Having stayed in so many different places and based on my personal experience, I have prepared a list of pros and cons:

Hotels

Pros:

• Relatively easy to find the one you like
• You have tons of  travel websites to look for information and many travel agencies to help you to make a right choice
• Mid-week discounts
• Cleaning is done for you
• Food is also prepared (unless you don’t like hotel’s food and prefer to eat outside of the hotel)
• You rest by the pool and waiter brings you a cocktail

You will probably have sun beds right on the beach (sun bed has a towel on it without any people in sight, then they start to appear around 10 am after breakfast, it’s really annoying I must say). Sun beds on the beach are rare when you are renting, unless you are renting expensive and directly on the beach, but normally mid-range bungalows and villas are not exactly on the beach.

Another good thing –

• In hotel you have patient staff at the reception desk
• All your problems are addressed
• Rents a car or bike for you
• Books your itinerary
• Helps you to make a call
• Always saying YES to you

Cons:

• You don’t have all that freedom you crave…
• And if you come during major holidays, your stuck attending a Celebratory Dinner which the hotel would have organized on those nights
• Food is hit and miss and generally it’s a waste of money which you cannot avoid
• Kitchens usually close before 11pm
• Your aircon may not work or worse, you can’t figure out all the gadgets to turn the lights on.
• Internet is a pain, you can never properly figure out how to connect and whether it works or not.

Bali Luxury Villas

Where to stay in Bali is all based on your personal needs for your vacation.  It can be a home away from home, if you desire seclusion when you choose to be in a luxury holiday villa in Bali. Tourists are considered to be “VIPs” by the locals simply because they wish to provide you the Bali experience you’ll never forget.

Pros:

• Not depending on anyone
• Cook your own food or eat out or even better get your personal chef to do it for you
• Bring your friends and have a party
• Price can be negotiated with an owner
• Maximum privacy
• Make as much noise as you want
• Have a BBQ
• Never disturb anyone and…. no one disturbs you
• You can rent the property for longterm and rent it out for higher rates
• Feel more at home

Cons:

• Might be stranded not knowing how to explain to your driver, how or where to pick you up.
• If you don’t speak much Bahasa Indonesian, as you will have to deal with all your needs and find answers to your questions all by yourself, so you’d better learn a few words before you travel.
• Friends you invite to stay at your villa may have kids without additional help to watch them.  You might be stuck listening to tantrums, without a proper escape plan.

So, when you decide where to stay in Bali, in case you decide to go for the boutique villa and you don’t want to face all these problems, you should make sure the villa has a fully trained staff to look after you.

So you should have all the needed info to decide where to stay in Bali. 

My pick? I prefer the Bali Luxury villas, as I love to have friends near when I’m traveling to exotic places.  It’s a bonus to be able to provide lodging for visiting friends, so they won’t be in the situation of having to decide where to stay.  They can stay with you in in your beautiful villa.  From completing my list you may have realized, there are more pros to staying at a boutique villa, than cons.