Intercontinental Bali, Indonesia - November 2014

 

Having been to Bali many times, I have been stayed in the different parts, including Jimbaran (at Le Meridien), Nusa Dua (St Regis Bali which I unfortunately lost the pictures!), Seminyak (W Bali) as well as Ubud (at the Purist Villas before the start of this blog)

Curiously, I have not stayed at the most popular part of Kuta.

The Intercontinental Bali is located at Jimbaran. 

Why choose this hotel?

The hotel is a very established resort in Bali and is known to be rather authentically Balinese.

The Management

Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG)

Getting to the Hotel

I would advise a short taxi or limousine from the airport. I was quoted 20 USD for a limousine ride during this visit.

The Hotel

This resort is really very big with many rooms and correspondingly many guests.
Upon arrival, a gong would be struck to welcome the guests.

The entrance has a security check

The lobby is big and spacious with many decorations.

The walls of the lobby are decorated with paintings of mermaids.

A pool table and recreational area is located in the lobby too.

Musicians play Balinese music in the lobby at times, and many murals and sculptures are seen everywhere.  

Parts of the lobby are pictured above and of the corridors and staircases below.

Many water features and wall features adorn the compound.

There are also several ponds in the resort and a family of ducks in one of them.

The front desk is located to the side of the lobby and Intercontinental Ambassadors can check in at the seated counters beside the entrance.

The lobby allows a peek at the beach from a distance.

The concierge is located at an extension of the lobby.

Just below the lobby is the restaurant for breakfast.

The Rooms

As an Intercontinental Ambassador, we were upgraded to a large duplex suite in the Singaraja Wing and with welcome gifts in the room.

Doors at the back leads to a balcony

 A toilet is located next to the front door and the main bathroom is upstairs in the bedroom.

Toilet at the entrance

Standing shower

The amenities are the same as Intercontinental Singapore.

The duplex suite has no windows, but the balcony of this suite offer views to the swimming pools and the centre of the resort.

Prices of the items at the minibar are not that unreasonable.

The Food and Drinks

There are several restaurants in the resort, offering different cuisines. but we went out to the nearby Jimbaran Corner for our meals.

There is a special Balinese dinner on Sundays with performances.

Food options are also available at the main pool.

The Pool 

 

The Gym

 I didn't manage to visit the gym!

The Spa

 

One can also choose to have treatment at the beach and the prices are still very reasonable!

 

The Beach

The stretch  occupied by IC Bali is rather clean and has much fewer pebbles and stones compared to the other parts.

A beach volleyball court is at one end of the beach and the spa villa is seen in the background with a tennis court to the right.

The service and beauty of the resort is due to the hard work of the hotel staff.

One word of caution would be the Jimbaran seafood restaurants on the same beach (next to the Le Meridien) with copious smoke from that part drifting over.

Club Intercontinental

Club rooms or suites have access to the lounge as well as a separate pool and some of the beach pavilions are reserved.

The Shops

A number of shops are located near the main lobby.

The Service

The service was generally okay and the staff spoke reasonably basic English.

WIFI at the property was a little unstable and weak and this was in spite of the router in the room.

Water in the room came in glass bottles with an opener. I didn't like this as I tend to misplace the opener.

Guests in the various wings also have access to a 'lounge' at the ground floor of the block.

We actually asked to pay for club access after 1 day but was told that access was full!

In Summary

This is a huge resort and there is no need to venture out if one just wants to relax. The service is fine and the spa prices are very reasonable.
Crowds are an issue and you will see people everywhere.
The beach is clean and well-maintained but avoid it in the evenings due to the smoke.
The rooms are big but a little tired otherwise.

Booking club rooms may be a good idea in view of my incident.

Happy Travels,
fred