The Royal Pita Maha

This is a stunningly beautiful resort spread over an enormous area on a hillside, abundance of art and beauty overflowing in all directions. The architects and designers designers have done a magnificent job creating an enchanted forest retreat, dotted with temples, koi ponds and with its own rice paddy. Yoga by the banks of the gushing Ayung river is a special highlight, as is their own natural sacred pool. The view from breakfast is also stunning. Unfortunately, the overall experience is let down by basics you expect to take for granted at a 5 star resort. I found communication to be very difficult here, both within the resort and with the outside world. Firstly, the wifi is appalling. Not only is it excruciatingly slow, it makes you type in the password every time you try to use it. When I first raised it at the front desk they said they'll get IT to look into it. Nothing happened. Halfway through the trip after having to make an angry phone call they sent a specialist to the villa who rerouted my connection to make it much faster, but even then latency remained an issue, with the connection intermittently dropping off every few minutes. Other than at breakfast and the restaurants, communicating with the staff is also challenging. They mean well and are very polite and friendly, but are poorly trained and not up to a standard expected from a 5 star hotel. Special mention has to go to the man at the front desk who could not come up with a single restaurant recommendation in the city! Few speak English well, and instead of trying to understand what you're saying some try to second guess it, which can be frustrating. E.g. when I called to ask why housekeeping were spreading face towels from the sink, they just assumed I was asking to change towels even though I said no, and even sent someone to do so. The sprawling size of the resort also means it can be inconvenient to go from one end to another, and involves going up and down very steep hills. I didn't mind this as it is good exercise, but I definitely would not recommend this for anyone with the slightest mobility issues. Going from my villa to breakfast involves a lot of stairs, and going to the yoga pavilion or the spa can take a while. Getting out of the resort is also not easy. They run a shuttle service, but only 3 times a day, which makes you wonder what's the point. So you have to book a taxi each time, which is also not smooth when the internet is down! The restaurants overall are also underwhelming compared to the high quality you can get in Bali. Choices are limited, though the one by the river has a magical ambience, as does Taman Dedari, though the poor communication meant I didn't know it existed until I asked someone where I can get some simple local cuisine in the hotel. Check out was also shambolic. They had no idea I was supposed to get 20% off as part of my Expedia booking, and when I showed it to the guy at reception, he awkwardly took my phone away to an office to show it to someone. They failed to honour the discount in the end and handled it in a way that did not leave me wanting to return. So all in all, this is a beautiful place but is badly let down by the basics. Nonetheless, if you're fit and healthy, want to completely switch off from the world and can put up with substandard service, I'd recommend it.

Awesome place! We had a wonderful stay in a private villa with own pool, looking at the jungle. So peaceful. Amazing friendly and helpful stuff. Thank you you all for the wonderful stay! Everybody was so kind and made our stay unvorgettable. We would love to come back .

Very wonderful stay. The best place in ubud for my wife(Balinese) and me(American). The service in the restaurant is exceptional. Will come back againt another time for stay. The most beautiful view too from your room and dining table when you have dinner.

I had a wonderful experience at this place! The staff were incredibly nice and welcoming, making me feel comfortable from the moment I arrived. The public spaces and overall environment were beautifully maintained, creating a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere. The service was also excellent—attentive, friendly, and professional. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a great experience

What Can we say, Beautiful property and location, stunning gardens and scenery at every corner but ultimately its the staff that make this place special. Warm welcoming and always with a warm smile, from housekeeping to breakfast. The staff at breakfast Choc and all his staff were fantastic together with the variety of food on offer. We sadly missed this hotel once we moved and could not compare the staff and food at our 2nd stay. The villas are spacious and generous with a great pool overlooking the jungle and river. The shuttle service offered 3 times a day is also great which takes you into Ubud town, we felt it would have been nice to have a late pick up from town included in the schedule as we thought that was the only small let down. This is a beautiful property and would most definitely will return thank you.