The Apurva Kempinski Bali

I almost didn’t stay at The Apurva Kempinski because I already had another luxury hotel included in my Bali package. However, after seeing so many glowing TripAdvisor reviews and learning that the following year’s package had replaced one of the hotels with this resort, I knew I would always wonder if I had missed out. Since we were arriving in Bali late in the afternoon and couldn’t check into our package hotel until the next day, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it for one night. I booked through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, which included breakfast, a resort credit, airport transportation, a room upgrade if available, and guaranteed late checkout. The resort certainly makes an impressive first impression. The entrance, fountains, artwork, architecture, and grand lobby are beautiful. However, after spending a day here, I realized there is a significant difference between looking like a five-star resort and delivering a five-star experience. The arrival experience immediately felt busy and impersonal. The driveway was crowded with vehicles constantly pulling in, almost like arriving at a theme park. Valets directed us inside, where staff eventually escorted us to the Fine Hotels & Resorts lounge for check-in. It was efficient enough, but it lacked the warm, personal welcome I expect from a luxury resort. We arrived at 3:58 PM, nearly an hour after the published check-in time. After spending almost 45 minutes completing what amounted to only a couple pages of paperwork, we were told our complimentary upgrade to an Ocean View Junior Suite wasn’t ready. After traveling more than 26 hours from the United States through Hong Kong to Bali, all we wanted was to shower, rest, and get ready for our dinner reservation inside Koral’s aquarium tunnel, which was one of the main reasons I booked this hotel. We were told the upgraded suite would be ready in about 45 minutes to an hour, so the staff escorted us to the original room we had booked and suggested we relax there while we waited. Unfortunately, that room immediately felt disappointing. It was dark, damp, and musty, with a large dehumidifier running beside the bed. There was construction next door with constant banging, and the bathroom floor appeared to have water coming from a leaking toilet. The room opened onto a deck with walk-out access to part of the resort’s public pool, but the area didn’t feel especially well maintained. There were leaves floating in the water, and combined with the humidity and musty smell inside, it simply wasn’t an inviting place to spend the afternoon. While the layout itself was attractive, it didn’t feel like a room that belonged in a five-star luxury resort. Around 6:35 PM, we received another call saying the upgraded room still wasn’t ready. We explained that we needed to shower and leave for dinner, but we didn’t want to unpack our luggage only to move everything again. After another call, they finally informed us the suite was ready and escorted us there around 7:00 PM. What was supposed to be a 45-minute wait had stretched into nearly two hours. Since we were only staying one night before moving to another resort, losing that much of our stay was incredibly frustrating. The hotel apologized with a handwritten card, extra snacks, and a 5:00 PM late checkout, but since we were checking out the next day to continue our trip, those gestures didn’t make up for spending so much of our stay waiting for a room that should have been ready. Thankfully, the upgraded Ocean View Junior Suite was much nicer. It was brighter, larger, more comfortable, and free of the damp, musty feeling of the original room. The private plunge pool and oversized bathroom were lovely. The chocolates and snacks were not duplicated in this room and we’re later mood from the damp room up to this one. As someone else mentioned the pocket doors for the bathroom would not actually close. I will note that the shower was nice with the temperature and water pressure. The beds were also comfortable with nice linens. The upgraded room was the junior suite which felt like a lot of extra wasted space. The hallway to the rooms were un impressive and outdoors. The elevators were difficult to navigate because the rooms and different places were on different level levels, depending where you were located. Koral was one of the primary reasons I booked this resort. The aquarium tunnel is absolutely stunning and creates a memorable setting unlike anywhere else I’ve dined. Watching the fish swim overhead while divers stopped to pose for photos made for a beautiful experience. Unfortunately, the food didn’t come close to matching the setting.The complimentary amuse-bouche selections at the beginning of the meal were actually my favorite part. They were flavorful, creative, and exciting. They even tell you to video while they pour something around it that makes it smoke. After that, the 6 course tasting menu became surprisingly disappointing. Several seafood dishes were overcooked, the prawns were tough, the fish was overwhelmed with lemon, and nearly everything seemed to need salt and or seasoning. The sauces often didn’t complement the dishes, the turmeric ice cream dessert simply wasn’t enjoyable, and the chocolate dessert was average at best. The presentation was beautiful, but this didn’t feel like fine dining. It felt like beautiful food without much flavor which was disappointing, considering the cost. I was also disappointed that there wasn’t a children’s dinner option. My 12-year-old qualified to dine there but only enjoyed a couple of the courses. They were too fancy for someone of his age and frankly, if I didn’t like the taste, I couldn’t coerce him to try them. It would be nice if they offered a simple entrée option for older children dining with their families. Throughout the rest of our stay, the biggest issue became clear: the resort consistently felt understaffed. At the pool there wasn’t an attendant, there were no towels available, and we had to find someone delivering food just to ask where we could get towels. He told us it would probably be another 20 minutes before towels arrived. During breakfast, we repeatedly had to flag someone down for coffee, water, or to order eggs because no one ever checked on our table. The pastries were very good, but even the bacon somehow managed to have almost no flavor. The spa was relaxing, although nearly everything was fully booked, leaving only a 30-minute foot massage available. It was excellent, and I enjoyed both the treatment and the drinks served at the beginning and end. As we walked around the property, I also noticed that some areas simply weren’t maintained to the standard I expected from a luxury resort. There were areas where tiles showed mold, and around the aquarium at the pool there was a noticeable fish smell. The architecture is impressive, but the overall grounds didn’t have the meticulous attention to detail I’ve experienced at other world-class resorts. One unexpected surprise came when three wild monkeys appeared outside our plunge pool. One even climbed over and drank from the pool while my son watched from inside the room. The hotel had warned us they were around, but after seeing that, I had no interest in sitting by the plunge pool again. The resort also communicates through a WhatsApp concierge service, but it felt impersonal. We received messages and apologies, but I never really understood who these people were or who was actually responsible for assisting us. After leaving The Apurva Kempinski, we spent the remainder of our Bali vacation at the Four Seasons Sayan and Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay. The difference was remarkable. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by name and genuinely welcomed. Every tropical plant, pathway, villa, and common area was meticulously maintained. The service was warm, attentive, and proactive, staff anticipated our needs before we even had to ask. That experience reinforced what I felt was missing at Apurva. While the architecture is beautiful, luxury is about much more than impressive buildings. It’s about service, hospitality, attention to detail, and making guests feel valued. Unfortunately, those were the areas where The Apurva Kempinski consistently fell short. I’m genuinely glad we stayed because I would have always wondered if I had missed something. Now I know I didn’t. Also, it’s worth knowing not to buy another package that includes this resort. Koral’s aquarium is worth seeing for the view if convenient but I wouldn’t choose to stay at this resort again as it lacks true 5 star elements compared to other exceptional resorts.

We booked a couples massage for my 30th and it was incredible. My masseuse was Winda and she was fantastic, best massage ever and so relaxing

We have just had an incredible 26-night stay at The Apurva Kempinski Bali and hands down, it was the best resort experience we’ve ever had. Everything about this resort is spectacular, especially the beautiful blend of Balinese and Javanese architecture and design throughout. Our family of 5 (three small kids) stayed two nights in a Cliff Private Pool Junior Suite, 16 nights in a Two-Bedroom Villa, and a further 10 nights in a Three-Bedroom Villa. Every room was incredibly spacious and impeccably maintained. Moreover, what truly made our experience unforgettable was the exceptional staff, whose warmth and genuine hospitality made us feel so welcome. We’d like to thank the Lady in Red team, especially Jessica and Jennifer for their exceptional personalised service throughout the entire stay. From securing restaurant bookings for us to even going the extra mile to arrange Balinese dance classes with Kids Club for our 5 year old daughter. Thank you to Utami and Chitra for the classes. The lovely Villa Lounge team, Anastasia, Cantika, Dewi, Desvita, Desak, Yunika, Wiwik, Okta, Ernita and Juni (hope we haven’t missed anyone!) and a special thank you to Amar for going above and beyond, looking after our family. The outstanding and most caring Chef Desak, who cooked tasty personalised meals for our kids and the most delicious Balinese food for us. The Selasar Deli team, who always welcomed us with a smile and excellent service, especially Kristiani, Gita and Sudiari. Some of the other Greeting team members that we saw daily, Wahyu, Weda and Kelvin who were so friendly. The house keeping team, Suardika, Arya, Artha, Meregan, Dony and Dwiki who made beautiful towel art for our kids and even showed them how to make it themselves. The lifeguards at the pool Rizki, Tommy and Levi for genuinely being so fun and caring with our kids. We can’t wait for our next journey at The Apurva Kempinski! Amy and Alistair Clemett

Our stay at The Apurva Kempinski Bali was nothing short of spectacular. From the breathtaking architecture to the immaculate attention to detail, this resort truly defines luxury. A special, heartfelt thank you goes to Dwika and April at the Cliff Lounge. Their exceptional service, warmth, and genuine care made our experience unforgettable. They anticipated our every need and went above and beyond to make us feel incredibly welcome and pampered throughout our stay. The stunning views, beautiful amenities, and world-class service across the resort were amazing, but it is the outstanding hospitality from team members like Dwika and April that will undoubtedly bring us back. Highly recommended!

I had so much fun while I was waiting in the lounge Mrs dayu was soooo nice I hope to meet her again 10/10