Review of Bulgari Resort Bali

The Bulgari Resort Bali is located near the village of Pecatu and the stunning cliff-top site of the Pura Luhur Ulumwatu Temple on the island’s far southwestern tip on the Bukit Peninsula. Jimbaran Bay and the International Airport lie approximately 20 kilometres north of the resort while Kuta, the tourist centre of the island, is a 40-minute drive. Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park takes around 20 minutes by car with Ubud about 90 minutes away. 

The resort offers unrivalled views across the Indian Ocean. Located on a limestone plateau, one of three areas of vertical coastal cliffs on and around the island, the Bukit Peninsula differs dramatically from the resort of Bali and since the 1930s, it has been a surfers’ paradise with some of the world’s finest waves.

Nestled within high perimeter walls, the Ocean View Villas offer extraordinary views over the ocean, some framed with the thatched roofs of other villas whilst others span the entire horizon. Each offers an expansive open-air living area, a spacious vestibule and an enormous bathroom with soaking tub, indoor and outdoor rain showers and black Terrazzo flooring. There are Bulgari toiletries, naturally. 

Decorated with pieces of antique Balinese art and equipped with an audio / video system, the private garden offers a plunge pool for cooling off during the day and loungers shaded by parasols. Villa amenities include an outdoor dining and seating area; coffee and tea making facilities; audio visual; in villa safes and mini bars; televisions with cable and 24-hour butler assistance. The Premier Ocean View Villas are positioned at a higher elevation offering a sweeping view of the ocean whilst the Ocean Cliff Villas are closest to the cliff edge offering a completely unobstructed view over the ocean’s horizon. The larger two-bedroom villas feature a large pool in the garden as well as a separate kitchen and a studio. 

In the westernmost part of the resort, on a slightly higher position, stands the stunning 1,300 square metre Bulgari Villa featuring two bedrooms, a living room with bar, a spacious dining room, a private cinema, a kitchen and a spa treatment room. There is also a 20-metre pool and a meditation pergola surrounded by an extensive terrace. 

For the ultimate in accommodation, the five exclusive Mansions meanwhile combine the comfort of the private villas with the highest level of personalised service and restrained luxury. Located in an area adjacent to the Resort on a secluded upland plain bordered by cliffs, they offer sweeping views over the Indian Ocean. These two-to-five-bedroom Mansions range from 1,710 square metres to 4,415 square metres and include a spacious outdoor area and a living and dining room, a powder room, a fully equipped kitchen suitable for entertaining, a bar, a patio, a terrace and a separate structure for staff. 

Each villa has its own garden and two-tiered swimming pool surrounded by sun desks and a gazebo with open living areas opening out into the garden. The common areas are on the top floor with the more private spaces of the bed and bathrooms housed on the ground floor. The master bedroom and the guest bedrooms have a foyer, a study and walk-in closets. Each bedroom has its own bathroom with walls clad in warm-toned exotic stone. 

The swimming pools, inspired by rice paddies, have been lined with the green hues of Sukabumi stone. Each has a different, free-form shape that follows the natural contours of the terrain, offering unobstructed views of the ocean.

Bulgari Bali’s Spa offers luxurious treatments administered by a team of four therapists, including deep massage with exotic oils and herbs and the placement of warm volcanic stones on the chakras, the body’s seven energy centres, providing total relaxation and a soothing anti-stress effect. The open-air treatment rooms at the cliff edge overlooking the ocean are perfect for enjoying a range of complete treatments that integrate Asian and European approaches. 

A complete retreat from the rest of the resort and offering a yoga pavillion, the Spa is housed within an antique “Joglo” house, transported piece by piece from central Java, creating a unique verandaed reception area. The style of the six treatment rooms or “villas” however, is 100% contemporary Italian with views out over the ocean. There are two royal pavilions with outdoor gardens, outdoor rain showers and plunge pools with facilities also including a beauty salon, rain showers and aromatic steam rooms. 

Bulgari Bali’s Fitness Center can be either open air or enclosed and is equipped with technologically advanced gym equipment with a personal trainer on hand who would be happy to create a custom workout programme if required.

The Workshop Gymnasium meanwhile is a completely bespoke experience for mind and body, working closely with each guest to develop an exercise and nutrition regimen that achieves extraordinary results. 

Nestled between the cliff and the ocean, Bulgari Bali offers a 1.5 kilometre stretch of beach accessible only through the resort’s inclined funicular and protected by a coral reef. Guests are welcomed at the Beach Club with deckchairs and shaded refreshments. With Bali’s tidal currents, the beach is more for sunbathing, strolling and relaxing rather than swimming. 

If poolside lounging is more to your liking, there is a main resort infinity edge pool at the heart of the resort. Flanked by luxury cabanas on one side and unobstructed ocean views on the other, the pool is situated close to the bars and restaurants of the resort for a food and drink service, served in the privacy of the cabana. 

As the first Bulgari Chapel in the world, Bulgari Bali’s Chapel is 100% Milanese Italian in style, created from the Paras Kerobokan stone from Bali and hand-crafted floor-to-ceiling glass panelling. Adjacent to the Chapel, there is a 300 square metre Pavilion Terrace, the perfect venue for any special occasion with unrivalled views over the ocean. 

Bulgari’s concierge can arrange a wide range of excursions with suggestions including day trips to nearby islands, helicopter flights over a volcano, holistic activities, visits to the local markets with a personal shopper and so forth. Other experiences include a trip to Pura Luhur Uluwatu, one of Bali’s famous sea temples, to watch the sunset and take in a traditional kecak dance; taking part in the Melukat Purifying Ceremony to cleanse body and soul; a visit to two artisanal workshops – a ceramics studio of Gaya and the jeweller John Hardy for an intimate look at the crafting process; Balinese cooking classes and trips over to Ubud.

For a renowned brand like Bulgari, it comes as no surprise that the Bulgari Resort Bali is a successful design marriage of traditional Balinese culture and Italian contemporary style, enlivened by native plantings including fragrant Frangipane trees scattered across the resort. 

Careful to ensure that the resort’s layout and overall design sensitively incorporates the culture and natural elements of the location, this chic resort has been built and furnished using hand-cut volcanic stones, rich exotic woods and refined fabrics. The architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners researched thoroughly into the history, religion, traditions, artistic heritage and daily life of the island, working with island artisans throughout the design concept and construction process. 

All the hotel’s accessories and details have been expressly designed and produced in Bali exclusively for Bulgari from every single piece of furniture to the handcrafted unique tableware and refined fabrics. Centuries-old tribal ceremonial antiques and exotic art pieces are on display in the resort’s villas, gardens and dining areas. 

A collection of exquisite Balinese antiques and exotic art pieces adorn the entire resort with local Indonesian art being the focus of the collection, mixed with original works from contemporary Indonesian artists decorating the public spaces. 

This attention to detail has created a stunning resort, distinct from any other luxury resort on Bali, perfect for style-conscious travellers wishing for intelligent and thoughtful contemporary design inspired from Indonesian tradition. The discreet and remote hillside location is also a draw for many wishing to escape from the world for a little while.

There are four bars and restaurants at Bulgari Bali including the signature Italian restaurant – Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin. An intimate 36 seat restaurant serving creative interpretations of classic Italian cuisine blended with local organic ingredients with dishes visually stunning. Open for dinner only with menus complemented by a wine list of over 200 bottles of predominantly Italian wines and an excellent champagne section, the peaceful space is surrounded with carefully maintained greenery and plants, overlooking a reflection pool, enhanced with soft lighting and hurricane lamps. 

With an extraordinary location on a cliff’s edge offering stunning ocean views, Sangkar Restaurant offers an elegant yet informal atmosphere, distinguished by a magnificently illuminated ceiling with traditional woven lamps. There are two communal tables in the heart of the space creating a comfortable and relaxed setting. The 70-seat restaurant exhibits a stunning 5 metre artwork made of solid teak wooden planks and over 100,000 copper “nails” especially created for Sangkar by Balinese artist Made Wianta. 

Serving a menu of international favourites together with popular Indonesian dishes with contemporary culinary techniques, Sanghar Restaurant is open all day, guests may enjoy Balinese dishes such as Tamarind Chicken Breast or Bamboo Shoot and Vegetable Curry with Turmeric-scented Rice. The resort has recently introduced a Balinese Dining Experience too for guests to immerse themselves in the flavours and aromas of Indonesian cuisine.

La Spiaggia meanwhile is a cosy and intimate restaurant and bar where guests may enjoy the best and freshest grilled seafood in Bali or the signature Herbojito cocktail whilst benefiting from the cool and fresh sea breezes from its position under the cliff, over the white sand beach. Accessible only via the funicular, La Spiaggia is open for lunch.

Sophisticated yet comfortable, The Bulgari Bar opens out onto a terrace that overlooks the island’s magnificent cliffs and glittering ocean. The curved black resin bar top counter is modelled on that of the Bulgari in Milan whilst its main centrepiece is a massive stone, sculpted entirely by the forces of nature. Offering cocktails, wine, canapés and snacks in the best tradition of the Italian aperitivo, The Bulgari Bar is open throughout the day from late morning.

Bulgari Bali proudly supports the environment by implementing “Tri Hita Karana” – a Balinese life philosophy based on the human relationship with God (the spiritual environment), the human relationship with the community (the social environment) and the human relationship with nature (natural environment). Every year, Bulgari Bali embraces the “Tri Hita Karana” principles through a variety of initiatives.

Honouring the different rituals and religious rites of the Hinduism practiced in Bali, the Resort employees make daily religious offerings and take part in ceremonies at the Resort’s temple. Some of the more significant contributions to the community and environment are regular visits to a local orphanage, the recycling programme, mangrove planting, a monthly cleaning campaign by the Resort’s employees and the creation of the Chef’s herb garden.

The resort also supports local bee activists to preserve Bali’s declining bee population by adopting and maintaining several bee colonies within the Resort.