VICEROY BALI

My husband and I came here to get married, left to travel to other parts of Bali, and then returned as we enjoyed it so much. I honestly do not even know how to write this review, The Viceroy has just been so special for us and we will definitely be return guests. In total we spent 12 nights here, but could easily spend longer. Location The Viceroy is located in Ubud, Bali's cultural centre. Ubud is the perfect place to sightsee from as it is in the centre of the island. The Viceroy is situated away from the busy main streets, but still very close to central Ubud. Set amongst rice fields and overlooking the beautiful Petanu gorge, the peace and tranquillity here certainly sets the mood for romance and relaxation. Environment and facilities The Viceroy offers a mix of Indonesian traditions and international luxury. Showcasing intricate wood and stone carvings at every corner, each depicting important aspects of life in Bali - like the Ramayana story. There are photographs throughout the hotel with images from the Dutch colonial era in Indonesia. There are some truly beautiful pieces of artworks, which again make this hotel feel extra special. The primary communal areas consist of the lobby, the Cascades restaurant and bar, seating areas by a koi pond, seating areas in the gardens, and the pool area. There is an on site boutique shop, offering a selection of art and clothing. There is Lembah spa on site, at the moment the spa is quite small but they are currently building a new spa, which is set to rival others throughout Ubud. I will definitely be returning to use it! We had a 2 hour spa couple treatment during our stay, which was wonderful. This consists of a foot cleanse, full body massage, body scrub and moisturise and finally a romantic flower bath. You are then free to use the spa facilities (steam room, cool pool, jacuzzi). The grounds at Viceroy are well maintained, with a variety of native flora and fauna throughout, ground keepers are ever present watering, pruning and removing coconuts from palms. The hotel offers a complementary shuttle (which is actually a private car) to and from Ubud centre as many times as you wish between the hours of 7.00-22.30. The drop off/pick up points are monkey forest (Coco mart) and Ubud palace (by the bank). Staff will always endeavour to provide this service, even when requested on short notice. There are a list of recommended trips at Viceroy but you can provide your own itinerary, there is a fee for hiring the car and driver. We did two trips with Margi as our driver, who was excellent, we feel that he became our friend as well as our driver! He was very knowledgable and not afraid to offer recommendations when we asked. There is also a helicopter available for trips but we did not use this facility. Food I believe that all rooms come with breakfast at a minimum and the breakfast here is exceptional. There is a wide variety of choice and I would recommend trying different options daily. My personal favourites are the coconut rice pudding and the French toast. We chose to have breakfast in our rooms everyday of our stay, which is an additional charge but worthwhile if you are honeymooning. If you have any special requests staff will endeavour to provide these. At dinner there are three menus to choose from, the casual menu offering a wide selection of casual dishes such as pizza, burger, spaghetti bolognaise etc. The al a carte menu, which offers fine dining standard food, including fresh Canadian lobster, and some modern takes on traditional Indonesian dishes. There is also a degustation menu. The al a carte menu and degustation menu include amuse bushes, palette cleansers and petit fours as standard. At times one of us has wanted something from the casual menu and the other the al a carte, again this is completely acceptable and the staff are only too happy to oblige guest requests. If you book in advance you can pay to have romantic candlelight dinner, we witnessed many couples choosing to do this and indeed did this ourselves on our final night. If sitting in the bar you will usually be offered freshly made rice crackers as a bar snack with your drinks, which is a nice touch and tastier than nuts. The bar and wine list is extensive, although we do not drink alcohol regularly and therefore most of our selections were mocktails of which our favourite was the fresh mint tonic. Albert is the man when it comes to cocktails, friendly, welcoming and professional, it has been a pleasure getting to know him. There is a 24hour casual menu available to the room. The restaurant and bar staff are truly exceptional, friendly and professional, running like clockwork, with Agung and Yoga making it seamless. The cooking staff work tirelessly to meet guest requirements and the head chef, Nic, has created some outstanding dishes. Rooms We had the fortune to experience a stay in the terrace villa and deluxe terrace villa. Both rooms are maintained to high standards, featuring solid stone flooring and bathing areas, pools and pavilions, elegant furniture, high quality mattresses and linens and traditional Balinese Alang alang thatch roof. The rooms feel luxurious and comfortable. There is daily housekeeping and an evening turn down service. We personally preferred the internal layout of the terrace villa, which is more open and felt more romantic to us, but the pool in the deluxe villa is larger and better for swimming. Both rooms are beautiful and perfect for honeymooners as all are private and great for late night dipping! ;o) Service This is the most difficult part for me to write as I simply cannot say enough kind words. The staff at The Viceroy make it what it is. Whether you want staff to be seen and not heard, or (like us) enjoy getting to know each one and finding out about their lives here in Bali. The staff made us feel like family, they cared for us when we were sick, they cried with us at our wedding, as Agung said - their service comes from the heart, they genuinely want you to be happy and when you are it means a lot to them. If you call 111 from your room, whatever your request or need the staff will try their best to make it happen. They communicate with one another to get to learn your preferences, this is the type of service which goes beyond expectation. The hotel owners are often visible around the hotel and like to introduce themselves to their guests, they are more than happy to talk to you but equally will give you space to enjoy your privacy. Healthcare Unfortunately during our first week we got sick (this was not from the hotel) as soon as staff were aware we were ill Martin and Tony (part of the family which own the hotel) visited us with flowers and the head chef, Nic, to offer us anything we could want to help us recover. Martin accompanied me to the clinic and wanted to stay whilst I received treatment. The hotel insisted on taxiing us both back and forth. To avoid stress on our part they were able to pay our medical bills on their account so that we could pay the hotel when we felt better. The doctor recommended I have banana and at 23.00 hrs the staff were bringing me banana smoothies. The staff were genuinely concerned about our wellbeing, particularly with our upcoming wedding and we cannot thank them enough for looking after us. Wedding Our wedding at the Viceroy was perfect. Everything was arranged by Diah, who did a wonderful job, especially with the flowers which were just incredible. Unfortunately Diah had the flu on the day but still maintained contact with us via whatsapp. With Diah unwell Jero stepped in, who did a fantastic job, keeping everything running smoothly, my husband will never forget seeing him rushing around behind the scenes making sure timings were correct. The hotel staff threw flowers at the end of the ceremony and became quite emotional as well. We later enjoyed an evening meal surrounded by our wedding flowers, with our own dedicated server (I think this was Dinah or Eni). Unbeknownst to me my husband had arranged a special Balinese Hindu blessing for us through Yoga. Ketut performed the blessing for us as she knew the holy words, this was a beautiful surprise. Finally We cannot thank the owners and their family, and the staff at the Viceroy enough. We wish we could mention every single one of you. Otto and Margaret have created something truly special here and The Viceroy Bali will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

We visited The Viceroy in July as our second stop on our honeymoon around Asia and were blown away. The unassuming drive up to the location hides the complete perfection within. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left we were made feel welcome and indulged. Our room was complimentary upgraded as it was our honeymoon. We were met with a stunning villa with private heated pool overlooking the Forrest. The food was amazing both in room and in CasCades restaurant. The shuttle service in and around Ubud was appreciated and the support of the staff was exceptional. Sometimes it's all about the little things. When every member of staff, whether you have met them or not, says "hi Mr Grimshaw, how are you today'" You know you are in a special place. If we could have stayed a lifetime it wouldn't have been enough!! Love, love, love this hotel, best we have stayed in anywhere, ever!!

Elaine and I spent 3 days at the Viceroy at the beginning of June and from the moment that 'Dewi' met us at Denpassar airport in the hotel car, we knew we were in for a special treat. He was charming, amusing and totally helpful, as we're every member of staff we met at the hotel. We were in a 'Deluxe Terrace Villa' which had its own infinity pool complete with a 'Balinese Gazebo', pure magic ! The purity of the air and the tranquility, coupled with the absolute attentiveness of all the staff, made our stay one of the most relaxing and enjoyable periods of our lives. They were building a couple of new villas while we were there but the construction was so controlled as to have no impact on the ambient peacefulness . The spar was excellent and the food so good we asked for and were given the recipe for their 'Butter Chicken' which was magnificent. The Viceroy isn't cheap but it's worth every penny and we can't wait to go back for another sojourn in this beautiful paradise

Stayed here for two nights with my wife. We stayed during the Nyepi holiday. The check in process was highly efficient and seamless. We were welcomed by name and given some lovely welcome drinks in the bar by the pool. Once we were done, we were taken to our room by buggy where our bags had already been taken. We had booked a terrace villa but were upgraded to a deluxe terrace villa. The villa was finished to a great standard and the private pool was amazing. The place felt very private and was perfect to relax during the Nyepi day. We visited the local village the night before for the Ogoh Ogoh celebration which was a fantastic experience. The hotel provided a shuttle to take us to the village. We had some bar snacks that evening which were lovely. Top class club sandwich. The main pool is a great place too and nice to get a drink. The second night we ordered room service and this was delivered quickly and was excellent quality. The breakfast was perfect with all dishes being made to order but you could order as many as you liked. Every dish we ordered tasted great. The only problem was had was the neighbouring room playing loud music but this was dealt with immediately by the staff when we raised it with them. Definitely a memorable stay and would definitely recommend staying here.

You'll get the ultimate pool selfie here! Such a great location overlooking the 'Jungle'. The hotel facilities are great from the in-room coffee machine to DVD's available and pool side service. You won't want to leave the Hotel but you need too as it is a great location for Ubud and so many sights of Bali. The hotel offer a free shuttle service (in very nice cars) to Ubud which is great in the evening to go to local restaurants. The staff are very friendly and helpful too and will give you good tips where to go. If you have children or you're an aircraft enthusiast head to the Aero Park in Keramas! The Elephant Safari Park & swim with Elephants was our favourite thing to do and its only 30mins away. One off the bucket list! Enjoy!