By Angie Kelly
The pool at Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach, Bali.
THE PLACE
Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach
A room with ocean views.
THE LOCATION
You'll have a front row seat for Seminyak's famous sunsets here, thanks to the hotel's position slap bang on Double Six beach. Stretching 4.7 hectares back from the sea, the lobby end of the enormous property is also an easy walk to the packed shopping and restaurant strip of Jalan Legian.
THE SPACE
View of the sunset from the pool.
On arrival you will instantly be in a holiday headspace with Indigo's big, breezy lobby-gallery packed with locally crafted textiles and objets d'art telling the story of the neighbourhood's past as a fishing village. An artistic and modern mix of Balinese tropical design features signal it's time to unpack your sarong and sandals. The heart of the hotel, the lobby's water features, sacred tree and open-ended design give way to a view of the luscious garden and pool area; it also where guests take part in daily cultural activities like making a canang sari, the Balinese Hindu daily flower offerings seen across the island. At 289 rooms, it's huge, but with six dining venues, a separate spa building, gym and multiple relaxation zones built into its park-like grounds, it rarely feels crowded.
THE ROOM
It doesn't get much better than an outdoor bath with a view of the sea if your idea of a good hotel is to luxuriate in next-level treats. My top-floor corner suite's balcony also has a day bed for reading and snoozing, while the luxurious bathroom also offers an ocean view. There's a walk-in robe big enough to encourage dreams of longer stays, with a trendy wicker beach bag and pool towel conveniently provided. But it's the ultra-comfortable bed that gets our group talking, with two of us vowing to investigate where to get them when back home.
THE FOOD
Starting life as a beach club but recently morphing into a restaurant, SugarSand's trump card is its rooftop – a better place for sun downers in this neighbourhood is hard to find. With fairy lights, gin cocktails and an uncrowded comfortable vantage point to see the nightly orange sky show, this is the place to be from 5ish onwards. A new, hosted food safari experience is a good way to literally get a taste of the menu in three of hotel's dining spots. Start on the SugarSand rooftop with canapes; wander next to the pretty Tree Bar Garden for small bites, and tackle third and fourth courses at fine-diner Salon Bali.
STEPPING OUT
On the doorstep of Seminyak's famously lively coastline, distractions abound with direct beach access and walkable fun in every direction. An early morning guided bike ride along the main strip with a member of the hotel gym staff is an enjoyable way to get your bearings and make a mental note of nearby places to eat, drink, do yoga, shop or take surfing lessons. With the shopping mecca and eats streets of downtown Seminyak also close by, and do-able on foot or two wheels, it's a winning location.
THE VERDICT
Far from vanilla, as many resorts this big can be, the Indigo Bali is packed with personality, interesting spaces and neighbourhood-inspired touches. Extra kudos for those ultra-comfortable beds.
ESSENTIALS
Rooms from: $265. JL Camplung Tanduk No 10, Seminyak. See hotelindigo.com website
HIGHLIGHT
The huge, cabana-lined main pool which is big enough for serious laps.
LOWLIGHT
Some rooms can be noisy if there is an event being held in the garden so best to check when booking.
Angie Kelly was a guest of Indigo, Bali.
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