6 Reasons To Stay at the W Bali – Seminyak When Visiting Bali

Bali is a place that most people have heard of, where many people have been, and about which there are even more opinions.

Having listened to many people tell me of their experiences, I’d built up a preconception of Bali that I was determined to disprove.

I wanted to experience a side of Bali that wasn’t just drunken Western and Australian tourists running amok. Contrarily, the more popular tourist trail places on the island, such as Canggu, Kuta, and Seminyak, were popular for a reason, and a part of me was curious to discover why.

After compiling all of my research, my conclusion about the 3 aforementioned tourist hotspots looked like this:

• Kuta: Wild parties and drunken tourists giving foreigners a bad name
• Canggu: a cool, quieter area popular with expats
• Seminyak: in between Kuta and Canggu in terms of both location and vibe

With that, I decided that one of the places I’d stay would be Seminyak to get a mix of both worlds. As a huge fan of W Hotels, the deal was sealed when I realized there was a W in Seminyak.

Booking

The bold colors, unique designs, and general fun vibe of Marriott’s W Hotels make it one of my preferred brands.

I booked my stay directly through Marriott.com so that my Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Eilte status would be honored, I’d be eligible to earn Marriott Bonvoy points for my stay, and my “nights stayed” would be counted towards my elite status earning.

I also used a mixture of points and cash to balance out the books as stays at W’s don’t come cheap — even in places like Bali, which is renowned for great value hotels!

For our stay of 4 nights, my friend Sonny and I used points for 2 nights and paid cash for the other 2.

The nightly cash rate was $444 for the Wonderful Garden Escape, Guest Room, 2 Queen(s), Balcony, and we got a PointSaver Redemption rate of 43,200 points per night.

So, for 4 nights, the total came to $888 + 86,400 Marriott Bonvoy points.

I used my U.K. Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^® Card, which earned me 6x Marriott Bonvoy points per £1 spent.

A great U.S. equivalent to use on such a booking would be the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, which earns 6x Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 spent.

Hot Tip:

When paying any amount of cash for a hotel stay, there’ll almost always be a credit card that will reward you with bonus points and potentially even more benefits. For example, Marriott Bonvoy has several co-branded credit cards that offer spending bonus points, generous welcome bonuses, elite night credits, and more!

Without further ado, here are the reasons why you should absolutely consider a stay at the W Bali – Seminyak when visiting Bali.

1. Sustainability

As part of the check-in procedure, I was given the option to donate money to Sungai Watch — a local charitable cause that builds river barriers to stop plastic from reaching the seas around Indonesia.

After being shocked at the amount of plastic in the sea around Komodo National Park a few days earlier, I was more than happy to donate to the cause.

This was the first time I’d ever been presented with the option of donating to an environmentally-focused charity when checking into a hotel, so I figured this meant that sustainability must be of extra importance to the W Bali – Seminyak.

I was intrigued to learn about what else the hotel might be doing behind the scenes in the name of sustainability, so I arranged a meeting with a corporate team member from the hotel to find out more.

I had a very insightful conversation with Juliet Dahokary, who surprised me with the extent to which the W Bali – Seminyak takes sustainability seriously.

Here’s an overview of some of the steps the W Bali – Seminyak is taking to reduce its negative environmental impact.

In-House Green Team

The hotel has a so-called “Green Team,” which comprises a sustainably-minded selection of the hotel’s employees who, as part of their roles, are tasked with coming up with new ideas to keep reducing the hotel’s negative impact on the environment.

R.O.L.E. Foundation

Working closely with the R.O.L.E. Foundation, the hotel sends its excess and leftover soap to the foundation’s ZeroWaste Center to be made into new soap by local women. Once it’s been recycled, the soap is distributed to those in the community who need it the most, such as orphanages.

Zero Waste Cocktails

Ingredients used in the hotel’s cocktails are taken from leftovers from the breakfast buffet to minimize food waste.

Locally-Sourced Ingredients

Meat and fish are sourced by local farmers and fishermen, and the hotel also has a chef’s garden where fresh produce is grown on-site.

In-Room Sustainability Measures

I was further impressed by the sustainability measures taken in the room.

This block of wood was to be placed on the bed to signal to housekeeping that changing the sheets wouldn’t be required. I felt this was far more noticeable and effective than the small towel and bed sheet notices that you find in some hotel bathrooms.

Needless to say, we put the block of wood on the bed every morning after getting up.

I don’t even change my bedsheets once a week at home, so getting them changed every day in a hotel I find to be absurd!

Also, in the name of sustainability, the shower amenities were in refillable bottles rather than throw-away miniatures.

A conscious effort had also clearly been made to minimize the amount of plastic used in the beauty and preening amenities.

In the meeting with Juliet, I mentioned that some beauty amenities, including the cotton bud, were wrapped in plastic. She assured me that this was only until the current stocks ran out.

There’s more: the complimentary water was replaced daily in large glass bottles rather than the mini plastic ones that I’ve noticed have still been commonplace in most other hotels I’ve stayed in recently.

And, finally, even the room keys, made out of wood, were sustainable!

2. Location

Seminyak is perfect for those who want to be close enough to the tourist hustle and bustle without being in the thick of it.

The W’s location in Seminyak is even more perfect, right on the beach between Canggu and Kuta.

It’s also set far back from the noise and crowds of the busy main road through Seminyak.

Turning down the hotel’s private tree-lined drive, complete with security, you feel an immediate sense of peace and relaxation — a feeling that will only get stronger once you’re inside the hotel.

A thin strip of greenery separates the actual beach from a more private, artificial beach within the hotel grounds.

The west-facing beachfront location makes for the most stunning sunsets.

3. Marvellous Villas Feel Like You’re in the Jungle

We booked the lowest category rooms, hoping that my Titanium Elite status would come through and we’d score a sweet upgrade.

Our luck would have to be in, as it’s well known in the points world that getting upgrades to suites with Marriott Bonvoy’s loyalty program is a rarity even though it states in the benefits that “we’ll do our best to upgrade your room (including select suites).”

In my past experiences, when checking into a Marriott hotel as a Titanium Elite, I can count on 1 hand the times I’ve automatically been given an upgrade; 9 times out of 10, it’s only when I ask the question that the possibility of an upgrade is even considered.

I was determined to score a stellar upgrade on this stay, so I did my research beforehand and saw that the Marvelous, 1 Bedroom Villa, 1 King, Pool Cabana, Private Pool, Terrace room type was showing as available to book for our dates just before we checked in.

After the check-in process had been underway for a few minutes and there’d still been no mention of an upgrade, I asked the question.

As we expected, no upgrade was applied to our stay. Before the check-in staff could do or say anything else, I took out my laptop and showed him the evidence I had waiting in the wings and that there was a Marvellous Villa available and we’d love to stay there if possible.

The duty manager was called over, and after a few minutes of privately chatting, our wish was granted, and we were confirmed a 4-night stay in a Marvellous Villa!

What a sight it is to behold:

The nightly rate for a Marvellous Villa would have been around $925 — that’s a total for the stay of $3,700! Having only paid $888 cash between the 2 of us for 2 nights, this upgrade brought with it a lot of value!

The signature W king bed was the centerpiece of the huge 2,421-square-foot space.

As you might deduce from the massive grin on my friend and travel companion Sonny’s face, the bed was heavenly even without being inside the 350-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets.

The villa’s layout was an open plan, with the main living space containing a relaxing sofa area, a desk area for work, and a massive bed.

Massive was a theme, as the living and sleeping quarters were separate from the massive bathroom, which had a massive open wardrobe with ample space for those who struggled to pack light.

I’m not exaggerating about the size of the bathroom: it was bigger than the entire living space of my London flat.

It boasted a double vanity (complete with all the luxury amenities you’d expect at a W), a freestanding bath, and a separate shower and toilet.

As much as I loved the inside of the villa, la pièce de résistance for me was the stunningly landscaped outside space, which I enjoyed looking out over directly from the bed every morning.

In addition to the sun loungers, there was a table for alfresco dining and even a poolside cabana. Whether it was munching on room service, writing news and deals for Upgraded Points, napping in the cabana, or splashing around with the rubber ring, it’s out here where I spent most of my time at the W.

4. Breakfast by the Pool and Beach

In countries like Indonesia, where eating out is way cheaper than back home, I’d generally forgo breakfast at the hotel (even when it’s free) in favor of making the most of the local cuisine and prices.

This is not the case when staying at the W Bali – Seminyak, where breakfast is nothing short of a banquet.

Guests can enjoy buffet and à la carte breakfast options at oceanside Star Fish Bloo and Fire restaurant on the lower ground of the main hotel building.

As Fire is further away from the ocean and would not afford these incredible breakfast views, I ate at Star Fish Bloo each morning of my stay.

The terrace of the fully open-air restaurant was covered, so guests could still enjoy oceanside dining even during rainy weather you might experience in the tropics.

A particular favorite of mine of any hotel breakfast is the option to have eggs your way, and of course, the W Bali – Seminyak came through on this, too.

A stickler for my breakfast routine, I enjoyed being able to order a delicious and nutritious 6-egg white omelet filled with spinach, chicken, and mushrooms with no problem at all.

The sourdough bread was great, too.

The variety of options available on this breakfast buffet was the largest I can ever remember seeing at a hotel.

As you’ll often find at large hotel chain properties, there were lots of breakfast items catering to Western guests, such as hash browns and (plastic-looking) sausages.

However, the W Bali – Seminyak served up an impressive variety of Asian dishes for breakfast, such as steamed buns, sushi, and local Indonesian dishes like nasi goreng.

The steamed buns were a particular favorite of mine.

As much as this steamed white fish looked delicious, it’d be better suited to a lunch or dinner menu for me.

The same sentiment goes for the freshly made sushi that made the rounds each morning.

I can enjoy fruit at any time of the day, and there was no shortage of the freshest, most colorful fruit at this breakfast buffet.

From fruit to fresh pastries, sticking to a healthy eating regime was a challenge owing to the numerous sweet treats offered to us at our table.

It wasn’t until after 2 whole weeks in Indonesia that I learned about jamu when it was wheeled around Star Fish Bloo at breakfast. Jamu is just one of a variety of drinks that were offered to guests at their tables on a morning.

Looking back, I’m not sure why I declined to try the traditional medicinal juice, as it’s packed with nutrients and probably packs a punchy flavor.

In true W style, there was also a DIY Bloody Mar(r)y.

5. The Facilities

The W Bali – Seminyak has so much to offer its guests that there’s no need to leave.

My first port of call with any hotel stay is to check out the quality of the gym. And by “quality,” I’m looking out for dumbbells heavier than 44 pounds and a rope pulley machine as absolute essentials.

I’m happy to report that the W Bali – Seminyak’s sizeable FIT gym checked both of those boxes and more.

The pool was huge and beautifully designed, and it never appeared overcrowded.

As delightful as the pool looked, I spent most of my time either by our private pool at the villa or beachside at WooBar, where sunset each evening was even more breathtaking than the last.

I must also add that, unfortunately, I had a very disappointing evening meal here. I’d invited some friends staying at another resort to come and enjoy a sunset cocktail followed by dinner.

The combination of the food taking forever to arrive and the extremely slow and lackluster service made for an anomaly in the overall experience I had been enjoying at the hotel.

I said there’s no reason to leave the resort, and the W Oasis is one of the reasons why. Set back from the main hotel in the middle of the villas is this traditional Balinese garden space where guests can enjoy everything from reading and practicing morning yoga to taking an afternoon nap in peace and tranquillity.

Electric mopeds (another tick in the sustainability box) are available to rent for those who would like to stray from the resort for a bit of an adventure.

Sticking with transport, the hotel has a fleet of electric buggies on which guests can request complimentary rides between the hotel’s lobby/reception and villas or even to the main street at the end of the long drive.

It wouldn’t be a W hotel without an AWAY Spa, which, by all intents and purposes, was stunning and offered an eclectic mix of beauty, relaxation, and health-focused treatments.

However, in the name of transparency, Bali has innumerable massage parlors that offer incredible massages at a fraction of the cost of Western hotel chains.

The sum of the at least 1 daily massage I enjoyed elsewhere totaled significantly less than what 1 single massage would have cost at the W.

6. Maintenance and Upkeep

It’s never been more visible to me that this hotel prioritizes keeping on top of maintenance and the upkeep of the property.

On several occasions during my stay, I noticed staff members doing maintenance tasks such as paint touch-ups and floor buffering.

The interesting thing is, I never once thought to myself that any area of the hotel looked shabby or dirty — and I have a very keen eye for this kind of thing, especially when reviewing a stay.

This is precisely why: The W Bali – Seminyak clearly takes pride in the aesthetic of the property and makes sure that standards are kept impeccably high at all times, even if that means this is on display to hotel guests.

When it comes to buffing and cleaning the floors, I can understand how some guests might feel that it should be done while they’re sleeping at night. However, I quite liked that the hotel’s desire to maintain a clean and safe environment for its guests was on display throughout my stay.

Final Thoughts

I’m so happy I chose to stay at the W Bali – Seminyak when visiting Bali.

This was my sixth stay at a W hotel, and it confirmed to me, yet again, why I love the brand so much.