Review: Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa Executive Suite

Recently, Minna and I had a rather short but amazing stay at Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort. We had an exceptionally warm welcome from every staff member including one of the chefs at the resort’s ‘Double Ikat’ restaurant.

I will be reviewing one of the resort’s Larger Suite (Executive Suite) we stayed for a night and our experiences with the resort facilities and restaurants.

Booking Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa

Renaissance Bali Uluwatu offers great paid rates throughout the year and this time I decided to make a paid stay instead of redeeming points. Generally, paid rates on Standard Rooms at this property cost between 2 million to 3 million Indonesian Rupiah or $134 ~ $201 which I find reasonable. Redemption rates cost around 31,000 to 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points depending on the season.

Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa Lobby

As a Marriott Bonvoy elite member and a big thanks to the resort’s guest team, I was entitled to an upgrade to a Larger Suite also known as the Executive Suite. Upon arrival in the morning for checking in, I was warmly greeted by the front desk team and had my formalities done within a few minutes.

The resort lobby was huge and designed with a combination of wood and marble. As both sides of the lobby were open without doors, the airflow was creating the cool air to breeze inside.

My suite 6220 was located on Wing 6 which was the last building of the resort, towards the jungle area. Due to Bali’s rule that no building must be taller than a tall coconut tree which is around 15m(50ft), there are six different wings that stretch downhill from the lobby area.

When walking by foot, our suite was really far and required a few elevator rides to reach the edge of the wing. Thankfully, on the fifth floor, there is a complimentary buggy service for in-house guests. The service can be booked anytime by informing the staff member in the lobby.

Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa Larger Suite With Balcony

The 78 sqm (839 sqft) open-concept suite has a very large bed and bathroom area with a small living area in front of the entrance and a balcony overlooking the ocean.

The suite features two large wall-mounted flat-screen TVs: One in front of the bed and the other beside the countertop.

Particularly, I was very interested in the design of the bathroom which has a large open shower without any glass walls or doors.

In between the bed and the shower area, a large marble countertop with two bar stools and a sink is settled. The countertop features multiple drawers with under-counter refrigerators, coffee and tea bags and glassware. On the surface, there are electric kettle and a coffee machine ready to use.

Extra power outlets are located under the countertop table.

Around the countertop area, a wardrobe equipped with an in-room safe and amenities are located.

And by the toilet, another shelf with a huge ice bucket, a minibar and a fridge is placed. I find it a little funny to see the mini fridge placed in an awkward area of the room.

Larger Suite With Balcony Bathroom

The bathroom is located opposite the bed and balcony with a wall that is the only thing to divide them. And as I mentioned above, there is no separate door or entryway to the bathtub and shower. The toilet itself is located opposite the shower area which makes the layout of the suite interesting at first.

Double vanities, a large bathtub and a rainforest shower overlooking nature outside create an outdoor atmosphere. Keep in mind that guests from outside the room or by the pool can see through the large window at the shower so it is recommended to lower down the blind when you are taking a shower.

Shower amenities from the Mandarin Tea brand are offered. Additional amenities such as toothbrushes and a shaving kit are placed inside the box under the hand towels.

Larger Suite Balcony

Our suite’s balcony was facing the jungle and the pool below, offering an excellent view of nature combined with a peaceful feeling.

Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa Pools

There are two pools at the resort:

• Infinity Pool
• Jungle Pool

The main swimming pool also known as the infinity pool, is huge and offers a amazing view of the forest, the sea as well as the mountains. It is located on the fifth floor beside the resort’s restaurants. The main pool area also comes with a kid’s pool beside so this is a great area for families with children to spend time.

On the other hand, the jungle pool, which is located at the edge of Wing 6, is a smaller pool that has a quiet atmosphere overlooking the jungle and the sea.

This pool is great if you prefer a peaceful ambiance as it is secluded from the rest of the facilities. During our stay, the pool was rarely used and if used, by couples as it offers little more privacy. Pools are open from 7 AM to 7 PM.

Infinity Pool & Jungle Pool Bar

Each pool has its own pool bar with the Infinity pool bar located in between the two main restaurants and the Jungle pool bar beside the ‘Celebration Pavilion.’

Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort Spa & Fitness Center

Next stop – the gym and the spa. These two facilities are located on the third floor of Wing 3. Wing 3 is located in front of the main pool so you can access them by going two floors down. The property has so many wings so it tends to be a maze if you are visiting for the first time.😁

The Fitness Center

From cardiovascular equipment to treadmills, the fitness center offers a variety of gym equipment with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lush greeneries all the way to the coastline. The gym opens 24 hours a day and requires your room key to access it.

The Spa

The spa is also located opposite the fitness center and offers to offer eight treatment rooms and several relaxation areas, a full suite of soothing treatment menus – including couples’ massages, a sauna and a steam room. Keep in mind advance appointment reservation is recommended.

The spa opens from 9 AM through 10 PM in the evening.

The Tree House Kids Club

Another reason the resort is family-friendly is that there is a kids club called the Tree House, also located on the third floor of Wing 3. The multi-level area is designed with wooden floors and artificial grass offering different types of daily activities for children.

There are also a gaming room, movie room, activity area, mini tennis court and an indoor playground. The kid’s club staff will be present to take off the children for the whole duration of the activity while parents can enjoy other facilities.

R Bar

Renaissance Bali Uluwatu resort has a bar called ‘R Bar’ located in the lobby. Opening from 11 AM to 11 PM, the R Bar offers handcrafted cocktails, creative restaurant snacks and amazing views of the jungle and coastal setting.

From afternoon tea sessions to punchbowl rituals in the evening, the bar is a good place to socialize with friends, families and colleagues.

Double Ikat Restaurant

One of the resort’s two restaurants, the Double Ikat offers authentic Balinese cuisine as well as throughout Indonesia. This open-kitchen restaurant is decorated with a traditional wooden knitting loom with modern finishes creating a luxurious atmosphere.

We ordered various dishes from the menu including Bali’s must – the babi guling(roasted pig). Moreover, the chef also made a couple of dishes off the menu and we had a feast that evening. The restaurant is only open for dinner so if you feel lazy to head outside, I recommend you try it.

Breakfast At Clay Craft Restaurant

The next morning, we had our breakfast at the ‘Clay Craft Restaurant’ located opposite Double Ikat. The breakfast was served from 6:30 AM until 11 AM with local and international dishes. There were quite a lot of guests having breakfast but the flow of the service was excellent as well as the overall quality of the food.

The restaurant has huge buffet stands across multiple zones with different types of menus. We met the same chef whom we met at dinner and recognized us with a warm greeting. We end up having another heavy yet amazing breakfast before our flight.

One thing that catch my eye was its tableware was all made from the Pottery Studio inside the restaurant. It shows the uniqueness of the resort by creating its own plates and cups. The resort offers group or private pottery classes throughout the week as activities and you can take your creation too!

Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Business Center

At the resort, there is one business center/internet room located one floor down from the lobby, on the sixth floor.

More Resort Facilities

Aside from the main resort facilities, there are also a couple of areas to visit while you are staying:

• Owl Sanctuary
• Celebration Pavilion
• Hydroponic Garden
• Temple
• Rtifacts shop
• Roosterfish Beach Club

Due to our short stay, the only place we have not visited was the resort’s own beach club called “Roosterfish.” The club is located 15 minutes from the hotel by car at Pandawa Beach and the hotel runs a free shuttle every hour so you won’t need to spend money on taxis.

Opening daily from 8 AM to 10 PM, the beach club offers dining and beverages as well as bamboo cabanas and sun loungers for a great beach day out for everyone.

Summary

Renaissance brand is our least visited brand, I probably visited only three Renaissance hotels in my life. However, the Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort gave me totally different feeling from the ones in the city.

We managed to score an upgrade to one of the suites which featured a large bedroom/living area and bathroom facing towards the jungle and the sea. The food quality of both restaurants was excellent as well as the kindness of the hotel staff members.

If you are a Marriott Bonvoy member, it is worth a stay here and remember to stay longer so you will be able to rest and heal with nature. The facilities and daily activities at the hotel will let your time fly fast.

The only thing I have not visited was the resort’s own beach club since there is no beach connected to the hotel. I have already planned my next visit to try out another category of room and visit the Roosterfish Beach Club. I’ll be back with some more reviews after my next visit.