Nestled in the forest, Alila Ubud is a nice change from the beach front properties. Built in 1999, and incorporated under the Hyatt umbrella in 2019, without any recent renovations the property is showing its age. The best thing going for it is its location. Cicadas and frogs provide surround sound throughout the day and night, with the troupe of wild monkeys interjecting from time to time.
The property is located a short distance off the main road, with the side road cutting through rice terraces and banana fields.Driveway outside the reception areaReception View from the reception areaThe Plantation Restaurant overlooking the poolCabana lounge below the Plantation Restaurant is a good place to grab a bite while lounging poolside The star of the hotel is the infinity pool overlooking the forest edge. With only 56 rooms and 18 villas on site, the pool is never crowded nor noisy like others.On the other hand, the small, dark gym is the step child. Adequately equipped, but too warm for any respectable distance running.
We were upgraded from a standard room to a deluxe room for the first 3 nights of our stay, and then to a Terrace Tree Villa for the remaining two.
View of the front patioNot a true king bedOutdoor shower and bath
The hotel website lists the standard room size as 323 sqft vs. 700 sqft for the deluxe room, which is misleading because the size of the deluxe room includes the outdoor front and back patios. The interior space of the deluxe room is essentially the same as that of the standard room.
The small size of the 56 rooms was made up for by the expansive forest view..
There are 5 types of villas – Valley, One bedroom Pool, Terrace Tree, Forest Edge, and the Two bedroom Pool. The Valley and one bedroom villas are the standard villas and are reportedly more dated, while the rest are the more modern premium villas.
The 5 Terrace Tree villas are located near the guard house, away from the main compound.Entrance to villa 509Front patioThe large entry doorFoyerThe 962 sqft quoted on the website seems to be accurate this time.Large spacious bathroom .Outdoor shower and bathBalcony overlooking the jungleView of the other Terrace Tree Villa on the lower leftOur villa lost power and AC on our last night, and we were subsequently moved to a different villa (507) with a view of a small Hindu temple from the balcony.The 4 Forest Edge Villas are bigger with more open views of the forest.
Alila runs a free shuttle between the hotel and Ubud Center, which takes about 25 minutes each way. The service runs every 2 hours starting at 10:30AM up until the last bus leaving Ubud Center at 5PM. We took advantage of this service to go into town for some tasty food.
Char grilled octopusMiso glazed grouper Snapper fish skewers Grilled lamb merguez skewersHoney & SmokeBeef rengdangBebek goreng Black rice dessert Caramel ice cream Hujan LocaleStartersKerang rebus medam Babi gorengGulai bebek Sambal gamiRice cooked in coconut milk My favorite – Nusan Tara by Locavore
Despite the hotel not being in its best condition, we actually liked Alila Ubud a lot. Perhaps it has to do with the overall tranquil nature setting, or it could have something to do with the wild monkeys…
FIRE'd @ 47 