10 Best Hotels
Ubud brings Bali’s artistic traditions into everyday view, from carved temple gateways to galleries and evening dance. Beyond the busy centre, rice fields and steep river valleys make room for quiet walks and secluded hotels. Spend mornings exploring museums or nearby temples, then settle into a long lunch or an ambitious tasting menu. Choose your base carefully: staying in town makes walking easier, while the surrounding villages offer space and greener views.
Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Kedewatan, Indonesia
Rice paddies, a village temple and the Ayung River shape the setting at Mandapa. Suites offer generous space, while the private pool villas give couples and families a more secluded base. A dedicated Patih takes care of arrangements, from restorative spa time to local excursions. Dining ranges from Indonesian cooking at Sawah Terrace to the more concentrated tasting-menu experience at Kubu. Stay here when the resort itself will be a substantial part of the trip.
A complete riverside retreat
Capella Ubud
Keliki, Indonesia
Bill Bensley’s richly decorated tents sit among the trees above the Keliki Valley. Each has its own pool, with copper bathtubs, indoor and outdoor showers, and decks that make the forest part of the room. This is an intimate, deliberately theatrical retreat, with cultural experiences and dining woven into the stay. The terraced grounds include steps, so discuss access needs before choosing a tent. Keliki is north of central Ubud and requires road transfers.
Immersive tented design
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
Sayan, Indonesia
A suspension bridge carries arriving guests towards a rooftop lotus pond, setting the tone for Four Seasons Sayan’s striking architecture. Below, suites and private villas spread through the green Ayung Valley. The resort balances a strong sense of place with the facilities of a substantial luxury hotel, including Indonesian dining, spa treatments and cultural activities. Choose a villa for greater privacy, or a suite for convenient access to the main building and its shared spaces.
Architecture beside the Ayung
Amandari
Kedewatan, Indonesia
Amandari’s stone paths and thatched pavilions borrow the scale and rhythm of a Balinese village. Suites open onto courtyards and outdoor bathing areas, with private pools in selected categories. The main pool follows the curve of the rice terraces below, while the Ayung Gorge provides the wider backdrop. This is a considered choice for travellers who prefer understated surroundings and unhurried days, with village walks, cultural excursions and spa time arranged around their interests.
Quiet Balinese architecture
COMO Shambhala Estate
Melinggih Kelod, Payangan, Indonesia
COMO Shambhala Estate occupies a forested hillside above the Ayung River, with residences and villas rather than a conventional hotel block. Wellness programmes combine consultations, movement, treatments and food, making it a purposeful choice for a longer restorative stay. Paths descend through the gardens towards the estate’s natural spring and water gardens. Discuss the programme and accommodation together when booking, as shared residences and standalone villas offer different degrees of privacy and suitability for families.
A dedicated wellness stay
Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape
Buahan Kaja, Payangan, Indonesia
Buahan’s sixteen open-sided villas dispense with conventional walls and doors, placing the forest, distant hills and changing weather at the centre of the stay. Private pools and generous decks make lingering easy, while the spa and intimate restaurant support the retreat’s slower rhythm. This adults-only property is well north of Ubud, so choose it for time in nature rather than frequent evenings in town. Its unusual open-air format is worth understanding fully before booking.
Open-air seclusion
Viceroy Bali
Petulu, Indonesia
Viceroy Bali looks across a steep green valley from the hills northeast of central Ubud. Its villas pair contemporary comforts with Balinese details, and each has a private pool. The property is especially appealing to couples who want to spend time at their villa without giving up accomplished dining: CasCades offers a relaxed option, while Apéritif is the formal evening choice. Akoya Spa adds another reason to leave some afternoons free of sightseeing.
Private pools and fine dining
COMO Uma Ubud
Lungsiakan, Indonesia
COMO Uma Ubud combines leafy courtyards and restrained interiors with a location that keeps central Ubud within practical reach. Rooms and suites have terraces or courtyard space, while selected villas add private pools. Yoga, guided walks and the COMO Shambhala wellness facilities give the day a gentle structure. Uma Cucina provides an Italian dining alternative to the region’s Indonesian kitchens. It suits travellers who want a calm hotel without treating every outing as a major excursion.
Wellness with access to town
Bisma Eight
Central Ubud, Indonesia
Bisma Eight brings warm wood, concrete and Japanese-inspired soaking tubs to a quiet street near Ubud’s centre. Its suites divide living and sleeping areas, with different outlooks across gardens and forest. The pool and Copper restaurant provide space to pause between town visits. Separate villas sit a short walk from the hotel, each with a private pool, so check which part of the property you are booking. The main hotel is particularly convenient for exploring on foot.
Contemporary design near town
Bambu Indah
Sayan, Indonesia
Bambu Indah brings together individual houses, nests and tents on a lush slope above the Ayung River. Bamboo structures and restored Indonesian houses make the accommodation part of the attraction, while spring-fed pools and gardens encourage time outdoors. Room designs vary substantially, including open-sided spaces, so compare the individual houses carefully. This is a choice for travellers drawn to unusual architecture and a close connection with nature, rather than the predictable layout of a conventional resort.
Inventive natural architecture