“The Best Hotel in the WORLD” is a title not easily achieved, but Bali’s very own Capella Ubud won this esteemed title in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards in 2020….and in 2022 they are in the running for this award once again!
“The Best Hotel in the WORLD” is a title not easily achieved, but Bali’s very own Capella Ubud won this esteemed title in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards in 2020….and in 2022 they are in the running for this award once again!
It’s not every day you get to stay in the World’s Best Hotel, so we thought we’d share our recent experience with you of our family stay at Capella Ubud.
Capella Ubud is certainly not your average hotel or resort stay; the resort is built in an extreme luxury glamping style. If you are familiar with the word of Bill Bensley (Architect & Designer), you’lll know this property is going to be a work of art, that embraces nature on every level. The glamping theme is carried right throughout the resort, from luxury duffle bags with “camp essentials” issued to each guest on arrival, to the glamourous Officer’s Tent where guests can indulge in trying their hand at making their own cocktails from the refreshments trunk and play some billiards and games or read from the electively stocked library.
We had a family stay at Capella Ubud so we took the two bedroom “tent” called The Lodge. In all there are 23 guest “tents” on the property, each with its very own theme. The property is decked out with amazing artworks and artefacts from the owner’s own personal collections. It’s hard to describe the details, as everywhere you look there is something new to discover! There is toy maker’s tent, baker’s tent, tents overlooking the valley and the river…they are all totally unique!
Now of course even though we are talking a “camping” theme, you don’t get the title of Best Hotel in the World without providing an extremely luxury experience. Don’t let the words tents and glamping fool you into thinking that Capella Ubud is anything less than a complete five-star experience. Each of the “tents” feature a private pool with Ubud and jungle view and a huge refreshment trunk with lots of complimentary items (and a fully stocked spirits & wine selection). The trunk also comes stocked with cocktails recipes, mixers, and bar tools to make your own drinks. Our “tent” The Lodge had two stunning bathtubs, a round wooden Japanese style tub in one room and a gorgeous large copper tub in the other. The “tents” are built around the existing trees that make their way up through the living areas and bedrooms, and your space really is at one with nature. During construction of this gorgeous resort, not one tree was cut down. All trees on the land were designed to become part of the property!
Capella Ubud offers a large number of in-house activities to keep you busy (if you wish to be) from yoga to trekking. We took a session with the in-house Guru for a traditional Balinese healing session (Eat, Pray, Love style!), and even though there is a gorgeous spa onsite, we opted to have our massages on the deck of our tent, with the gorgeous Ubud jungle as our background music…. bliss! While we had our massages, the children took part in a traditional Kelilki painting class, to learn some of the techniques from these talented local artists.
As a family we all took part in a Balinese Purification Ritual down in the temple below our “tent” in the WOS River. There are lots of other activities on offer too at Capella Ubud and also a decked out Gym (in tent style of course), but make sure you leave some time for enjoying your tent and The Cistern, the lovely 30m rainforest, heated main pool area of the resort when you visit too. We love that the pools this pool is slightly heated. Even though Bali’s climate is quite warm, the pools in Ubud can often be too cold to jump right into, with a little bit of heating they are the perfect temperature for a swim at any time of day!
There are two restaurants in Capella Ubud, both of which are open to the public, along with in-house guests. Mads Lange has a beautiful view down to the main pool area. Serving both International and Indonesian cuisine, the stunning tented dining room has all the ambiance for a memorable meal. Downstairs you’ll find Api Jiwa, this restaurant serves bold flavours that are inspired by Asian omakase. Our favourite spot is to sit around the Chef’s counter to see the dishes come to life! Api Jiwa is an epic dining experience, which is why it also makes our list of Bali’s Not to be Missed Dining Destinations.
Now it wouldn’t be a true camp theme without a campfire, right? Well Capella Ubud certainly didn’t miss this essential camping detail. At night guests can sit around the campfire where they are served hot chocolate while a black and white Balinese movie plays on the big screen. Of course, there is also a marshmallow station to grab a sword and fill with marshmallows to roast over the fire too!
A luxury stay like this won’t be in everyone’s budget, but we hope you’ve enjoyed a little peek into our stay at Capella Ubud. Bali always continues to amaze us, we really do have some of the most amazing properties right here on the Island.
We would love to see Capella Ubud named Best Hotel in the World once again in 2022! It certainly deserves it and Bali definitely deserves the attention as we start to welcome tourists back again. We hope you can join us in helping them achieve this, by casting your vote here!!
Explore more of Capella Ubud on their website
See Capella Ubud Instagram here
More of Capella for you to enjoy….
This property is even more beautiful in person than any pictures can capture…
