The Jetsetters Journal

Pick a month

When to go: 17 places, month by monthThe whole year at a glance

At their best in November

Europe

Asia

Indian Ocean and Africa

Middle East and the Americas

Every hotel we shortlist170 hotels, one listFilter by place, by what each hotel is best for, and by the judges behind it.Browse all hotels

How the Shortlists work · How we choose

Journeys

When to go: 17 places, month by monthThe Shortlists

The dining car of the Orient Express

Rail · 5 trains

Luxury train journeys

Five great trains, from the Orient Express to the Andes.

Read the guide
The Colosseum lit up at night

Cities · 1 perfect day

One day in Rome

Sunrise to midnight: the walk, the tasting menus and a view of St Peter's.

Read the guide
Overwater villas on a Maldives lagoon

Islands · 12 months

The Maldives, month by month

When the sea is glass, when the mantas come, and when the price halves.

Read the guide
Wildebeest crossing the Mara River

Wild · Jul to Oct

The Great Migration

Where two million animals will be, and where you should be waiting.

Read the guide
The Grand Canal in Venice at the end of the line

Rail · London to Venice

The Orient Express

When it runs, what each cabin costs, and the best month to board.

Read the guide
An aircraft wing against a dusk sky

Flights · Door to door

Emirates business class

From the car at your door in London to the lights of Dubai, in ten moments.

Read the guide

Links marked * are affiliate links: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Hotels cannot pay to be on this list. How the shortlist works

Rice terraces near Ubud: the best hotels in Bali, shortlisted for 2026

The Shortlist

Best hotels in Bali 2026

Where to stay, area by area. Every pick says who it suits, who should skip it, and what our verdict rests on.

  • Research-based
  • Checked 16 October 2026
  • No paid places
  • 23 hotels, 8 areas
THE JETSETTERS JOURNAL · SHORTLIST 2026 ·BaliSHORTLISTED

Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0

The short answer

The best hotels in Bali, in one paragraph

The best hotels in Bali sit in two kinds of place: the jungle valleys around Ubud, and the clifftops and calm bays of the south. Our 2026 shortlist has 23 hotels. The three most decorated, each recognised by several independent judges, are Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Capella Ubud and Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. For a first trip, split your stay: jungle first, then the sea.

Shortlisted means chosen on research: a Michelin Key or Forbes Travel Guide rating, or praise from two independent publications, each linked below. We have not stayed at these hotels yet. Read how we choose.

Jungle, rivers, spas

The best hotels in Ubud

Bali's cultural heartland, where the best hotels sit on the jungle ridges of the Ayung river valley rather than in the busy town itself. Expect rice terraces, spa culture and river-gorge views over beaches.

Stay here if
Couples and honeymooners, wellness seekers and culture-focused first-timers; less suited to anyone who wants a beach on the doorstep.
From the airport
About 1 hour by road from Ngurah Rai (DPS) airport; around 90 minutes for afternoon arrivals after 4pm.

Shortlisted 2026

Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Village-style suites and pool villas on the banks of the Ayung river.

60 keys: 35 suites and 25 pool villas, with butler service. Private pools: yes, in the 25 pool villas only (suites have none).

  • Honeymoons
  • Wellness
  • Food
Skip it ifAbout 55 to 70 minutes from the airport by car, and suites have no private pools.
Evidence
Check rates

Shortlisted 2026

Capella Ubud

Bill Bensley-designed luxury tented camp in a jungle ravine.

23 themed canvas tents. Private pools: yes, each tent has a private saltwater plunge pool.

  • Honeymoons
Skip it ifTents are staggered down a steep hillside, so you need to be reasonably fit; the bathroom is screened only by a curtain.
Evidence
Check ratesHotel website

Shortlisted 2026

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

Villas on 18 acres of hillside sloping down to the Ayung river.

60 keys: 18 suites in the main building and 42 villas. Private pools: yes, every villa has a plunge pool (suites do not).

  • Families
  • Wellness
  • Honeymoons
Skip it ifVillas are spread over a steep hillside, and some need a buggy ride to reach the main areas.
Evidence
Check ratesHotel website

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Cliffs and sunsets

The best hotels in Uluwatu and the Bukit

The limestone Bukit peninsula at Bali's southern tip, lined with clifftop resorts above famous surf breaks and small coves. It is the island's most dramatic setting for ocean-view villas and sunset drinks.

Stay here if
Honeymooners and villa-seekers who want sea views and privacy, plus surfers; less suited to anyone who wants to walk to bars and shops.
From the airport
About 45 minutes by road from the airport (individual resorts quote 25 to 40 minutes).

Shortlisted 2026

The Ungasan Clifftop Resort

Seven multi-bedroom clifftop villas above Sundays Beach Club.

Seven 3- to 5-bedroom villa compounds, some with one-bedroom suites. Private pools: yes, every villa has a private infinity or lap pool (suites share their compound's pool).

  • Families
Skip it ifRemote, about 30 minutes' drive from the Uluwatu hub; the multi-bedroom villas suit groups better than couples.
Evidence
Check ratesHotel website

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Surf and rice fields

The best hotels in Canggu

A former rice-field surf village on the west coast, now Bali's busiest café, co-working and beach-club strip, with the calmer Pererenan just beyond. The best stays sit just off the main roads or right on the sand.

Stay here if
Surfers, younger couples and design-minded travellers who want restaurants and nightlife nearby; less suited to anyone after seclusion.
From the airport
About 50 minutes by road from the airport, often longer in traffic.

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Beach clubs and dining

The best hotels in Seminyak

Bali's established chic beach strip, with boutiques, restaurants and beach clubs running behind a long west-coast sunset beach. Beachfront resorts offer gardens and calm behind the busy streets.

Stay here if
Couples and friends who want dining, shopping and nightlife within walking distance, and first-timers on shorter trips.
From the airport
About 20 to 40 minutes by road from the airport.

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Rice terraces, Mount Agung

The best hotels in Sidemen and east Bali

Rural east Bali, with the Sidemen valley's rice terraces under Mount Agung and the quieter coast at Manggis on the Lombok Strait. It is slower, greener and far less developed than the south.

Stay here if
Return visitors, honeymooners and walkers who want countryside, views and quiet; less suited to short trips or anyone who wants nightlife.
From the airport
About 1.5 hours by road from the airport. Outside drivers and ride-hailing apps are restricted in Sidemen, so plan return transport locally.

Shortlisted 2026

Amankila

Stilted suites and a three-tier infinity pool above the Lombok Strait.

Pavilions, pool suites and villas linked by treetop walkways. Private pools: some: villas and pool suites have private or plunge pools.

  • Honeymoons
  • Wellness
Skip it ifAbout 1.5 hours from the airport, and the beach club's private beach is black sand.
Evidence
Check ratesHotel website

Shortlisted 2026

Samanvaya Luxury Resort & Spa (Adults Only)

Adults-only eco-villas on the Sidemen rice terraces.

17 suites and traditional lumbung-style villas built by local craftsmen. Private pools: yes, per Broadsheet each unit has a private pool and hot tub.

  • Honeymoons
  • Wellness
Skip it ifAdults only (14 and over per Broadsheet), about 1.5 hours from the airport.
Evidence
Check rates

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Islands, by boat

The best hotels in Nusa Penida and Lembongan

Three small islands off Bali's south-east coast, known for diving, snorkelling, surf and dramatic cliffs, with Lembongan the most developed for visitors. Hotels are mostly small and boutique rather than full-scale luxury.

Stay here if
Divers, snorkellers, surfers and adventurous couples; less suited to anyone wanting top-tier luxury or easy logistics with small children.
From the airport
About 15 to 20 minutes by road to Sanur or Benoa, then roughly 30 to 45 minutes by fast boat; crossings can be rough from November to March.

No hotel here has passed our tests on research alone yet. We are visiting the Nusa islands on our first Bali trip in January 2027, and the picks will follow.

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Calm beaches, big resorts

The best hotels in Jimbaran and Nusa Dua

Jimbaran is a sheltered fishing-village bay known for sunset seafood, while Nusa Dua is a gated, manicured resort enclave of calm swimming beaches. Together they hold Bali's densest cluster of big-name luxury resorts, close to the airport.

Stay here if
Families, first-timers and anyone wanting a short transfer, calm sea and full-service resorts; less suited to those after local village life.
From the airport
About 10 minutes to Jimbaran and about 25 minutes to Nusa Dua by road.

Shortlisted 2026

Raffles Bali

32 pool villas on a grassy slope down to the sea.

32 villas, up to four bedrooms, plus a hilltop villa. Private pools: yes, every villa has a private pool.

  • Honeymoons
Skip it ifA sloping site with height changes between villas and the beach.
Evidence
Check rates

Shortlisted 2026

Jimbaran Puri, A Belmond Hotel

Low-rise thatched cottages and pool villas on Jimbaran's calm beach.

64 cottages and pool villas. Private pools: some: only the pool villas have private pools.

  • Families
  • Food
  • Value luxury
Skip it ifPlanes are visible on the approach to the nearby airport, and some cottages have no sea view.
Evidence
Check rates

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Old Bali, gentle sea

The best hotels in Sanur

An old-school east-coast beach town with a long beachfront path, a reef-sheltered shoreline and a slower, family-friendly pace than Kuta or Seminyak. It is also the jumping-off point for boats to the Nusa islands.

Stay here if
Families, older travellers and anyone wanting a calm base close to the airport, or a night before an island crossing.
From the airport
About 15 to 20 minutes by road from the airport (a review of the Andaz quotes 30 to 45 minutes by taxi).

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

THE JETSETTERS JOURNAL · STAYED AND VERIFIED ·BALI 2027

Coming in January 2027

Stayed and verified

None of the hotels above carries our second stamp yet. Our first Bali stays are planned for January 2027. Hotels we stay at earn the Stayed and verified stamp, with what we found written down and any hosted stay disclosed. Run a hotel or villa on this list? See how verification works.

How the Bali shortlist works

  • Published criteriaSetting, service, value for the rate and who it suits: the same five tests for every hotel.
  • Evidence, statedA Michelin Key, a Forbes Travel Guide rating, or two independent publications. Each pick links to its sources.
  • No paid placesNo hotel can buy its way on. A hosted stay is disclosed on the page, every time.
  • RecheckedFacts carry the date we checked them, and the shortlist is revisited every year.

Who should skip Bali altogether

If you want empty beaches and a short flight, this is the wrong island: the journey from the UK runs to around 16 hours with a stop, and the famous spots are busy. For a quieter week of sea and sand, seethe best time to visit the Maldives instead.

Questions people ask

Bali hotels, answered

What are the best hotels in Bali in 2026?

Our 2026 shortlist has 23 hotels across Bali's main areas. The most decorated are Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Capella Ubud, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, each recognised by several independent judges including the Michelin Guide's 2026 Keys.

Which area of Bali is best for a first visit?

Split your stay. Spend a few nights in Ubud for jungle, rice terraces and spas, then move to the coast: Uluwatu for cliffs and sunsets, or Jimbaran and Nusa Dua for calm swimming beaches.

Which Bali hotels are best for a honeymoon?

Mandapa and Capella Ubud for jungle seclusion, Bvlgari and Alila Villas Uluwatu for clifftop villas, and the Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay for a pool villa near the sea.

Where should families stay in Bali?

Jimbaran, Nusa Dua and Sanur, where the sea is calmer and the resorts are larger, with space and pools for children. The Andaz in Sanur and the Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay both suit families.

How long is the transfer from Bali airport?

From Ngurah Rai airport: about 10 to 25 minutes to Jimbaran and Nusa Dua, 20 to 40 minutes to Seminyak, around 45 minutes to Uluwatu, about an hour to Ubud, and about an hour and a half to Sidemen and the east.

Have you stayed at these hotels?

Not yet. Every hotel on the 2026 list is Shortlisted on research. Our first stays are planned for January 2027, and hotels we stay at will carry the Stayed and verified stamp, with any hosted stay disclosed.

Keep exploring