The Apurva Kempinski Bali: Our Honest Hotel Review

Opened in 2019, The Apurva Kempinski is one of Bali's newest high-end hotels, and has really set the standard for modern Balinese luxury.

We recently stayed at the Kempinski in Nusa Dua for a few days, and it was truly one of the most impressive hotels we've ever been to, with its striking architecture, modern ocean-view suites, and incredible food scene, while still incorporating a deep sense of Indonesian culture.

Based on our experience, this is our full and honest review of the Kempinski Bali, covering everything from the room and amenities to the pools, restaurants, spa, and beach club.

The Architecture

One of the things that impressed us most about the Apurva Kempinski is its distinctive architectural style, which is unlike anything we've ever seen before. Quite fittingly, "Apurva" is a Sanskrit word meaning "unique" or "one of a kind," which it certainly is.

The huge hotel is built into the cliffside in Nusa Dua and cascades down in layers towards the beach and ocean. The unusual layout, designed by an Indonesian architect, is inspired by the Balinese “subak” irrigation system, featuring terraces, pools, gardens, and water features that flow from top to bottom.

The buildings themselves are inspired by various Indonesian architectural styles, such as the hotel's grand lobby inside a "pendopo," a Javanese pavilion-style building, with hand-carved “gebyok” partitions (giant teak frames).

There are also many beautiful woodcarvings and woven materials across the resort, all handcrafted in Indonesia, that give the hotel a sense of cultural heritage and refined luxury. Indonesian-owned, the hotel does a great job incorporating Indonesian culture (beyond just Bali).

The Resort

The Kempinski is one of the largest luxury hotels in Bali, spread across a whopping 35 acres (14 hectares) in Nusa Dua, with numerous buildings, villas, and facilities arranged across multiple levels. It felt more like a small town than a resort, with shuttles to take you between the different areas (though we mostly walked).

Upon arriving, we were given a list of the hotel's many guest amenities, which included three huge pools, a beach club, private beach access, eight restaurants, a luxury spa, a gym and wellness centre, kids club, wedding chapel, and more.

With only three days at the hotel, we knew it was going to be a challenge to see and do everything, but we certainly gave it a good try!

The Pools

The main pool is definitely one of the Kempinski's standout features. At 60 metres, it's one of the largest hotel pools we've ever been to, with lots of small inlets around the outside, each with a handful of sun loungers and submerged beds, giving them a slightly more private feel.

The entire pool was surrounded by towering palm trees, with a large lawn leading to the beach on one side. There were free infused water stations around the pool, a great addition that kept us hydrated while lounging in the sun for hours. You could also order other drinks from the several pool bars.

The sun beds at the main pool definitely seemed most popular and filled up quickest during our stay - though we did always manage to find a couple. If they are full, you can find beds at the family pool, beach club, or beach instead. There were always enough for everyone.

Behind the main pool was a slightly smaller family pool, which had shallower areas for little ones and, most importantly, several various-sized waterslides!

Despite being mostly for kids (there's also a large playground and kids' club), we saw plenty of adults going on the bigger slides too. So, of course, we had to try them for ourselves.

The slides were faster than we expected, hurtling us down into the pool with a splash, and the lovely pool staff made the experience even more fun - they even took a few videos for us. What's a holiday if you don't get to let your inner child out!?

The Beach & Beach Club

The Kempinski leads down to a stunning stretch of white sand beach. While the beach isn't strictly private, the coastline here is only large luxury hotels, so it's very quiet. We didn't see anyone on the beach other than hotel guests.

The semi-sheltered bay outside the hotel has calm, shallow water, so you can take a refreshing dip in the ocean or head out in a kayak or stand-up paddleboard - which we didn't have time to do but looked like a lot of fun!

The resort also has its very own on-site beach club, Reef Beach Club, which has a large dining area, another infinity pool, and loads more loungers, day beds, and bean bags right on the soft sand.

The beach club was always much quieter than the other pools, with a more mellow and laid-back atmosphere during the day. We really liked the fact that visiting the beach club felt like its own separate experience, but without actually needing to leave the resort grounds.

The Spa

The on-site Apurva Spa was another highlight of staying at the Kempinski Bali. The hotel's luxurious spa sits on one of the upper floors, featuring beautiful treatment rooms with sweeping views of the coastline. Some even have private bathtubs for a soak after your treatment.

We booked the spa's "Awakening the Chakra Spirit" ritual, a unique experience that included a 60-minute sound meditation, a 60-minute Balinese massage, and a 60-minute water purification ceremony, designed to clear blocked energy.

The massage was one of the best we've had in Bali. But the real highlight of the experience was going down to nearby Gerger Beach, where we were met by a Balinese Priest who guided us through a private Melukat purification ritual, using water and coconut water for cleansing.

Compared to other Melukat rituals we’ve experienced in Bali, we loved how personal and intimate this ceremony felt. It's another example of how Kempinski values authentic cultural experiences.

The Room

The Kempinski has an impressive 475 rooms across multiple buildings, ranging from the most affordable (but still not cheap) Deluxe Rooms to ultra-luxurious Oceanfront Prestige Suites.

We were lucky enough to stay in a "Cliff Private Pool Ocean Junior Suite," which is one of the larger rooms on the upper levels of the Kempinski's main building.

The suite didn't have as much character or Indonesian design influence as the rest of the hotel, which would have been nice to see. But it was still spacious, modern, and very chic, so it's hard to complain.

Our suite had a huge, cosy bed (seriously, so comfy!), a large desk, and an elegant lounge area backed by floor-to-ceiling windows with views across the entire resort and out to the ocean.

There were lots of modern amenities, including a pod coffee machine with Indonesian coffee and a well-stocked mini-bar, which was free for the first use.

The room comfort menu had plenty more you could order to your room, including specialty pillows and blankets, hair straighteners and curling irons, yoga mats and weights, card games, and even gaming consoles. Kieren ordered a PlayStation to our room one evening for a game of FIFA in bed!

The open-plan bathroom was also huge, with a beautiful marble bathtub, rain shower with spa jets, and a high-tech Japanese toilet. The toilet alone kept us plenty entertained, with features including automatic opening and closing, a heated seat, and plenty of jet washing options.

But the best part of the room was definitely our spacious terrace, which had a large glass-edged infinity pool overlooking the rest of the resort. It was the perfect spot for a morning coffee or sunset Bintang.

The one downside of the suite terrace pools is that they are slightly overlooked by the corridors on the upper levels of the hotel (albeit from a distance), so they're not completely private. We'd definitely advise against any skinny dipping or funny business.

The Cliff Lounge

Suite guests at the Kempinski also get access to the exclusive Cliff Lounge on an upper floor close to the rooms. The stylish lounge had a large dining area where we could enjoy a private breakfast spread, complimentary afternoon tea (so many options, definitely go!), and evening cocktails.

The lounge also had a bar with free-flow coffee, tea, juice, and soft drinks all day, as well as a private infinity pool and hydro-jet pool.

The Food & Drinks

The Kempinski Bali is home to some of the most incredible restaurants on the entire island. There are eight restaurants within the complex, serving everything from deli sandwiches and pizzas to fresh seafood and world-class hotpot. Below are some of our favourites.

Koral

The first we have to mention is Koral, Bali's first and only aquarium restaurant. Right in the centre of the resort, it offers an amazing underwater dining experience surrounded by tropical marine life.

There's a gourmet seafood menu, crafted by Michelin-starred Chef Jean-Baptiste Natali. Neither of us really eats seafood, so we opted for the vegetarian menu, which was also delicious, with many bold flavours and immaculate presentation.

During our visit, we saw thousands of tropical fish, giant rays, and even a reef shark. At one point, a diver entered the tank to feed to fish and say hello to guests.

Bai Yun Restaurant

Our next favourite restaurant at the Kempinski is Bai Yun, a fine dining Chinese restaurant. We actually ended up eating here twice during our stay. Once for their world-class hotpot experience, and once for a tasty dim sum lunch.

The hot pot was as delicious and authentic as it comes, with some fantastic broths to choose from - we like the pork collagen the most. The soup base came with a selection of vegetables, noodles, meatballs, and, best of all, some incredible cuts of beef, including one engulfed in dry ice.

During our lunch, we were lucky enough to meet the restaurant's Executive Chef Ho Weng Kit, an award-winning Chinese-Malaysian chef who trained professionally in France. He enthralled us with stories from his culinary career, including the time he cooked for the president of China.

L'Atelier by Cyril Kongo

One of the most unique spots we visited within the Kempinski Bali had to be L'Atelier, a colourful lounge bar on the hotel's highest floor.

The lounge was designed in collaboration with renowned French-Vietnamese street artist Cyril Kongo and is covered in amazing graffiti, from huge canvases on the walls and paint splatters on the floor to the stunning grand piano right in the centre.

While the inside area is definitely the coolest part, the lounge also has a long outdoor terrace with amazing views. We enjoyed cocktails here around sunset, and it was really the dreamiest experience we could have asked for.

The lounge also has a small menu of Mediterranean Tapas. The croquettes were delicious and the perfect pre-dinner snack.

Pala Restaurant & Rooftop Bar

Sitting between the two pools in the central courtyard, Pala is another of the Kempinski Bali's most popular restaurants, focusing on Indonesian and Indian dishes. While we didn't eat in the restaurant itself, we did enjoy the complimentary happy hour at their beautiful rooftop bar.

The bar's huge wrap-around terrace has stunning views over the pool and beach on one side and back towards the imposing cliffside building on the other. Enjoying a glass of bubbles while watching the lights and fire pits switch on across the resort was truly an unforgettable experience.

The Location

The Apurva Kempinski sits just south of Nusa Dua on Bali's Bukit Peninsula, roughly a 30-minute drive from the international airport.

The neighbourhood is known as Sawangan and is one of the most popular areas to stay in Nusa Dua. It's home to several huge, high-end resorts, with the Hilton and Ritz-Carlton flanking either side of the Kempinski.

There's not much going on in this area other than gated resorts. We stayed at the Kempinski Bali for only a few days and found more than enough to do within the hotel to keep us busy.

However, if you're staying longer and do want to go out (which we'd highly recommend!), the upmarket area of Nusa Dua is just a 10-minute drive away, where you can find busier beaches, restaurants, bars, and shops. It's easy to call taxis, while the hotel runs a free shuttle several times a day.

You can also take day trips to nearby destinations, such as Uluwatu in around 30-40 minutes, Sanur in roughly 45-50 minutes, and Ubud in 1.5-2 hours, depending on traffic.

The Staff

As you'd expect from a luxury 5-star hotel, the staff at the Kempinski were all absolutely incredible. Everyone we met and interacted with was extremely friendly, polite, and highly professional.

The staff went out of their way to make sure our stay was perfect, from being greeted at the main entrance and escorted to check-in to the beautiful chocolate sculpture and cakes left in our room.

The only thing we'd say is that, being such a big resort and with so many staff, we didn't tend to see the same people over again or get to know any members of staff properly, like you might in a smaller boutique hotel.

The Photos

We took FAR too many photos during our amazing stay at the Kempinski Bali, so just in case you are interested, here are a few more...