My partner and I stayed at the Samaya Seminyak from 28 Nov to 2 Dec. Ours was a 1-bedroom pool villa. The villa is spacious and the bathroom really wide and more than adequate for two people. The bed is huge and comfy; the furnishings simple yet practical. The pool depth spans from 1m - 1.4m and is surrounded by frangipani flowers. We stayed in villa 112 which is a short distance from the beach. The property is rather self sufficient, being equipped with swimming pool, restaurant (Breeze) and spa. Let me break down the experiences noted as each day passed.

Upon arrival, the immigration took almost an hour and was rather chaotic. My partner and I need not queue for the visa-on-arrival which would take 2 hrs. The driver from the resort waited for us for 1hr15mins with no complaints and no sign of lethargy. We were greeted with warm smiles, cold drinks and towels (which were absolutely essential for the hot weather and the long walk to the car park). I do believe our driver was called Cowan (Kovan)??? A really nice guy who deserves a raise (ahem ahem, Mr. Ray Clark, I do hope you read this).

Upon reaching the premises, we were greeted with frangipani flowers and a whole lot of staff members. Their presence made us feel so welcomed on the property. It's as if everyone stopped doing their work and came out all the way to meet us.

Our butler Adi, showed us to the room. We were presented with honeymoon set-up (flowers arranged in the shape of a heart at the front patio and in the bathtub; calalilies by the side of the bed and sparkling wine in the mini-bar). We took a dive in the pool right after and the water was warm, much to our surprise. That was when we both had some issues with the water. As frangipani sap is an irritant and the flowers fall right into the pool with the sap along, the water has remnants of the sap in it. Both of us started having allergies after that dip and my goggles were smeared with the oil from the sap which couldn't be washed off. We went for afternoon tea at Breeze after the dive (3-5pm and it's free everyday).

Breakfast the next morning was absolutely sinful. You can order so many varieties and they come served pipping hot and fresh in 20mins. The breakfast was so filling we usually last straight to tea. The food variety was ample and the quality really wonderful. After that, we made use of the deck chairs along the beach to enjoy unobstructed views of the sea. The Samaya is very near to Ku De Ta which is very much well-loved by us.

Everyone at the resort was kind, courteous and smiling. They make us feel very welcomed and joyous and are truly delighted to serve. Even the front desk was able to recognise us and address us by name even though we have never met him before.

I do have a few words to say about the resort which I feel could be improved upon. As a picky and fussy traveller, there are some aspects that I feel could be worked on.

1- Lack full-length mirror in bathroom; although there's a huge mirror behind the tub but it's far away

2- Lack of lighting at dressing table so it can make putting on makeup a little too difficult

3- Lack rubbish bins

4- Lack variety for lunch and dinner at Breeze

Other than these, I find the Samaya really living up to expectations. It's definitely a choice resort for my next trip to Bali.

Also, special thanks to Yuli and Emi from the Spa. Sastra from Breeze who served us our dinner on 1 Dec deserves special mention for the excellent services rendered.

We celebrated our 30th anniversary in the new beachfront villas. From the moment we arrived till we were returned to the airport 6 days later we felt like part of a very special "family".
That's right "family". Our every need was anticipated by our wonderful team of butlers. They thought of absolutely everything. Dinners were booked for us at various restaurants, transport always ready when we were, Ice delivered each day (with sliced lime) at the time we had agreed upon.Our villa was spotless every time we returned.A team tended to the villa,minibar, pool & garden simultaneously. We never felt intruded upon yet knew that there was someone at the end of the phone 24/7.Returning from breakfast on our anniversary we were greeted with flowers (on the floor, attached to the four poster bed and a lovely bouquet on the bed) a special cake & an ice bucket & chilled glasses for our champagne. Walking into the bathroom we were immediately aware of the beautiful scent of frangipanis. The double spa had been filled ready for our return and was full of fresh frangipanis & rose petals - truly beautiful. The chef had come to see us at breakfast to inquire as to the cuisine we enjoy. With that information he prepared a delicious degustation meal for our romantic dinner by the ocean.Everyone in the resort is always smiling and friendly - even when there is a sudden downpour & guests need to be shifted to the undercover restaurant.Many staff greeted us by name around the resort.
Attention to detail in the spa is wonderful. Not to mention the view as you walk into the treatment room.Our therapists were very skilled & caring,even to the point of noticing my quite badly burnt legs & applying a soothing aloe gel before I left.The villa itself was perfect as you would expect.It even had the latest electronic gear & an icy box that my husband appreciated.
Ray the General Manager is seen everyday around the resort speaking to guests & ensuring they are happy. He even came to say farewell as we left. The Samaya experience is very special on many levels. It has that "little something extra" seldom found in big resorts.
Thanks to Ray & his amazing team for our wonderful experience. We will be back - soon I hope.

We are so glad we chose to stay at Samaya Bali. We were both in need of some together time and some serious R&R and our luxurious villa with a private pool did the trick. The butler was very helpful and we got fantastic service from the restaurant staff and also the ones that kept the water & cold flannels coming when we made use of the comfy sun beds by the public pool. We hired a bike for the week and went into Seminyak for dinner a couple of times. You must try Gado Gado restaurant on the beach while in Bali. We went there twice during our 10 day holiday. You also must book a romantic dinner at Samaya. You get your own table under a small white marquee on the island in the pool. Unfortunately it rained the night we had booked it and we had to have ours in the restaurant. But the 5 course degestation menu was divine and champagne & red roses as well. A great way to spend our last night. Even tho its the start of the rainy season we only had rain at night or late afternoon for about 4 of the 10 days. The weather was nice for sunbathing with the ocean breeze by the pool but be careful - hubby used the tanning oil instead of the sunscreen & fell asleep and got quite burnt. Make sure to use your sunscreen or it could put a damper on your holiday. We are keen to come back next year for my 50th and bring a few friends and family.

We stayed at The Samaya for 3 nights and could not have asked for anything better. We have travelled to several beach style resorts in various countries and the service here is fantastic. The villas are beautiful and completely private with everything you could ask for in the way of comfort and style. The staff are extremely helpful and will go out of their way to arrange anything you would like. The food was lovely and we chose to eat in our room for most meals which they bring promptly and set up by the pool. We also had drinks at sunset by the beach and had dinner at Breeze which again was really nice, with excellent service. The prices are similar to eating out in Australia and well worth every dollar. The spa is also great with excellent service and a great view while you enjoy your treatment. The inclusions such as breakfast, afternoon tea and transfers were great and made the trip run extra well, we also used the free shuttle and were really grateful for being able to check out at 7.30pm (we had a late flight) without any extra charge. Will definitely be recommending this place to others and hope to return soon!