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The Best Hotels With a Pool to Book in Bali, Indonesia

With views over rainforests, youll never want to get out of the infinity pool at the Hanging Gardens of Bali
With views over rainforests, you'll never want to get out of the infinity pool at the Hanging Gardens of Bali | Courtesy of Hanging Gardens of Bali / Expedia

Lush forest where waterfalls drop into clear-water pools; valleys of water-filled rice fields that glimmer like mirrors in the sun; sacred springs; sea-sculpted natural lidos filled with tropical fish – and hotel swimming pools that pay homage to them all. Bali has some of the best hotel pools in the world – infinity pools perched over paddy fields, merging with the ocean horizon or set outside a luxury villa, positioned to shimmer in the setting sun. Want the best? Read on to take the plunge into the finest hotels with pools in Bali, Indonesia.

Hanging Gardens of Bali

Independent Hotel, Luxury

View of the infinity pool at Hanging Gardens of Bali over looking a rainforest
Courtesy of Hanging Gardens of Bali / Expedia

Regal villa rooms, a soothing spa and smiley service are all on the menu at the Hanging Gardens of Bali, the very definition of downtime. People come here for the lush views of misty rainforest-filled valley from the two-tiered main swimming pool; of the star-filled sky from the private plunge pools at the edge of the villa terraces; and of the glade of tropical trees from the massage pavilion, poised over a clear-water mountain stream. Everything here is tranquil, lush and green.

Alila Villas Uluwatu

Resort, Hotel

Pool at Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali with modern wooden seating structure and view over the sea
Courtesy of Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali / Expedia
Ocean-view infinity pools are ten-a-penny in Bali, but few have a location like this, on a cliff edge above an almost-empty beach. The luxe but low-key resort seems to meld with the landscape: the minimalist-modish light concrete and stone villas, with their own pools, are faced with walls of glass that invite the outside in, and the inside out; a poolside restaurant is positioned to catch the best of the sun and the endless ocean view, while a poolside bathers’ pavilion hangs right over the cliff edge.

The Mulia Bali

Resort, Hotel

Pool leading out to the beach with female statue water features and cream sun loungers at The Mulia Bali
Courtesy of the Mulia Bali / Expedia

There are more beautiful pools in Bali, but few hotels have as many as this beachside resort complex in the island’s far south. The biggest (which sits right on the beach) could accommodate a ship and is flanked by ranks of giant statues. They seem symbolic of the resort itself, which is a Hollywood theme park in scale and scope. There are myriad room types, restaurants and bars, chapels for weddings, an ice spa, three pools just for kids, tennis courts and so many activities you need never leave the hotel.

The Edge Bali

Resort, Hotel, Villa, Luxury

Pool in green gardens and deck with contemporary geometric chairs overlooking the sea at The Edge Bali
Courtesy of the Edge Bali / Expedia

It’s a real cliffhanger: this hotel is so close to a precipice that it feels as if a sea breeze might just blow it into the ocean. One of the two swimming pools hangs over the waves, with vertiginous views through its clear sides and glass bottom. Villa pools, bars and a fitness centre perch perilously close to the edge. The downside? Despite the muted tones, designer furniture and dizzying views, the smaller villas feel pokey. The larger ones are so vast and formal that they feel more business than beach. Still, if you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket, you could do worse than a night’s B&B here.

Viceroy Bali

Independent Hotel, Suite Hotel

Infinity pool with sunloungers and thatched pavilion at Viceroy Bali which overlooks a rainforest
Courtesy of Viceroy Bali / Expedia

There isn’t a location more regal on the island. The Viceroy’s swim-up cocktail bar overlooks Bali’s Valley of the Kings, a forest-green gorge cut by a rushing river just outside Ubud village, where the island’s royals once lived. Villas fuse stately European-colonial style with Southeast Asian influences, with leather club chairs and high teas, rattan-roofed villas (some with their own private infinity pools and teak-wood pavilions) and ornately carved Balinese furniture. If sedate is how you like it, this is your place.

Ayana Resort and Spa

Resort, Spa Hotel, Hotel, Luxury

The curved pool at Ayana is right above the beach and overlooks the ocean
Courtesy of Ayana Resort and Spa / Expedia

It’s a luxury resort made for a mermaid. Count the swimming opps: a family-sized main pool set in orchid-filled gardens; a cliff-top infinity pool; children’s zones with water slides; hydromassage numbers on a rocky seashore; plunge pools fronting sumptuous villas (small enough for intimacy or big enough for families). That mermaid presumably likes package holidays: with 19 restaurants, an 18-hole golf course and guests gathering en masse for pre-breakfast aqua aerobics, it’s no boutique retreat.

Padma Resort Ubud

Resort, Hotel

Infinity pool with concrete structures and palm trees at Padma Resort Ubud
Courtesy of Padma Resort Ubud / Expedia

Looking like paddy fields, the Padma’s enormous pools tier-drop through artificial cascades around a verdant hillside just outside Ubud village – in perfect harmony with the surrounding rice terraces and palm forest. Jungle-and-valley views from the pool are dreamy, as are the plush rooms, the spa and the lovers’ pavilions that dot the gardens. The four-storey concrete buildings feel somewhat out of step with the lush landscape, but guests can look outwards, contemplating Bali’s natural beauty.

Katamama Suites at Desa Potato Head

Boutique Hotel, Resort, Spa Hotel

Wooden decking with central plunge pool, rattan parasols and palm trees at Katamama Suites at Desa Potato Head
Courtesy of Katamama Suites at Desa Potato Head / Expedia

Visually, it’s probably light years from your idea of Balinese paradise: an almost-brutalist outing in terracotta bricks handcrafted by island artisans, sunk in masses of fecund vegetation like some forgotten civic centre. But it’s a tranquil beauty, and just what the modern hipster ordered. Hence the plate glass, honey-toned timber and muted whites throughout the rooms. Sentried by trim palms, the pool’s a lean slice of paradise, so flop on a lounger and forget your everyday cares for a while.

If you’d like to see more options, check out our guide to the best hotels in Bali. From luxury places to stay to budget-friendly hotels, there’s somewhere for every type of traveller. Fancy visiting somewhere chic? Check out our guide to the best resorts in Seminyak, all bookable on Culture Trip.

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