Review: Alila Ubud (Terrace Tree Villa)

What to expect when you stay at Alila Ubud as a World of Hyatt Globalist member?

Alila Ubud first opened in 1996 and was last renovated in 2010. It has a total of 74 rooms/villas.

It is a Category 3 World of Hyatt property requiring 12,000 points (worth S$240) per night. Other than the poor Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights, I think it is the cheapest Hyatt Category 3 hotel in the world right now!

The lowest rate at this property that I have seen during this pandemic was US$59++ in July 2021. The Standard rate, which is used for Hyatt Prive benefits, has never gone below US$85++.

Here are some photos posted on our Instagram page:

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A post shared by Suitesmile | Travel Hacks SG (@suitesmile)

Location

The hotel is located in Ubud. There were no shops or restaurants within walking distance from the property.

There is a small village outside the security post that was nice for morning/evening walks.

• 17 mins drive to Ubud Centre
• 1 hr 10 mins drive to Seminyak Beach
• 1 hr 10 mins drive to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

Arrival

Upon arrival, we had our body temperatures taken and were assisted with our luggages before being directed to the reception.

I had booked the base King room and was pre-upgraded to the Pool Villa one day before arrival as a Globalist member. I was further upgraded to the Terrace Tree Villa, upon request.

I was told that there was only 2 other rooms occupied that day.

Upon check in, a staff member handed me a guide that shows information on opening hours, hotel facilities, activities and shuttle service. There is also a map of the hotel and the surrounding area.

The hotel refused to send me a soft copy of it, so, here’s a low-resolution version of what I received.

Terrace Tree Villa

Villa 501 is 120sqm / 1,292sqft in size.

Prior to the stay, I shared about this stay on Suitesmile’s Instagram page and received tips from Indonesian travellers that THIS is the villa to get. Not the Pool Villa, not the Valley Villa.

Apparently, there are only 4 Terrace Tree Villas (numbered 501 to 504) and these are the newest in the property.

Room-furnishing was very Alila-like with minimal design language. There is also a lot of wood being used.

Here’s a video tour posted on our Instagram page:

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A post shared by Suitesmile | Travel Hacks SG (@suitesmile)

Afternoon tea

It is always a nice gesture when a hotel offers something extra to staying guests.

Afternoon tea is complimentary for all guests and can be enjoyed from 3 to 4pm daily at Cabana Lounge. The snack being offered is the same every day.

Breakfast

Breakfast is complimentary for Globalist members and Hyatt Prive bookings. It is usually served at Plantation Restaurant but has temporarily moved to Cabana Kitchen. Breakfast hours are 7am to 10.30am.

Food quality was good but choices were limited.

There are slight changes to the breakfast menu every day. Here’s the one I got on one of the days.

Lunch and dinner

I found food at this property to be expensive for Bali and for its overall quality.

The pizza was especially disappointing. The dough looked and tasted like one of those frozen (not freshly-made) flatbread that are served in Moxy hotels. Definitely not worth its price!

Here’s the lunch and dinner menu at Cabana Kitchen:

And here’s the in-room dining menu:

Swimming pool

The monkey factor

This is a real factor in Alila Ubud. I am not calling it a ‘problem’ as we are actually in their home. But if you are not comfortable around monkeys, you might want to stay away from this property.

During check in, you will be advised to keep doors closed and locked (?!) at all times.

From my experience, they are not that afraid of humans. They are only interested in getting food though, not attacking humans for no reason.

During my meals at Cabana Lounge, there was a staff member actively waiting by the trees for any monkeys that may jump onto my table.

In the villa, they are not always around but when they arrive, they would hang around for a few hours and would take peeks into the villa from the roof. It was very cute but quite annoying! It’s like you are always being watched.

I also found it sad that there is a huge balcony within the villa that was uncomfortable to hang out in, because of these monkeys.

When I called the hotel about monkeys hanging out around my balcony, they placed a ‘Barong’ near my door as the monkeys are supposedly afraid of them. I asked if I could leave the doors open with that Barong outside and was told that the monkeys would still enter the villa. 🙊

Other facilities

The gym has minimal equipment and no views.

My ratings

Bottom line

I enjoyed the beautiful villa and deep pool. Considering how low nightly rates are, getting US$100 credit for a two-night stay was a steal. Also note the monkey factor before deciding to stay here.