Best place to stay in Kuta
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Eager for the relaxation to begin, we got to the airport early and boarded our flight for Bali, arriving at our the best place to stay in Kuta before lunch. That is one of the travel advantages living in a remote place like Perth, beautiful resorts with the genuine hospitality of Bali are but a short three and a half hour flight.
Why stay in Kuta
Bali is a place we’d visited and explored many times before and for this trip we wanted to book the best place to stay in Kuta as we planned some relaxation and wanted to stay somewhere nice to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. Despite Bali having lots of variety in where to stay, our choice was easy. We decided the best place to stay in Kuta was to return to The Anvaya Beach Resort Bali, the first 5 star hotel owned by Santika Indonesia and one of the newest 5 star luxury hotels to open in Kuta.
Soft fluffy pillows on a very comfortable King size bed
The Premiere Lagoon Access room is tastefully decorated
Sitting on the decking area outside the Lagoon access room
The well appointed bathroom in the Premiere room
Many people would wonder why we would want to stay in Kuta, one of the first developed and busiest tourist areas of Bali. But we discovered the best place to stay in Kuta when we stayed at Anvaya late last year and found the hotel lives up to Santika Indonesia’s goal of bringing luxury and tranquility back to Kuta.
Anvaya is truly an oasis in Kuta, despite being located a kilometre or a mere 10 minute drive away from the airport. The resort sprawls on approximately 4 hectares of land from the kerbside on Kuta’s busiest street, Jalan Kartika Plaza, through to the white sandy beach of the Indian Ocean.
Poolside at dusk is very peaceful
The stunning Signature Pond between the Lobby entrance and main lobby
A large decking area to enjoy outside dining and absorb the soothing ocean views
Meaning and design of Anvaya
The meaning of the name Anvaya translates to connection. The design of the resort reflects the importance the Balinese place on people, culture, nature and spirituality and exudes an aura of calmness.
The ambiance and design inspiration for the resort is divided into three sections. The first part, at the front of the resort, is Kunyit Restaurant. A Balinese and Indonesian specialty restaurant, Kunyit’s design reflects Bali’s rich cultural history and the ancient times of Bali Aga. The pre-Hindu Bali Aga design continues through the meetings rooms, Ballroom and Deluxe rooms to the unique Signature Pond just inside the drop off area.
The Lobby Lounge connects the Main Lobby with the pool area
The Lobby lounge is the place to relax and enjoy a drink or snack
The Lobby lounge is the place to relax before your late departure
The middle section of the resort, the main lobby, lobby lounges, the gym, kids club and premiere rooms, reflect Bali Hindu design.
Finally the beachside section of the hotels with Sands Restaurant and the pool areas carry a Balinese contemporary theme.
Add these part all together and there you have it, the best place to stay in Kuta.
First glimpse of Anvaya kerbside on Kuta’s busiest street
The beautiful reflection pool and greenery makes a soothing entrance to the resort
The long driveway leading past the reflection pool to the arrival lobby
As soon as we are inside the resort it was tranquil and soothing and felt like we were hours away from any hustle and bustle of the busy tourist area of Kuta. Turning from the street we notice the resort is very green and lush. The long driveway is divided with a raised rectangular reflection pool leading to the lobby entrance with a beautiful timber roof where rindik music is being played as a traditional welcome. The first thing we notice is the unique and impressive Signature Pond with eight wooden pillars, which when lit up at night time looks stunning. Seamless touches of elegance and distinct Balinese theme add to the spacious, relaxed setting.
The Entrance Lobby has a traditional wooden carved ceiling
Two rindik musicians giving a musical welcome are a lovely addition to the peaceful setting
Eight wooden pillars in the Signature Pond
The next area we come to is the grand lobby area which reflects the feel of the entire resort, elegant and spacious. Greeted with a huge smile, a cold towel and a welcome drink our check in was very quick and despite arriving a little earlier than scheduled we only had a 5 minute wait before our room was ready. Off the main lobby is the lobby lounge where you can relax and enjoy a drink and the views of the garden and lagoon pools. The lobbies are also utilised by guests who have early departures, late arrivals or just somewhere just to watch the day go by. Built in a U shape, the resorts’ grassed areas are terraced resembling the Balinese rice fields and the buildings are surrounded by rectangular ponds, reflecting the traditional floating pavilions.
A grand lobby with 8m tall ceilings and highly polished floors
Fast, efficient check ins by friendly staff
Relax in the Lobby Lounge if you have a late departure or early arrival
At night after the pools are closed is a relaxing time to sit and enjoy a cocktail
Rooms at Anvaya
We were upgraded to a Premiere Lagoon Access Room which as the name suggests is a well-appointed room on the ground floor with direct access to a shared lagoon pool. The room features a huge, comfortable king size bed with crisp white linen, wall mounted TV that you can use to view your bill, order room service and of course watch in house movies.
The room is beautifully decorated with neutral, relaxing colours and high quality fittings and the rate includes mini bar and daily breakfast. The bathroom has a large wardrobe with wooden and satin coat hangers, a safe, slippers and robe, large shower with rain head and sliding mirror wall in front of the vanity featuring Acca Kappa amenities.
A premiere lagoon access room have access to shared pool via private door
The Premiere rooms are tastefully decorated in neutral colours
The beautifully embroidered bathrobes in each room
Restaurants at Anvaya
The two restaurants at opposite ends on the property are quite different from each other. Kunyit at the front with street access caters for traditional Indonesian cuisine and I highly recommend you experience Megibung, a traditional Balinese sharing plate. Sands at the rear with beach access offers a wide variety of meals, including tapas. We had breakfast here most mornings, lunch a few times and ate several evening meals and found the choices endless and every bite delicious.
Included in the rate is free wifi and breakfast, we also opted to include airport transfers and laundry. Anvaya not only has the highest standards of hospitality but have a deep respect for the culture and diversity of staff and guests and caters well by providing a prayer room and temple for places of worship.
The service throughout, from the airport pickup, check in, to the housekeeping and restaurant staff was to the highest standards. All staff were so welcoming, friendly and we never walked through the lobby or into a restaurant for a meal without being greeted with a huge smile. The genuine hospitality and service provided is just one of the reasons Anvaya is the best place to stay in Kuta.
Kunyit Restaurant is at the front of the resort where people can walk in from the street
Sands Restaurant is at the rear of the resort allowing guests to enjoy ocean views with their meal
The resort temple, a place of worship for staff and guests
Our friendly housekeeping staff member, Jordi left us a towel animal
You’d want to hope that when you wake up in the morning you have food on your mind. That is because Sands restaurant has the best variety and the most delicious food to choose from, catering for many ethnicities. They have a huge selection, an egg station, pastry section, pizza station, dim sum station, noodle station, even have a Bloody Mary station. Have you ever stayed at a hotel that includes bloody mary’s for brekkie? Every meal/drink was served with a warm Balinese smile and with the enormous cups you can be assured you will have enough coffee to get you started each day.
The resort has 493 guestrooms, suites and villas across 7 categories, a gym, bike hire, kids club and Sakanti Spa, offering in-house traditional Balinese treatments.
Enjoy a buffet meal of order off the menu at Sands Restaurant
You are assured of a great start to the day with a morning cup of coffee in these huge cups
Bicycles are available for use
With the resort running from the busy main road through to Kuta beach, it is a sprawling tropical hideaway cleverly, designed with a distinct Balinese style and flair for being in harmony with nature. The resort design optimises every bit of space but is definitely not somewhere that is just sandwiched in. In fact, it is very spacious and private and being the best place to stay in Kuta is near full occupancy but still feels very intimate and calming. There is lots of water and greenery and we regularly saw little birds bathing and squirrels darting about, we even saw geckos lounging on the deck. Although the resort has 8 pools, it is only a few steps away to get your feet into some sand at the beach and enjoy Bali’s magical sunsets.
A large decorative lotus in the lagoon pool surrounding the terraced lawns
The main pool is a relaxing spot to sun yourself on a lounge
Looking across the Lagoon Pool to the central terraced grass area
The covered pathway leading from the Signature pond to Kunyit Restaurant
Location in Kuta
Anvaya is located a short walk in either direction from Lippo Mall and Discovery Shopping Mall with Waterbom, Kuta art market and the heart of Kuta, just a short walk away. Casually roaming Kuta’s busiest street it is easy to get caught up by the cacophony of sounds of the traffic, honking of horns and lingering aromas of the many streetside restaurants that temporarily overwhelm your senses. There is an alternate route to the active and bustling street on the beachfront boardwalk adjacent to the ocean which is mesmerising but either way, there is a soothing welcome when we return to our beachside Kuta resort where we are once again in a cocoon of peace and tranquillity of the best place to stay in Kuta.
Wide white paths lead from the Lobby Lounge to the pool area, beach and Sands Restaurant
Sitting outside the Lagoon access room with a refreshing Orange Bintang
The Anvaya achieves its goal to bring luxury and tranquillity back to Kuta and lives up to the meaning of the name, connection.
Service at Anvaya
I was impressed not only with the level of luxury at the Anvaya but the genuine Balinese hospitality from staff like Tirtha, Sandi and Jordi who like most Balinese are the most unpretentious, warm people. It was a pleasure to see the strong connections they build with their guests and how they train staff like the trainee (who we failed to get his name) who never hesitated to go the extra mile to ensure our experience was as smooth and relaxed as possible from the moment we arrived until our departure. We especially appreciated the assistance and information provided by Putri.
Many people pose for selfies by the stunning Signature Pond
This young trainee was so friendly, hospitable and always smiling
The lights from the wooden pillars reflect in the Signature Pond
If you are planning to spend your holiday time near a beautiful Bali beach but don’t want to be far away from the hubbub and buzz of Kuta then Anvaya really is the best place to stay in Kuta and is the place for you.
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*As always this review reflects our own opinions and was not influenced by our upgrade.
Anvaya is gorgeous!! Your pictures are stunning! And, oh my goodness, the little folded towel guy had me grinning haha. He’s adorable!! <3
Jillian Michelle recently posted…Bali Temples Guide – 15 Best Temples in Bali Indonesia
Anvaya really was a beautiful place to stay Jillian. We also loved the little towel guy made by the housekeeping staff. It’s all about the personal touches 🙂
Very beautiful place, but how expensive it was to stay here for your vacation? I think the most expensive part is flight on the Bali and back, but is it true?
voyagestic recently posted…Santa Monica
We are thinking about heading to Bali, as we have only been for a day as a cruise stop. It looks like you have done the work for us in finding a place to stay. I love that even nearly full, it still feels intimate and peaceful. I could use a bit of luxury and tranquillity. Thanks for the recommendation.
Rhonda Albom recently posted…Tauranga Nightlife: Consider a Kayak Glow Worm Tour
Rhonda the feel of this hotel at capacity was still peaceful, despite being in a busy part of Bali. The tranquillity was nice to come back to after a day in the busy and hot surroundings.