Expectations Sky-Rocket
When You Splash Out
SUE BRATTLE
Luxury Plus Best Breakfasts Ever Won Me Over
Fairmont Sanur Beach, Bali, Indonesia
INEVER quite trust people who are quick to recommend a hotel, or restaurant, or anything really, unless I know them well. Experiences are affected by the weather, your circumstances, the memory playing tricks, who you’re with, all sorts of things.
So what I’d say about the Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali is that it ticked all the right boxes for the lazy holiday we treated ourselves to. Then, two years later, we repeated the experience because it was time to lie on the beach again.
This is unusual for us, which speaks volumes about the hotel and the town of Sanur, which I’ve recently written about (see link to post below). Good hotels are always about the staff, and here they do a good job of looking after you. (For transparency, we paid for ourselves both times and have no ties with the hotel).
If you’re splashing out on a five-star hotel, it definitely makes your expectations sky-rocket. First impressions are important, and the Fairmont Sanur’s driver who picked us up at Ngurah Rai airport near Denpasar was steady and helpful. On our second trip, when a driver our travel agent had booked didn’t wait for the two hours (!) it took for us to get through immigration at the chaotic airport, the Fairmont drivers organised a car for us.
When you arrive, like all the big hotels in Sanur, you go through a gate off a side street and can’t quite work out that the hotel has a beach. Then you realise the hotel is set in acres of grounds and is built right in the town, but cleverly disguised.
So our “neighbours” live in a traditional Balinese family compound, the town centre is a five-minute walk out of the gate, and the open-air bar and grounds take you down to the coastal footpath that runs the length of Sanur’s 5-milometre beach.
A quick check-in got us to our suite in no time. The rooms are lined in dark wood with heavy cane furniture, and our suite had a large sitting room overlooking the garden and down to the sea. There was an enormous desk, an enormous bed, an enormous bathroom, and absolute peace.
On both visits we knew we wanted a real break, so we soon got into the rhythm of sleeping, eating and lying on the beach! The hotel’s gym is well-equipped when the guilt sets in, and the pools are gorgeous – albeit, the main pool has a huge and strangely gynaecological pink flower statue that really jars in the natural setting.
The beach is semi-private, with double loungers, waiter service, lots of shady areas under trees, and calm waters. Colin went diving for a day, I went to a jewellery-making studio for a day, and on one visit we hired a driver for a day (highly recommended). Otherwise, our days drifted by in a luxurious haze of sunshine, finding somewhere to eat in the evenings, reading, snoozing, and strolling along the coastal path.
But I must mention breakfast. I think the Layang Layang hotel restaurant offers the best breakfasts I’ve ever eaten, simple as that. There’s a buffet, but nothing is “cookie cutter” mass produced. All the dishes are fresh, and although they are indulgent, there’s a subtle emphasis on healthy eating.
Huge bowls of exotic fruits were irresistible, along with six or seven fresh juices, a menu that includes Indonesian and other South East Asian dishes, western choices, and the best green tea money can buy. There’s also Wedang Jahe, or ginger tea, available which is so delicious that the hotel chef gave me the recipe, so here it is if you want to have a go at making it. For one cup: Boil six slices of fresh ginger, 30gms of brown sugar (or less), six cardamom seeds, one teaspoon of black pepper and 150mls of water for 10-15 minutes. Strain, and drink while hot. It’s soothing, traditionally drunk in the winter months, and tastes wonderful.
So that’s about it. The Fairmont Sanur is spotlessly clean, staff were quick to respond to our very few requests, and it was hard to leave at the end of each of our week-long stays. I loved it. By the way, why have I only given four stars for a five-star hotel? I’d only expect a few five-star experiences in a lifetime, so four is high praise from Afaranwide.
Top tip: Treat yourself to a morning at the Glo Day Spa and Salon in the town centre, one of the best-value hair and beauty salons I’ve ever been to. Great manicures, pedicures, haircuts, eyebrow and eyelash tinting. It’s so expensive in Hong Kong where we live, so I had just about everything!
Top photo: The hotel’s grounds.
January 2020
MORE INFO
OFFICIAL FAIRMONT SANUR SITE: All the usual information about the hotel, its rooms and how to book. READ MORE
RELATED
WE LIKE SANUR, a beachfront town on the island of Bali in Indonesia, so much we went back two years later and did it all over again. READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 VIRTUAL ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
TEN THINGS WE LEARNED: Our up-to-the-minute guide to creating a website, one step at a time. The costs, the mistakes – it’s what we wish we’d known when we started blogging. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE
Disclosure: Afaranwide is an affiliate of leading travel operators such as Booking.com and Japan Rail Pass. If you purchase through our site we receive, at no additional cost to you, a small commission. We only work with companies we have used and recommend.
LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!
Expectations Sky-Rocket
When You Splash Out
SUE BRATTLE
Luxury Plus Best Breakfasts Ever Won Me Over
Fairmont Sanur Beach, Bali, Indonesia
INEVER quite trust people who are quick to recommend a hotel, or restaurant, or anything really, unless I know them well. Experiences are affected by the weather, your circumstances, the memory playing tricks, who you’re with, all sorts of things.
So what I’d say about the Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali is that it ticked all the right boxes for the lazy holiday we treated ourselves to. Then, two years later, we repeated the experience because it was time to lie on the beach again.
This is unusual for us, which speaks volumes about the hotel and the town of Sanur, which I’ve recently written about (see link to post below). Good hotels are always about the staff, and here they do a good job of looking after you. (For transparency, we paid for ourselves both times and have no ties with the hotel).
If you’re splashing out on a five-star hotel, it definitely makes your expectations sky-rocket. First impressions are important, and the Fairmont Sanur’s driver who picked us up at Ngurah Rai airport near Denpasar was steady and helpful. On our second trip, when a driver our travel agent had booked didn’t wait for the two hours (!) it took for us to get through immigration at the chaotic airport, the Fairmont drivers organised a car for us.
When you arrive, like all the big hotels in Sanur, you go through a gate off a side street and can’t quite work out that the hotel has a beach. Then you realise the hotel is set in acres of grounds and is built right in the town, but cleverly disguised.
So our “neighbours” live in a traditional Balinese family compound, the town centre is a five-minute walk out of the gate, and the open-air bar and grounds take you down to the coastal footpath that runs the length of Sanur’s 5-milometre beach.
A quick check-in got us to our suite in no time. The rooms are lined in dark wood with heavy cane furniture, and our suite had a large sitting room overlooking the garden and down to the sea. There was an enormous desk, an enormous bed, an enormous bathroom, and absolute peace.
On both visits we knew we wanted a real break, so we soon got into the rhythm of sleeping, eating and lying on the beach! The hotel’s gym is well-equipped when the guilt sets in, and the pools are gorgeous – albeit, the main pool has a huge and strangely gynaecological pink flower statue that really jars in the natural setting.
The beach is semi-private, with double loungers, waiter service, lots of shady areas under trees, and calm waters. Colin went diving for a day, I went to a jewellery-making studio for a day, and on one visit we hired a driver for a day (highly recommended). Otherwise, our days drifted by in a luxurious haze of sunshine, finding somewhere to eat in the evenings, reading, snoozing, and strolling along the coastal path.
But I must mention breakfast. I think the Layang Layang hotel restaurant offers the best breakfasts I’ve ever eaten, simple as that. There’s a buffet, but nothing is “cookie cutter” mass produced. All the dishes are fresh, and although they are indulgent, there’s a subtle emphasis on healthy eating.
Huge bowls of exotic fruits were irresistible, along with six or seven fresh juices, a menu that includes Indonesian and other South East Asian dishes, western choices, and the best green tea money can buy. There’s also Wedang Jahe, or ginger tea, available which is so delicious that the hotel chef gave me the recipe, so here it is if you want to have a go at making it. For one cup: Boil six slices of fresh ginger, 30gms of brown sugar (or less), six cardamom seeds, one teaspoon of black pepper and 150mls of water for 10-15 minutes. Strain, and drink while hot. It’s soothing, traditionally drunk in the winter months, and tastes wonderful.
So that’s about it. The Fairmont Sanur is spotlessly clean, staff were quick to respond to our very few requests, and it was hard to leave at the end of each of our week-long stays. I loved it. By the way, why have I only given four stars for a five-star hotel? I’d only expect a few five-star experiences in a lifetime, so four is high praise from Afaranwide.
Top tip: Treat yourself to a morning at the Glo Day Spa and Salon in the town centre, one of the best-value hair and beauty salons I’ve ever been to. Great manicures, pedicures, haircuts, eyebrow and eyelash tinting. It’s so expensive in Hong Kong where we live, so I had just about everything!
Top photo: The hotel’s grounds.
January 2020
MORE INFO
OFFICIAL FAIRMONT SANUR SITE: All the usual information about the hotel, its rooms and how to book. READ MORE
RELATED
WE LIKE SANUR, a beachfront town on the island of Bali in Indonesia, so much we went back two years later and did it all over again. READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 VIRTUAL ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
TEN THINGS WE LEARNED: Our up-to-the-minute guide to creating a website, one step at a time. The costs, the mistakes – it’s what we wish we’d known when we started blogging. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE
Disclosure: Afaranwide is an affiliate of leading travel operators such as Booking.com and Japan Rail Pass. If you purchase through our site we receive, at no additional cost to you, a small commission. We only work with companies we have used and recommend.
LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!
Expectations Sky-Rocket When You Splash Out
Luxury Plus Best Breakfasts Ever Won Me Over
SUE BRATTLE
Fairmont Sanur Beach, Bali, Indonesia
INEVER quite trust people who are quick to recommend a hotel, or restaurant, or anything really, unless I know them well. Experiences are affected by the weather, your circumstances, the memory playing tricks, who you’re with, all sorts of things.
So what I’d say about the Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali is that it ticked all the right boxes for the lazy holiday we treated ourselves to. Then, two years later, we repeated the experience because it was time to lie on the beach again.
This is unusual for us, which speaks volumes about the hotel and the town of Sanur, which I’ve recently written about (see link to post below). Good hotels are always about the staff, and here they do a good job of looking after you. (For transparency, we paid for ourselves both times and have no ties with the hotel).
If you’re splashing out on a five-star hotel, it definitely makes your expectations sky-rocket. First impressions are important, and the Fairmont Sanur’s driver who picked us up at Ngurah Rai airport near Denpasar was steady and helpful. On our second trip, when a driver our travel agent had booked didn’t wait for the two hours (!) it took for us to get through immigration at the chaotic airport, the Fairmont drivers organised a car for us.
When you arrive, like all the big hotels in Sanur, you go through a gate off a side street and can’t quite work out that the hotel has a beach. Then you realise the hotel is set in acres of grounds and is built right in the town, but cleverly disguised.
So our “neighbours” live in a traditional Balinese family compound, the town centre is a five-minute walk out of the gate, and the open-air bar and grounds take you down to the coastal footpath that runs the length of Sanur’s 5-milometre beach.
A quick check-in got us to our suite in no time. The rooms are lined in dark wood with heavy cane furniture, and our suite had a large sitting room overlooking the garden and down to the sea. There was an enormous desk, an enormous bed, an enormous bathroom, and absolute peace.
On both visits we knew we wanted a real break, so we soon got into the rhythm of sleeping, eating and lying on the beach! The hotel’s gym is well-equipped when the guilt sets in, and the pools are gorgeous – albeit, the main pool has a huge and strangely gynaecological pink flower statue that really jars in the natural setting.
The beach is semi-private, with double loungers, waiter service, lots of shady areas under trees, and calm waters. Colin went diving for a day, I went to a jewellery-making studio for a day, and on one visit we hired a driver for a day (highly recommended). Otherwise, our days drifted by in a luxurious haze of sunshine, finding somewhere to eat in the evenings, reading, snoozing, and strolling along the coastal path.
But I must mention breakfast. I think the Layang Layang hotel restaurant offers the best breakfasts I’ve ever eaten, simple as that. There’s a buffet, but nothing is “cookie cutter” mass produced. All the dishes are fresh, and although they are indulgent, there’s a subtle emphasis on healthy eating.
Huge bowls of exotic fruits were irresistible, along with six or seven fresh juices, a menu that includes Indonesian and other South East Asian dishes, western choices, and the best green tea money can buy.
There’s also Wedang Jahe, or ginger tea, available which is so delicious that the hotel chef gave me the recipe, so here it is if you want to have a go at making it. For one cup: Boil six slices of fresh ginger, 30gms of brown sugar (or less), six cardamom seeds, one teaspoon of black pepper and 150mls of water for 10-15 minutes. Strain, and drink while hot. It’s soothing, traditionally drunk in the winter months, and tastes wonderful.
So that’s about it. The Fairmont Sanur is spotlessly clean, staff were quick to respond to our very few requests, and it was hard to leave at the end of each of our week-long stays. I loved it. By the way, why have I only given four stars for a five-star hotel? I’d only expect a few five-star experiences in a lifetime, so four is high praise from Afaranwide.
Top tip: Treat yourself to a morning at the Glo Day Spa and Salon in the town centre, one of the best-value hair and beauty salons I’ve ever been to. Great manicures, pedicures, haircuts, eyebrow and eyelash tinting. It’s so expensive in Hong Kong where we live, so I had just about everything!
Top photo: The hotel’s grounds.
January 2020
MORE INFO
OFFICIAL FAIRMONT SANUR SITE: All the usual information about the hotel, its rooms and how to book. READ MORE
RELATED
WE LIKE SANUR, a beachfront town on the island of Bali in Indonesia, so much we went back two years later and did it all over again. READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 VIRTUAL ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
TEN THINGS WE LEARNED: Our up-to-the-minute guide to creating a website, one step at a time. The costs, the mistakes – it’s what we wish we’d known when we started blogging. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE
Disclosure: Afaranwide is an affiliate of leading travel operators such as Booking.com and Japan Rail Pass. If you purchase through our site we receive, at no additional cost to you, a small commission. We only work with companies we have used and recommend.