True hospitality can’t be bought. Not exactly. You can go to the most expensive hotel, the most glamorous, the most exclusive, the most spectacular property in the world and it can still feel underwhelming and uninspiring. As of late, there is a huge emphasis and an entire vocabulary dedicated to the value of experiences and travel, especially in high-end travel.
And this is valid. Watching schools of candy-floss-colored fish swim by on a snorkelling expedition, or hiking up to the top of a craggy mountain, or flipping slender crepes in a frying pan with a world-class chef, these are the kinds of experiences that can make a trip soar, but at the heart of this, it’s really people who make a trip and a destination stand out.
The Four Seasons brand has always been known for its exemplary service, creating teams who are warm and welcoming but also authentic and approachable. It’s a combination that is easier said than done.
And the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay gets it right on what can only be described as down to the molecular level. Much of the staff has worked at the property since it opened in June 1993. And at the hotel’s sister property in Sayan, Randy Shimabuku, the longtime general manager, made such an impression on a vacationing guest—Barack Obama—that the two spent an entire day together.
Taman Wantilan at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay.
Haloed in white sand beaches, Bali is home to more than 20,000 temples, earning its nickname “the island of a thousand temples,” or “the island of the gods.” To this end, Jimbaran Bay, has its own resort temple, where guests can take guided tours with the resort priest, Aji Ngurah, or visit the nearby Goa Gong cave temple for a water purification ritual.
Four Seasons Resorts Bali at Jimbaran Bay at dusk.
On arrival, guests will find 147 villas, laid out like a traditional Balinese village. The rooms are large and discrete, folding into the surrounding gardens and trees. Once here, be active—via paddleboards, kayaks and the on-site fitness center—or simply reset, courtesy of the resort’s 2,000 square metre Healing Village Spa.
With 10 spa suites, delivering a panoply of top-to-toe treatments, this new haven includes everything from traditional massages to facials and scrubs to more unexpected energy rebalancing treatments influenced by age-old Balinese wisdom.
Spiritual healing is second nature here, from the medicinal properties of indigenous herbs to complex body work. And treatments like the Celestial Light Ritual build on this. Using the vibrations of gemstones, chromotherapy lighting, and resonant singing bowls, guests have their body, mind and emotions lulled into balance. And it is just the kind of intuitive treatment the hotel does best.
A view from the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay.
It’s not hard to simply stay put at the resort. Meals are flavorful and diverse. There’s the open-air Taman Wantilan, serving a breakfast that seems to tour every cuisine around the world, until 11.00am. Poolside Alu serves tasty bites, like poke bowls and made-to-order chocolate-dipped ice creams.
An aerial view of the Four Seasons Resort Bali Jimbaran Bay.
Sundara at the hotel’s beach club, offers a boozy tapas-style weekend brunch that ripples with flavor; but the standout is Jala, the atmospheric seafood restaurant that wafts scents of satay and lemongrass through the property every evening. The jumble of tastes, from the sizzling garlic to the sweet soy sauce is a memory to be retained.
The location, too, does not go unnoticed. Curved beachfront and powered white sand, outlines the resort, which despite its calm and secluded feel, is only 20 minutes from the airport. Denpasar International Airport has become a global hub, manoeuvring sleek aircrafts from around the world along its runways.
And leading that fleet is Singapore Airlines, the world’s most awarded airline. In 2023, the brand was hailed as among “the 50 most admired companies in the world” by Fortune magazine, and named Airline of the Year at the annual Airline Industry Awards.
Four Seasons Resort Bali At Jimbaran Bay.
Ease and convenience are second nature, regardless of the class. Even in Economy, headrests are adjustable, the comfortable footrest bar is built in. Every seat has a USB charger, and the touch-screen entertainment systems rival the choice available at most traveller’s homes.
Business class seats fold down into soft beds. Or, blink from inside one of the new suites—available on the airlines Airbus A380s—and you could easily mistake it for a tightly packed hotel room.
Travel pulls us from our day-to-day, gives us something to hold on to, as well as to talk about and learn from. But when it’s really done right, it gives us something to dream about.
Source: FORBES