Kelapa Retreat and Spa

Excellent staff catering to every needs and making your stay the best possible. Although a bit far away from the town, its beach is the best with black sand and not at all crowded. Almost like a private hotel beach. So all the privacy you need.

This was our second stay at Kelapa Retreat, and once again we left feeling that we had found somewhere truly special. It is a beautiful, peaceful place, with lovely facilities and a wonderful sense of privacy. It is the kind of place where you can completely switch off and simply enjoy being there. But for us, what makes Kelapa unforgettable is the staff. Their kindness, warmth and genuine care touched us deeply. Everyone did everything they could to make our stay special, often through the smallest gestures, and we felt looked after from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. There is a warmth at Kelapa that goes beyond the beautiful surroundings. It comes from the people. We left with such happy memories and with real gratitude to everyone who made our stay so memorable. We were genuinely sorry to leave, and we hope very much to return.

Nothing

The gentlest, kindest staff in the world. Super luxe accommodation, quiet, beautiful, nature filled grounds. So much attention to detail. Our second trip here, and there will be a third.

It's a long old drive to the airport - if this is where you're staying for the whole of your trip, book into a hotel in Jimbaran - such as Belmond Jimbaran Puri, which is on a par with Kelapa - for at least your last night.

We liked the location, as it was quite remote and surrounded by nature, with great sunset views over the ocean. The food, especially at breakfast, was really delicious, and the menus offered plenty of variety, even for vegetarians. The ocean is truly beautiful, and you can always sense its force. Although the currents are very strong and you cannot swim, you can still enjoy the waves. However, we were able to compensate to some extent by swimming in our villa pool, which was quite large. We really enjoyed the massage sessions we had, including the healing treatment by Heni, and the feel and sound of the ocean was a bonus. The village trekking tour was also a nice touch.

Housekeeping still has work to do to ensure a pleasant stay, such as checking toiletry supplies, removing used plates, emptying waste bins, and at the very least locking the door when leaving the villa. We were unpleasantly surprised by the quality of the towels in the room. At times, the beach was shockingly full of litter. While we understand that the currents were bringing it in, it is expected that staff maintain a clean beach regularly. The most unpleasant experience, however, relates to the way reviews appear to be obtained. Tourists are offered a free massage session in exchange for leaving a review, which the hotel staff then checks before the massage session is booked. This inevitably causes misrepresentation by encouraging biased positive reviews, misleading future guests, as was the case for us. We tried diplomatically to avoid responding to this practice, but we felt pressured to do so. We did not do it, yet this experience left an unpleasant shadow over our stay.