We stayed 5 nights total in Uluwatu, and Gravity Hotel was where we spent the last 3 nights. Gravity was recommended to us by a friend who travels to Bali often enough to make me very green with envy! It really is a magical little spot perched on a hill overlooking Ulu… but there are a few things you should know before booking there:
ARRIVAL & FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
After the experiencing the enormity of Renaissance Hotel, (see review here), Gravity Hotel’s entrance was meagre in comparison, and something we would have sailed right past if it weren’t for our driver who knew the place. The name is barely visible on the small sign under the thatch roof, and the front entrance is nestled between scooters and bicycles on each side of a two car parking lot…
I love this about this resort. I love that the entrance lowers your expectations… only to walk through that little door to find that what awaits you will surely take your breath away…
The pictures speak for themselves. The Gravity boutique hotel is spectacular. I am obsessed with the bright white everything, and the views… OMG!
ROOMS:
So, our experience with our rooms was a little bit of a feat. We arrived and went straight to reception, only to be advised that the room we had booked through Agoda.com did not have aircon.
I knew it looked airy and ‘loft-like’, but our booking on Agoda defintely said our room had airconditioning, and so I expected that the bedroom would be closed off in some way, yet after walking through the double story bungalow it was clear as day that that was not the case. Not only did it not have aircon, it didnt have walls or windows! The best theu could offer was a small round fan that sat on the floor…
As magical as that may look as you gaze at the gorgeous pics of the bungalow and the view through your screen, but do yourself a favour and try and imagine you are now sitting in 38′ heat plus next level humidity, with little-to-no breeze. Yup. The magic can fade as quickly as your make up! Oh… and MOZZIES.
The staff very kindly searched their books for an available room for us with airconditioning. Thankfully there was one available for a night and then we had to move into another for the following two nights. A bit of a schlep after already hopping from place to place, but one we were willing to bite the bullet for considering the alternative was likely zero sleep for me #yesIamanAirconbrat
No, seriously! Julia Roberts may have made it look glam in Eat Pray Love, but Bali heat ain’t no joke for me, and no aircon is a deal-breaker for me!
The Standard Double Bungalow we were given was quaint and would have been a suitable option for us for the remaining three nights in Ulu… situated right beside the lower “quiet pool”, the villa was rustic but clean and everything you need for a spot in Ulu where you are out most of the day, and purely use the room as a place to crash…
but as lady luck has it, we were incredibly grateful that we only had one night there, for a few reasons:
The aircon barely worked, which was one issue, and made worse by the fact that the sun beat through the large windows, and hot air sat in the upper level where the bed was! The bigger issue, however, was the fact that the bungalow bordered a backroad which was frequented by very loud motorbikes and scooters at all hours of the night. I literally slept two hours that night. It was hot, loud, and just a huge let down for the rest of the gorgeous resort!
The Superior Double / Twin Bungalow made up for all the mishaps. It wasn’t big – basically a double bed inside a coconut wood room, with just enough space to walk around, and a good size outdoor bathroom with bath and shower – but it was perfect for us. The aircon worked AND there was a ceiling fan – happiness!
DINING:
The resort offers bed & breakfast, and over and above that you can eat at the pool or order room service.
Just like Seminyak and Ubud, Uluwatu is rife with incredible cafe’s and restaurants, so I wouldn’t necessarily choose this resort because it offered B&B, but it it was pleasant enough. I ordered room service coffee – unfortunatley the coffee wasn’t great – very milky and too mild a flavour for my palate, but it looked nice 😉
Pool side meals:
SPA FACILITIES:
Quite honestly the best massage we had in Bali. We went back twice. I still dream about the technique they used on us and how we floated out of their tiny treatment room. Please don’t miss out on this treat – as a massage snob, I rate the Gravity Hotel’s spa very VERY highly – purely for the treatment itself – the spa room is very simple.
POOL:
There are two pool areas in the resort. The top pool is super vibey, with a bar playing awesome chilled cafe-lounge music, and the lower pool, known as the “quiet pool”. The view from the top pool is incredible and we basically spent all of our time in that pool when we were not out on the town. We even had night time dips. We just had the time of our lives!
OTHER:
There is a yoga studio right next door to the resort and we had an incredibly restorative class… and sweated our butts off! Such a stunning way to start the day and we wished we had done more of that.
PRICING:
It seems like the best pricing is currently through booking directly with the resort and I would be hesitant to book through Agoda again due to the mix up with aircon etc.
VERDICT:
Gravity hotel was a little gem perched on a hill overlooking Ulu, and super central as just a 3 to 5 minutes drive to one of the top beaches and Surf Spots; Padang Padang, Uluwatu, Green Bowl, Bingin and Impossibles. You are able to use the resort driver or rent a scooter from reception, so getting around is easy and quick, and the staff really do go above and beyond to ensure you have a pleasant stay. The resort operated through WhatsApp message which you can use at any time to contect reception which I found incredibly helpful.
As long as you stay in one of the bungalows with (working) aircon then I believe that Gravity is a stunning place to spend your time in Uluwatu. I would absolutley love to try their Suites, which are 200meters away from the entrance pictured above. In short, as long as you know you are in a room that is cool, Gravity Boutique hotel gets a huge thumbs up from us, and is one of our greatest memories of our time in Bali.
Contact Gravity Hotel
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