Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran

The hotel is bright, airy, and modern, and almost every aspect of the property favors contemporary decor over sparingly embraced typical Balinese design flourishes. Several brick pathways wind through the grounds, which are punctuated by several low-rise buildings with tented rooftops and floating pools and fountains. The light-filled lobby is eclectic, with a variety of seating areas, including a long wooden work table, plush banquettes, and woven chairs facing large floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on a decorative infinity pool. Contemporary prints of traditional Balinese scenes blend with large abstract photographs to create a vibrant mood. The lagoon pool dominates the common areas, though there are a few stretches of grass and towering palm trees that provide a bit of shade. The resort attracts mostly couples looking for a romantic escape and families drawn by the variety of child-friendly packages.

Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran is located Jimbaran, a fishing town in southern Bali that's quite touristy and filled with high-end hotels and resorts. The beach is a five-minute walk from the hotel and the area is famous for its seaside barbecues, with clusters of seafood stalls lining the beach that grill up the day's fresh catch every night. The hotel is a 25-minute drive from the town of Kuta, which has plenty of nightlife for visitors looking for a wilder time than what's on offer in Jimbaran. Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park has large replicas of traditional Balinese sculptures and is a 13-minute drive from the hotel, while stunning seaside Uluwatu Temple takes around half an hour to reach. It's a 20-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar and Ubud is a little over an hour away by car.

While the hotel's lobby can feel a bit frenetic, rooms are more tranquil and breezy, with soft blues, grays, and white run played against hardwood accents and subtle Balinese influences in the swirling wall art and woven light fixtures. Every room has floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces with pool views, pillow menus, iPod docks, safes, desks, bottled water, mini-fridges with minibars, and international electrical sockets. Several rooms also offer direct pool access, though some guests have reported extra noise in these rooms from neighboring guests with children. Rooms range from Classic Rooms with separate seating areas to Suites with one or two bedrooms, including the enormous Grande Avant-Garde Suite complete with a master bedroom, huge living area, and separate dining area. Decor varies from room to room, but most feature a blend of retro and minimalist contemporary furniture as well as excellent beds with crisp, white duvets and linens. Large, marble bathrooms have deep soaking tubs and separate walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads as well as bathrobes and a complete line of toiletries.  

Le Meridien's star feature is its 1,300 square meter (13,993 square foot) lagoon-style swimming pool that wraps almost completely around the hotel's buildings and includes a swim-up pool bar with great cocktails. Lounge chairs around the pool area are limited, however and guests looking to sunbathe may prefer the hotel's access to the nearby beach club, though guests must spend a minimum on food and cocktails in order to use the sunbeds without charge.

The hotel's 24-hour fitness center, with two treadmills, free weights, machines, and a yoga room offers guests a less aquatic way to maintain their fitness routine. The Serenity Spa & Salon features a complete array of beauty and health treatments, including a signature Thai-style massage conducted simultaneously by two therapists. Access to Le Meridien's kids' club is included in room rates and features a dedicated staff providing educational and entertainment activities for children, while special family packages with free meals and ice cream for kids are also available. 

There are five on-site meeting and event rooms, three of which can be combined to fit up to 120 people, and destination weddings can be arranged through the hotel. The hotel features an on-site gift shop and private tours of local Naka Contemporary Art Gallery can also be arranged. Guests receive a free hour of daily Wi-Fi access in common areas, but there is a fee for in-room Wi-Fi, which is renewable on a 24-hour basis. 

Bars, cafes, and restaurants about throughout the hotel, though a standout is rooftop Smoqee Lounge & Sky Bar, which has Jimbaran Bay views and serves an interesting blend of tapas and "modern Asian" cuisine alongside a resident DJ on many nights. The swim-up pool bar is open during the day and features snacks and beverages, including cocktails, while the hotel also has a gelato shop with coffee drinks and a variety of sweet options. Latitude8, the lobby bar, serves wine, coffee, and cocktails from morning until well into the night and hosts a daily sparkling cocktail hour in the early evening. The enormous Bamboo Chic Restaurant is inspired by the hotel's Balinese location and the Le Meridien chain's French roots, with a variety of local and international items ranging from Indonesian seafood specialties to house-made eclairs. They also offer a morning breakfast buffet, grills, and pizzas, which is only included with some bookings.