The Westin Nusa Dua: An Elevated Balinese Escape

There’s a subtle environmental shift as we pass the Candi Bentar. The stone gate, cleft in two to form a central passageway and adorned with intricate carvings, is a design often found in temples. It serves as a significant spiritual doorway, symbolising the transition between the outer world and the sacred temple spaces. Here, it performs a similar function, welcoming guests into the pristine resort enclave of Nusa Dua on the southernmost point of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula. On one side, the chaos of Balinese life – scooters buzzing through busy streets; street vendors selling noodle soup from motorbike-mounted food stands parked on the pavement; grandmothers walking barefoot along roads buckled with wear, balancing heavy loads on their heads. On the other side of the gate, immaculate green grass and manicured tropical gardens delineating the outer perimeter of the resorts that line Nusa Dua Beach.

This is where you come when you want the charm of Bali delivered in a polished, luxury setting; where you can explore the nearby waterfalls, arrange a day trip to Ubud, Uluwatu or Nusa Penida, or for the ambitious, hike up Mount Batur in the wee hours, arriving for a spectacular sunrise and then return to resort comfort and a recovery day at the beach or in the spa. My plan is to skip the exploring and make the most of the unwind time – The Westin Nusa Dua is the perfect place for it.

Hotel design 

The lobby is quite literally jaw-dropping. An A-frame ceiling soars three stories above the wide, open-plan layout, which uses a palette that combines wood tones with cream and ocean-toned carpets and cushions. The welcome area is cleaved in two by the Lobby Bar & Lounge, with a suspended artwork above that resembles a school of gleaming silver fish, darting in the shallows. Local artworks adorn the walls, while two large wooden mandalas play backdrop to the reception desks, referencing traditional Balinese wood-carving.  

An accommodation wing flanks each side of the lobby, with the left wing also home to activity spaces including yoga, spin and pilates studios, the gym, boutique, and three of the resort’s seven dining spaces. 

Through the lobby, discreetly positioned within the frangipani and palm-laced gardens, the main swimming pool is encircled by plentiful sun loungers and cabanas. There is also a paddling pool for young guests and a waterslide for the inbetweeners. For those seeking child-free time, there is a semi-hidden adults only saltwater pool. 

Beyond the pool is the Beach Club, a beach gym next to the ice baths on the edge of the sand. Again, there are a number of lounging options, from single and double sun loungers to rattan cocoon daybeds, all of which look towards the turquoise waters of Nusa Dua Beach. 

Accommodation

The resort straddles the line between grand and intimate. There are 432 guest rooms and suites, but it doesn’t feel like it, although I clock up a good number of steps between my Premium room, breakfast, and the activities I commit to during my stay. 

The Premium rooms, along with the opulent Owner’s Penthouse, were refurbished not long ago. Tucked quietly above the spa, each Premium room spans a generous 48 square metres and showcases contemporary Balinese elegance.  Designed to elevate the guest experience, they feature ergonomic furnishings, biophilic design elements, and soothing colour palettes, with eye-catching over-bed paintings embedded in the sage-green wall that evoke Balinese landscapes. 

The bed is notable. The Westin Heavenly Bed is a custom-designed mattress created exclusively for Westin Hotels & Resorts that has a pillow-top inner spring design. Sleeping in this bed is much like being hugged by a cloud. Add in the thoughtfully provided bedside night balm and your sleep is almost guaranteed to be heavenly indeed.

Wellness 

Westin Hotels & Resorts has long had a focus on wellbeing and the offering in Nusa Dua is exceptional. There’s the WestinWORKOUT Fitness Studio and open-air Beach Workout, but the resort also recently unveiled a new generation of wellness spaces and experiences, including a dedicated Reformer Pilates Studio, immersive Spin Studio, Hot Yoga Sanctuary, and Beachfront Ice Bath recovery tubs for super-cold immersion – think 9° or below, after which diving into the ocean feels like sinking into a warm bath. 

The Heavenly Spa by Westin is at the heart of relaxation. This sanctuary, entered through sculpted metal doors, offers a range of therapies, massages, beauty rituals, and healing experiences in a beautifully calming space accessed via billowing gauze-lined passageways. There is also a gender-segregated thermal journey, where you can slip between the hydro jet pool, a cold plunge, the Himalayan salt-wall sauna, and a steam room before your treatment, extending the experience. 

Activities 

There is a full programme of complimentary wellness and fitness activities, from HIIT training at the beach gym to morning power walks, hot mat pilates, aquacise, spin classes, and immensely popular afternoon sound healing sessions. 

You can also try your hand at Balinese crafts or fruit carving, and I saw a gentleman participating in a vigorous Ping Pong competition one afternoon (there’s also chess and air hockey). 

There are bicycles available so you can pedal along the path by the beach, or you can join the morning neighbourhood cycle. This starts on the beach path, winding past the surf school at the end of the resort strip, stopping at the point to admire the views of Bali’s highest mountain, Mount Agung. After a stop at Peninsula Island to see the statue of Arjuna and Krishna, the final destination is The Bali Collection, the largest outdoor shopping mall in Nusa Dua, packed with restaurants, café and boutiques, before returning to the resort. 

Dining

There are seven on-site bars and restaurants to choose from, including Hamabe Japanese restaurant, Ganesha Elite for upscale Indian dining, Prego for relaxed Italian favourites and Ikan Restaurant and Bar. Ikan is semi-open air, facing the beach, and offers elevated Indonesian flavours with a focus on seafood. 

Breakfast is served at Seasonal Tastes and it’s an immense buffet-style tour of the world, with multiple live cooking stations. Freshly squeezed juice? Check. Eggs to order? Check. Balinese sweet treats? Check. Dim sum? Check. Pancakes? Check. Fresh fruit? Check. Barista-made coffee? Check. Middle Eastern dips? Check. This list is far from exhaustive. There’s so much to choose from that it’s worth going early and turning breakfast into an extended brunch. 

Who should stay

This is one of those resorts that has broad appeal. It works for anyone looking for a rejuvenative, relaxed resort experience that’s well set up for you to do as much or as little as you choose. Whether solo, coupled or with friends, the Westin works.

The resort is also regularly recognised as being great for families, with children made to feel extra special. There’s a dedicated kids check-in area, child-friendly amenities, a kids-only breakfast corner, child-friendly swimming, the Westin Family Kids Club, and a Nature Program, designed to engage curiosity while fostering appreciation for Bali’s natural beauty. There’s even a Westin Kids Spa and Kids Eat Well menu.

www.westinnusaduabali.com