Additionally, there is another COMO Uma in the trendy area of Canggu, in the south of the island. Uma, from my deduction, is COMO’s hip/lifestyle offering, competing with the likes of Andaz, Alila, Kimpton, etc.

Location

COMO Uma is located in Ubud in central Bali, around a 90-minute drive north of Denpasar Airport. It is placed between downtown Ubud and the Sayan area that houses most of Ubud’s high-end resorts (Four Seasons, Amandari, Mandapa Reserve). To be precise, the resort is on Campuhan Hill, famed for the Campuhan Ridge Walk, and shares the street with the old Tjampuhan hotels of Ubud (owned by the Ubud Royal Family).

Right across the street from the hotel is the popular Naughty Nuri’s Grilled Ribs restaurant, which I sadly never found to be good. Additionally, there are many local eateries (known as warungs) within walking distance, along with some trendy-looking places serving all sorts of vegan and vegetarian food downhill.

Arrival and Check-in

We arrived at the COMO Uma at 13.00 and were promptly checked in by the warm and friendly associates at the reception. Also there to greet us by name was the Director of Rooms, who apparently recognised us from our previous stay. Check-in was a quick and leisurely affair – all we did was sit down and sip on their refreshing citrusy welcome drink, the Uma Refresher.

Following the swift check-in, we were promptly brought to our villa. Note that the path to many of their villas involves stairs, due to the resort being set on a hill. 

Villas at COMO Uma Ubud

We have stayed at two types of villas at the COMO Uma, so please find below, a summary of the two villas types.

Uma Villa

We entered the villa to find it exceptionally clean; local Balinese music, which I loved, was playing on one of the two televisions. I thought of the subdued hues and simple interior of the room to be nice and rather luxurious, but not overly so. I especially adored the layout of the villa, which I found to be very well-proportioned and logically spaced, along with the villa’s cool terrazzo flooring, a contrast to the otherwise humid temperatures of Bali.

Uma Villa bedroom

The bedroom itself isn’t separated from the living room per se (given the lack of a door) but was separated by white sheers. It features a large four-poster bed and houses the second television in the room. There is also a desk next to the bedroom, something I value very much. A couple of COMO Uma-branded hand sanitisers and masks were provided.  

Uma Villa bathroom

Next to the bedroom is the bathroom, which also doubles as a walk-in closet. It is accessed through a cute Balinese double door, which I really liked. The bathroom is equipped with a large standalone bathtub, a shower, as well as double sinks. I’m not particularly fond of standalone tubs, so I didn’t end up taking baths; however, I found the water pressure in the shower to be excellent. The bath amenities were as usual from the brand’s exceptional COMO Shambhala line, whose fresh-minty fragrance I found to be very refreshing.

Uma Villa terrace

The Uma Villas feature a small terrace and garden area, with a couple of chairs and a daybed, along with an odd outdoor shower (I have no idea what for, since the Villa does not have a pool). Bali’s monsoon season weather during my stay and the hotel’s location on the hill meant that the temperature was never sweltering during our stay. As such, the terrace became a very nice place to sit and unwind. 

From the terrace, the villa views down the Campuhan Valley down towards the river Oos, although the greenery does block a direct view towards the river. Despite that, the view was still very beautiful. 

Uma Pool Villa

The Uma Pool Villa overlooks the magnificent Campuhan Valley and features a small private infinity pool. Although not exactly a villa in the traditional sense (each two ‘villas’ are attached and share a single roof), it remains a very beautiful space with its light tones of beige and white. Like the Uma Villa, this one is likewise clad in beautiful and timeless terrazzo flooring, with a rustic thatched roof.

Uma Pool Villa bedroom

Inside, the living area and the bedroom share one space, only divided by a platform a couple of steps high. There is a desk next to the four-poster bed on the platform as well as a full living area with a sofa and chairs below. Additionally, there is also a Bose Bluetooth speaker available for use. Whilst probably not the case, the Uma Pool Villa actually felt smaller than the Uma Villa, probably due to the way the room is set up.

Uma Pool Villa bathroom

Towards the back of the room are the walk-in closet and the bathroom, which features a standalone tub, semi-indoor and outdoor showers, as well as double sinks. The water pressure here is similarly good, and so was the identical bath amenities.

Uma Pool Villa terrace

The room opens into a spacious outdoor terrace and deck that houses the breathtaking infinity pool. The deck is clad in wood and features a magnificent view of the valley below. Like the Uma Villa, it also features a daybed, a table/dining setup with two lounge chairs, and an additional two towel-clad loungers to accompany the pool.

Dining

We only dined at the hotel for breakfast, which was served at the Kemiri Restaurant, near the Shambala Retreat Spa. As with many of COMO’s property, Uma Ubud is no stranger to the brand’s commitment to health-conscious meals. The food quality is exceptionally high and rivals that of high-end resorts like Amankila and Alila Villas Uluwatu. One especially strong point I found was their pastries, which were buttery and flaky – soft on the inside, crisp on the outside – and very fragrant. Likewise, the fruit plates and fruit salads were very nice and contained five different fruits, two or three of them being very local. Fruit juices were also fresh.

Over the course of our stays, we sampled several hot mains, including an egg white omelette, chicken meatballs, red fried rice, an off-menu Eggs Royale, as well as their signature ‘Real Toast’. Nearly everything was very delicious… even the thought of their food already makes me hungry. One exception to that was the Eggs Royale, which wasn’t quite the best I’ve had in a Bali hotel; it was off-menu however, I was very impressed that they were able to whip one up last minute.

Having had my fair share of vegetable and health-oriented diets over the years, I would say COMO’s interpretations are amongst my favourite. Each dish was not only delicious, but even the heartiest-sounding dishes still remained light yet filling. Amazing! 

Resort Grounds and Amenities

Apart from the villas’ private pools, there is also a public infinity pool that views the resort’s courtyard. I found this pool to be a great alternative to actually swim in since the private pools are rather small. Next to the pool is a building housing the hotel’s pool bar, and a yoga pavilion atop it. Additionally, there is also a small but well-equipped gymnasium near the main pool.

Service

To summarise the service here, everyone was warm, professional, and courteous. The hotel staff are talkative, and yet managed to strike a careful balance between professionalism and casualness. From my interactions with the staff, they are individually very understanding and willing to go the extra mile to ensure our stay is comfortable. Everyone seemed like they took pride in their jobs. Between the reception and restaurants, there was always a manager who checked upon us (and referred to us by names, no less!) to see that everything was great. And great it was!

I was also so impressed by how proactive and hospitable everyone was. For instance, when we commented at check-out about how great their croissants were, we were generously offered to have some more. Whilst I didn’t take the offer, there’s a tinge of regret now that I reminisce on how good it was… 😛

Overall

Overall, I found COMO Uma Ubud to be an exceptional hotel, deserving of COMO Hotels and Resorts’ great reputation. The hotel is small and personalised, and also trendy but not pretentious (so far no sight of those fads of inconvenient floating breakfasts or pool floats increasingly common in other hotels). The well-kept rooms, paired with great food, and an even better staff make this place absolutely perfect – an exceptional hotel that can rival the nearby resorts. I can’t wait to be back someday.

Read more Bali resort reviews here!