Notice: JakartaPotato stayed as a guest of Amanresorts, although all opinions are wholly those of the author.

Built in 1992, Aman Villas at Nusa Dua is originally the private residential villas of the former Amanusa resort. As such, each of the villas has subtle design touches that result from the requests of each owner. Amanusa itself has closed and is soon to reopen as the Kimpton Naranta. The compound has only six villas, although it hasn’t always been this way. The remaining villas of the compound were taken independent of Amanresorts by their owners to form the Revivō Wellness Resort, which otherwise looks identical to Aman Villas at Nusa Dua.

Aman Complimentary Transfer

As is standard at Amans in Indonesia, Aman Villas at Nusa Dua offers complimentary transfers islandwide for its guests. The Aman Villas team contacted me the day before my arrival to reconfirm our transfer. At the airport, I was met with by our driver, who held up a paper sign which said ‘Aman’. After confirming that we were his guests, he proactively took care of our bags and walked us to the car, a standard-issue 2019 Toyota Innova. Waiting for us inside were cold towels and many bottles of water.

Location

Unlike most other resorts in the area, Aman Villas isn’t located within the ITDC Nusa Dua gated community. Instead, it lies just outside it, alongside several other resorts like the St. Regis Bali, the enormous Mulia Resort complex, the stalled Shangri-La Bali, as well as The Balé Nusa Dua. There isn’t anything in the direct vicinity of Aman Villas, although Aman provides a complimentary car service that can shuttle guests anywhere within Nusa Dua. 

Arrival and Check-In

There was a thorough security check as soon as we arrived at the compound’s entrance, typical of any Bali resort. As we pulled outside our villa, we were welcomed by the tiger statue sitting outside the entrance. You’re not imagining things if you think it looks familiar. After all, this statue is a replica of the sacred stone tiger guarding the ancient Hindu shrine at Amandari! Note that each villa has a different entrance artwork, catering to the different interests of each owner.

The tiger wasn’t the only one to greet us, as the very warm and friendly general manager, Michel Bachmann stood by the entrance to welcome us. He kindly brought us around on a quick tour of the massive villa as one of our butlers came to introduce himself. On a tray in his hand were also refreshing glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice to welcome us to the villa. As all this happened, our luggage was quietly brought to our room in the background. Now this is Aman! 😀

After ensuring that we were comfortable, Michel left us with our butler, who brought us to our suite to complete the check-in formalities. After signing a few documents and leaving our credit card details, the check-in was done! Honestly, this has to be one of the smoothest arrival experiences I’ve had on the island. Even Amandari and Amankila couldn’t compete at this level!

Our Four Bedroom Villa

During check-in, General Manager Michel explained that the entire ~3,500 sqm villa is a single booking party regardless of how many rooms are booked. Disregarding the excessive nature of that, this ensured an extraordinary level of privacy unafforded at any other hotel in Bali.

I did feel that the sheer size of the place made it a bit wasteful for just two people since there were a lot of spaces that we didn’t use. As such, I would love to return with several friends or relatives next time!

Main Pavilion

The largest building in the villa compound is aptly called the Main Pavilion. This building takes up most of the massive ~38,000 sqft real estate, located inside which is a couple of the villa’s main living amenities. It also houses two of Villa 5’s four bedrooms, which are located on the ground level.

Much of the villa revolves around the Main Pavilion, which is accessible from the entrance via a walkway from the staircase or from the pool. Inside, there is a staircase leading upstairs, where the living room and dining room are located. You’ll notice a large artwork across the stairs, which happens to be customised pieces from local artisans to reflect the profile of the villa’s owner. Each villa will have different artworks as a result.

Dining room

Beside the staircase is the Main Pavilion’s dining area, which features a large dining table with 10 seats. This is also the most formal of the many potential dining spots scattered around the villa and where dinner is usually served. Beside the table is a small kitchen island with a sink, where the chef could prepare some meals. Note, however, that there is a full kitchen separately located in the staff quarters, where most meals are prepared.

Living room

On the other side of the Main Pavilion is the living area, which is complete with a long sofa and two lounge chairs. This is also accompanied by a daybed placed on the terrace outside, which views the pool and gardens. Given the breezy environment of the Main Pavilion, the living area is a great place to read a book or even take an afternoon nap. 😉

Dining Pavilion

Located down the main flight of stairs from the entrance is the dining pavilion, where meals can alternatively be taken. The Dining Balé, as it’s called, features a large circular table that seats eight people. Curiously, the table is equipped with a glass dinner-table turntable, which you don’t see often outside Chinese restaurants. Regardless, the balé views the villa’s expansive pool and gardens, making it a phenomenal place to have breakfast.

Library

The library is located one flight of stairs down from the dining bale and is self-contained in a rectangular-shaped building. Across it is a small pond and daybed, which it shares with the out-of-use master bedroom. There is also a bathroom next to the library, which is convenient.

The library features two large sofas alongside two lounge seats, all of which view the wall-mounted HD television. By the wall there is also a small desk table that seats four. Here you’ll find the standard-issue Aman Book available at any other resort. Sadly, however, there weren’t many books in the library and not any that piqued my interest. Your mileage may vary, though, since each library is catered to the liking of its individual owners.

The inside of the library was kept very cold all day long, in which I could sit for hours reading or working. This is in massive contrast to the hot and humid weather the Nusa Dua peninsula is known for! In any case, it might be apt to call this space an entertainment room. In the dark, the cosy sofas and lounge chairs make the library a very nice place to socialise or even watch a movie with your friends or family

Our Suite

Since we were the only guests in the villa, we occupied bedroom C, which is probably the nicest of the four suites in the villa. This suite has the benefit of having a small enclosed yard, alongside a large outdoor daybed next to it. Bedroom C is also fenced off and separated from the rest of the villa with a small Balinese gate, which I thought was cute.

Bedroom

Whilst the outside of the bedrooms may look different, the four share an identical layout and interior. For one, the marble and stone-clad rooms share the same look as the suites at the bygone Amanusa resort. I personally though that the Kerry Hill-designed interiors were beautiful albeit a bit dark at some hours.

Despite being part of a much larger villa, the bedrooms are pretty much self-contained. Each bedroom has its own bathroom and living space. Bedroom C, in particular, features a large desk on one side alongside a small sofa across the bed. There is also a fully equipped minibar and swivelling television on the other. Like at many Amans, the in-room fruit platter in the room was topped up whenever the room was serviced (which is a lot of times!). There were also banana chips and peanuts provided as snacks, along with endless bottles of water. 

The comfortable bed features a mosquito net canopy, which is unfurled in the afternoon. I also found it thoughtful that there are universal power outlets on the nightstand. Very nice!

Bathroom

Our suite’s bathroom is located right behind the bedroom and isn’t enclosed from the rest of the suite. Its vanity area combines the double sinks with a large closet space, alongside a padded bench in the centre. The bathroom has windows that view into a walled water garden.

Next to and behind the left sink is both an indoor and an outdoor shower, each complete with a rain shower. As expected at Aman, none of the bath amenities were branded. However, they were expectedly very high quality and the ones at Aman Villas Nusa Dua has a wonderful tuberose scent. 

What I really liked about the bathroom was the deep-soaking sunken bathtub, which is potentially big enough for two. Likewise, is complemented by two terry cloth-lined bath pillows, alongside bath salts. The bathtub is on the same level as the water garden it views, which combined with the provided candle can make for a very beautiful scene.

On the opposite side of the indoor shower is the toilet cubicle. Sadly, the toilet itself hasn’t been renewed to the excellent Toto Neorest Washlet toilets you’d find at other Amanresorts like Amankila and Amanjiwo. At the very least, a handheld bidet is available, which is a common sight you’d see in Indonesia.

I’ll add that I’m a bit fan of the seemingly unlimited towels scattered throughout the bathroom, which gives a cosy feel to the otherwise cold marble room. Despite the beautiful setting, the space admittedly is a bit dark for my liking. Of course, this isn’t a problem exclusive to Aman Villas, as I consistently find this to be the case at any other 1990s-built villa resort.

Turndown

Like any Aman, turndown service usually entails a small gift being left on the bed. On the first night, we received a pair of gecko-shaped bookmarks. Subsequently, we received a pair of Aman Villas-branded polo shirts, which didn’t come with an explanatory pamphlet. In any case, these gifts were a lot more pragmatic than those at Amankila or Amandari.

Pool

Our villa, Villa 5, boasts a phenomenal 50m pool – the longest of the six villas at the compound. This was said to be a specific request of the owner, who happens to love swimming. The pool faces a small stream, which is covered in thick greenery and trees. Swimming in that pool with such an unparalleled level of privacy had to be one of the most wonderful swimming experiences I’ve had on the island!

Next to the pool are four pairs of sun loungers, more than enough for all the potential guests occupying the four suites at the villa. Accompanying the sun loungers are also a couple of patio tables, located by the main pavilion behind the pool.

The pool also has a small dedicated bathroom with a shower and toilet. This bathroom is located across the dining bale, featuring an outdoor shower with a handheld showerhead.

Beach

Like Amanusa, neither the Aman Villas nor the Revivō Resort is adjacent to a beach. In a similar arrangement to the Renaissance Nusa Dua, Aman rents a small plot on the public Mengiat Beach, which sits a bit north of the old Amanusa Beach Club. This lies between Merusaka Resort and Ayodya Resort and shares a stretch with the enormous Grand Hyatt Bali.

The beach got rather crowded at certain times given its public access and the fact that our stay went over a bank holiday weekend, although the small Aman area is expectedly closed to the public. Of course, this wasn’t an ideal arrangement, but I understand the difficulty of securing a nice plot by the sea given that virtually all plots in the area are occupied. There are shower stalls at the beach club, which I found serves its purpose well!

Mustain, the beach attendant was an absolute delight and was probably the star of our stay! He attended to each of our requests and was very quick to respond to everything. I had a minor injury on my foot whilst walking back from the edge of the beach near the St. Regis and he showed up within minutes of contact! Thanks so much 🙂

Dining

Although a comprehensive menu was provided, Michel advised me that they were more like guidelines rather than a fixed menu. That is to say that it is possible to order off-menu, but that requires some advance notice given the nature of the property. As such, we mostly stuck to the menu when we dined in the villa. In any case, I felt that the quality of the food was excellent and very well prepared.

Breakfast

The breakfast was very well done, and something I looked forward to having each day. We partook in the meal at the dining pavilion, which has a lovely ambiance in the morning. Additionally, General Manager Michel regularly checked on us each day to ensure everything was great. And great it was. The pastries were fragrant, soft, and flaky on the outside. The fruit plate was similarly excellent, and I loved that they had mangoes and mangosteens.

The mains I sampled were all exceptional and very high quality. Throughout the stay, I tried their Banana Pancakes, the Eggs Royale, and the Gypsy Eggs. Of the three, I was especially fond of the Gypsy Eggs, which I think has a perfect balance of hearty and fresh.

As such, I felt that the food at Aman Villas was beyond exceptional. It is on par with Amankila (if not better), which is widely regarded to have the best food among the Indonesian Amanresorts. Admittedly, I did miss Amankila’s spectacular Moroccan Donuts, which I’m sure the chef could whip up assuming enough notice. 😉

Dinner

Given the nature of the villas, it is possible to request any food from any establishment outside to be served in the villa. I felt that this was an amenity that reflects the incredible service levels of Aman Villas. However, I also chose to have dinner a couple of times, ordering off the menu. For one, I especially loved the grilled Mahi Mahi fish which was superbly prepared by the chef. In fact, it was so good that I had it twice! Yum! I also sampled the Grilled Pork Ribs on the menu, which was nice but a bit salty for my liking.

Service

The service we received at Aman Villas at Nusa Dua was amongst the best we’ve had anywhere on the island, if not the best! Everyone at our villa had a strong sense of the Aman Ethos the brand is known for. Outside the other Amans, such levels of formal-yet-family-like service could maybe only be seconded by the old Tandjung Sari in Sanur. Each villa is assigned two butlers and a chef, in addition to various other people working different roles. I’ll note that in particular, the discreetness and unparalleled personalisation made the service at the villas extra special.

In addition to the wonderfully pleasant General Manager Michel Bachmann, we found our chief butler, Komang, to be impressively present and proactively at service. As we made our way back to the villa, Komang was already waiting at the entrance with a first aid kit to assist me. In that, I’ll also have to make another special mention of Mustain at the beach, who was lovely and incredible at entertaining all our needs.

Overall

I found Aman Villas at Nusa Dua to be an phenomenal place to stay. The whole place made it feel like one is staying at a private house (which it technically is) and reminded me a lot of the magic of Aman. The Aman ethos was very strong with this team, and that single-handedly made this stay exceptional. Add to the fact that the place was desolate of any arrogant influencers and their photographers (and if there were, I wouldn’t have known), which made the stay so very much more exceptional.