Opened in 2013, Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua is evidently one of the newest resorts in the gated Nusa Dua area. Set on a sprawling 8-hectare plot, the resort is huge; its 415 rooms have the ability to house at least 830 people at any given time! Furthermore, the resort’s design is very stylish and contemporary, a stark difference from its much older neighbours.

As expected from Sofitel, the resort obsessively markets itself on its French flair and chic design. However, as exemplified by the similarly marketed Le Meridien Bali, fashion doesn’t necessarily make a hotel great. So, is life magnifique at the Sofitel?

Location

The Sofitel is located within Nusa Dua’s ITDC gated community, also home to many upmarket chain resorts like Grand Hyatt and Marriott’s Luxury Collection. Merely entering the area requires a security check; this is understandable since the area often hosts high-profile events like the 2022 G20 Summit. Its organised nature, however, made it feel sterile compared to the rest of culturally-rich Bali. As such, I’d say the location is not ideal for those who wish to explore the island (particularly without a car).

That said, I frankly understand the area’s appeal. Its beaches are swimmable, well-kept, and feature pristine white sand. That relaxation factor alone gives it a strong appeal compared to many popular areas in the rest of Bali. While there isn’t much else to do in the immediate vicinity of the area, the popular water sports area of Benoa is just 10 minutes away by car. The cliffs of Uluwatu and the massive Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue can also be traversed within 30 minutes by car.

Most dining establishments here are located inside the many resorts, but there are also a few popular Balinese warungs nearby, just outside the compound’s entrance. The notable Balinese suckling pork eatery, Sari Dewi Bp. Dobiel, for instance, can be reached within a 20-25 minute walk.

Arrival and Check-in

Following a security check at the entrance, we pulled into the Sofitel’s impressive porte-cochère at 14.00. A friendly porter quickly showed up and took care of our luggage, before escorting us past the beautiful lobby to the check-in area. There, we were welcomed with a ‘bonjour!‘ by the courteous check-in agent, before being quickly registered. After a brief conversation while taking copies of our IDs, we were handed our room keys. Following check-in, we were offered a welcome drink at the resort’s Le Bar, which was a nice touch.

To this point, I was very impressed with the speed and efficiency of the check-in process, all while making us feel welcome. While it was a very busy period, we didn’t have to wait long for anything. This was miles in contrast to our rather disappointing stay at the Mövenpick Jimbaran a few months earlier, let alone that at Le Meridien.

We got slightly lost when looking for our room, being assigned a room numbered 21XX that’s located on level 1. It didn’t occur to me that the first digit stood for the building number, followed by the floor. As such, be sure to take a resort map, it would be useful to prevent getting lost.

Our Luxury Room

Bedroom

We booked an entry-level ‘Luxury Room’, and were assigned a room facing the garden and parking lot. I was honestly very pleased upon entering the room; the space frankly looked well-appointed and very modern, all while featuring subtle Balinese design touches (how chic!). At only 48 sqm, I was impressed with how spacious the room felt – it is certainly very well-proportioned. The bed was comfortable and felt particularly plush, high marks for that! I also absolutely loved that there are many table surfaces, making it convenient to place items. Though the room does not have a desk per se, I loved its small dining table setup that doubles as a desk.

The room opens into a nice and similarly spacious balcony viewing the garden, equipped with a pair of rocking chairs and a convenient drying rack. Unfortunately, the rocking chairs were very uncomfortable, making it difficult to spend time out there.

Bathroom

While the room is very impressive, the bathroom is not. While I’d say that the space looks aesthetically pleasing, it is not very functional. The standalone bathtub takes its time to fill, yet is uncomfortable for long soaks. The partially enclosed shower, on the other hand, leaves the bathroom completely soaking wet after each use.

Furthermore, the resort’s average house-branded bath gel and shampoo were in large refillable bottles that were fixed onto the wall, making it difficult when you’re using the bathtub (perhaps deliberately?). While both weren’t bad, we had been used to the nicer Lanvin and Hermes-branded toiletries at other Sofitels. As such the bathing experience left a lot to be desired, sadly.

Dining

At the Sofitel, we only dined for breakfast, which was included in our rate. The meal is served at the pan-Asian all-day dining restaurant, Kwee Zeen. don’t you think the name sounds like a Seychellois Creole rendition of the word cuisine? How cute. Interestingly, I later found out that the restaurant’s name is used repeatedly in several other Sofitels in Asia. The restaurant is located down the lobby’s grand staircase and is very well-staffed. It took moment for us to get seated, and it was never a minute for drinks to be topped up or for plates to be cleared. How brilliant!

As expected, the restaurant is massive and offers a very large spread of dishes served buffet style. The selection is impressively varied and includes choices from Indonesian, Western, Indian, Chinese, and other cuisines. Interestingly, the restaurant also had instant noodles as an option.

Sadly, the food I sampled wasn’t very good in terms of taste, nor did they seem to be high-quality. I was also rather disappointed by the poor quality of pastries, especially at a hotel that markets on its ‘Frenchness’. Nevertheless, some things still tasted fresh and were reasonably good, like the usual breakfast omelette, as well as their fruits and juices. 

Resort Grounds and Amenities

Pool

Among the strengths of the Nusa Dua mega-resorts are definitely their pools, and the Sofitel is definitely no exception. The resort’s pools are beautiful and modern, unlike those at many of the neighbouring resorts. The largest section, in particular, had a spectacular size and featured lagoons that extended along the length of the resort’s buildings. The pools were even better empty, as it had surprisingly been at one point during my stay. It felt very surreal being there alone and I thoroughly enjoyed swimming in them.

Beach

True to its full name, the Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort, features direct beach access right behind the resort. Their stretch of beach features many loungers reserved solely for Sofitel guests, although they did not look particularly inviting to me. Here, the resort also operates the Manarai Beach Club which is open to outside guests. While the beach itself didn’t look particularly beautiful during low tide, it has the merit of having calm, swimmable waters and pristine white sand. Nusa Dua, after all, features some of the island’s nicer hotel-equipped beaches. 

While the beach is occupied by Sofitel-owned facilities, do note that all of Bali’s beaches are public. This means that you can expect a steady flow of uniformed (or ‘licensed’) hawkers proactively going about offering their products to everyone in sight. While I didn’t mind it too much, some were very adamant and persistent, which I found to be a bit discomforting. However, I don’t reckon that the resort has much that it can do about this.

Service

As expected from a resort of this size, service is not personalised – so do expect many questions about your room number. But even so, the Sofitel probably triumphs at the top of its class. Every staff member I encountered was courteous and polite, and they proactively greeted every guest with a smile. I am also very impressed with how quickly and efficiently every request was handled. When it came to that, everyone was proactive and helpful. Absolute class!

Overall

While I’m not especially fond of Nusa Dua, I did enjoy my stay here. I found the Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua to be an excellent resort for its class. In particular, I was very impressed with the plush room and its design, as well as the staff’s competency in delivering service (considering the size of the hotel). I also really liked the gargantuan pool, swimming in which was a very relaxing experience. Overall, I can also see how this resort would be perfect for families with children, given its scale and variety of amenities.

So, is life magnifique at Sofitel? Well, yes and no. I feel it very well boils down to one’s expectations when staying here. If you’re travelling as a family, or perhaps just looking for a relatively upmarket beach getaway, there’s no question, the Sofitel could very well be magnifique. However, it might be less so for those seeking a more personalised and intimate experience (unless you are booked into their villas). Nor is it great for those wanting to explore the island since Nusa Dua isn’t a convenient base for that.

Read more Bali resort reviews here!