Having opened in 2015, Maya Sanur is the second and latest of the two Maya Resorts in Bali. Like its older and more established sister resort in Ubud, Maya Sanur was designed by the notable Indonesian architect, Budiman Hendropurnomo. Hendropurnomo was also behind the radical looks of Anantara Uluwatu and The Apurva Kempinski in Sawangan.

Maya Sanur lies on a relatively small 1.3-hectare plot with 103 rooms and suites. The plot is long and narrow, similar to that at Le Meridien Jimbaran, requiring the resort to be shaped as such too.

Location

Maya Sanur is located in the middle section of Jalan Danau Tamblingan, Sanur’s main thoroughfare. The resort neighbours the exclusive Batujimbar Estate residential neighbourhood to the north and the expansive Bali Hyatt complex to the south. Within walking distance are many independent eateries and cafés, including the popular Sala Bistro, as well as the newly reopened Batujimbar Café.

Arrival and Check-in

We arrived at Maya Sanur at 18.30 after a long drive from Tabanan, on the west side of the island. Following a brief but thorough security check, we were dropped off at the resort’s impressive porte-cochère. A friendly porter immediately took our bags from the car’s boot whilst another walked us to check in. Since everyone at the reception was busy handling other guests, we were invited to sit down in the lobby and sip on their welcome drink of mixed juice. It was here that I noticed that the lobby’s ceiling is composed of packed charcoal… how creative?!

When an associate became available, the check-in was quickly processed and we were then well on our way to our room. Not long after, our luggage was delivered by the porter. Not bad at all!

Our Impressive Nest Suite

I must say, did Maya Resorts get their room category name ideas from W Hotels? Anyhoo, we were booked into an ‘Impressive Nest Suite’ that’s sized at 61 sqm. Whilst it is quite spacious, I wasn’t sure what made it a suite… it was really just one very spacious room, without even a living room.

At the foyer by the entrance of the room is the shared area for the closet and the minibar. The closet itself is quite small, since it is further subdivided with a built-in luggage rack. Sadly the space on top of it is devoid of more hangers for clothing. In addition, the minibar conveniently features a coffee machine and curiously, a Maya Sanur-branded paper bag.

Bedroom

Inside the bedroom are a desk, two lounge chairs, a long clothed bench, in addition to the bed(s). The design is similar to that at Maya Ubud, in the sense that the furniture looks modern and contemporary. However, I wasn’t sure what the canvas headboard artwork depicted, and I’m not sure it’ll age very well.

Furthermore, the bedroom features a mixed-media wood and marble flooring. To add even more texture, there is a contemporary-looking carpet covering the floor under the two lounge chairs and its complementary coffee table. The long bench by the television wall doubled as seating space, its surface is really hard and thus, uncomfortable to sit on.

Again, despite its designation as a suite, I saw no distinguishing feature that merits its categorisation. Surely the suite feels spacious, but it sadly doesn’t have a proper living area. Regardless, I found the suite to be very comfortable and practically designed, featuring many power outlets and seating choices.

Bathroom

Like the bedroom, the bathroom actually felt quite spacious. It comprises two separate sinks, alongside a separate shower and standalone bathtub. Whilst I’m normally not a fan of standalone bathtubs, I did like that they placed a platform close to the tub, serving as a surface to place toiletries. In addition, there’s also a decorative wooden stool that also doubles as a surface to place soap and shampoo bottles, too.

Having said that, the soap and shampoo came in porcelain dispensers, which are a nice touch compared to the plastic dispensers at other resorts. They had a soft jasmine scent and was of decent quality.

The shower cubicle is placed closest to the entrance and is equipped with both rain and handheld showerheads. There is also a bench beneath the shower. In addition, the water pressure and temperature was quite good, which I appreciated.

Balcony

The balcony is probably what gives the room its name. Like a nest, the large daybed on the balcony is wrapped in a tall green fence that stands from floor to ceiling. The daybed also has a tarp hung behind it for privacy reasons. The balcony views the resort’s expansive lagoon pool as well as its greenery, which I thought it quite nice!

Resort Grounds and Amenities

As expected from the design of Budiman Hendropurnomo, the resort looks very contemporary. The resort incorporates many modern design cues, featuring sleek clean lines and green walls. In fact, despite its relatively small plot size, I was so impressed by how lush the resort felt. The prominence of greenery and plants surely made Maya Sanur feel a lot more inviting.

Pools

Despite its small plot, Maya Sanur was able to squeeze in four pools. The most prominent of the four is its lagoon pool, which is probably also the resort’s focal point. The lagoon impressively extends some 158 metres along the length of the resort. Where one side is lined by successive sleek daybeds, the other is bordered by the resort’s lagoon-access rooms. Whilst a bit narrow, I found the design of the pool to be very inviting, mimicking my sentiments about the pools at Maya Ubud.

Near one end of the lagoon pool are the family and kids pools. These pools are much smaller and share their space with the resort’s ‘Wonderful Pool Access’ rooms, which somehow could accommodate up to five adults. The kid’s pool is located at the far end of the area and is a lot shallower, as expected.

Finally, the resort also features a nice infinity pool located by the beachside. This pool is close to their Tree Bar and is surrounded by many sun loungers. Since this pool was incessantly occupied during my stay, I wasn’t able to get a good picture of it. Instead, the following is derived from the resort’s website.

Beach

Despite being relatively new, the resort impressively features direct beach access. However, note that the stretch of beach the resort opens to is relatively narrow, fitting only a handful of sun loungers on the beach. In addition, there is also a well-constructed stone pathway that stretches the entirety of Sanur Beach, making it a desirable place for a morning jog.

As expected from Sanur Beach, the sand is a pale shade of yellow and remains quite clean. Since the waves are further down the bay, the beach is perfectly swimmable. Perhaps to make up for the narrow beachfront, the resort has also incorporated sand into its lawn by their all-day Mayasari Restaurant.

Yoga Patio

A flight of stairs above their restaurant is the Yoga Patio. From here, there are gorgeous views of the sea and the resort’s infinity pool. This terrace also connects to the resort’s aptly-named Tree Bar, which is indeed shaded beneath trees. Despite that, I found that the terrace got quite hot during the day.

Rooftop 360

Finally, what’s perhaps Maya Sanur’s most unique and distinguishing feature is its green rooftop. As its name suggests, it is possible to get a 360° view of Sanur from this space. The rooftop is completely covered in grass, giving some much needed traction to the ground. Again, I also liked that the resort incorporates many Balinese design features, including the prevalence of kulkul towers by the front of the resort’s façade.

Gymnasium

The resort has a relatively small but well-equipped gymnasium on the ground floor. The gym features modern equipment, along with views of the resort’s sleek lagoon pool. Since the gym was a bit packed during my visit, I wasn’t able to take a picture. Despite that, the below picture from the resort’s website does a good job illustrating one side of the gym.

Service

Unlike the borderline aggressive service we experienced at Maya Ubud, the staff here were comparatively a lot warmer and friendlier. Whilst I wouldn’t consider the service to be personalised or proactive, everyone I encountered was generally pleasant. For instance, the resort’s staff wouldn’t hesitate to greet or at least nod in acknowledgement of the guests. In addition, the porters at the entrance are really quite helpful when we had any questions about directions.

Overall

Overall, I think Maya Sanur is an excellent contemporary resort located in the midst of the Batujimbar neighbourhood. Despite its small size, the resort has shown itself to be more than capable to compete over more established rivals like the nearby Hyatt Regency, or even the Andaz. Between the friendly service, modern rooms, and nice facilities, I won’t hesistate to stay here again.

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