Introduction
I've stayed at a lot of resorts in Bali, and I went into Mandapa half expecting to be let down. Ritz-Carlton Reserve is Marriott's most exclusive label (there are only a handful of them in the world), and in my experience the fancier the name, the bigger the gap between the photos and the real thing.
That didn't happen here. Mandapa is the best resort I've stayed at in Bali, and I don't say that lightly.
It opened in 2015 on the Ayung River just outside Ubud and it's small, with only 60 keys: 35 suites and 25 pool villas. There's a working rice field right in the middle of the property, and the whole place steps down a hillside from the lobby to the river. It isn't perfect, and I'll get to the few things that bugged me, but I had to look quite hard to find them.
Location
Mandapa is down in the Ayung valley, west of central Ubud. That means you can't walk into town. The cafés, shops and restaurants of central Ubud are a drive away, so if you like wandering out for dinner every evening, keep that in mind.
Personally, I loved it. Ubud central town has become commercialised and congested so it's no longer enjoyable. Staying in the jungle and going to town for a day makes a much better trip.
First Impressions
The arrival sets the tone straight away. At the entrance, the staff tie a little bracelet around your wrist for good luck and protection, which I thought was a really sweet touch.
Then they take you to the open-air lobby, which sits right at the top edge of the property. You can look over the railing and see almost the whole resort below you, down to the river. I had a cold towel and an herbal welcome drink here, and the drink was genuinely delicious.
The best part is that there's no front desk. Instead, your butler takes you down the hill in a buggy, giving you a little tour on the way, and shows you around your room first. Only then do you check in, sitting down in your own villa. Nobody asked for my passport or any ID until that point, and after years of queuing at hotel counters, I loved that.
The room key is made of carved wood, and there were pastries and three handwritten notes waiting inside.
Mandapa Suite
I tried more than one category at Mandapa, and they're very different stays, so it's worth knowing what you're booking.
The suites are around 100sqm, which is already big. Many of them have balconies looking out over the rice fields and down onto the villas, and honestly, that view from up high can be even better than the view from the villas themselves. If a suite is your budget, you're not missing out on the Mandapa experience. If there's one thing I'd critic: there's a lot of empty spaces that the room doesn't feel as cozy as it should.
Ubud Pool Villa
The Ubud Pool Villas are something else. Mine was about 400sqm including the outdoor space, which makes it the biggest room I've ever stayed in, anywhere. You walk in along stepping stones past your own little water feature, and inside, the bedroom has really high ceilings, a big chandelier, and carved and painted wood everywhere you look. There isn't a single plain wall. There are also shutters behind the bed that close fully, so you can make the room properly dark at night.
The bathroom was my favourite part of the villa:
- Carved wooden basins, which I'd never seen before
- Marble all the way to the ceiling (a lot of hotels stop halfway up and you can tell)
- A bathtub looking out onto the garden and pool
- An indoor rain shower with great water pressure
- An outdoor shower with even better pressure, looking into the jungle. It's the best outdoor shower I've had in Bali.
My one complaint about the room is a small one. The coffee machine is an Illy that doesn't make espresso, which surprised me at this price. If you need a proper espresso first thing, you'll be ordering it.
Outside, the private infinity pool is huge, and if you swim to the far end you look straight out over the rice fields to the jungle beyond. Next to the pool there's a second, separate air-conditioned pavilion, with its own sitting area and a TV hidden in a cabinet (it took me an embarrassingly long time to find it).
At night, the pool, the trees and the paths all light up. I ended up staying up far too late both nights, just sitting outside by the pool.
Dining
Walk to breakfast instead of taking the buggy. The path takes you past the kids' camp, over a little brook and along a narrow track through the middle of the rice paddies, with the river down below. It was easily the nicest walk to breakfast I've ever had, and I did it both mornings.
The breakfast itself is excellent, one of the best I've had in Bali. The buffet is huge and mixes Western and Asian food. My highlights:
- The noodle soup station, where they make a bowl however you like. I had several every morning.
- A pastry section with its own oven, so you can warm up your danish or croissant yourself. I've never seen this before and I wish every hotel did it.
- An egg station, a local pancake made fresh, and all the usual Western favourites like hash browns and French toast
- A big salad bar and a juice bar with far more choice than normal
On top of the buffet, there's a full menu you can order from as much as you like.
Up near the lobby there's also Ambar, a bar and Japanese fusion restaurant on the cliff edge, with live jazz and sunset views. I have to be honest here: I didn't eat there, because I spent both evenings at Kubu, so I can't tell you how the food is.
Kubu
Kubu is Mandapa's signature restaurant, and if you only have one big dinner in Ubud, I'd make it this one. It's a large bamboo structure right beside the river, with a few private bamboo "cocoons" you can dine in.
The cocoons get booked up well in advance, but one opened up on my first night and my butler messaged me straight away, so I got to try both. My tip: book a regular table by the river instead. The cocoons are private and romantic, but their walls block a lot of the river view, and I actually preferred the open table on my second night.
I had the ten-course tasting menu (there's a meat version and a vegetarian version), and it took about three hours, which is the longest dinner I've ever had. A lot of the dishes had flavours I'd honestly never tasted before. The steak main was quite small, but by that point I'd eaten so much that I didn't mind. The service was lovely too, and they handled allergies and swaps without any fuss. Overall, a very good meal and well worth it for a special night.
The Pools and the Spa
The main pool is an infinity pool looking out over the rice fields, with thick cushioned loungers and a warmer second pool facing the river. One thing I loved: they bring you a free coconut whenever you sit down, decorated with leaves and with the Mandapa logo pressed into it. Every other resort I've stayed at in Bali charges for coconuts. I never once saw the pools crowded, either.
The one downside is that you can't swim after dark, which is a shame, because that's when the pools look their best.
The spa is where Mandapa really stands out for me, because the facilities are free for all guests, even if you don't book a treatment. Here's what's included:
- A welcome honey drink at the entrance (I kept going back for this)
- A steam room with little star lights in the ceiling
- A small sauna with a window looking into the jungle
- An ice station to cool down
- An outdoor pool up the hill overlooking the river, with really strong water jets
- A relaxation lounge with tea and river views, which at most resorts is only for people having a treatment
Treatments themselves cost extra, as you'd expect. The gym is small, but it has everything you need and a nice jungle view.
Right outside the spa, there are two big round chairs looking down at the river. This became my favourite spot in the whole resort, and I spent most of my afternoons there. The Ayung is one of Bali's main rafting rivers, so rafts float past all day. The rafters look up, see you sitting there, and wave, and you wave back. By the second day I was waving at every single boat like it was my job. I'd actually done the rafting trip myself on the day I arrived, and I floated right past the resort I was about to check into, which was a pretty funny moment in hindsight.
There's also a daily schedule of activities, like cooking, crafts and a turmeric tea making session when I was there. And a practical note: the walk back up to the lobby is a long, winding hill, so use the buggies if it's hot.
Kids Club
Mandapa does welcome children, and it has its own kids' space called Mandapa Camp. It's an open-air bamboo building halfway down the hill, with activities like organic gardening, Balinese kite flying, walks through the rice paddies and feeding the cows, plus slides inside. You can drop off kids 4+ here and wander off, under 4 would require parental supervision or a private nanny.
Service
The service at Mandapa was the best I've had in Bali.
Every guest gets a butler, and mine was available on WhatsApp the whole time, for restaurant bookings or any random question. He always replied quickly. Whenever I left the resort, even just for an afternoon, he'd walk up to the lobby to say goodbye.
My favourite moment was coming back from dinner one night to find the villa decorated for a birthday from earlier in the trip, with a cake and a box of macarons, because he'd somehow picked up that I love macarons. I still don't know how he knew!
Everyone else was just as warm. Staff greet you on the paths, the buggy drivers say hello, and nobody ever hovers. Nothing went wrong during my stay.
The Verdict
Overall: 9/10
Mandapa is my favourite resort in Bali. It's perfect if you want a few days to properly switch off, with great food, a lot to do on the property, and a room you won't want to leave.
A few tips if you're booking:
- Stay at least three nights. Two nights isn't enough to enjoy the spa, the pools and Kubu without rushing.
- Suites are already four figures a night, and the Ubud Pool Villas are about double. The suites are lovely, but if your budget stretches, the villa is the one you'll remember.
- It's bookable on Marriott points, which is how a lot of people make a stay here affordable.
Would I fly to Bali just to stay at Mandapa? Yes, and there aren't many places I'd say that about.
Booking Mandapa With Perks
As a Marriott STARS travel agency, MT Luxury Travel secures exclusive benefits for our clients at Marriott properties worldwide, at no additional cost:
Complimentary daily breakfast for two guests
Room upgrade upon arrival, subject to availability
$100+ USD property credit per stay
Early check-in and late checkout priority
VIP recognition and welcome amenities
Booking is simple: send us a quick message with the hotel, your dates, room type and number of guests, and we'll take care of the rest.
