Review: Aloft by Marriott Bali Seminyak

Booking Aloft by Marriott Bali Seminyak

On my trip to Bali, I had to decide which beach area to stay in. As I work toward Marriott Titanium Status, which gives members automatic Air Canada (AC) 25K status, I chose Seminyak and booked the 4 Star Aloft Seminyak by Marriott, which has a 4.7/5 rating on TripAdvisor. Nusa Dua and Ubud are other beach options. Marriott’s 5 Star Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis are located in Nusa Dua.

For 83,500 Marriott points (earned through the US Amex Marriott Brilliant card, which comes with Automatic Marriott Platinum status), I booked a 301 sq ft King bed room with a walk-on balcony for 5 nights using Marriott’s 5th night free promo. I could have saved 2,500 points a night by booking a smaller room.

I also paid for one additional night to take advantage of the Marriott promo, which awarded an additional elite night and a 2,500-point bonus for cash stays at different properties. This promo was limited to just ONE additional elite night per cash stay, so even a 6 night stay paid all in cash would still only get me one additional elite night ( I still miss Marriott’s previous double elite night promo which was much more lucrative and would have gotten me 12 elite nights for a similar cash stay, while this stay just got me 7 Elite nights, plus 2,500 bonus points ) I was seriously debating “hotel hopping” in Bali to get a few more Elite nights during the promo given the cheap cash rates in Bali, but at the end decided to just stay at this hotel.

Building Exterior – Aloft by Marriott Bali Seminyak

Getting there and Check-in

There is no Uber or Lyft in Bali, so download Ojek or Grab, the ride-share apps in the area that have dedicated pick-up points at DPS airport. Both apps accept Amex as a form of payment, so using the Scotia Gold Amex card, which doesn’t charge FX fees, is an ideal payment card since the Scene points can be used to offset the cost that codes as travel.

The hotel does offer a shuttle service, though Marriott was charging me nearly 5 times what the two apps charged. The trip cost 112,000 IDR ($1 CAD = 12,000 IDR), and the hotel was asking for 500K IDR for the approximately 40-45 minute drive.

Note: Canadian passport holders need an E-visa to visit Bali, and 3 days before arrival, they need to apply for an arrival card QR code.

Reception Desk

At check-in, I was offered an upgrade to the main floor, though I declined because I preferred the balcony (a mistake on my part, as you’ll read further). Aloft hotels are one brand in the Marriott portfolio that isn’t required to offer upgrades to guests, even elite members. So I was surprised to be offered the upgrade. Liz at the reception desk made check-in smooth; she gave me all the details, including where the amenities were located, plus additional information about the hotel. For my Titanium benefit, I chose free breakfast as my welcome gift instead of 500 points.

I also got a bucket of 3 local beers and a piece of cake as my welcome gift, along with a thoughtful handwritten note from the hotel.

Welcome Gift

Aloft Guest Room

When you enter the room, the main bathroom is on the right, with a vanity mirror and shower. Further ahead is the king bedroom, with two decorative pink lamps on either side.

Aloft Guest Room – King Bed

To the right of the bed is the fridge closet that includes an ironing board and iron. To the right of the fridge is additional storage space. To the left of the bed is the flat-screen TV. Below the TV was a bench for your luggage. To the left of the bench was a laundry bag if you wanted to do laundry at the hotel.

King Bed Room

Bathroom

Further ahead was a small table with a chair. Lastly, the walk-on balcony was at the end of the room. The balcony did face ongoing traffic, so it was a little noisier than I expected, but it was still a nice balcony to walk on and relax. The hotel does provide earplugs on the nightstand for the noise.

Attached Balcony

I did, however, change rooms and accept my earlier upgrade offer after the 1st night due to the noise at night, to a room on the 1st floor. It has no balcony, is 355 sq ft, and has the exact same layout as my previous room, with an additional futon in the corner. Malla, the client service manager, made the room change seamless.

TIP: Avoid rooms with a balcony at this hotel. The nights can get a little noisy with all the traffic. While the rooms on the main level are whisper quiet. I thought I was a sound sleeper, but this hotel proved me wrong 😂

Breakfast in Aloft by Marriott Bali Seminyak

Breakfast is served on floor A on the rooftop from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. As a Titanium member, I had access to both the buffet and à la carte menus.

Breakfast Area

The choices were plentiful. Hot foods included Western-style eggs, bacon, and sausage, as well as Balanesse-style food. Fresh fruits, pastries, and multiple juice options. The à la carte menu had multiple vegan options, plus Western-style eggs, smoothies, and coffee. Make sure not to miss breakfast!!

Breakfast Spread

Breakfast Outdoor Seating

I was impressed with both the à la carte and buffet options at breakfast, especially the Balanese options. I even had “snake fruit” (named after its scaly, snake-like skin) for the first time at breakfast… though I did have to ask for help on how to eat it.

Snake Fruit

One morning required an early start for a day tour before regular breakfast hours, so the hotel also had a “take-out breakfast” option.

Aloft by Marriott Bali Seminyak – Amenities

The gym is on Floor A (the top floor). A very basic gym consisting of two treadmills, one elliptical machine, an exercise bike, a weight machine and some free weights.

Aloft Bali Gym

The Splash rooftop pool is also on the top floor on “Floor A” with a gorgeous view. It is also where Kahuna, the hotel restaurant and bar, are where you can grab either breakfast or happy hour throughout the day

Splash Rooftop Pool

On the main floor, next to the reception desk, is the WXYZ lobby bar; on one side is a pool table, and on the opposite side is a coffee machine and microwave (no microwave in the room). The lobby bar offers ‘happy hour’: buy one, get one free from 1 pm to 5 pm, and 20% off from 5 pm to 8 pm. From 8 pm – 10 pm, another buy-one-get-one-free offer is available at their house bar, WXYZ Bar, on the main floor across from reception. (Bill can be charged to the room)

Reception Bar

The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle into town to Seminyak Square and the local hot spot in the area, Finn’s Beach Club (a must-visit for the ambiance!), departing at 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 6 pm. They do not offer a shuttle back. If you are adventurous, take a Grab motorbike instead of a Taxi in the evening to experience a true Balinese ride back home.

Takeaway

Other than having to change rooms after my 1st night, I did enjoy my stay. The ground-floor rooms are a carbon copy of the ones with a balcony. While the amenities were basic, the hotel does meet the basic needs you may have while away. The staff were youthful, helpful, and knowledgeable…. Balinese hospitality at its best !!

If you are looking for a little isolation and seclusion away from everything, this isn’t the hotel for you. Though it’s not the walk-on-beach property Bali is known for, the rooftop Infinity pool is an ideal place if you are looking to get away and relax. I found the hotel catered to more a younger crowd that is looking for a higher paced vacation vs a “chill at the beach” vacation that Bali is also known for.

I spent my vacation exploring Bali rather than lying on the beach, including a side trip to Komodo Island, an hour flight away (I highly recommend this side trip if you visit Bali!), so I wasn’t looking for a beach resort when picking my hotel. However, if relaxing on the beach is more your thing, plenty of options on points in Bali.

For a 4-star hotel, I would give this place a 7/10. … the amenities were lacking for a Marriott 4-star hotel, in my opinion. Though I had no real complaints with my stay, I would give the amazing staff here, who always remembered my name with a smile at reception and breakfast, a 10/10!

While I appreciated it being closer to the “downtown” area, that may not be for everyone. Their friendly, amazing staff, though, is another reason I would come back.

Semoga Perjalananmu Aman ✈️