I would like to share about my next accommodation in Bali and this time around I will be in the Avani Seminyak and staying for 2 nights. I planned to use some of my Discovery Dollars here to soften the blow, especially when hotel prices are expensive during the week-long local holidays. This will also allow me to accrue one brand stay and kick start my requalification for GHA Titanium status. I will have to stay at 3 different brand within a year to retain my status. The Avani Seminyak have a really good location and you are right where the crowd is. You can easily walk to Sisterfields cafe and that is as central as it gets. I hope that this will be useful, after all there are plenty of GHA members now with the new program. I am also excited to see how my stay experience will be after the revamp of the Discovery program.

Booking Process & Pre Arrival 

I had some nights to fill and prices were high during this peak period when there is an influx of domestic travellers into Bali. Thankfully, prices for Avani were decent, at the very least and I decided to stay here for 2 nights. It will also be a good use of my D Dollars before they expired. It is my first GHA stay after the revamp of the program and I am keen to see how will things go. I will also need to clock 3 different brands this year to retain my top tier Titanium status and this will be a good opportunity to get 1 off the list. I booked my stay from the Discovery app and my nightly rate was around 104 USD including taxes. I did hear that the prices might fluctuate between Discovery and the actual hotel website so it makes is good to do some comparison before booking. I also communicate with the hotel in advance to check if I could pay with discovery dollars. I used 169 Discovery Dollars and paid about 52 SGD in taxes. I got the One Bedroom Villa. In fact actually only 147 Discovery Dollars since the stay earned me 22 D Dollars as well. A couple of days out, the hotel informed me that I have been offered the standard 2 tier Titanium upgraded to the Two Bedroom Plunge Pool Suite. Avani Seminyak Bali Resort features just 37 pool villas and suites spread across 7 categories. It is an intimate affair here.

RoomsBathtubRoom SizeNo.of Rooms
One Bedroom Apartment SuiteYes56 Sqm8
One Bedroom Terrace SuiteYes84 Sqm4
Two Bedroom Apartment SuiteYes113 Sqm4
Two Bedroom Plunge Pool SuiteYes139 Sqm4
Three Bedroom Plunge Pool SuiteYes172 Sqm1
One Bedroom Pool VillaYes150 Sqm12
Two Bedroom Pool VillaYes254 Sqm4

Checking In

In my pre-arrival communication with the hotel, I was informed that due to high occupancy during my stay, no early check in and late check out are possible. That is alright as I will be headed to the Ritz after staying here and will be leading earlier. I was upgraded to the Two Bedroom Plunge Pool Suite on the virtue of being a GHA Titanium member and this would have usually cost around 220 USD a night. It is a huge suite that measures 139 Sqm. GHA Titanium members also enjoy 20% off F&B here. I arrived around 2pm after having lunch. The hotel entrance is rather small and you might easily miss it. The lobby is also on the smaller side. Upon arrival, the staff came over to help me with my bags and check in was very informal. 

We were invited to take a seat and a welcome drink consisting of some cold lemongrass tea was served. It was fast and prompt and soon the staff ushered me to my suite in a golf buggy. The suites are newer here where they are build in 2018 while the villa has been here since 2012. Given that the suite is located all the way at the end a buggy ride is recommended. The staff service is good and genuine, although at times they can get a little messy. For example, they didn’t have my keys when I was escorted to my suite.

Avani Seminyak Two Bedroom Plunge Pool Suite

The Two Bedroom Plunge Pool Suite is one of the premium suites in the resort and ranks just below the Two Bedroom Villa and Three Bedroom Plunge Pool Suite. My suite was located on the ground floor which makes sense, given the plunge pool. It measures 139 Sqm and is super spacious. There is more space than I ever need. It is more like a condo unit here, perfect for big families and gatherings. This room could fit 4 adults. Unofficially, if you add in the couch and some squeezing, 7 to 8 pax will be an issue at all. 

I appreciate the upgrade even when the hotel is running on full occupancy. Let me first share the living room area. I will introduce the suites by the different areas given how sprawling the place is. The entire main area of the suite is in a rectangular configuration. The finishes are modern and it gives off homely vibes. 

Upon entering, the kitchen area is located immediately to the right. Yes! A full kitchen! You have all sorts of kitchen appliances here from a microwave to a kettle as well as a rice cooker. It comes equipped with an induction stovetop, pots and pans can be found below. The full size fridge is left empty. All sorts of cutleries and glassware are provided and stocked for at least 6 pax. In the kitchen, you can find a huge stash of packaged tea and coffees alongside 3 huge bottles of water. They are definitely not stingy on this aspect. I would love it if they have a proper coffee machine in the suite. Given the lack of an executive lounge, I would love to have one to have access to proper coffee during any time of the day. In the middle, you have an island or some sort for additional storage. 

Later on, the staff brought over a welcome amenity consisting of some fresh fruits. I felt that the welcome amenity was kinda weak for top tier members considering that this is all you get for your local gift or amenity. In the middle of the suite, you have a full dining table that sits 6 pax. The wooden dining table is gorgeous, you can host a full dinner or a gathering in this suite! 

At the far end of the suite you have the living area and the spacious sofa set could easily seat 7-8 people comfortably. It surrounds a coffee table and a TV opposite it. The TV is of good quality and comes with plenty of cable TV channels. I do feel that the size is a little small for a suite of this size. 

I soon realised that there isn’t a work desk in the suite or even a suitable working space that you could make it your work desk in the entire suite. To have all this space and even one spot is a huge disappointment. This is a huge flaw in this suite and that makes it super inconvenient. The only proper seating area is the dining table but then there are no outlets nearby to be found too. In the end, I could only use my laptop on the bed or my lap sitting on the sofa. The suite comes with two ensuite bedrooms. One of them comes in a twin bed configuration while the other is in a king bed configuration. Let me first share the twin bedroom which is the one that is nearer to the entrance of the suite and the kitchen area. It comes with a lockable sliding door. The bedroom is cosy and sufficient with two twin beds that are really comfy and plush. You can find nightstands in the middle and on the side. Power outlets and controls of the lighting can be easily found here in contrast to the other main bedroom. 

Opposite the beds you can find a wardrobe and a TV. The wardrobe comes with bath slippers and bathrobes. The ensuite bathroom is on the smaller side with only a single sink and a standing shower. The standing shower has both a rainforest showerhead and a handheld one.

The king bedroom is located near the living area and this is the main one. The plush king size bed can be found in the middle! The bedding is good and high quality with the mattress offering awesome back support. The pillows are also pretty good. On both sides of the bed, you can find nightstands and controls for the lights. I do feel that the nightstands are on the smaller side and this makes it hard to place items after precious space is taken up by the lamp and the phone. There are also no outlets to be found and I had to unplug the one for the lamp to use. 

Opposite the bed, you can find a flat-screen TV on the desk. It is the exact same one as the other room and the living room. Even by the desk that the TV was placed on, I could not find an extra power socket and work on my laptop here.

Wardrobes can be found on either side of the bathroom entrance along the wall and they are huge enough for a long period of stay. Inside you can find bathrobes, bath slippers as well as a safe and a hairdryer. 

The bathroom here is the nicer one out of the two and check out how spacious it is. The bathroom is bigger than my room back home. Well, I could literally shift my entire bedroom inside. I love the modern look and finish of the place. It comes with his and her sinks and all sorts of amenities are offered from toothbrushes to cotton buds. Bottles of water are left on the side as well given how the water in Bali isn’t portable. You can also find a cosmetic mirror installed. 

The bathroom comes with a separate free-standing bathtub as well as a separate standing shower. The bathtub is spacious and good for soaking. Water pressure is good here which makes it easy to fill up the tub. The standing shower comes with both a handheld showerhead as well as a rainforest showerhead. The showering space is spacious but sadly the water pressure and temperature control are bad and it makes showering a hassle. Toiletries are in huge pump bottles and house branded. 

Finally, let me share about the outdoor area which is the highlight or the aim of this suite. My suite comes with a plunge pool. The outdoor area can be accessed from both the living room area and the bedroom. It’s quite a lovely space. You have seatings for 4 pax consisting of 2 daybeds as well as 2 outdoor chairs. Then you have the plunge pool, this is more for a soak rather than for doing laps. For that, you will have to go to the main pool. It does look pretty nice with the foliage and is well maintained. Being exposed to nature does mean that there might be some bugs and stuff out there. Thicker pool towels and insect repellents are provided in the bathroom. 

Fitness Centre 

The fitness centre is open from 6am to 10pm. It is in the middle of the villas. It looks very depressing and is on the smaller side. Gloomy and dark, it is not welcoming at all. A rather basic gym.  

Pool

The main pool open from 7am to 7pm and located just off the lobby and restaurant area. It is pretty empty since most of the people will have their own private pool here in their rooms or suites. But if you are looking to do some laps, perhaps it will be a better idea here. You will be in the full view of the people in the lobby and the restaurant. There is some cabana by the side of the pool which is good for relaxing. 

Breakfast 

Breakfast can be had either at the restaurant or in your villa or suite. That is a nice touch from them to offer it in villa or suite. You can find the menu here. It is on the smaller side and the selection is alright. It is definitely on the smaller side and most of the places will usually do a buffet. They also strictly enforce the rule that each person can only get one item from each category. 

One of the worst that I have seen in Bali in terms of choices. On both mornings we had breakfast delivered to our suite. We tried the mee goreng and the omelette. It’s not too bad but the portion is a little small. I love the fresh fruit juice and that the food came hot.

Conclusion

I had a good stay and this is definitely one of the better value stays I had. The recent extra 50 Discovery Dollars from the campaign only makes things even better. I find it a rather good value for money especially when you are looking for accommodation that is in Seminyak. You can walk to the main part of the “touristy” area here. It’s sweet to enjoy your GHA membership here and enjoy a 2 tier upgrade as well as using my D Dollars. The main concern I had with the suite was a lack of a proper working desk or even an area where you could sit down and do use your computer. Yes, I know that I am in Bali and a resort but that is still highly inconvenient! I would have let it go if there are some power outlets nearby the dining table but there are none too. I would believe that during non-peak period it will also be possible to get early check in and late check out here. One brand down and 2 more to go to retaining my GHA Titanium status!