Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa Hotel Review
The Walking Critic | Legian, Bali | 2024
The Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa is almost an institution that had been imbedded permanently in the vernacular of Bali travellers who know Legian and for that matter, the whole island of Bali. For those that flock to Legian in family droves, the Mandira is big. It is fun. It is self-contained. And above all else, it is close to the local action.
When you stay here, you have a sense of belonging. You are part of the Legian heartbeat. An arterial part of the community. Everyone that passes you on the street, could be your best neighbour! Even a long-lost cousin! You share the same Bali pulse, everywhere you go. With a smile and a nod.
I would have been to the Mandira on many occasions over 15 or more years, mostly in a professional capacity. Each time I go there, it is on the crest of multiple whirlwind inspections, to delve into every room category and attempt to remember the deluge of information.
This time, it was on my own volition and expense.
It is best to think of the Mandira, as a giant estate that flows up to the beachfront of Legian. Nothing quite beats the immensity of the driveway, albeit very basic, cobbled and groomed, from the moment you pass the security barrier. Nothing really dawns upon you or clocks you around the head, until you suddenly draw up before the immense, covered reception area.
It is not a quiet zone. Bags are dotted everywhere, like lost lemmings waiting to be snatched onto a trolley or whisked into a room. Guests and staff zip hither and thither, on a somewhat micro industrial level. They are either itching for a check-in, or sad to leave.
Some are just there to chill out, unphased by the combustion and zeal around them.
Warmth is that oozy feeling circling in the dark reception area, not just from the abundant smiles of staff and guests, but the lingering humidity too.
Like a well-rehearsed and well-oiled machine, check-in was fluid and faultless. There are none of the airport stresses of lugging bags with you. The formula is simple: the hotels want you, the airlines don’t! And it shows.
As you wipe your brow with a cold white towel (or in my case, furrow my entire face into the chilled flannel!), the moment of arrival sinks in. You can relax. You can sip the complimentary cold drink and soak up your “new home” at whatever pace you choose.
If you have never stayed at the Bali Mandira, then get ready to get lost, because the whole property is like a massive rabbit warren, that takes getting use to and a map.
I had booked room 9017 which was one of the newly renovated ground floor Mandira Club Suites. This is in one of the furthest recesses of the hotel property, away from the beach and pool areas and supposedly, one of the quietest (cough) areas of the resort. More on this later!
To get to it, requires a certain amount of exercise, as you venture to the end of the lobby and out into the manicured gardens of the property. Turning a sharp left, you follow a row of single and two storied cottages for about 100 metres, until you reach a corner and can go no further. There in front of you is the 3 Storied Building.
The Bali Mandira progressively upgrades and renovates, which is a good thing, considering how it is 43 years old. Most 43-year-olds need a nip and tuck, especially when they are faced with the ocean salt and sun each day! Luckily, our Mandira Club Suite was on the receiving end of recent love and it showed.
From the outside, these ground floor suites look impressive, with their open front porches and full-length windows. It gives off a tessellated vibe from its contrasting layers and textures. A path of grey cobbled stones leads you up to beige rendered steps, a dark wooden slatted deck and then more stone steps. The tempered glass window is prominent. It has a sort of soft, aquamarine hue, louver shutters and thatched grass canopy shading it. A stone bench lies beneath the window with brown padded seating and light blue throw cushions. Each entrance is guarded by prone Balinese Foo Foo dog statues, to ward off evil spirits.
As one gazes up at the two levels above, the facade is dominated by long balconies, red brick and stone columns. It is unquestionably of Balinese influence, despite its modern apartment feel.
If the outside of the 3 Storied Building captures your attention, just wait until you step inside your lower level Mandira Club Suite. You are about to enter a whole new realm, that is a morph of Indo-Moroccan culture, and yet still in keeping with its Balinese roots.
The moment you prise open the door, your eyes are immediately drawn towards the large, four-poster bed in the middle of the room, with dangling white linen cloth for sides. Golden marigold petals spell out the word “Welcome” across a fabric runner at the foot of the mattress. A white bath towel has been sculptured into a tiny elephant behind it.
The burnished colours of wood rise from the floor planks, complimented by the ceiling beams, console cabinet and giant carved doors. The white plastered ceiling and walls, offset the warmth, in conjunction with the cooler blues of patterned chair fabrics and china side table. In reality, these splashed of colour are all just a teaser or stepping stone, before you enter the bathroom where a burst of blue explodes before you, from the shining floor tiles to the mirror.
The Mandira Club Suites are located on the outer extremities of the resort, framing the northern edges of the property. And with distance comes exercise. Lots of it!
A lattice of garden villas and manicured pathways stand between you and the ocean, the dining venues and bars. Even the reception area is a decent walk from your front door. Every amble is a fusion of tropical beauty with splashes of red and yellow Canna Lillies that line your route, with fragrant franipanis danging from above. Once in a while a hand-scultpured water feature pops up adding Balinese charm and culture to your route. There is always something of interest and eye-catching. You just have to look.
I have been to Morrocco and traipsed through the souks of Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains. I can kind of relate to this somewhat North African mood. The wall alcoves and niches, smooth yet uneven wall finishes. It is very nouveau-third-world and modern.
The mirror is a veritable statement piece and backdrop, shaped in the form of a Moroccan arch. Like the Foo Foo dogs that guard the exterior, the horseshoe arch is its counterpart on the interior. The protector against the evil eye. In this instance it is an exotic medley of detail and colour, providing a shape and blend that is identifiable to many cultures and religious beliefs passed down over centuries. As such, it is the perfect companion to the Balinese fusion that pervades the rest of the suite.
The bathroom is dark and moody, but not without careful lighting. The recessed mirror is backlit and framed. The rain shower has downlighting above the taps. A large white bathtub captures more ceiling light, throwing brightness in all directions.
The bathroom is a really great addition to the suite, cut off by sliding wooden doors when it needs to be. However, I have also learnt from my plethora of inspections that not all Balinese hotels consider design and function in the same breath. What may look good on the outside, does not necessarily translate into performance. A noisy, sliding door in the wee hours of the morning (no pun intended) does not make for a happy bed companion!
Stealth is hard to pull off when the runners squeak and the culprit is ignorant and blind to his nocturnal surroundings.
The room ameniites at the Bali Mandira Beach Resort are spartan but adequate. Unlike many more luxurious properties throughout the island, the Mandira almost encourages you to get out and about: to swim, eat and drink; to shop locally. As such it provides the bare necesities. You want for nothing. What you might be missing is never far away.
The room had plenty of towels and a bath robe for all. I loved the look of the blue and white striped thongs (flip flops to the non-Aussie travellers), except for one problem. They were too small. And this is the same problem thoughout Bali. An extraordinary faux pas considering how Australians are the number one visitors to the island. I don't have big feet. I just wish hotels would realise that there is a whole world out there of Western holiday visitors that go unserved!
For those that read my reviews here or on any other platform, you know I am obsessed with plugs. The good news is that the Bali Mandira has modernised these suites. Beside the bed you not only have an in-built universal adaptor but two USB plugs. I know USB plugs are on the way out soon, but they are still invaluable to many travellers with computers, iPads, camera and a whole slew of electronic gadgets.
When it comes to bathroom accessories, the Mandira offers a range of generic culprits for those that have forgotten a toothbrush or comb, a razor or cotton buds.
When you book a Mandira Club Suite, it comes with social status and club benefits. Supposedly.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall listening to a marketing committee for the Bali Mandira, when they discuss “The Club Lounge”. On paper, it really reads well:
Even if I was a tea-sipping vegan, I would still walk away.
The Club Lounge is impressive and totally relaxing. The interior space is really welcoming and not small either. If you venture out onto the wooden deck, you still have a commanding view overlooking the main pool from a retrenched balcony of dangling frangipanis. Trust me, you are still invisible from the shade and canopy. Better still, no one at the pool bar would either see or care about you either!
The sad thing is that there is zero life in the Club Lounge behind you and may be that is a blessing too. I was able to find a snug corner, pop up my laptop and crank out some important emails, devoid of human annoyance. And I was still able to gawk at the frolicking and baying swimmers below.
Life is simple and peaceful in the Club Lounge, though I do have a deference to free-loading. simply opt to feel like a government employee, in a free lounge.
I opted for the mooch and employee role.
FREE FLOW - 10am to 6pm
Selected tea, coffee, soft drinks, ice cream, snacks, cookies and fruits
AFTERNOON SPECIAL - 3pm to 5pm
Afternoon snacks & finger food
COCKTAIL HOUR - 5pm to 6pm
Selected free-flow alcoholic drinks, including house wine, local sprits and cocktails.
The Azul Beach Club proudly proclaims to be the first Tiki Bar in Bali and I have no reason to doubt it, judging by its evocation of the South Pacific, rum cocktails and all.
Spanning three levels, the Azul Beach Club is a hodge-podge of thick bamboo canes with sloped alang alang grass canopies for roofing. The airy, open space is dark and moody, which is what makes the bar so attractive. As primitive as it seems, from its jumbled bamboo supports, it is well and truly sturdy. And its prominence on the beach, makes it all the more wonderful to chill out or soak up the sunset mood.
The bottom level serves as shady, al fresco escape, as well as a restaurant. Aqua marine and turquoise colours have been infused under the latticed roof, bringing the ocean to the interior, including the wafts of briny breeze. Wooden tables and booths provide secluded seating, most of which have an ocean or side garden view. The main drag is out of sight, giving its diners a sense of peace, far away from the family clatter that echoes around the main pool.
Breakfast at the Azul Beach Club is a choice of the usual western winners like Eggs Benedict and Crushed Avocado. But there was also a really healthy spin from its Healthy Bowl section.
I’m not one to go mental on vast plates of eggs and bacon when I can always have that at home. Despite those artery-clotting buffet shockers (which I absolutely love!), I struck a new tone this trip. I went for healthier meals that might keep me alive longer.
I loved two in particular: the Dragon Bowl, blended with red dragon fruit, banana, yoghurt, cocoa, granola and honey; and secondly the Tropical Bowl filled with an assorted choice of Balinese fruits, honeycomb, chia and flax seeds.
I am also hooked on starting my day with freshly made juices, before I launch into coffee and food. The Azul was awesome in this regard, offering an array of small bottles served in bowls of ice. If you ever worry about getting your right intake of fruit and veg, then this is where you begin to kick-start your day with a Honey Melon Juice, or Unicorn’s Blood (lemon, beets, pineapple and carrots), or a Detox Shot (ginger, lemon, honey and hot water). Alternatively, you can rip into some chocolate or plain milk. Time is on your side. May be do all of them!
Mind you, not everyone loves the healthy option. On one morning, we were sat next to a multi-gen family, that was quite happily sucking down its second round of Bintang beers at 8.30am. Even the grandma was all in as a human yeast syphon! Total bogan bliss!
For those that opt out of a liquid diet and “breakfast of champions”, a lot of the food is DIY (ie buffet style). You don’t need table service. You just have to go on a wander and search out the offerings of toasts and pastries, fresh fruit, salads and yes, even more bacon and sausages, warming on an open barbeque.
For kids and those that have a sweet tooth, look no further. You have to nail a Banana and Chocolate Pancake with strawberries, chocolate and banana cream, as well as almond matcha crumble. So decadent! Or you can do a culinary U-turn and go for a more savoury option like the Balinese Breakfast (fried rice, chicken sambal matah, fern tip salad, egg balado, sweet corn fritters). This is the kind of breakfast I really like, once in a while.
I only had lunch twice at the Azul Beach Club and true to its mass-market form, the menu offered something for everyone, between the laminated pages of its pub-like clip board. Every race and all age groups…and sometimes all ethnicities…had a meal with their name on it.
Lunch for me is never about a feast in Bali. It is more of an appetite-quasher. I like to pick and peck and partially fill up. It’s often a fuel-stop between an overload of sun and humidity, or a metaphorical sandwich filler between work and more work. Either way, what the Bali Mandira offers is perfect. Something from the Land (rib eye steaks, lamb shank and roasted baby chicken breast), the Sea (charcoal baked lobster and grilled jumbo prawns) and yes, heralding the dominance of Italian prowess….a whole section on Pasta & Risotto (a killer lobster and crab tortellini with kaffir line velouté, coconut lemongrass foam, dried beetroot and salmon roe).
The cherry on the Azul cake is on the third floor where adults can play and the kids can go get stuffed. This is a no-brat zone!
Like all high perches, the third floor has a commanding view, a sweeping vista over peaking palm trees and the vast estate of villas roofs below. Even the ocean waves, only get a second look, as the main feature is the adult-only enclave, not the extremities of the bubble beyond. The Azul Infinity Pool offers rentable cabannas, a jacuzzi and enough to keep peace-loving, uber-cool people smiling. Not in big numbers, but in meaningful presence.
- Dimension: 20 x 6 m
- Depth: 1.25 m
- Opening Pool: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
The Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa is a giant plot of land that sits squarely against an ocean front, where manicured lawns and swaying palms are the norm. Families and couples flock and fill everything, especially around the Beach Pool. Good luck trying to snag a few sun loungers before the baying crowds snaffle them.
At 40 metres in length, it is big, offering multiple zones suited for both adults and kids.
And it is also a little run down around the edges. The wooden decking is dull and sun-blanched, if not slightly off-colour. On the few days I stayed there, it seemed as if no one really bussed or cleaned the tables around the sun loungers and umbrellas.
Scraps of food were just left as an incentive for ants to party.
The swim up-bar is definitely a well-frequented draw card in the middle of the Beach Pool. Eight partially submerged stools provide perfect resting spots, with an extended roof for shade too. Having said this, I almost never saw the bar full.
Closer to the dining hall end and the Azul Beach Club, there is a faux beach that runs into the pool, sand and all. A few Balinese umbrellas provide shade for sun loungers below.
- Dimension: 40 x 16 m
- Depth: 1.4 m
- Opening Pool: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
To one end of the Beach Pool lies a separate Kids Pool with giant water slides. Naturally this is a magnet for every child on the planet! I just pitied the smaller kids who sat patiently on the side lines, waiting and hoping to have their go. With trepidation, they gawped and smiled at the human bowling balls (mostly older boys) that simply flung themselves down the watery slopes. Everything in their way was just a skittle…on the slide, or worst still, in the water as well. However, as the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” Eventually the mayhem does dissipate and a degree of normality return. Like crabs on a beach at dusk, the little kiddywinks do skuttle back and brave the peace, if only for moments of their own glee.
- Kids Pool Dimension: 9 x 7.6 m
- Kids Pool Depth: 1 m
- Toddler Pool Dimension: 6.3 x 2.4 m
- Toddler Pool Depth: 0.5 m
- Opening Pool: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Celagi Restaurant is the central hub for breakfast for al resort guests. Sadly, I never ate once at the Celagi Restaurant during my limited stay, because I didn’t need to. As a paying Mandira Club Suite guest, I had earned Azul Club privileges and a degree of exclusivity. The Azul Club Restaurant was our enclave and far from the madding crowd and riff-raff. However, I did take a moment to go on a walkabout one breakfast morning and I have to say, it was really impressive. I actually felt a tinge of jealousy. The place was buzzing and full. The choice of food much broader. I like that kind of mass vibe and sense of inclusiveness.
The Balinese Stage lies at the southern corner of the hotel grounds on expansive lawns beyond the main swimming pool. It is here where you can book an Indonesian barbeque meal and watch a show performed by local Balinese dancers. All the food is presented buffet-style on banks of tables, specifically laid out for the show.
As a seasoned Bali traveller and expert, I get to see so many dances and performances and I have to say that this one at the Bali Mandira is one of the best. The commentary is really funny and of course, the costumes and fire show parts are what you’d expect from a non-Broadway production. From a cultural angle, it is fun and informative, more than a gourmet meal.
The Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa is a lot of fun. You can easily see why it is so popular with certain travelling groups, especially from Australia. It has the ocean, big pool, swim-up bar, adult only area, decent accommodation and above all else, awesome staff.
The beach location is a major plus too. You are close to a lot of the local shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. You just need to explore a bit. There is lots to see.
Staying in a Mandira Club Suite did have its perks and pitfalls, which included service, solitude, and supposedly peace and quiet. Being close to the village of villas means you are funnelled the noises too. Late night drinking (and in one instance, drunk bogans letting off fireworks) was part of the problem. Mind you, what else do you expect from a big resort frequented by large family groups and the more budget-conscious travellers.
Aside apart from these minor gripes, my accommodation was top-notch: modern and spacious.
Call Bali travel experts BlueSun Travel on 1300 799 758 or click here to see the lastest Bali Mandira deals. They have the best Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa packages.
