A perfect blend of contemporary design and local architecture:

I have seen my share of wonderful hotels, but Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, just outside of Bali’s cultural and spiritual center of Ubud, left me in awe at its sheer beauty! After stepping into the breathtaking open-walled common area,

you find yourself on the edge of a cliff looking down at a verdant valley descending 100 metres to Bali’s longest river, the Ayung River. What a sight!

An array of gracious buildings unfolds before your eyes, 35 suites nestled into the hillside and 25 pool villas down by the river. Amidst of them, there are three acres of rice paddies and a century-old Hindu Temple. That is all what remained of the 24 acres property that consisted previously of rainforest and rice fields farmed by a neighboring village. By the way, one to two villagers still work the ground of the rice terraces, now employed by the hotel.

Hotel at a glance

Following features/amenites can be found on site. In terms of restaurants, you can choose between four eateries. Sawah Terrace serves breakfast as well as local cuisine for lunch and dinner. The setting high above the river is idyllic

and the food is great, be it for breakfast

or dinner.

Kubu is the signature restaurant with exquisite, elaborate fare

and its location by the river is scenic indeed, be it because of the intimate bamboo cocoons

or the beautiful Ayung River.

There is also The Pool Bar and The Library offering small bites during daytime.

The resort’s pool with views of the rice paddies is a great place to relax

and a spa/fitness center completes the offer.

Apart from the state of the art infrastructure, Mandapa has also the most dedicated staff I have ever experienced. From the first to the last minute, the employees spared no efforts to make the stay memorable.

Just in case, my husband and I visited Bali twice in two years and explored large parts of the island. If you are interested, here are the posts of our Bali adventures.

Mandapa Suite in detail

After this overview on the hotel, I will have a closer look at our suite, the Mandapa Suite. Before, a few words to the Ritz-Carlton Reserve and the architect of the place.

and turn left you get into the bedroom

or enter the bathroom.

Here, the eye-catching element is certainly the center tub with view, but also the sinks, which are opposite each other, are a feast for the eyes. Rain-shower and toilet are behind two large glass doors. When you leave the bathroom at the other side

You come to a spacious living/dining room,

from which you can go to the terrace once again

Overall

The heavenly high country of Ubud, no stranger to high-end tourism, is home to a resort that is second to none. The lush rolling hills of the Ayung River valley are the backdrop for Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, an unique secluded paradise with extremely luxury accommodations but first and foremost a place where the magic of Bali has been captured in a exemplary manner.

My husband and I stayed at the COMO Metropolitan Hotel in South Beach Miami on our trip from New York City to New Orleans by plane and then to Miami by car, see my corresponding post. We had already known the COMO hotel group from two stays at another place, which were great. And in Florida we enjoyed the experience at the Metropolitan very much too.

The hotel is located at South Beach, known as a nightlife hotspot. However, the hotel is situated at the frontier of South Beach and Mid-Beach, a bit removed from the hip clubs and resorts in a quiet residential stretch of beachfront. You will not find pool parties and loud music here but a calm and relaxing environment perfect for a serene escape.

The Metropolitan underwent an extensive renovation. The 1920’s Art Deco building got a new fresh look without losing its period charm. Its interiors were styled by Italian designer Paola Navone and this in a contemporary and in some parts, especially the rooms, minimalist way.

The public areas just as the lobby and restaurant/bar are gorgeous. They are modern but have at the same time some pompous details just as the stately columns dividing the ground floor in two parts. When entering the building you find the sleek Traymore Bar on one side and the Traymore Restaurant on the other one. Stylish high-backed seats separate it from the rest of the room.

The Ocean View Suite in detail

The first thing that catches your attention when entering the spacious Ocean View Suite (73 sqm) on the 7th floor is the rooms’ color scheme. Light peppermint green is combined with shades of grey and in addition there is a lot of white and shining chrome. Together with the black and white speckled floor it is quite a sight, especially if you are in favor of minimalist decor. Geometric patterns, a simple bed and other clean-lined furniture complete the picture.

There are two bathrooms, all in grey, white and chrome. The smaller one has a large vanity, shelves and a toilet.

The main bathroom is oversized, featuring a dual vanity and a semi-separate toilet and bidet.

There is a spacious shower with an adjoining deep soaking tub, which is really a unique feature, at least I have never encountered such an two-in-one concept.

The dimensions are generous, you never feel cramped when using the facilities.

And of course there are the views, after all it is an Ocean View Suite. Here when looking to the south,

to the north

and straight ahead plus a closer look to the pool.

Speaking of which, there is also a different view of the pool from the side of the beach.

And to give the whole picture of this great hotel, here also a photo of the restaurant at dinner time and two dishes we had, once a refined dessert and the other time one of the many fantastic breakfast items on the menu.

 

 

All this added up to making our stay a memorable one. Also the staff did its best to give us satisfaction, maybe with one exception but this is not the subject of this post. After all, I wanted to share with you our great suite first and foremost.

Date of stay: April 2016