Bvlgari Resort Bali

Character and identity

Set atop 150-metre cliffs on the Bukit Peninsula's eastern edge, this 59-villa resort opens with an oversized pavilion framing the Indian Ocean before butlers in udeng headscarves shuttle you by buggy along volcanic cobblestone paths. The design feels rooted in Bali: blackened Javanese mahogany, alang-alang thatch, jade-green sukabami stone, gem-toned hand-woven fabrics and Indonesian antiques. Every villa has its own infinity pool and ocean view. Dining runs from Luca Fantin's Italian-Indonesian tasting menus at Il Ristorante to clifftop La Spiaggia above a private beach reached by inclinator. The spa centres on an antique joglo, and service, much of it from opening-day staff, is genuinely personal.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for is the combination of cliffside theatre, villa privacy and a service culture built over nearly two decades. Cooking and spa therapists are genuinely strong; the setting is unmatched on this stretch of coast. Book a one-bedroom Ocean Cliff Villa for couples, or a multi-bedroom mansion if you're travelling as a group, and use the helicopter transfer to skip the airport traffic.