L Hotel Seminyak: A Bali Beach Hotel With Stellar Service

Travel to beautiful Bali for complete relaxation

There’s nothing quite like a seaside getaway to escape the stifling Hong Kong humidity as summer begins to well and truly settle in. Just a short plane ride away, the island of Bali proves to be the perfect haven, and at the L Hotel Seminyak, one of Mr and Mrs Smith’s boutique Bali hotels, you’ll wine, dine and sun yourself to your heart’s content.

The boutique hotel opened in 2012, and boasts 30 spacious suites. The hotel is situated just a half hour’s drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, and once we arrived it quickly became clear that we were set to have the best of both worlds – walking distance from Seminyak Beach and popular haunts like the Potato Head Beach Club, with the added guarantee of comfort and intimacy in a tranquil resort.

THE ROOMS

One of the highlights of a stay here is the Butler service. Each room comes with a complimentary telephone with a local SIM card – a blessing for any tourist and particularly one who is, like myself, ever so slightly geographically challenged.

We stayed in one of the Luxe Suites, and in these spacious rooms, a standalone bathtub takes centre stage. A quick call to a butler and a bath will be drawn for you, filled with the room’s complimentary Kiehl’s toiletries, though I must note that this is probably best suited for couples (as the open-plan bedroom leaves little room for modesty).

Other notable features in the rooms include a comfortable armchair, flat-screen TV, complimentary Wi-Fi and to top it all off, a bed fit for a Queen complete with a pillow menu – that’s right, you can choose from six different types of pillows to send you into a sweet slumber. Our room had a view of the greenery surrounding the hotel, which was charming to wake up to but equally wonderful behind blackout curtains for the perfect morning lie in.

Feeling well and truly rested, we were treated to an a la carte breakfast in bed – a feast of banana pancakes, poached eggs, hash browns and toast. As we had to catch an early morning flight on our last day, the hotel arranged a takeaway breakfast and two perfectly caffeinated coffees to take on the drive to the airport.

THE SPA 

Right next to the hotel is the L Spa, which offers a whole host of services to suit your every need. My friend and I were both treated to a 15-minute Indian Ayurvedic head massage as a Mr and Mrs Smith Extra, which was heavenly, and I had a 60-minute Balinese massage afterward. We had spent the last few days hiking in nearby Java and when my masseuse offered a choice of essential oils, I jumped at the lemongrass oil, which she promised would soothe and relax aching muscles (it definitely didn’t disappoint!). I left feeling revived and took a few moments to walk around the spa itself, which has its own plunge pool that perfectly catches the morning light.

THE BEACH 

The island of Bali has become synonymous with its beaches – vast stretches of pristine white sand that draws in tourists from the world over. A 20-minute walk from the hotel will take you to Seminyak beach, but the hotel also offers a shuttle service to whisk you to your destination in mere minutes.

Known as Petienget to the Balinese, the name of the beach literally translates as ‘ghost box’, as the area was once relatively deserted with hardly any beach goers or visitors around. Luckily for us, the secret is now well and truly out. Our shuttle took us to an area the hotel describes as the L Beach, as they have developed a relationship with the local community and the Warung Pantai café. Guests can use the deckchairs that are lined up in front of the café.

THE BAR

On our final evening, we visited the hotel’s Luna Rooftop Bar. As one of the tallest buildings in the area, the views from the rooftop are unrivalled. We watched the sun set over the beach while we sipped on mojitos served in jam jars with fresh mint. The cocktails were also accompanied by a selection of light canapés. As dusk settled into evening, flame-lit lanterns rose from the beach while airplanes took flight from nearby Denpasar, making this an incredibly hard place to leave.

The L Hotel Seminyak is the perfect getaway for those looking to be near the beach while still being within reach of a wide range of bars, restaurants, and shops. While there truly is something for everybody, the intimate hotel setting makes this the perfect place for a couple looking for a weekend getaway.

L Hotel Seminyak, Jalan Raya Petienget, No. 8L, Seminyak, Bali, 80361

Booked through Mr and Mrs Smith – check out their other Bali properties here, www.mrandmrssmith.com