An intimate riverside jungle retreat immersed in nature, yet close to the heart of Ubud, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan offers an endless array of enticements for the whole family. With its mist-lined, lush vistas, notable dining, and exceptional service, this enchanting resort was not only our favorite stay on Bali, but one of the best vacation experiences of all our travels.

Overview

At-a-Glance

• Date of stay: May 2022

• Length of stay: 3 nights / 4 days

• Trip type: Family stay on a multi-stop journey

• Property type: Luxury jungle resort and spa

• Tailor-made for: Active families, spa-goers, and foodies

Highlights

• Stunning architecture, design, and Ayung River Valley views — especially from the spa pools and the riverside pool

• Unforgettable activities — river rafting, cooking class, Rice Farmer for a Day experience, family spa day

• Well-appointed, large Family Suite offered a great accommodation at a reasonable value

• Warm, intuitive service experience throughout our stay, with General Manager personally visiting with all guests

• Outstanding kids club facility and staff-to-child ratio during our stay

• Notable dining (especially at dinner service) and cocktail program

Good to Know

• Family Suites are located in the main building near restaurants and bar, fitness center, and most facilities, while Villas are spread out around the property

• Spa treatment rooms are located a short distance from the spa center in the main building, though supposedly a renovation is planned to remedy this

• Complimentary resort shuttle takes guests into Ubud center on a designated schedule

• Cooking class is great for families, though would recommend for kids age 10+ (it was a bit too advanced for our little ones)

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Location & Setting

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A short drive from Ubud center, the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan is nestled amidst the lush Ayung River Valley. The resort is set along the river and is neighbor to working rice paddy fields and a traditional Balinese village. Fun fact: at the time of publishing, the resort offered the world’s only hotel arrival by river raft when guests are transferring from the Four Seasons sister resort in Jimbaran Bay.

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Property & Grounds

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Comprising just 18 suites and 42 villas, the intimate resort was designed by London architect John Heah, who was only in his twenties at the time. The resort’s stunning main entrance and building, which features a “spoon and bowl” rooftop covered in water lilies, is commonly compared to a Star Wars set. The resort’s gilded guest list includes Former President Obama (who stayed here with his family in 2016) and Julia Roberts. In addition to its accommodations, the resort has:

• Six dining options, including In-Room Dining

• Two pools

• Sacred River Spa & Yoga Pavilion

• Fitness Center

• Sokasi Cooking School

• Kids for All Seasons Kids Club (fully supervised)

We found the property easy to navigate on foot, though staff members also drive golf carts around the property for guests who need a ride. A focus on sustainability was evident throughout the resort.

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Room

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We booked a Family Suite (Suite 106) directly with the resort with a Stay Longer 3rd Night Free package, which included daily breakfast for our family of four. The roomy, well-appointed, 2,328 sq.ft. suite was located in the main building, offering convenient access to the resort’s dining venues and amenities. The suite was the perfect layout for our family, comprising:

• A main bedroom with King bed and en-suite bathroom with shower, tub, separate toilet, and walk-in closet

• Hallway leading to a children’s bedroom with twin trundle bed and en-suite shower room with a small closet and bar area

• A large living room with sectional sofa and dining table

• A spacious outdoor patio accessible from both the living room and main bedroom with sun loungers and shaded seating area

Family Suite

We also toured a Two-Bedroom Villa during our stay, as this is another good room option for families with older children and guests who prefer to have more space or privacy. These 8,160 sq. ft. bi-level Villas are set further out on the grounds near the spa treatment rooms and yoga pavilion. Accommodating up to 6 guests, each Villas comes with expansive indoor and outdoor living areas, complete with a private infinity pool overlooking terraced gardens and a private lily pond with meditation area on the top floor.

Two-Bedroom Villa

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Service

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Service here was next-level in every way while maintaining the warm and welcoming vibe we felt everywhere we stayed on Bali. Every detail had been thought of and then some. On arrival, we were met by resort manager, Gianni Costa, who personally greeted each member of our party by name and thanked us for all our Four Seasons stays over the years. We regularly saw him out and about visiting with guests during breakfasts and lunches to check on their experience which created a very home-like atmosphere. Some of the most memorable service touches included:

• our guide, Santika, “rescuing” our youngest from fire ants she saw on our hike

• the Kids’ Club team members tailoring the program of activities to the interests of each of our kids

• having our clothes cleaned, pressed, and returned to our room same-day, hand-wrapped by the housekeeping team, after we got slightly muddy during the Rice Farmer for a Day activity - free of charge and at no request

• martinis prepared table-side, served with a lesson about the martini’s history on Bali

• getting surprised by the in-room dining team with a complimentary tray of herbal tea and honey to enjoy while our COVID tests were administered by a 3rd-party lab tech

  We have dozens more stories like these from our stay because every member of the team we encountered went above and beyond to personally engage, connect, and deliver a superb guest experience.

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Dining

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Dining here was an unexpected delight. As much as we have loved staying at many Four Seasons properties over the years, our dining experiences across the 20 or so Four Seasons properties we have visited have been hit or miss. However, the dining program here — especially the dinner service at Ayung Terrace and the cocktail program at Jati Bar — was notable. Breakfast was a sumptuous affair with a wide selection of fresh fruits and juices available and a full menu of made-to-order hot and cold dishes. There were also kids menus available at both of the restaurants and via in-room dining. The chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and M&Ms was a huge hit with the kids. We would have loved to have seen a prix-fixe dinner option at Ayung Terrace to further showcase the capabilities of the resort’s head chef, Wayan Sutariawan, and the culinary team. However, a prix-fixe option was only available for Chef’s Table at Sokasi (private dining).

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Family Services & Amenities

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The resort offered a wide array of family services and amenities, especially considering its size. The Pici Pici Kids Club provided fully supervised activities for kids age 4-12 with a gaming treehouse, main clubhouse with games, and outdoor games area with soccer and fusbol. As noted previously, kids menus were widely available with a solid selection of kid-friendly dishes. The resort has Family Suites specifically designed for families traveling with young children. Children’s robes and slippers were provided in the room, along with kids welcome gifts of handmade kids’ tunics and matching drawstring bags, and kids toiletries, toothbrushes, and toothpaste provided in the room. While we felt the resort was incredibly family friendly, we were one of the only families we saw during our stay (possibly due to time of year, or due to the island only having recently reopened to international tourists post-COVID).

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Activities

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The activities here are a must. Entire days could easily be spent lounging by the resort pools (we loved the spa plunge pools ranging from body temperature to piping hot, complete with eye-popping river views), exploring the grounds, and venturing out into Ubud — widely considered Bali’s cultural center — via the resort’s complimentary shuttle. That said, the resort also offers a wide selection of paid activities onsite and in the area, many of which are family-friendly. We loved all the activities we did here, including:

• A mother-daughter cooking class, including a visit to a nearby market, at the Sokasi Cooking School followed by a delicious riverside lunch (however, we would recommend this activity for kids age 10+ as our kids were a little too young given the skill level)

• A father-daughter Ayung river rafting experience (an all-time peak experience)

• For the whole family, A Day in the Life of a Balinese Rice Farmer, which featured a fun-in-the-mud rice planting experience, hike through rice paddies, and tour of nearby villages, ending with…

• for the whole family, an afternoon at the Sacred River Spa

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Wellness

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The resort had a strong focus on wellness and sustainability throughout. Wellness amenities included

• the Sacred River Spa with plunge pools, sauna, steam room, and treatment bales

• a small but well-equipped fitness center

• an open-air yoga pavilion

  Dining options included lots of healthy fare, and Ayung Terrace even offered a Sattvic menu (high-fiber, low-fat vegetarian dishes). The only

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Wow Factor

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This resort wowed us at every turn, and never ceased to amaze. Pictures and words don’t do it justice. The biggest wows included the architecture, setting, service experience, activity selection, and the many thoughtful little details, with a special nod to the dining program, which made a strong impression.

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Value

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Compared to other Four Seasons resorts we’ve stayed at, the value here was exceptional. The Family Suite we stayed in was more than double the size and less than half the price of One-Bedroom Suites at many other Four Seasons Resorts in the US. Add in the free breakfasts, all the extra goodies (welcome and turndown gifts, etc.), and the relatively lower cost of dining and activities here compared to US-based resorts, and the value just keeps getting better.

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Overall

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On our second day here, we called the airline to see what it would cost to change our flight so we could stay here longer — we loved it that much (although we didn’t ultimately extend our stay because flight prices were exorbitant). We couldn’t imagine a better place to end our journey in Bali and can’t wait to hopefully return someday.

Rating Legend*

💛💛💛💛💛 Exceptional

💛💛💛💛 Notable

💛💛💛 Standard

💛💛 Substandard

💛 Unsatisfactory

*All ratings are relative to similar-class properties