Novotel · Superior Room, King Bed · Asia›Indonesia›Bali

Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport

Name: Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport Review
Item: Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport
Rating: 2.9
Author: Janko Zehe

Price / night€85.03 (about $99; I stayed one night)Check current rates →
ALL StatusPlatinum at the time of my stay, which gives access to the Premier Lounge (not used)
WalkabilityNot relevant. The hotel is part of the airport.
Airport / TrainDirectly connected to Ngurah Rai Airport, a short walk from the departures level

The carved Balinese gate at the entrance. It feels more like a resort than an airport hotel, which was a lovely surprise.

A closer look at the carved stone wall beside the gate, with the Novotel flag above. The temple-like outside is the stylish part of this hotel.

The airport terminal seen from the hotel. The hotel is built right onto the airport, so it is perfect for a late arrival or an early flight.

The long courtyard pool with turquoise umbrellas, and the control tower at the far end. Heavy rain before my flight kept me from a swim, but it looked great.

The red, grey and white chessboard facade with a palm in front. The hotel is huge and built around many small courtyards, which is why I never heard a plane.

A garden path under a sail-like canopy. Walking through this green courtyard, you almost forget you are at an airport.

The garden with its koi pond and the canopies. One of the details that makes this place feel like a resort.

The Novotel sign on a wall of wooden slats. Inside, the look turns more standard: the rooms are very Novotel, with a lot of grey veneer.

The lift lobby with the Accor Novotel lift doors. My room was on the second floor, and I went straight up to sleep after arriving in the middle of the night.

The lobby with its reception desks and lounge seating. The night crew welcomed me very warmly, and I had my key card within a few minutes.

The Premier Lounge, which I could have used as a Platinum member but left too early. It looked bright and very good, with a nice view, and I would have liked to try it.

My king bed with the lit headboard and plenty of pillows. The blackout curtains were good and the room was dark, though I slept only okay because of the air conditioning.

The room with sofa, desk and TV. It was clean and everything worked, but for me it was too grey, a bit sterile and boring, and there is no real desk.

The juice dispensers at the breakfast buffet. It was one of the best and biggest hotel breakfasts I have ever had, and I could enjoy it in peace.

Pastries and baked goods at breakfast. The buffet is massive, with Western, Asian and Indian food all in one place.

Fruit and salad at the breakfast buffet. Whatever you want from any food culture, you can find here.

The restaurant seating area with its red chairs. I was one of the first there, nothing felt crowded and the service was attentive.

The fitness room with weights and machines. It looked good, but I never got to use it because of heavy rain before my flight.

The first of my three signs on the way to the hotel at the departures level: turn left here. I missed this at night and walked across the car park.

The second sign in the airport hall: proceed straight ahead here. Check the way before you leave the terminal, because the corridors are long and quiet at night.

The passage that leads right into the middle of the hotel. When you arrive here, you have skipped the big detour I made.

The Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport is built right onto the airport, and it is one of the biggest Novotels I have ever seen. I only stayed one night between two flights, but that was enough to see why it is one of the best transit hotels I know. The breakfast alone is worth the stay. The rooms are the weak spot: grey, sterile and not made for working.

Quick verdict: A huge airport hotel with a friendly night crew and one of the best breakfast buffets I have ever seen. Too much grey in the rooms, no real desk and air conditioning that did not suit me. JCI Score 2.9 out of 5.

Location

The hotel sits directly at the airport and you could almost call it part of the terminal. That makes it ideal for an arrival late at night or a very early departure. It is not a base for exploring Bali. For that you will want to go on to the beaches and the towns.

Getting There & First Impression

If you know the way, it is easy. From the arrivals hall you go up to the departures level. From there a passage leads through a few doors and corridors, and you end up in the middle of the hotel.

I did not find that passage at first. I arrived in the middle of the night, walked across the car park and did not get it. So check the way before you leave the terminal. The corridors are long and quiet at night. To show you the way, I took three photos and added them at the end of the photo gallery. Watch out for the sign in the first one and make a left here to reach the hotel. In the second one, proceed here to the hotel. When you reach the third spot, you are already in the middle of the hotel, and you have skipped the big detour.

The hotel itself is a surprise. The entrance has a carved Balinese gate, and the facade mixes a red, grey and white chessboard pattern with a Balinese roof. It feels more like a resort than an airport hotel. The hotel is huge. The temple-like look of the outside is the stylish part. Inside, the rooms are grey and boring, so I only give it one and a half stars for style.

Check-In & Loyalty Experience

I arrived at night, so the night crew was at the front desk. I was welcomed very warmly, and I had my key card within a few minutes. It was quick and uncomplicated. I found my room on the second floor and went straight to sleep.

As a Platinum member I had access to the Premier Lounge, but I left too early to use it. It is open to Platinum, Diamond and Limitless members, with midday bites, afternoon tea and an evening cocktail hour. From what I saw, it looked very good. It was bright, with a big buffet, a nice view and a bar. I would have liked to experience it.

The Room

The room is very Novotel, which means a lot of grey veneer. For me it was a bit too much. It felt sterile and a little boring. It was clean, though, and everything worked.

The bed is large and comes with plenty of pillows. The room was dark thanks to good blackout curtains. I did not hear a single plane. The hotel is huge and built around many small inner courtyards, so there was no aircraft noise at all. Outside, Bali is hot and humid, so everything inside runs on air conditioning, and you cannot really open the windows. Air conditioning air is not always good for me, so I slept only okay.

The shower was fine. There is a glass partition between the bathroom and the bedroom with a blind.

Working in the room is hard, and you would hardly want to. There is only a small shelf, with no real space for a laptop and nowhere to sit and work properly. The WiFi was okay, nothing more. There were enough sockets next to the bed to charge all my devices overnight.

Food & Drink

The breakfast was one of the best and biggest hotel breakfast buffets I have ever had. It was massive. There is a huge Western buffet, a huge Asian buffet and a huge Indian buffet. There were dumplings, sushi and a grill station. Whatever you wanted from any food culture, you could find it.

I was one of the first there. There was a lot of space to sit, nothing felt crowded, and the service was attentive. It was very pleasant, and I could enjoy it in peace.

Digital Customer Experience

Nothing digital to report.

The Bill & Value

One night cost €85.03 (about $99). I earned 317 Reward points and 180 Status points. For an airport hotel of this size, with a breakfast like that, this is very good value. You can check current rates and availability on the official Accor page for the Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport.

Verdict

What I particularly liked

The warm welcome by the night crew, the quick check-in, the huge breakfast buffet with food from three cuisines, the attentive service, the good blackout curtains and the direct connection to the airport. The garden with the koi pond and the long pool between the room wings looked good too.

What I didn't like

The grey, sterile room, the air conditioning, the tiny shelf instead of a desk, the average WiFi, and the unclear way from the arrivals hall to the hotel.

Would I come back? Yes. If my way leads me to Bali again, I would gladly stay here again. It is one of the best transit and airport hotels I have ever stayed in. It is perfect for people who arrive in Bali without an onward transfer, or who want a night near the airport before an early flight. I did not get to use the pool or the gym because of heavy rain before my flight. Both looked good.