Many of the big hotels in Bali are starting to trumpet their beach club offerings, but the Novotel Nusa Dua is taking a different path, it barely acknowledges its beach club at al.
We wondered if this was because they were hiding something shameful or whether this would prove to be a hidden gem and sent our team to find out. This is what they learned.
Introduction – Getting To Novotel Beach Club Bali
Getting to Novotel Nusa Dua is relatively straightforward and it’s not far from Uluwatu or Denpasar Airport and at a push – Ungasan.
However, it’s a more difficult drive from much of the rest of the island because of Nusa Dua’s position on the Bukit Peninsula.
If you have a precise time to get to this club, we’d recommend leaving much earlier than the distance suggests to allow for Bali traffic.
There is onsite parking and Grab and Gojek can drop you at the Novotel Nusa Dua. To get to the beach club, you need to take a free shuttle bus which runs every 15 minutes or so, so you won’t be waiting long. You can also walk, it’s only a short distance but in the Bali sun, it can feel like longer.
Where Is Novotel Beach Club Bali?
Website: Novotel Beach Club Bali
Opening Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily except Nyepi, food is only served from 12 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
What’s Inside Novotel Beach Club Bali?
This is a small beach club with no private pool area but with access to a pleasant spot on the white sand of the beach with bar and restaurant facilities as well as a great view of the ocean. You can do water sports (at a charge) on the beach here too.
Our Review Breakdown For Novotel Beach Club Bali
We review every beach club in the same fashion to try and ensure fairness to the clubs that we review and to provide consistency for you, the reader.
Our team visits each spacious open-air space and rates the club against a series of twenty criteria (listed below) on a rating scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best).
After they have been guests of the club, they return to the office and then vote on the final score in each category – to ensure that the scores provided are truly representative of the overall experience.
One team member then writes up the review based on these discussions and once it’s published, we don’t change the review for, at least, one year until we revisit the club.
Pre-Club Advertising
The Novotel Nusa Dua seems to be intent on keeping this spot a secret and as such we’ve never seen their beach club advertised independently of the hotel at all.
We get that they might want to keep the focus on this space for their guests, but it seems to us like an oversight – beach clubs are best when there’s a bit of a crowd and advertising is what brings people in.
Sure, this place is quite small, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be better with a few more people around.
Location
Nusa Dua has one of the most attractive beaches in Bali. The white sand and clear waters are part of what makes people want to come to this tropical island in the first place.
However, the area is not the easiest to get to as it’s awkwardly situated on the Bukit Peninsula and that can mean long drives in the Bali traffic to get here.
There are some amenities within walking distance of the Novotel Nusa Dua but you won’t find the kind of choice (or value) that you would in Canggu or Seminyak.
Booking Process & Seating Options
There is an email address to contact on their website which you can use to make a reservation at this beach club.
Honestly, in 2024, this feels like an act to try and discourage you from trying to book – given that you can get a fairly cheap plugin for your website to use a professional booking service, we don’t like the back and forth with email.
Also, given that this is a tiny club with a maximum capacity of 30 seats – booking is essential. Otherwise, you risk turning up and not getting a seat.
Entry Fee
There is no entrance fee for the Novotel Beach Club and that’s exactly how it should be – you can turn up and find a seat, enjoy a drink without having to fork out for the privilege.
Of course, given that this is a very small club, the priority for seating is for resort guests, so you may have to wait a while for a seat.
The good news is that there are other restaurant and bar facilities within the hotel grounds for you to spend time at while you wait.
Minimum Spend
There is no minimum spend requirement at this club and we think that’s because it’s mainly going to attract hotel guests.
While we love being told we don’t have to spend a certain amount of money to sit in the open air on a comfy chair and feast on the food and drink options – it presents a problem if you want to travel to see a club.
With no minimum spend, there is rarely a reservation system and even if you do reserve a seat, the window for your arrival tends to be very narrow, indeed or they give your seat to someone else.
Welcome And Security
As you would expect at a 5-star resort, there’s a very warm welcome waiting for you at the Novotel. The club itself is so small that you will have no problem finding a seat, you can see the entire space from anywhere in the venue.
They do carry out a basic security check when you enter the hotel grounds which is a good thing in our book – we like it when places take your security seriously.
Inclusions
With no entrance fee and no minimum spend, it won’t come as a huge shock to learn that there are no inclusions and that’s fair enough.
Of course, this means that there’s no way to obtain a VIP or Premier set of perks because they’re not charging and not providing anything.
Service
The service is everything we’d expect from a 5-star resort and while it’s not the best service on the island, it’s pretty darned good.
We think this is a very important part of what makes a beach club enjoyable and the Novotel can be proud of their staff for being warm, kind, attentive and helpful.
Entertainment
This isn’t that sort of club. You can join in on the water sports on the beach before you or you can listen to some piped background music.
The place isn’t big enough to justify DJs or mobile entertainers. You come here to eat light meals and sip cocktails, nothing more.
Pool Quality
While the resort, obviously, has pools – there’s no pool at all in the club. So, that’s no pool view over the sand.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
The prices at this club are surprisingly reasonable for Nusa Dua and are on par with most ordinary beach clubs.
Given that this is an upscale resort and there’s no entry fee or minimum spend, this is a very pleasant surprise.
Food And Drink Quality
Burgers, pasta and other light bites are the theme of the day and if you like these things, the Novotel does a pretty good rendition of all of them.
The drinks are also very good quality and mixed well with enough alcohol to make them work.
Sunset View
Nusa Dua is not a great place for one of Bali’s famous sunset views and that’s because it’s facing in the wrong direction.
Sure, you get a bit of coloured light in the sky at sunset time but you won’t get the amazing show over the water that you get in Canggu or Seminyak.
Music And Ambiance
It’s piped music and the small intimate venue is definitely focused on chilling out and enjoying some food.
You definitely wouldn’t pick this club for a party with friends. The early evening closing time reflects this too.
Payment Options
You can pay throughout the resort by cash or card, but we didn’t see any offers for QRIS or e-wallet payments.
Of course, resort guests can sign for their bills and pay them when they check out of the resort.
Exit Process
This is a tiny beach club, you just walk straight back out the way you came in.
You can then catch the shuttle bus or walk back to the hotel before you leave the resort grounds.
Transportation
One of the joys of a club being in a resort is that you won’t get any hassle from the taxi mafia who are kept outside.
It also means easy parking for those who travel under their own steam.
However, if you come by Grab or Gojek, you may have to wait a while for a ride home – particularly at busy times of day. But they can pick you up from the hotel entrance without any hassle.
Social Media Presence
None. As with pre-club advertising, the Novotel Nusa Dua seems to be trying to ensure that this club remains almost entirely invisible.
We get it, with only 30 seats available – the focus is very much on guests at the resort and there aren’t enough facilities to go around.
But, this still means if you want to visit, you will have to take it on trust that this is a nice spot by the sea.
Other/General Comments
This is clearly a tiny club that was built for hotel guests rather than as a bigger amenity. If you keep that in mind, we think you’ll have a nice time here.
Our Overall Opinion Of Novotel Beach Club Bali
If we were staying at the Novotel, we’d love this little club being part of the perks for taking rooms there.
However, we certainly wouldn’t travel to visit this club, it’s not the most memorable spot on the island and there are other better facilities in Nusa Dua that we’d visit in preference next time we’re in the area.
Notes On Novotel Nusa Dua
The Novotel Nusa Dua Hotel is a major fixture on Nusa Dua Beach with access to Bali National Golf Club, a gourmet bar, a kids club, the famous Square Restaurant, a fitness center, an awesome main pool and kids pool (with a lovely pool view of gardens) and it’s within walking distance of the Bali Collection and the ITDC Complex.
All the rooms from the deluxe room to the bedroom suite support room service and their buffet breakfast is legendary in Nusa Dua.
We didn’t stay at this resort to form our views of their beach club and that means, we’re not providing any sort of recommendation regarding staying here.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Novotel Beach Club Bali?
Yes, you can swim in the sea at Nusa Dua Beach, but you can’t swim in a pool, because they don’t have one.
What Can You Do At Novotel Beach Club Bali?
You can eat, drink and relax at this club. The emphasis is on light meals so don’t expect themed dinners or fine dining.
Is Novotel Beach Club Bali A Family-Friendly Venue?
Yes, in keeping with the very family friendly resort atmosphere, children are welcome at this club. However, with the hotel having a decent kid’s club many people let their kids play and visit the beach club for some quiet time.
Who Owns Novotel Beach Club Bali?
The Novotel Beach Club is part of the Novotel Nusa Dua which, in turn, is part of the Novotel Group. Novotel is an international hotel chain of 5 star hotels.
Final Thoughts On Novotel Beach Club Bali
This place may have super friendly staff and be located on Nusa Dua beach but we’d leave it to resort guests. It’s too small to really pack people in and that means outsiders have real risks of not being able to get a seat.
If you are staying in the resort, then if you want a change from the pool views and massages in the onsite spa, you will find that the club is nice enough. You may also find that their happy hours are amazing value for money.
