If you’re spending some time in Canggu, then you’re bound to consider visiting a beach club and you will probably end up weighing FINNS Beach Club against Luna Beach Club.
But which one is the best for you? Well, our team has visited both beach clubs and ranked them for many of the criteria people use to choose their day out.
In this review we put the two clubs head-to-head to help you make an informed decision
About FINNS Beach Club
FINNS is three venues in one. FINNS Beach Club, FINNS Party Area and FINNS VIP Beach Club. The VIP section has its own entrance which is separate from the other beach club even though they share the same address.
The combined venue has 3 infinity pools on the beachfront, 11 bars (which includes a pair of excellent swim-up bars) and 3 excellent restaurants. It also has a pair of shops where you can buy beachwear and souvenirs.
Address: Jl. Pantai Berawa No.99, Canggu, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Online: FINNS
Where Is FINNS VIP Beach Club? Jl. Pantai Berawa No.99, Canggu, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Website: FINNS VIP
Opening Hours: Open daily, every day except for Nyepi, from 11 a.m. to 12 midnight.
Read Our Full Review Of FINNS Beach Club
About Luna Beach Club
Luna Beach Club is made of a beach club, Utopia Cave Club, the Luna Beer Garden, the Gardenia Pods and Restaurant 360. While it lacks a central outstanding pool, there are several small pools on site.
It is best known for its attractive bamboo design, tropical garden layout and the huge steel statue “Luna Rising”.
Address: Luna Beach Club and Utopia Cave Club, Jl. Kayangan, Beraban, Kec. Kediri, Kabupaten Tabanan, Bali 82121, Indonesia
Online: Luna
Opening Hours: Open daily, every day except for Nyepi, from 10 a.m. to 12 midnight.
Read Our Full Review Of Luna Beach Club
FINNS Vs Luna: Head To Head
Pre-Club Advertising
FINNS is, by far, the biggest beach club advertiser on the island. If you’re on social media, walking down the street or browsing the web, you’re going to see a FINNS advert.
This is a good thing, it helps spread awareness of this beach club and it ensures that the place is always packed. As someone said on Reddit the other day – if FINNS is ever empty, then Bali is probably empty too.
Luna Beach Club, on the other hand, has certainly spent some money on advertising but we’re here all the time and we don’t see ads for Luna regularly.
Given its remote location and the fact that you are going to have spend a long time getting there and back, we think they could do more to encourage people to make that journey.
Sure, they had a great run of publicity when they opened their doors a few months back, but now? We don’t feel they’re doing enough to ensure that they’re getting enough guests to guarantee people have a good time.
This category is an easy win for FINNS Beach Club. They really don’t have any competition on the island when it comes to promoting themselves.
Location
FINNS is on Berawa Beach in the heart of Canggu. It’s an easy location to get to and it’s surrounded by shops, bars, cafes and restaurants.
Luna, on the other hand, is in the middle of nowhere, quite literally. Yes, they are developing the area around Luna but it will be a decade or more before there’s anything substantial in the area.
Until then, it’s a long drive to be stranded at Luna Beach Club. We should also note that the car park is a long way from the door at Luna and you need transport there and back – which may or may not be forthcoming.
Overall, this is a pretty easy win for FINNS. One day, Luna Beach Club might be in a busy easy to reach part of the island, but for now? It’s not.
Booking Process & Seating Options
FINNS has the best booking system on the island. It’s super easy to choose where you want to sit if you decide to reserve a day bed (you can walk-in if you just want to use the bars or restaurants and there’s no entrance fee) and what minimum spend you will be agreeing to.
It’s important to book furniture at FINNS because the place is almost always packed out – if you want to chill on a day bed by the pool, book it early.
Luna Beach Club is also easy to book a seat at but there is an endless variety of options that ends up being so complicated that you feel like your brain is melting.
And don’t forget that each venue under the Luna umbrella uses the same portal to book, so you might end up booking the beer garden, restaurant or nightclub by mistake.
Given that you can walk into Luna Beach Club and that they’re rarely all that busy – we’d skip booking and just go if you want to.
This category is a very easy win for FINNS, their booking system just works.
Entrance Fee
FINNS doesn’t charge an entrance fee and you can take a seat at the bar or in their restaurants for free.
This is what we consider to be best practice for beach clubs on the island and it’s excellent to see that this big name does not indulge in ripping people off to walk through the door.
Sadly, Luna Beach Club has recently introduce a 20,000 IDR entrance fee ($1.30 USD – $2 AUD) which is not good practice.
Worse, on New Year’s Eve, they told people they would get free entry and then charged people a substantail entrance fee knowing that they had a captive audience as getting back to Canggu was impossible that night.
FINNS wins this category.
Minimum Spend
Both FINNS and Luna Beach Club require customers to commit to a minimum spend if they want to use the comfy day beds by the pools.
This is an industry-standard and something we think is generally fair too. If you want the best seats, you need to pay your way.
Instead of being charged to sit down, you agree to spend a certain amount of money on food and drinks (and tobacco products if you smoke).
However, despite being less busy and more remote than FINNS, Luna Beach Club’s minimum spend is slightly higher.
Therefore, FINNS wins this category as it’s better value for the consumer.
Welcome And Security
Once you take Luna’s shuttle from the car park to the venue, the welcome is decent and you will face a security check. You will also be made to provide your e-mail and name (we don’t know why – they don’t specify and the staff don’t seem to know).
FINNS has an excellent greeting team that make you feel extremely welcome. There is a security check but you’re not required to sign up for any spam lists.
Overall, we feel that FINNS does a better job of welcoming people than any other beach club in Bali and that they do a great job of getting you to your seat. FINNS wins this category.
Inclusions
Luna Beach Club offers guests who agree to a minimum spend the use of a towel. That’s it.
FINNS does likewise for beach club users, but their VIP guests get a huge package of additional services.
We feel like Luna Beach Club is missing a trick here. If people come out to the middle of nowhere, why not try and sell them a better service?
FINNS wins by offering more choices to their guests than Luna Beach Club offers theirs.
Service
Luna Beach Club has generally good service (though as we said in our review – one friend claims to have watched a waiter open someone’s beer with his teeth) but it’s not exceptional, either and there are occasional lapses.
FINNS absolutely excels in this category. Their staff are cheerful, kind and helpful and it’s never too much trouble for them to go the extra mile.
This is one of the categories that every beach club ought to be able to differentiate themselves in. You don’t need a huge budget to train your staff properly and to hire people with the right attitude.
And here, FINNS is the market leader as always, their staff are truly exceptional.
Entertainment
Luna Beach Club left us puzzled with the absence of any entertainment during the day – they don’t even have a DJ working the day shift (though one does arrive after sunset).
This seems like an extraordinary failing of a club that has been trying to position itself as an upmarket party destination.
FINNS, once again, shows its expertise by having entertainment all day long including live DJs and vocalists. Once the sun goes down, they do crank things up a gear but you will never be bored for a lack of entertainment at FINNS.
We feel that entertainment is one of the things that really separates FINNS from the rest – this is a category they will always win.
Pool Quality
Luna Beach Club has some nice pools, but if you want to use their beachfront infinity pool, you have to pay to get into the Infinity Cave Club. Incredibly, your minimum spend is only valid in the beach club, so any drinks and food you buy in Infinity don’t get credited towards it!
A lack of a central pool feature, however, tends to make Luna Beach Club a place for small groups of friends rather than a big party.
And oddly, they also close all the pools immediately the sun goes down. Luna Beach Club could use rethinking this policy.
FINNS has excellent pools, they’re all accessible by all guests and your minimum spend (if you have one) works at every pool too.
There’s also an excellent central pool and the pools are open as long as FINNS is open.
This is another easy win for FINNS.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
Luna Beach Club is expensive by beach club standards and also charges the highest combined rate of service charge and tax that we’ve seen in a beach club.
FINNS charges a premium compared to local restaurants but that’s pretty standard for a beach club and it’s in the mid-tier of pricing for beach clubs and given the quality of the food and drinks, it’s exceptional value for money.
This is another easy win for FINNS.
Food And Drink Quality
We thought the food menu at Luna Beach Club was very varied and the food was good but not best in class. However, the cocktails were definitely weaker than they should be for the price.
FINNS has excellent food, it verges on fine dining. Their drinks are also strong and beautifully presented.
FINNS wins this category too.
Sunset View
Both Luna Beach Club and FINNS have an amazing view of the sunset over the Indian Ocean.
However, you have to move to a special area in Luna to watch the sunset whereas it’s visible from everywhere in FINNS. This is another win for FINNS but it’s close.
Music And Ambience
Luna has music and a sort of party vibe but there’s nothing here that will blow your mind and they could really use working on a musical identity.
FINNS has its regular house talent DJing all day long and has evolved a party sound that will keep most people happy. FINNS wins again.
Payment Options
FINNS accepts all forms of payment available in Bali that are legal. Luna Beach Club accepts most forms of payment but doesn’t seem to take QRIS payments.
FINNS wins this but there’s not much in it.
Exit Process
Leaving Luna Beach Club comes with the complication that you need a ride back to the car park and that might mean 10-20 minutes in the direct sunlight waiting for the ride.
Leaving FINNS is easy, you walk out the door and you’re done. FINNS wins again.
Transportation
Getting transportation from FINNS is pretty easy and while you may have to walk up the street if you want a motorbike taxi – Grab and Gojek cars can pick up from the front door of VIP or at the Grab parking at the ordinary beach club.
The car park is close by too if you drove yourself.
Luna Beach Club is in the middle of nowhere. If you drove yourself, leaving is easy enough but if you want a Grab or Gojek? Be prepared to wait for it, possibly for a very long time.
FINNS wins this too.
Social Media Presence
Luna Beach Club has a social media presence but it’s not great and it doesn’t get updated often enough.
FINNS has the best digital presence on the island and their social media is not only updated frequently but it keeps getting better over time. An easy win for FINNS.
Other/General Comments
Luna Beach Club clearly has ambition to be great but for now, it’s not. It’s a fun day out but there are severe drawbacks to spending time here.
FINNS, on the other hand, is the market leader in Bali and it’s not hard to see why when you put these two clubs head-to-head.
The Results: FINNS Beach Club Vs Luna Beach Club Which Is Better?
As you can see from the run down, Luna Beach Club doesn’t win a single category.
This new kid on the block is going to have to put in a lot of effort to match the quality of the experience at FINNS.
Luna Beach Club is OK, but we simply can’t justify the long drive out there for “OK”. FINNS is more accessible and far more fun. It provides better value for money too.
If you have to choose between these two clubs, we’d pick FINNS one hundred times out of one hundred. That’s why FINNS runs a clean sweep in our review comparisons, winning all 20 categories!
FAQs
What Is The Number One Beach Club In Bali?
FINNS is the premier beach club in Bali. It sees more than 1 million visitors a year and almost 15% of the visitors to the island spend some time at FINNS.
Many people, particularly from Australia, plan their Bali holiday around a trip to FINNS. We ranked it as our top beach club on the island too.
What makes it stand out is the attention to detail, high-end entertainment, world-class service, and constant reinvention of its services and space.
You can’t be bored at FINNS and their ethos is very much on providing a space that is so much that you simply don’t want to leave.
Most of the other beach clubs on the island could learn a lot from these principles. As it’s all too common for them to put money grabbing before the guest experience, which is a real shame.
Is FINNS Beach Club VIP Worth It?
Yes, we love FINNS Beach Club’s VIP offering. It’s not something we use every time we go to FINNS but we do use it on occasion.
Sometimes, you just want a bit of extra pampering, the chance to feel special and during peak season, the chance to get priority bookings in their restaurants is worth the premium alone.
If you’re not sure if you’d value the VIP experience, then just book the regular beach club, you’re still sure to have a great time.
Which Is The World’s Best Beach Club?
FINNS is officially the world’s best beach club. We haven’t been to every beach club on Earth, so we can’t confirm this but we have been to a lot of beach clubs and so far, our experience puts FINNS at the top of the list.
It’s not just a marketing slogan for their management team – they really are constantly trying to up their game to ensure that they remain the world’s best beach club.
If you visit FINNS in two consecutive years, the changes become really noticeable. The experience is always fresh and always impactful.
What Is The Minimum Spend At FINNS Beach Club?
There is no minimum spend at FINNS. While you will have to agree to a minimum spend if you want to use a day bed (that’s a posh sun lounger by the pools), you can take a seat in FINNS bars and restaurants without a minimum spend.
We should also note that they don’t charge an entrance fee at FINNS, either. So, you can go in and give the place a try without paying to get through the door or being saddled with a larger bill than you want.
We think this is the best practice in the beach club scene here in Bali and would encourage all other beach clubs to follow suit.
Is FINNS Beach Club Worth It?
Yes! In fact, our firm position is that if you come to Bali and only visit one beach club – it should be FINNS. It stands out head and shoulders above all the competition on the island.
And we should know, we’ve all visited all of the clubs here and while we haven’t quite published all of our reviews, we’ve already published reviews of around 70 beach clubs out of about 110!
What’s The Difference Between FINNS Beach Club and FINNS VIP Beach Club?
FINNS VIP is essentially the same as FINNS Beach Club except for access to an additional restaurant as well as a host of perks. These include access to a premium boutique, freebies like sunglasses cleaning, phone charging, drinks and snacks, etc.
There is no charge for FINNS VIP but you do have to agree a higher minimum spend to use the VIP service than the ordinary service. To be fair, we’ve found we usually blow past the minimum spend wherever we sit in FINNS. It’s too easy to stay all day and all night.
Why Is FINNS Beach Club Famous?
FINNS is famous because it’s a global market leader in the beach club scene. It’s Australia’s favourite beach club and the most popular in Bali.
Given that Bali has the biggest beach club scene on Earth at this moment, only rivalled, perhaps, by Ibiza – FINNS really does attract attention everywhere.
Is There A Dress Code At FINNS Beach Club?
There is a very basic dress code at FINNS. You’re expected to wear actual swimming clothes in the pool and when you enter the club, you should have something on your feet as well as ordinary beach wear.
The restaurants have a slightly stricter dress code, but nothing that’s particularly onerous. We’d recommend checking their website for their current dress code.
Most importantly though – you cannot go into FINNS if you have face or head tattoos. This is non-negotiable and you will be turned away from the club if you arrive tattooed.
Final Thoughts On FINNS VS Luna Beach Club
Luna Beach Club isn’t the worst beach club in Bali but it’s also far from the best. Our review team felt that the club was still trying to find its identity.
The architecture is lovely, but the rest of the beach club lacks substance and they felt that a long drive out to Luna Beach Club just wasn’t going to deliver the kind of experience that made the drive worthwhile.
We’d also note that on occasions like New Year’s Eve, Luna Beach Club is almost impossible to get home from using ride-sharing or taxis. There aren’t enough to go around in this remote location.
FINNS, on the other hand, is our team’s top pick of beach clubs in Bali and while it’s possible that one-day Luna will truly rival FINNS, today, if we had to choose between the two – we’d choose FINNS.
