Kubu Beach Club is part of the Ayana Resort in Jimbaran Bay (and by extension, it’s also part of the Rimba Jimbaran Bali Resort which shares the same grounds).
But as this beach club is only open to paying guests of the resorts, we wondered if it was going to bring value for money and our team went for a very expensive day out to find out for you. This is what they learned.
Introduction – Getting To Kubu Beach Club
Getting to Jimbaran Bay is relatively painless from the airport and it’s not too much of a drive from the other major beach towns or even from Ubud.
As it’s a hotel property, you will have no problem parking here or getting a Grab or Gojek to drop you off at the door. You will need a hotel booking to enter the beach club, though, it’s for in-house guests only.
Where Is Kubu Beach Club? AYANA Resort and Spa Bali, Jl. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia
Website: Kubu Beach Club
Opening Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except for Nyepi – this club is only for hotel guests
What’s Inside Kubu Beach Club?
Kubu Beach Club was designed to call to mind 1960s Kuta and the kind of beachfront environment of that era. That means the beach bar reflects that aesthetic throughout and there is no pool just a restaurant and bar with various forms of seating.
Our Review Breakdown For Kubu Beach Club
As with every beach club that we review, Kubu Beach Club was subjected to our full review process. That means all of our team visited this spot on Kubu Beach and ranked the club from 1 to 5 against a series of 20 criteria.
We then voted on the final scores as a team, to ensure that our experiences were reflected fairly in the final review.
You can see how this beach club compares to other beach clubs on our best beach clubs in Bali list.
Then one of us compiles the review based on our discussions around the votes and it’s published. Once live, we won’t revisit a review for, at least, a year.
Pre-Club Advertising
There’s plenty of advertising for the Ayana Resort and the Rimba Jimbaran Bali which shares the same site, but there’s none for Kubu Beach Club.
We think this is an intentional choice as you can only spend time at the beachfront relaxing here with their vintage Balinese tiki cocktails and traditional Balinese dishes if you are a hotel guest.
Otherwise, this spot is off-limits. And with a maximum capacity of just 80 people, it gets reasonably busy most days.
Rating: 1/5
Location
The Ayana Resort and Rimba Jimbaran Bali are on the Bukit Peninsula which is in South Bali not far from Denpasar Airport.
They are reasonably accessible from all the beach towns and not too far from Ubud. However, given that this is a private beach club, none of that does you any good unless you can afford a room in the resorts.
Rimba starts at 3,800,000 IDR per night (that’s around $250 USD or $380 AUD) and AYANA Resort starts at around 5,000,000 IDR per night (that’s around $350 USD or $500 AUD). So, it’s not going to be a cheap day out.
Rating: 4/5
Booking Process & Seating Options
You cannot book online to spend time at Kubu Beach Club but that’s again because it’s a private club. You need to check into the Ayana Resort or the Rimba Jimbaran Bali Resort and then make your booking with the concierge.
The good news is that you’re not likely to find that it’s booked out because of the strict entry criteria and you will be enjoying beachside massages performed by locals and revelling in true Balinese camaraderie under intrinsic Balinese architecture inspired by the 1960s style in no time at all.
Rating: 3/5
Entry Fee
There is, of course, no entrance fee at this beach club. However, given that you’re going to have spend, at least, $200 a night to stay in one of the resorts to get in – we don’t think it’s appropriate to call this “free” entry.
We don’t have any objection to hotels securing their facilities for their guests (the same is true for the Ayana Spa Bali which is for guests only) but when to enter a club, you have to stay in a top-notch 5-star hotel, it’s not really free, is it?
Rating: 1/5
Minimum Spend
There is no minimum spend at this beach club as it’s part of the Ayana Resort and it’s a complimentary facility for resort guests.
However, we do feel that having to book a room at a 5-star resort is on the high side for a “minimum spend” even if it does come with other very nice perks.
Rating: 3/5
Welcome And Security
This is a 5-star hotel chain and one of the best in Bali. As you’d expect the welcome is warm and represents Balinese hospitality very well.
And while there is no security check at the Kubu Beach Club, there is to enter the resort grounds and that’s probably enough to ensure the safety of all their guests.
Rating: 4/5
Inclusions
You’re free to enter this beach club and sit anywhere you like, and only pay for food and drink. However, as there’s no pool, you don’t need a towel and thus, one isn’t included.
Nor are there any other inclusions at the Kubu Beach Club as the whole resort is a VIP zone of sorts.
Rating: 1/5
Service
The service at Kubu Beach Club and both resorts is excellent, it may not be the absolute best we’ve had in Bali but it’s certainly verging on it.
The staff here are friendly, warm and welcoming and are a genuine credit to the Ayana Group. You can tell that they take guest satisfaction very seriously indeed.
Rating: 4/5
Entertainment
It’s fair to say that Kubu Beach Club isn’t that sort of beach club. There’s a little background music but mainly the entertainment is in the vintage Balinese tiki cocktails and the sound of the waves against the shore.
Rating: 1/5
Pool Quality
This seems a bit mean given that Kubu Beach Club has no pool but a review scoring system has to be applied equally.
However, we should note that the pools elsewhere in these two resorts are very pleasant and there’s plenty of room to swim and to lounge about with a drink in hand near those too.
Rating: 1/5
Menu/Drinks Pricing
One thing you absolutely know about the Ayana Resort is that it’s not cheap and the prices at this beach club are on the high-end of things.
However, if you want an oxtail beef meatball soup or some charcoal bun cheeseburgers presented beautifully, you probably won’t mind paying for it. Certainly, most of their in-house guests are unlikely to bat an eyelid at the bill.
Rating: 3/5
Food And Drink Quality
The food is excellent and the drinks are top quality too. We’d expect nothing less at this resort complex and we weren’t disappointed.
Of course, the beach bar theme means this isn’t fine dining, but it was very, very good.
Rating: 4/5
Sunset View
You can’t argue with the view of the sunset from the West Coast of Bali and there’s no doubt that this is a great spot to enjoy the sun dipping below the horizon over the ocean.
However, the Kubu Beach Club closes at 6 p.m. each day, which means you may have to move somewhere else in the resort to watch the sunset depending on the time of sunset.
Rating: 3/5
Music And Ambiance
This place is colonial chic and it knows it. The traditional design and excellent service are what sets the Kubu Beach Club apart from the rest of the pack.
There’s a little piped background music, but really, that’s not what this place is about and that’s just fine.
Rating: 3/5
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card in this resort, but most in-house guests will simply sign a chit to add the bill to their room bill.
There are no QRIS or e-wallet options, but it’s possible that their customers don’t use these payment options.
Rating: 4/5
Exit Process
Getting out of this beach club is straightforward enough if you’re returning to the rest of the resort, just jump in the glass-fronted elevator up the cliff and walk back.
Rating: 5/5
Transportation
The hotel will be happy to arrange a taxi or car for you and you can call for a Grab or Gojek too. However, you might have to wait a while for the ride-share apps to pick you up, particularly at busy times.
There is no taxi mafia in the hotel compound, so you don’t have to worry about being hassled while you wait.
There are car parking facilities available to all guests.
Rating: 3/5
Social Media Presence
There are some photos and videos on a small set of social media accounts, but they’re not often updated and to be fair, the hotels probably concentrate more on promoting rooms and the overall service rather than the beach club.
Rating: 2/5
Other/General Comments
If you want a swish upmarket bar by the sea in an expensive resort compound, this is where you will find it. It’s not really a beach club except in name, mind you, but that doesn’t matter to the people who visit.
It’s a spot for watching the ocean and sipping on drinks along with fellow in house guests most of whom will probably venture no further than the other resort restaurants during their time in Bali.
Rating: 4/5
Our Overall Opinion Of Kubu Beach Club
We’re not sure that this beach club alone justifies the price tag of a night in the resorts here, but it certainly adds considerable value to the proposition.
We really enjoyed spending some time at Kubu and while it’s definitely not for party goers or an everyday spot, we can see how it has real holiday appeal too.
If you have the money to stay in the resort and it’s where you want to be, you’re bound to use this facility, but if you’re staying elsewhere, you can’t get in.
Rating: 54/100
FAQs
Can You Swim At Kubu Beach Club?
Technically, you could swim in the sea at Kubu but Kubu Beach isn’t the best place for an ocean dip and there’s no pool here.
However, given you must be a resort guest to enjoy this facility – there are plenty of pools elsewhere in the resort where you can swim, so this isn’t much of a downside.
What Can You Do At Kubu Beach Club?
You can spend some time on the beachfront relaxing and enjoying simple international dishes, traditional Balinese dishes, and vintage Balinese tiki cocktails.
If you visit the nearby Ayana Spa Bali, you can also enjoy beachside massages performed by world-class masseurs. Getting a rub down with natural coconut oil under a coconut tree is a really nice touch.
Is Kubu Beach Club A Family-Friendly Venue?
Sort of, you’re free to bring your children to the Kubu Beach Club (assuming they’re staying in the resort with you) but there are no specific facilities for them and given there are pools, kids club, etc. elsewhere in these resorts, they may not really want to spend any time at Kubu Beach Club.
It’s really a place for sipping Arak-based classic cocktails and appreciating the dramatic limestone cliffs nearby and the traditional design and traditional rooftops of authentic amenities with real island elements.
Who Owns Kubu Beach Club?
Kubu Beach Club is part of the Ayana group of properties which owns the Ayana Resort and the Rimba Jimbaran Bali both of which share the same space on the beach as Kubu.
Final Thoughts On Kubu Beach Club
The Ayana Resort and the Rimba Jimbaran Bali are both lovely hotels and we had no doubt that we would be treated to something a bit different for the lavish expense of staying there.
If you’re after a place that serves traditional Balinese dishes and simple international dishes such as charcoal bun cheeseburgers, along with vintage Balinese tiki cocktails and in a beach bar that reflects intrinsic Balinese architecture inspired by the Kuta of the 1960s, there’s nowhere better.
However, once you’ve done some beachfront relaxing time, you’re going to notice the lack of pools and the high prices of everything from their oxtail beef meatball soup to fresh coconut water.
In-house guests are sure to enjoy the experience, but we’re not sure that we’d be persuaded to shell out for hotel rooms in this part of Jimbaran Bay on the strength of this club alone.
If you found this review useful why not check out our reviews of Sundara Beach Club and Kayu Kayu Beach Front too?
