Now, as our readers will know, this site is all about beach clubs, but due to popular demand, we’ve also decided to review some of the big-name pool clubs here in Bali, and the first of those is Mrs. Sippy.
If you’re wondering what the main difference between a pool club and a beach club is, it’s the lack of access to the beach. (You can find out more about this here.)
Our team quite likes beaches, but it’s prepared to concede that a good time can be had without any sand in sight, too, so they grabbed their notebooks and pens and headed out to Mrs. Sippy for the day, and this is what they learned there.
Introduction – Getting To Mrs. Sippy
Mrs. Sippy is near the beach in Seminyak, and it’s not particularly difficult to get to, though the Bali traffic can always turn a short drive into a long one at the wrong times of day.
They do have on-site parking, but it’s complicated. There is some limited space for bikes, but if you want to bring a car, then you should be aware that it’s likely to end up valeted away somewhere. This can mean a bit of a wait when you want to leave if it’s busy at the front door.
You can also be dropped off at the front door by Grab or Gojek (the local Uber equivalents). We’d recommend the ride-sharing services as not only are they cheap, but you can then drink without worrying about the legal limit on your way home.
When you arrive, you will find that it’s not too hard to get in, find a seat and get the party started.
Where Is Mrs. Sippy? Jl. Taman Ganesha, Gang Gagak 8 Kerobokan Kelod Kuta Utara Kerobokan Kelod, Seminyak, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Website: Mrs. Sippy
Opening Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except Nyepi
What’s Inside Mrs. Sippy?
There’s a large lagoon-sized pool with a 5-meter high diving board for those who like to make a splash. There are bar and restaurant services as well as a variety of seating areas to choose from. There is a decent pool-bar too.
Later in the day, they may have live DJs, particularly on the weekends, as they look to get the mostly young and Eastern European crowd dancing and drinking. Any children in this venue are expected to be gone by 4 p.m. (3 p.m. for certain events).
Our Review Breakdown For Mrs. Sippy
In line with our commitment to impartiality in all beach club evaluations, we strive to maintain a balanced and equitable review process that serves both our audience and the beach club proprietors.
Our approach remains consistent across every beach club we assess, ensuring uniformity in our methodology for past, present, and future reviews featured on our platform.
Our review team conducts on-site visits to the beach club under evaluation, rating it on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) based on specific criteria outlined below.
Once all team members have completed their visits, potentially on different days and not as a group, they convene to share their observations and collectively determine the final score for each category.
A designated team member then crafts the review, ensuring it accurately captures the group’s discussions and assigned ratings.
The completed review is published on our website, where it remains until we revisit the club, typically no sooner than one year later, to update our ratings and commentary as needed.
Pre-Club Advertising
There is a little advertising floating around for this pool club, it’s not completely absent but it’s also not in any quantity large enough to really change our perception of the place.
If you know it by reputation, you’re bound to be at least a little curious about Mrs Sippy but a fleeting advert is unlikely to arouse much interest by itself.
That’s a bit of a shame because we believe that pre-club advertising is the best way for clubs to draw people in and ensure a lively social atmosphere inside.
Location
The fact that Mrs Sippy is very close to the beach but has no beach access is frustrating. We understand building a pool club in Ubud, which has no beaches within several miles of the city, but in Seminyak?
It feels like they’ve neglected the best thing about this part of the island in their rush to start making money from tourists.
Otherwise, this isn’t a terrible location, it’s easy enough to get to from most of the island (traffic permitting and that’s outside of the realm of control for Mrs. Sippy’s management).
But you’re going to miss that epic sunset view over the Indian Ocean, and given that it’s so close to this club, it feels like a bit of a shame.
Booking Process & Seating Options
There’s nothing more confusing than a club sending you to a second website to make a booking for your seat, except when it sends you to different websites at random depending on the event that’s on at the time.
Yes, Mrs. Sippy’s management has failed to invest in its own booking system and thus it relies piecemeal on whatever catches its fancy for that day.
This makes it difficult for customers to trust that they are using a legitimate booking system, and it makes the overall terms and conditions confusing, because they vary from site to site.
You should be aware that they will want a deposit, but it’s only half of the minimum spend, and it does mean that they will waive the entry fee at the door if you book.
Entry Fee
Yes, the entry fee. We feel that beach clubs and, by extension, pool clubs shouldn’t be in the business of charging entrance fees.
It’s a bit like being charged to walk into your local pub or restaurant. You should be able to go into any of these places for free and see if you like them before you agree to spend money.
However, if you book online, there’s no entrance fee at Mrs Sippy but if you decide to walk-in on the day, then you will be required to pay 100,000 IDR per person to get in.
Incredibly, this 100,000 IDR gets you nothing at all in return, not even a towel. If you want a towel, that’s going to be an extra 50,000 IDR!
Minimum Spend
You can sit at the bar tables without incurring a minimum spend, but if you want a comfortable seat, then you will be expected to agree to a minimum spend.
If you book in advance, you must pay 50% of this as a deposit to secure your seat and ensure that the club gets paid even if you don’t show up. We think that’s fair and reasonable.
However, the rates for cabanas, daybeds and lounges seem a little on the high side for a club without any access to the beach. Not extortionate, just a little high.
Welcome And Security
The majority of our review team found that the welcome team did an excellent job and that the security conducted a brief and professional bag search.
We like bag searches as we believe they help to ensure that a venue stays safe for everyone who attends. It’s a good thing.
But one of our reviewers says that their welcome was deeply unwelcoming and perfunctory and it was all about extracting cash rather than providing any kind of service.
Inclusions
We honestly can’t believe that Mrs. Sippy thinks that in addition to both a minimum spend and an entrance fee that they should be charging for towels as well, but that is the case.
This pool club offers less in the way of inclusions than nearly every beach club on the island, and we simply can’t understand this mindset at all.
Even if they are making a whole $3 per towel, we’d be willing to bet that it leaves a bad enough taste in some people’s mouths that they’re losing it in bar spend when people walk out.
Inclusions are a nice way for a club to build a relationship with its customers, and on this, Mrs. Sippy is missing out.
We should also note, you can’t bring your own towel to dodge this fee; outside towels are banned in the club.
Service
This was a mixed bag. Some of our review team reported that the servers they interacted with were excellent and really went out of their way to be helpful.
Others found that the staff they dealt with didn’t seem to understand the happy hour deal, took forever to actually bring drinks and were far more determined to get paid before they brought anything to the table.
Most places run a tab in the bar. Given that they have security on the door and cameras all over Mrs. Sippy, we’re not certain why this becomes such an issue. Certainly, one of our team who reported this attitude is not built for running away from venues to save a few IDR.
Entertainment
During the day, there’s not much on at Mrs. Sippy, and there’s really just piped music, which is roughly what most beach clubs offer, too.
However, they do have live DJs in the evenings, and occasionally, they bring in a big name and really fire up the party.
It’s not the best sound system that we’ve encountered at a club here, but it does get the job done.
We would say that they could use a little more razzmatazz above and beyond a DJ, but Mrs Sippy is a decent place for dancing.
Pool Quality
The pool is huge at Mrs Sippy, and there’s no doubt that it’s a selling point, as we’d expect it to be at a pool club, to be fair.
However, we should note that the water didn’t always seem to be clear in this pool; it was sort of murky at times.
We don’t know if this is the effect of poor pool filtration or the use of salt water, but whatever it was, it didn’t leave us entirely thrilled to jump in.
We did, though, and nobody was adversely affected by the pool water as far as we can tell.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
We felt that the drinks and food at Mrs. Sippy were overpriced for what they were. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that the drinks were extremely bad value for money, particularly during the periods when the staff either didn’t understand the happy hour offers or couldn’t be bothered to deal with them.
Seminyak isn’t the cheapest of areas, so we’ve taken that into account when assigning our score in this category.
Rating: 3/5
Food And Drink Quality
We also felt that while the food quality was decent enough, it was tasty even if the portions weren’t the biggest, the drink quality was markedly variable.
Some of the drinks were excellent, others were absolutely abysmal, both weak and frankly, tasting like things we wished we’d never tasted.
Overall, this score might even be a little generous. We weren’t thrilled with the offerings at Mrs Sippy.
Sunset View
There really isn’t a sunset view at this pool club, Mrs. Sippy is basically fenced off on all sides, so though you do get some colour change in the sky, you don’t get to enjoy the world-famous Bali sunset at all.
This is a real shame, given that Seminyak is perfectly poised on one side of the island to enjoy amazing views of sunset. But that’s pool clubs for you.
Music And Ambience
We found the music to be a little intrusive at times in Mrs Sippy, but we have to confess that the majority of the crowd seemed to be enjoying it well enough.
The biggest problem is the poor quality speaker system, which adds a level of distortion that our team didn’t really find all that pleasant.
But if you have enough to drink, you probably won’t notice it. The crowd here is mainly young, Eastern European and in the mood for plenty to drink. So, they’ve probably got this about right.
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card, and if you haven’t signed up for a minimum spend, you can do so before they bring you a drink or any food.
We didn’t see any signs for QRIS payments though and that’s a shame as we like QRIS, it’s a very convenient way for locals and expats to pay.
Exit Process
While Mrs Sippy is a decent size for a club in Bali, the entrance and exit is very easy to recognise from anywhere in the club.
You will receive a cheery farewell from the staff as they see you leave.
Transportation
You leave Mrs Sippy the way that you came in, and if you have a vehicle to pick up, this process is just fine.
If, on the other hand, you need to go and get a Grab or Gojek, it’s a bit of a slog to the main exit, and then you run the risk of a little taxi mafia harassment as you wait for your car to arrive.
It’s not unbearable, but it’s not great, either.
Social Media Presence
The Instagram and Facebook accounts for Mrs. Sippy are updated regularly, and they present a pretty honest picture of what to expect inside the club, too.
There’s nothing here that will rock your world or blow you away, but it’s a solid piece of supporting marketing material, and that’s better than quite a few of the beach clubs’ efforts here in Bali.
Other/General Comments
We all felt that if Mrs Sippy were a colour, it would be beige. It’s not that good at anything, but nor is it so terrible that we needed to leave immediately.
It’s a forgettable place to spend a day in the pool. If you are young and in their target demographic, we suspect you might have a better time, but even then, we doubt that you’ll be talking about it in a year’s time.
Our Overall Opinion Of Mrs. Sippy
This was one of the most inconsistent clubs that our review team has ever visited. Some of us had a great time, others most decidedly did not.
Overall, there’s no doubt that it has a nice pool area, and the diving board and pool toys are a nice touch.
But on the flip side, you get nickel-and-dimed for absolutely everything, and the drinks aren’t good enough to justify the high prices.
We also felt that this is the kind of place that draws in a very specific crowd, and if it’s not your vibe, it’s not your vibe.
So, while we felt that Mrs. Sippy definitely has something to offer people, we can’t give it a resounding endorsement for everyone, either.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Mrs. Sippy?
Yes, there is a very large lagoon-style swimming pool at this day club, and there’s also a diving pool if you’re in the mood for some action on a diving board.
On our trips to Mrs. Sippy, we weren’t always impressed with the clarity of the water in the pool, though we have been told that saltwater pools can get a little cloudy at times.
So, we’ll leave it up to you as to whether you decide to swim there or not. One thing you don’t have at Mrs. Sippy is the option to charge down the beach and into the ocean – this is a pool club, not a beach club, and there’s no beach access.
What Can You Do At Mrs. Sippy?
You can eat, drink, chill by the pool, play or swim in the pool, and as the day progresses, a certain amount of partying is apparent among the younger crowd that this club seems to draw in.
Is Mrs. Sippy A Family-Friendly Venue?
Sort of. Mrs. Sippy certainly bills itself as a family-friendly venue, but there are quite a few restrictions on children in this pool club, so parents will need to decide for themselves if they think it’s an appropriate venue for their children.
Firstly, children must be supervised at all times in this club. If they’re too far away from their parents, they will be asked to return to them. If this happens a lot, you may potentially be asked to leave.
Then, you should be aware that after 4 p.m. (3 p.m. during certain special events), Mrs. Sippy expects parents to take their children and leave as the party heats up and things become decidedly less child-friendly.
You must also know that Mrs. Sippy has a blanket ban on children bringing in any form of toys from outside, and while the club does provide some pool toys, there’s often quite a bit of competition for them.
On the flip side, they definitely do have a family-friendly pool, and there are sometimes fun activities for kids staged in the water. They also have a kids’ menu with the usual favourites for them to enjoy.
The club also runs a nanny-support policy with their staff stepping up to ensure that nannies aren’t run off their feet chasing after the kids as they run around and have fun.
Who Owns Mrs. Sippy?
Mrs. Sippy in Bali is owned by Andrew Stanway and Ben May. They are the original owners of the Mrs. Sippy club in Double Bay, Sydney, and they brought the pool club concept from Australia to this part of Seminyak.
During the launch period for this pool club, the owners explained they felt that the decor in Mrs Sippy Bali was a tribute to the island itself.
Which Is Better FINNS Or Mrs Sippy?
FINNS is the world’s best beach club, and that probably makes it the world’s best pool club with beach access too.
There’s no real competition between these two venues; if you can only visit one, go to FINNS – it’s the best party day out you can have in Bali. Mrs. Sippy is where you go once you’ve partied everywhere else.
Final Thoughts On Mrs. Sippy
We don’t really get why people would choose Mrs. Sippy over any of the many better beach clubs in Seminyak, Canggu and Kuta.
Not only does it not have beach access, which wouldn’t be a deal breaker, but it’s a money grab from the off, a fee to get in, a fee to use a towel, another minimum spend fee if you want to sit down and then, a premium priced menu combined with distinctly less than premium service.
It’s an attractive enough spot, but we just think there are plenty of better options in Bali. If you’ve exhausted all those options and want to try something new, you may have a good day out at Mrs. Sippy, but in the experience of our reviewers, you may not, either.
Overall, we find the pool clubs further inland in places like Ubud more appealing, at least we understand why you’re not getting beach access when you’re in the centre of the island.
