Not all hotels allow outside visitors in to use their beach club facilities, but Pier Eight in Sanur’s owners, the Intercontinental Hotel Group, are happy for guests from outside the hotel to use theirs.
This was greeted with enthusiasm by our review team, as a night in the Intercontinental isn’t the cheapest of ways to spend time in Sanur.
So, they jumped in their Grab taxis with real enthusiasm as they headed out to Pier Eight, and this is what they learned when they got there.
Introduction – Getting To Pier Eight
Sanur is one of Bali’s beach towns but it’s on the opposite side of the island from the main group of Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Jimbaran, Legian, etc. and a little removed from Ubud too.
While, in theory, it’s not too long a drive from these towns to Sanur, the traffic, particularly at peak times can mean it’s much longer than you’d expect.
So, for most people it’s going to take 90 minutes or more to drive to Sanur and you want to consider that when planning your journey.
Once you arrive in Sanur, you will be able to park at The Intercontinental though Pier Eight is a fairly substantial stroll from the lobby area.
You can also be dropped off at the door by your Grab or Gojek driver, which is how most people will arrive.
You wil be given directions to Pier Eight by the hotel staff and it takes about 5-10 minutes slow walk to get there. Once you arrive, you will be seated with relative efficiency.
Where Is Pier Eight? Intercontinental Bali Sanur Resort, Jl. Kusuma Sari No.8, Sanur, Denpasar Selatan, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80227
Opening Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except Nyepi
What’s Inside Pier Eight?
There is a pool area as well as restaurant and bar facilities. As this beach club is part of the Intercontinental Bali Sanur Resort, you should be aware that they prioritise resort guests when it comes to seating.
Our Review Breakdown For Pier Eight
We always review every beach club in Bali in exactly the same way. This allows us to treat every venue fairly and to show no favoritism to any given place.
It also means that our readers should find it very easy to compare different beach clubs using the same criteria.
The process works as follows, the whole team visits the beach club, though they don’t always go together or even on the same day.
While each person is in the beach club, they grade it from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) in the series of categories laid out below.
After everyone has been to the club, the team meets up to discuss their experiences at the venue and to vote on a final score in each category.
Once this has been done, a single member of the team is assigned to write up the review and to ensure that the discussions and final scores are fairly reflected.
Then, the review is published on our site, where it will remain for at least a year until we have a chance to revisit the club and to amend or change our scores and comments as needed.
Pre-Club Advertising
We are big believers in pre-club advertising and while there is definitely a reasonable argument as to why some beach clubs might not be able to afford to invest in this, Pier Eight is part of the Intercontinental Hotel Group.
So, we don’t really understand why we’ve never seen any advertisements either online or offline for Pier Eight.
This could help to ensure that the place is always busy and popular, which would give the social side of being at Pier Eight a real boost.
Location
Sanur isn’t the best location for a beach club in Bali, but nor is it the worst. The beachfront location of Pier Eight is very attractive and there’s no doubt that the sand is soft underfoot here.
However, getting to Sanur takes longer than you’d like it to from the rest of the island, particularly in high traffic times.
And there’s no sunset on this side of the island to speak of, because the sun sets behind you, which is unfortunate as the sunset is a real perk of going to a beach club in Bali, it’s glorious.
Booking Process & Seating Options
We’re baffled by the choice to stuff this restaurant and beach club on a LinkTree page rather than providing it with its own site or giving it part of the Intercontinental Website.
And we’re even more bemused by the choice of WhatsApp for bookings rather than a proper booking engine.
Yes, you can book, but it’s much more convoluted than it needs to be and frankly, in 2025, a major hotel chain can and should do better than this.
We like reservations at beach clubs, because if you’re travelling, it means you can be sure of a seat when you arrive.
Entry Fee
There is no entrance fee at Pier Eight Bali and that’s what we’d expect, really. There’s no excuse for beach clubs charging people to walk through the door unless they have big name artists playing or a major event.
You should be able to walk in, grab a seat at the bar and only pay for anything you consume and that’s exactly how it works at Pier Eight.
Obviously, this club gives priority to hotel guests, but it’s rarely busy enough for that to deter them making some room for outside visitors.
Minimum Spend
There is also no minimum spend at Pier Eight and while this may sound like good news, at first, because it means you’re not committing to spending x amount of money in the venue, it’s also a drawback.
That’s because if you don’t commit to a minimum spend, you don’t pay a deposit, and the club has no incentive to manage a proper booking system.
It’s in their interest to give away your seat if you’re a few minutes late because it guarantees their income. We’d prefer to be able to guarantee a seat than avoid a minimum spend that we’re pretty much always going to exceed anyway.
Welcome And Security
This is a 5-star hotel property and the welcome is professional, polished, and polite and makes you feel genuinely welcome.
However, there’s no security check at the door of Pier Eight and if you read our reviews regularly, you’ll know that we like bag checks.
Bag checks help to ensure the safety and security of all guests and contribute to the overall safe environment here on Bali. They’re also not difficult to implement or particularly onerous to the guests.
Inclusions
If you’re eating and drinking at Pier Eight, you are welcome to use the pool and the hotel will provide a towel for you to use.
This is actually pretty generous given the lack of entrance fee or minimum spend requirement. However, it’s important to note that there’s no other tiers of inclusions and no way to buy yourself a few extra perks by the pool.
Service
The service, as you’d expect at a 5-star establishment, is first-rate and the staff have been exceedingly well-trained.
They are professional, polished and enthusiastic and they will ensure that all your queries are answered and go out of their way to accommodate special requests, etc.
We love it when a beach club delivers great service, we feel this is one category that every beach club can compete in and should.
Entertainment
This beach club is very much a hotel facility and as such there’s no investment in entertainment as there is no “party vibe” here.
We don’t mind this as it’s fair to say that we don’t expect a party everywhere we go and sometimes, it’s nice to chill out by the pool with friends and enjoy some good food and drinks.
Pool Quality
The pool area at this beach club isn’t the biggest but it’s nice enough and we found it to be very well-maintained and clean.
It’s not the busiest of beach clubs, either, so you should easily be able to spend some time swimming and enjoying the pool.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
We think that there’s one thing you can guarantee in life and it’s that if a restaurant refuses to put price tags on the menu items online, it’s going to be expensive.
Well, this is an Intercontinental Hotel, so we weren’t massively surprised to find that it’s premium spot for food and drinks.
However, if you’re expecting something to compete with other beach clubs in Sanur, be aware that this is very much on the high-end.
Food And Drink Quality
The food and drinks are all pretty good, mind you, we didn’t think they were the best we’ve ever had but the portions are decent and it’s all tasty enough.
The drinks are strong enough, which is always good news, though hotels rarely try to short change customers in this respect.
Overall, we felt that we were getting value for money, even though we spent more money than we wanted to.
Sunset View
There is no sunset view at Pier Eight, but then there is no sunset view anywhere in Sanur, it’s on the wrong side of the island.
This is a shame because sunsets are a nice thing to have at Bali beach clubs, they’re among the best in the world.
Music And Ambience
The music at this beach club is piped in and to be fair, none of us could remember a single thing about it when we got back to the office.
That means it’s fine as a backdrop for conversation, but you’re unlikely to want to dance to it or come home with a new ear worm.
Payment Options
As you’d expect at a 5-star hotel, they’ll take your money pretty much anyway that you want to give it and cash and cards are very welcome.
However, we didn’t see signs advertising QRIS payments and that’s a shame because it’s our favourite way to pay here on the island and across Indonesia.
Exit Process
It’s not a big beach club, but it is a long way back to the lobby at the Intercontinental and that’s just how the geography of the place is, but it can leave you a bit sweaty as you prepare to depart.
The hotel staff will igve you a warm farewell as you depart, though, and if you need any assistance getting to the next stop on your itinerary, they’ll be very glad to help.
Transportation
Sanur isn’t a sleepy backwater anymore and you can easily get a Grab or Gojek from Sanur, though you may need to wait a while longer than you would in Canggu or Seminyak at the busiest times of day.
If you’re driving, picking up your vehicle from the car park and setting off is straightforward enough, but, the traffic may make leaving Sanur exceptionally difficult.
Social Media Presence
Pier Eight does have its own social media and it is kept up to date. But if feels awfully clinical and corporate and does very little to prepare you for what to expect at this club.
We do feel that the Intercontinental’s marketing department ought to work a little harder at this.
Other/General Comments
This is very much the typical 5-star hotel beach club and as long as you have your expectations set for that, particularly for the cost of it, you’ll have a good time here.
Our Overall Opinion Of Pier Eight
We liked Pier Eight it’s a refined hotel beach club with an air of elegance that serves decent food and drinks by the sea.
We don’t think we’d cross the island just to visit this beach club, but we’d certainly recommend popping in if you’re in the area. Pier Eight is hotel beach club life done right.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Pier Eight?
Yes, there is a pool at Pier Eight. You must be either a paying guest of the Intercontinental or a customer at Pier Eight to use this facility.
There is no charge to use the pool and the hotel will provide both a towel as well as changing and showering facilities.
It is also possible to swim in the ocean at Pier Eight, as there is direct access to the beach. Sanur has an excellent reputation for safe swimming due to the fact that the beach is protected by an offshore reef.
There are very mild currents, and even inexperienced swimmers and children (under supervision) can swim safely at this spot.
What Can You Do At Pier Eight?
You can eat, drink and relax in the pool at Pier Eight. It’s a hotel beach club facility, which means that this place is not set up for partying.
Is Pier Eight A Family-Friendly Venue?
Yes, Pier Eight is a family-friendly venue. In fact, the entire Intercontinental Hotel Bali Sanur is a child-friendly venue.
You will find that if you’re staying at the hotel, they offer both child minding and kids club services to help you get the most out of your stay.
These facilities are only open to resort guests, though, and if you’re just visiting Pier Eight from outside, you will be expected to keep an eye on your children for their safety and for the comfort of other guests in the resort.
There are no special amenities at this venue for kids, and that means your children will need to exercise their imagination beyond splashing in the pool or playing on the beach.
Who Owns Pier Eight?
Pier Eight is part of the Intercontinental Hotel and thus, it’s part of one of the largest hotel groups in the world. This group is a public limited company and is owned by various shareholders, mainly institutional investors.
Final Thoughts On Pier Eight
Pier Eight is a very good hotel beach club, as you’d expect from a property attached to an Intercontinental Hotel. It’s a pleasant place to stop for some food and drinks or to take a swim in the pool.
Their evening Jazz Buffet is pretty good value for money, given the 5-star nature of this resort and is worth popping in for, if you’re in Sanur.
Overall, we probably wouldn’t travel to Sanur just for Pier Eight but if we were passing through this sleepy beach town, we’d almost certainly visit Pier Eight as part of our time there.
