The Apurva Kempinski is one of the most premium resorts in Bali and it has its own beach club, Reef Beach Club. But does the cachet of the resort carry over to the club? We wanted to find out.
So, our team headed over to Nusa Dua in the trusty beachclub-mobile to experience Reef Beach Club first-hand and to share what they’d learned with you. Here’s what they found.
Introduction – Getting To Reef Beach Club
The Apurva Kempinski Bali is in Nusa Dua and Reef Beach Club is part of the hotel grounds. It’s not the hardest place to get to in Bali but unless you’re staying in Nusa Dua, you will need to set aside some serious time for the journey in Bali traffic.
The good news is that Reef Beach Club offers excellent parking (at a fee) in the hotel and you can get Grab/Gojek pick up and drop off with no hassle from the taxi mafia as the drop off is in the hotel grounds.
Where Is Reef Beach Club? Jl. Raya Nusa Dua Selatan, Sawangan, Nusa Dua, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia
Website: Reef Beach Club
Opening Hours: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day except for Nyepi
What’s Inside Reef Beach Club?
Reef Beach Club has an infinity pool, restaurant and bar facilities and various seating areas including an indoor restaurant setting.
Our Review Breakdown For Reef Beach Club
We review all beach clubs in the same fashion to make certain that they’re judged equally and impartially.
The team visit the beach club, then, they grade it on a rating scale from 1 to 5 in a series of 20 different categories that are relevant to customers.
When they return to the office, they vote on the final grade in each category to ensure that they have a truly representative view of the club.
Then, one of us writes up the review and it’s published on the site. At that point, it will be, at least a year before we return to the club and update the review as necessary.
Pre-Club Advertising
We’ve never seen any specific adverts for Reef Beach Club. That’s probably because the marketing team focuses their efforts on promoting the resort.
Given that this beach club is a vibrant venue and that it’s quite popular, they may feel they don’t need to sell it to the public.
However, we would note that the best beach clubs are those which are full all of the time and advertising helps with this, even when your club is supported by a name brand.
Rating: 1/5
Location
Nusa Dua isn’t particularly convenient to get to from the other beach towns or from Ubud and you may need to drive for an hour or two to get to Reef Beach Club in the Bali traffic.
However, once you get to this beach club, you will find that Nusa Dua Beach is a very attractive white sand beach and that this expansive beachfront setting gives you a great view of the spectacular scene of the Indian Ocean.
It’s worth noting that Nusa Dua isn’t the easiest place to get around on foot though and you may need a Grab or a Gojek to get anywhere after you finish at Reef Beach Club.
Rating: 3/5
Booking Process & Seating Options
Making a reservation at Reef Beach Club is relatively straightforward. You simply click on the date you want to come and decide if you want to sit inside or outside and then use the form to reserve.
However, there’s no facility to pay a deposit and that means your reservation lasts for 30 minutes only and if you don’t show up in that window, you lose your seat.
We’d also note that you can’t make specific seating requests and that seems a touch limiting, we’d expect more from a major brand like this. Many of the other beach clubs have a much more flexible booking system.
Rating: 3/5
Entry Fee
There is no entrance fee at Reef Beach Club and we fully approve of this. In fact, it’s something we’d like to see all beach clubs implement.
There’s no reason that you can’t come into a place, take a look around and then sit down and enjoy a drink before committing to any greater financial relationship with the beach club.
Rating: 5/5
Minimum Spend
Even more amazingly, Reef Beach Club has no minimum spend requirement. You will be expected to order food and drinks while you’re in Reef Beach Club but you won’t be expected to spend a certain amount of money to use the sun loungers.
That puts Reef Beach Club firmly in the top tier of beach clubs on our Bali Beach Clubs with no minimum spend list.
This also helps to explain the tight window on bookings – either use them or lose them. Sun loungers, cabanas and the beachfront sunbathing areas are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be booked in advance. As you would expect, hotel guests get priority for furniture.
The only downside of the lack of a minimum spend is that it impacts on the inclusions that a beach club can offer (more on this in a few minutes).
Rating: 4/5
Welcome And Security
As you’d expect from one of the world’s most upmarket hospitality brands, the welcome here is first rate and there’s a very pleasant security check too.
We like security checks, they keep people inside the club safe and ensure that everyone has a good time.
It wasn’t quite the best welcome we’ve ever had in a beach club, but it was close.
Rating: 4/5
Inclusions
The club provides every guest that needs one with a towel free of charge and you can use the Wi-Fi and shower facilities too. You are also allowed to take part in the watersport activities for free.
However, with no minimum spend, there are no premium or VIP tier inclusions and that’s a bit of a shame as we like to be spoiled when we visit a beach club and we don’t mind paying for special treatment.
Rating: 3/5
Service
The service in Reef Beach Club is top tier and it’s exactly what we’d expect from the Kempinski. You get treated like a VIP wherever you are inside and the service is both attentive and timely.
The thing is when the bar is already high for 5-star hotel service, you have to do something incredible to stand out in Bali and while the service at Reef Beach Club is excellent, it’s not the best that we’ve ever had, either.
Rating: 4/5
Entertainment
There is often a live music performance at this beach club and they also offer watersport activities such as stand-up paddle boarding to all guests, including those who are just visiting Reef Beach Club.
There’s none of the razzmatazz of some of the top beach clubs in Bali where you can end up with dancers and entertainers at your sun loungers but it’s not bad at all.
In fact, given the absence of minimum spend and entrance fee, the entertainment is incredible value for no money.
Rating: 3/5
Pool Quality
There’s only one infinity pool at this expansive beachfront setting but as with everything that Reef Beach Club offers, it’s excellent.
It’s a long pool with plenty of room for swimming even on busy days at Reef Beach Club and as you’d expect – the pool in this laid back venue is kept very clean, indeed.
We’d have no hesitations about swimming here and we like that the towels are provided to all guests too.
Rating: 4/5
Menu/Drinks Pricing
All the stuff that Reef Beach Club offers has to come at a price, right? Well, in fact, the food and drinks in this beach club are priced at a premium but nowhere near the kind of premium, we’ve seen in some clubs in the Ungasan area.
Yes, you can go crazy and spend over $100 USD ($150 AUD) on a posh surf n turf platter, but you can also find snacks, burgers and pizzas on the a la carte menu for as little as $15 USD ($20 AUD).
The cocktails are a bit more expensive but even then, they’re not ridiculously overpriced. This isn’t a cheap day out, but you won’t feel ripped off, either.
Rating: 3/5
Food And Drink Quality
We thought the food was delicious, it was well prepared and delivered to our sun loungers in a timely fashion to ensure it was hot.
The drinks were also good with the right amount of alcohol and they were well mixed and well presented.
It wasn’t quite the best that we’ve had in a beach club, but it was certainly competing for a top 10 slot.
Rating: 4/5
Sunset View
One thing you’re not going to get at the Reef Beach Club is an amazing sunset view and that’s because you’re on the wrong part of the island for one.
Sure, the sky changes colour and the reflection on the water is nice, but it’s not even close to the sunset view you get in Canggu, Kuta, and Seminyak.
This may or may not be a big deal, but we’d recommend that you see, at least, one awesome sunset from a beach club in Bali before your holiday is over – there’s nothing quite like a Bali sunset.
Rating: 2/5
Music And Ambiance
The music is usually piped but they have a live music performance nearly every day and it’s not a DJ.
Overall, it’s the sort of thing we expect in a beach club of this sort and the vibe is enhanced by the music.
Rating: 3/5
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card anywhere inside the club but we didn’t see any notices offering QRIS or e-wallet payments.
Rating: 4/5
Exit Process
Getting out of this club is as easy as getting in, you just head back out the door you came in. You will be given a warm farewell by the staff when you do.
Rating: 5/5
Transportation
Nusa Dua is OK for transport and because you’re in a hotel compound, you won’t have to deal with the taxi mafia.
However, at busy times there are often fewer Grab or Gojek options here than in the other beach towns.
Parking in the hotel is good and it’s easy to get in and out without a fuss.
Rating: 3/5
Social Media Presence
The social media presence of the club is excellent. It’s regularly updated and their Instagram feed captures a wide-variety of examples of the experiences you can have at the club.
Rating: 4/5
Other/General Comments
With a refreshing line of cocktails uniquely created for the venue, a talented sommelier for wine lovers, and many other small touches, this club delivers on the promise of the Kempinski brand.
Many people consider the hotel to be a “6-star” property and you can see why from spending some time at this club.
Rating: 4/5
Our Overall Opinion Of Reef Beach Club
Apart from some minor quibbles we have to say that Reef Beach Club offers a premium experience for a hotel beach club and it does so without excessive charges.
It wouldn’t be our first choice of club if we were only visiting one club in Bali, but if we were in the Nusa Dua area, we’d definitely call in on Reef Beach Club.
It’s the ideal place for a relaxed family day out or for some fun with friends when you know you’re not looking for a party.
Rating: 66/100
Reef is currently in our top 10 beach clubs in Bali, why not see which beach clubs do even better in our rankings than reef does?
FAQs
Can You Swim At Reef Beach Club?
Yes, Reef Beach Club offers a very pleasant infinity pool on the beachfront and as you’d expect in this expansive beachfront setting, the pool is kept very clean.
If you are happy to stray from the sun loungers and onto the beach, this laid-back venue also has access to free non-motorized watersport activities in the ocean.
What Can You Do At Reef Beach Club?
Reef Beach Club offers swimming, dining, relaxing, and drinking in Bali’s tropical ambiance as the sun beats down.
Is Reef Beach Club A Family-Friendly Venue?
Yes, Reef Beach Club is a family-friendly environment as you would expect from a 5-star hotel offering in Nusa Dua. This is a vibrant venue suited to family days out and the vibe never turns into raucous parties.
Who Owns Reef Beach Club?
Reef Beach Club is part of the Apurva Kempinski Bali which is part of the Kempinski Group of hotels.
Final Thoughts On What Reef Beach Club Offers
Reef Beach Club is a very attractive place that welcomes singles, couples, groups and families alike. As you might expect from this setting, it’s not a cheap day out.
However, if you’re in Nusa Dua with money to burn then sipping elevated cocktails and enjoying their sizzling seafood in the romantic ambiance of a posh hotel might be a good way to go.
Just remember that if you want to sit on the sun loungers, you will need to book your sunbathing spots in advance as this setting among the tropical gardens of the hotel can get very popular.
The biggest downside of this hotel is the sunset view, it can’t compare to the sunsets in Canggu, Seminyak or Kuta.
Looking for more ideas for your beach club holiday? Check out Suku Beach Club and Azure Beachfront Restaurant too.
