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THE TRANS RESORT BALI – 5 STAR LUXURY FOR 3 STAR PRICES
Who doesn’t like luxury for less?
Bali has something for everyone, especially when it comes to the finer things in life. The island has become a luxury destination for seasoned travelers worldwide, with big names like Ritz Carlton, The Four Seasons and the Viceroy competing for top 5-star hotel status. If it were up to us, we would try them all, but with some suites fetching $5,000 a night, we knew our budget could be better spent.
Drooling over dozens of hotels online, we made it our mission to find the BEST 5 star experience, all while spending the least amount of money.
This is when we came across The Trans Resort in Seminyak, a TRUE example of 5 Star luxury for less.
We found that The Trans Resort would still give us those cosmopolitan perks (like a butler and a massive suite) but that we’d be paying much less than some of the ‘big name’ neighbouring resorts.
So, in the spirit of sticking to the budget, we booked it!
Best decision ever by the way, because the level of service and indulgent experience we had at The Trans Resort was second to none.
Upon check in, we could immediately tell we were in a 5 star resort. They open the car door for us, whisked our bags away, put flowers in our hair (well… my hair as Trevor is bald) and sat us down with a cool towel and refreshing ginger beverage.
We made our reservation in two different level of suites so we could get an idea of everything the hotel had to offer.
Up first, the standard room at the hotel, The Premier Suite
Considering The Premier is the ‘entry level’ room at the hotel, it’s not leaving anything to be desired. There was nothing ‘base’ about it and it felt like a room we would have to pay to upgrade to at another resort. The deep red tones of the room made it super grand and sophisticated
- 655 sq ft
- Rainfall Shower
- Soaker Tub
- Double Sinks
- Plush King Size Bed
- Jetted Tub on Balcony
- Pool View Room
- Robes and Slippers
Walking into the suite it immediately felt cozy due to the tapestries on the wall, the recessed ceilings with warm lighting and the different textures of fabrics in the furniture. We loved having a separate seating area for in room dining, instead of always eating in bed. The jetted tub on the balcony can actually become fully private so I had relaxing baths outside in the morning to start my day off right. Everything about the room was warm and inviting.
Premier Room Video Tour:
Check prices for The Trans Resort here:
The Trans Resort, Bali: The hotel grounds
During our stay in the Premier Suite, we spent a lot of time exploring the hotel grounds and seeing what else the property had to offer.
The gym/spa has got to be the BEST in Bali! The door was opened by an eager attendant who gave us a full tour. The workout area has perfectly cleaned machines just waiting to be used with a clean towel and bottle of water already set up. The sauna and Jacuzzi rooms are grand and exclusive. The facility even has stretching and yoga rooms. Travelling full time has made us appreciate a good gym and this one put stars in our eyes!
The main pool is something we had never seen before. Divided into a deeper adults and more shallow kids section, half the pool is also been created with a sand bottom that leads onto a man made white sandy beach. The lounge chairs are all arranged on top of soft sand to create a silky Maldives-like sun worshipping experience.
Waiters are easily called with the push buttons on our side tables, bringing us pool side snacks and beverages on call. There were always different lunch and drink specials on during the day, but nothing was as refreshing as the virgin coconut water.
We had lunch and dinner our first day in the main restaurant, which features an exceptional ‘healthy choice’ menu. Throughout the week we found there were different theme nights for dinner and some (like Friday’s ‘Indonesian Night) spotlighting local Balinese dancers for tableside entertainment.
The UPGRADE
Next we moved to the palatial CELEBRITY SUITE which has an unparalleled pool access experience. This suite is massive (1,400 sq ft) and will make you believe you are paying 5x’s the money for it. Not one detail missed and had SO many amenities that not even the St. Regis or Ritz can compare with. I mean, even the toilet seat was luxurious with heat, rinse, dry and auto flush!
The Room -- The CELEBRITY SUITE
Celebrity Suite Features:
- 1,400 sq ft
- Direct POOL ACCESS 3 feet from the king size bed
- Rainfall Shower, Soaker Tub, Double Sinks
- Dressing room and sit down vanity area
- Japanese toilet with motion sensor lid, heated seat, washing and drying features
- Plush King Size Bed in separate room
- Chaise lounge and 4 person table on balcony
- Robes & Slippers
- Butler service
- Breakfast in Bed
- 'Club’ access with daily high tea, canapes and evening cocktails
The Small Details:
The smallest of details are what make me swoon for a place, and the this suite had so many of them!
- Giant mirrors all throughout the suite
- Full size wine glasses and cocktail glasses in the minibar
- Tea and coffee with china mugs and saucers
- Fully stocked bathroom with comb, hairbrush, nail kit, cotton kit, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush, mouthwash, hair dryer and even bath bombs.
- Lights for ‘do not disturb’ and ‘clean room’, so no more of those annoying doorknob hangers
- Choice of feather or cotton pillows
- Beach bag to take to the pool
- Leather writing pad on the desk
- Espresso machine and 2 mini bars in the Celebrity Suite
- Cell phone for direct contact with personal butler
- 4 pieces of laundry per day included
This room made us literally feel like we were celebrities.
Our butler made sure our ice bucket was always full, that a custom breakfast order would great us in bed, and that our high tea was delivered to our balcony each day. No hotel does high tea quite like the Trans. Towering treats, smoothies, tea and coffee made us feel like kids in a candy store.
This suite was the very definition of ‘pool access’, as we could literally roll out of bed and be just three feet from the water. I can’t think of anything more luxurious than this!
The Celebrity Suite also came with ‘Club Access’ which meant we could enjoy evening canapes and cocktails in one of three places: The club lounge, the lobby bar, or the rooftop bar…so we did all three! The club lounge is a swanky bar that feels entirely like a secret VIP hideaway. Our second favorite spot was the rooftop, where we were served with more fusion bar style foods and could enjoy live music with a breeze.
I have to admit that while staying in the Celebrity Suite, we only left the room to enjoy our benefits at the club lounge and the rooftop bar. We spent every other second in the suite, in the pool, and just trying to figure out how we could live here forever.
The Trans Resort Review & Travel Guide:
Our Review with ALL the info you need
We recommend The Trans Resort for travelers who:
- Want to stay at 5 star luxury, but don’t want to pay crazy rates
- Like to be within a few minutes walk from food, shopping, markets, spas
- Are value seekers and want money to stretch the farthest without compromising quality
Why we stayed there:
We wanted to be within walking distance to everything in Seminyak, all while having a super luxurious 5 star experience. However, we didn’t want to pay the outrageous rates of some of the ‘big name’ resorts in the area, but we found The Trans to be priced well underneath them. Let me tell you, the service and quality is on par! So glad we didn’t waste extra money on a familiar chain just for the ‘name’.
Pros:
Too many to list!
The location is ideal, rooms are generous and high end, the rates for what you get are surprisingly affordable, service level is top notch, gym is the nicest and most well equipped in Bali, very unique man made beach/pool, cheap laundry service, fast wifi, and the ability to upgrade to ‘club’ level, which gives a ton of value/perks.
Cons:
The mini bar in the room is super pricey compared to other Bali resorts. A can of pop was around 50,000 IDR ($5 Canadian) which was 2x’s the price from any other mini bar we saw. Also the a la carte price for an alcoholic drink was quite high, but again they are good quality. Easy to get around this, as the hotel has a cheap convenience store attached just outside the front gate.
Wi-Fi:
Very fast! Allowed for video streaming, Instagram stories and everything else we threw at it!
Food:
Very tasty all around! They even have a ‘healthy’ menu that is full of lower carb, extra veggies and calorie wise meals. Both the western and Indonesian dishes were great and they had other fusion options on there as well. I found the price of alcoholic drinks to be quite high, so I stuck to virgin coconuts by the pool and enjoyed my included nightly beverages in the club lounge at night.
Location:
It’s located right at the fork of JL Raya and JL Sunset, making it a great spot to walk to all the local markets, spas, stores and trendiest restaurants! But if you have to take a cab, don’t sweat it, they are $2-$5 anywhere in Seminyak!
Right outside the front gate you will find a few convenience stores, restaurants and even a little food/liquor mart to the left in a strip mall.
Staff:
They did not miss a beat! Such kind and considerate staff, fast and efficient housekeeping and friendly waiters. They still have something I like to call ‘the art of service’, which is so refreshing to see.
In Summary/How To Book:
Save your money compared to the ‘big name’ 5 star chains in the area and stay here instead. Service, amenities and luxury will all be to par! We LOVED staying here and will 100% return next time we are in Bali!
They have good sales on their website from time to time, but we found the best deal by booking through THIS hotel comparison site.
TIPS for staying at The Trans Resort
- Usually the best deals can be found at The Trans during off season. Try booking between the end of Feb to end of May and again from late September to early December.
- Get the ‘Club Access’ For around $70/day you will get afternoon high tea with hot beverages, warm appies and deserts, evening canapes and boozy cocktails in either the club lounge or the rooftop bar and 4 pieces of laundry per day. The food is actually AMAZING and totally worth the money, considering the price of a la carte drinks and snacks. The club lounge is posh and the rooftop bar has great ambience.
- If you are on a tighter budget, go with the Premier Suite. It is still going to give you the 5 star experience you are after and won’t break the bank. If you have a bit of wiggle room, dive into the Celebrity Suite to have the stay of a lifetime!
- If you want even more space and exclusivity, book one of their private pool villas!
What's Around The Trans Resort
By FOOT
SHOPPING:
Sunset Point Shopping Center (has groceries and liquor!) – 1 min walk
Seminyak Square – 14 min walk
Bintang Supermarket – 18 min walk
EATING:
Eat Street – 7 min walk
KU DE TA – 20 min walk
BEACH:
Legian Beach – 30 min walk
Petitenget Beach – 22 min walk
Double Six Beach – 29 min walk
BY CAR
Airport is 20-25 minutes by car
Hotel has a free shuttle that takes you to Seminyak Square & Potato Head Beach Club.
Book The Trans Resort
We used Hotels Combined to book the best rate at The Trans Resort.
Depending on the time of year the Premier Room can start at aound $100 USD and the Celebrity Suite around $250 USD
Is the Trans Resort in Seminyak a hotel you would love to experience?
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