BY: ARTFUL HOTELS
In the jungle-cloaked highlands of Bali, Ubud has long lured travelers seeking something more soulful than just a beach escape. But today, Ubud isn’t just Bali’s cultural heart—it’s also its creative one, with a new wave of design hotels elevating a stay in paradise. From tented jungle sanctuaries to bamboo-sculpted villas, design hotels in Ubud, Indonesia, have become the island’s most compelling calling cards for aesthetes, adventurers, and the design-obsessed.
A bamboo fantasy grounded in sustainability
There’s nowhere in Ubud quite like Bambu Indah. Set on the lush banks of the Ayung River, this eco-luxe retreat was dreamt up by John and Cynthia Hardy, jewelry designers turned hospitality pioneers. The hotel’s aesthetic is unmistakable: organic, ethereal, and rooted in Javanese vernacular design. Antique teakwood houses are reimagined with sleek bamboo architecture and open-air living spaces that blur the line between jungle and interior.
But Bambu Indah isn’t just beautiful—it’s deeply sustainable. Think saltwater pools filtered by lava rock, composting systems, and an on-site organic farm that supplies the kitchen’s daily changing menu. The Moon House, a cylindrical bamboo tower with 360-degree views, feels like a structure lifted from a Hayao Miyazaki film. It’s no wonder design lovers in Indonesia and beyond cite Bambu Indah as the pinnacle of eco-modern tropical architecture.
Jungle opulence with a dramatic twist
Few luxury hotels in Ubud deliver fantasy quite like Capella Ubud. Designed by the legendary Bill Bensley, this tented camp takes cues from 19th-century European explorers—but updates the concept with Balinese craftsmanship and playful maximalism. Each of the 22 one-bedroom tents features hand-carved teak furnishings, copper tubs, and private saltwater plunge pools, all nestled under a rainforest canopy teeming with birdlife.
The camp itself is suspended across undulating jungle terrain, connected by rope bridges and winding forest paths. There are no motorized vehicles allowed—just lanterns, silence, and the occasional gamelan in the distance. This is a hotel that romanticizes the past without compromising comfort. With its bold use of pattern, color, and texture, Capella is more than a boutique hotel in Ubud—it’s a design fever dream made tangible.
Raw elegance meets Balinese tradition
For travelers craving a quiet retreat imbued with artistry, Stone House Bali is a hushed revelation. This intimate property—just three suites and two villas—is tucked behind rice paddies and jungle fronds on Ubud’s outskirts. The design feels personal, tactile, and globally informed: hand-cut stone walls, antique Indian doors, Javanese joglo roofs, and modern European lighting. Every object here feels considered, not styled.
The Treehouse, an elevated suite wrapped in wood and canvas, is one of the most romantic places to wake up in Bali. Open-air bathrooms, stone-carved soaking tubs, and a leafy pool area create a feeling of timeless escape. If Bambu Indah is designed in dialogue with the future, Stone House feels like a secret kept from the past—a boutique escape for those who like their interiors editorial but intimate.
