"Start at the top, and tell us all about this place.The entrance to the COMO Uma Canggu immediately creates the impression of a sanctuary apart from scruffy Canggu—a surfer haven turned expat village that’s been exploding with laid-back cafés and chic boutiques that are magnets for the global gypset. The modern, all-white lobby skews more South Beach than (nearby) Batu Bolong Beach, and the hotel’s gleaming stone-and-glass buildings, though dripping with potted greenery, are an unlikely bit of flash against the surrounding rice paddies and dusty beach roads. The hotel becomes more environmentally integrated when you walk down to the beach. The COMO Beach Club, with an aqua-tiled restaurant and poolside bar under a lovely surf-shack style bamboo roof, is where you’ll be spending most of your time, anyway. Here, the music’s playing, the palms are swaying, and people are chilling in colorful modern furniture with batik cushions and in swinging white chaises. Sounds lovely. What's the backstory on the hotel? Is it part of a chain or independent?COMO Hotels are a global, Singapore-based chain that center on wellness, be they on the beach (Turks & Caicos) or in the city (Bangkok). There are two others on Bali, COMO Uma Canggu and the immersive COMO Shambhala Estate, the latter of which is the model for Shambhala Spas found in all COMO Hotels, including this one. Got it. Alright, now tell us about your room. What type was it? How did it look, and what was it like to be there?The hotel is the biggest and most luxurious in Canggu, with 52 rooms and suites, 55 one- and two-bedroom residences, and 12 three-bedroom duplex penthouses, each with rooftop pools. My room seemed typical of the one-bedroom residences: light and airy if generically modern décor combining simple white bedding against natural textures like a woven grass headboard, light marble floors, a contemporary low-slung sofa, and rugs and pillows in marine hues. Baths are large with a glassed-in shower and walls coated in shiny brown tiles, more urban than beachy. The residence’s spacious and well-appointed kitchenettes, which contain full-size fridges and infrared cooktops, seems like overkill given the number of amazing and affordable restaurants just down the road; the features are apparently left over from the buildings’ intended design as condominiums. Each room has a large flat-screen TV on the wall. I did get in to see a penthouse, typically rented out by families or hen-party type getaways. The duplex, filled with contemporary style furnishings (low-slung sectionals, glass coffee tables) and large kitchens felt a little outré, but the much-Instagrammed private terrace pool with fantastic sunset views overrides any quibbles. I highly recommend the entry-level rooms in the building off the beach—they’re less expensive than the beach-view rooms, and in their simpler, wood-and-white décor is very cute. Noted—thanks for the tip. Let's talk F&B: What's on offer here?Breakfast at the Beach Club was an outstanding example of expat-inspired Balinese “clean cuisine,” including red quinoa bowls with avo and a soft-boiled egg, coconut French toast, nine-grain zucchini waffles, and Laksa (coconut broth with chicken, prawns and noodles). There’s also a gorgeous array of homemade yogurts with a rainbow of fresh fruit in a jar. Dinner here is haute surf shack, with Indonesian-meets-Western cooked over a wood-fired grill. (The mocktails are especially tasty here—I recommend the Tropical Julep, made from coconut water, cucumber, mint, and lime.) Glow, the hotel’s lobby-level café in a white, cement-floored space, is an offshoot of the restaurant at Shambahala Estate, serving teas, juices, smoothies, acai bowls, salads, and healthy baked goods, like Shambhala’s famous power cookies (aka “medicine cookies”) made from raw nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and honey. Yum. How about the other guests—what are they like? Who does this hotel attract?This is a great hotel for families, given the size of the main pool; there were also plenty of young honeymooners here: Canggu has become a requisite stop on the Bali circuit and the level of luxury and privacy you’ll have here beats anywhere else in town. Got it. What about the neighborhood? Does the hotel fit in, make itself part of the scene?The hotel is a little isolated from Canggu’s main drag of Batu Bolong, but that’s not a bad thing, given how crowded town can get. Because the beach roads are separated from each other like bicycle spokes radiating out from the center, it’s almost easier to get to town by walking down the beach than along the road that brings you to the hotel. Is there anything you'd change?There’s a raised lip on the transom of the suite’s doors, perhaps to keep out water during monsoon season, but I tripped on it nearly every time I came or went. Also, it’s sort of amazing that a new hotel doesn’t have USB ports next to the beds. Yeah, that is sort of odd. Anything we missed? Something cool about turndown service, or features that are especially wellness-friendly?There’s one very large pool between the beach and the main buildings that’s great for kids and just floating around with a cocktail, then a smaller pool down at the Beach Club. One of the highlights of the hotel is the COMO Beach Club’s Surf Shack. Run by the pros at Tropicsurf, the school offers guided surf lessons to everyone from beginners to veteran shredders on Echo Beach’s famous left break. There are other ways to stay active at the hotel, too, including a large gym with more than its fair share free weights and Life Fitness machines, plus a yoga studio and Pilates studio stocked with reformers. You can also book Indonesian-inspired treatments at the hotel’s small but excellent Shambhala Spa off the main lobby. Bottom line: Worth it? Why?This is the most luxurious hotel option in Canggu, so if you need a certain level of creature comforts, this is the place to stay." - Alex Postman
