I spent 6 nights at the Bale a few weeks ago, and I must say this is the best hotel I've ever stayed in. And being a flight attendant, believe me, I have seen A LOT of hotels.
Sure, there's not that much to do around there, but my boyfriend and I are not to keen on the whole touristy scene. The "American-type" restaurants and night clubs, etc. I mean, that's why we go on vacation, right? To see something different.
The thing about the Bale is that we didn't care not going out because we had the most amazing villa, with a huge backyard and a very big pool, all to ourselves. In the middle of winter, that's exactly what we needed, a absolutely gorgeous setting to soak up all the sun we could.
The day beds outside (the "Bale", where the name of the hotel comes from) are absolutely fantastic. The "night-bed" are extremely comfortable as well.
Now, the service. What a amazing group of employees! Every single one of them was a top notch professional. They all knew our names and made us feel like we were the only guests at the hotel (we weren't, just if you're wondering).
My boyfriend got bitten by a mosquito and it got infected and the same night we had a mosquito net put in the room, and the following day, all of the employees made sure we always had mosquito coils nearby and would ask if he was feeling better.
The employees are not only professional, but also very friendly, but always in a respectful way, and without invading your privacy.
There is so much more I could say about this hotel, but all you need to know in the end is this: if you feel like being pampered, and want to experience the most beautiful and relaxing travel trip, the Bale is THE place to go in Bali.
P.S. We liked the Bale so much that after a second week spent in Ubud, we decided to extend our stay by an extra two days to go back to the Bale before we left to come back to Canada.