After my stay in two of the best resorts in the world (Four Seasons Bali) it was time to try the new Karma Jimbaran. I had some expectations since it's a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World which is LHW's group for hotels with under 100 rooms. Furthermore this hotel had recieved very positive comments on Tripadvisor.

Karma Jimbaran has 38 villas and just recently got new general manager Matthew Everson which I was able to talk with for a few minutes. He told me that their target group is families especially because they have very good rates if you are a group and stay in their 4-bedroom villa. They hotel were fully occupied on the day I stayed so the only thing they had left was a 4-bedroom villa and it was very easy to see they have a big focus on the families.

They villa is approximately 400 square meters and features of course 4 bedrooms, huge large swimmingpool, kitchen, stue, 4 bathrooms - 2 of them with large bathtubes, 4 indoor showers and 2 very nice outdoor showers. There is space enough for 8-10 people and the villa is very moden, however there is not flatscreen Tv's in the villa which surprised me a lot since I believe it should be in every hotel with at least 4 stars. Wireless internet is free. Overall nice villas, but the service is very family oriented and far away from the same level you will find in Four Seasons, St. Regis and other of the great balinese hotels. That said, this hotel is absolutely great for families that wants value for money, privacy and space in a nice villa with own pool.

Huge private villas, very tasteful, quiet, great service, beautiful gardens, clean private pools... this is heaven on earth. It comes at a price which is pretty high when you consider that it's Indonesia, but you get great value for it. Very good restaurant but again quite pricey. I didn't really enjoy the spa massage a lot I have to say, but that was the same at another massage place up the beach so maybe that's just me.

The location is good because it's at the quiet end of the bay (5 minute walk to the beach restaurants), butyou need to cross the small road to get to the beach and the beach itself is not that great when you compare it to other islands in South East Asia. I think that's just Bali though, we didn't see any of the paradise beaches that you find in Thailand and Malaysia.

The three bedroom villa at Karma Jimbaran was a great getaway location for a friends reunion and holiday. The villa itself was pleasantly appointed; plenty of space; and, the location near the beach was lovely. Next to the Four Seasons and nearby beach front restaurants meant there were a number of dining options (you have to try an on the beach seafood BBQ at least once); the resort's own restaurant was nice but the dinner menu was limited. Generally the staff based at the Karma Jimbaran were helpful, however don't believe all the info in the glossy brochures and on the website - we found out that there is no hotel provided shuttle service (as advertised) between this resort and its sister Karma Kandara and when enquiring about the 'Sunset Cocktails and Canapes Experience' listed in the KJ brochure we were told the Jimbaran resort couldn't book it for us and the staff made no effort to try and organise through the other hotel.
When the resort finally organised transport to Kandara we were met by a somewhat bored guest relations manager but the 'wow factor' of this resort overcame the flat introduction. The Nammos Beach Club is a relaxing beach spot and the cocktails were great!
The spa treatments we all received at the Karma Jimbaran were excellent and well worth the expense.
All in all both resorts were stunning however they do not ultimately live up to the marketing hype. In this price range - there are many other resorts that offer more value for money - particularly in terms of service and package options.
Go to Karma Jimbaran if you want a more relaxed and informal oceanside experience. Go to Karma Kandara if you want to be part of the Karma Klique of beautiful people who like to see and be seen!