Best hotels for a relaxing Indonesian holiday to remember

The Four Seasons Jakarta is a sleek retreat in Indonesia’s hyperactive capital. It’s so plush, in fact, that there aren’t any simple ‘rooms’ here – instead, you’ll find beautifully appointed suites. When you’re not diving right into the vibrant city, take in the urban views out the wall-to-wall windows of your suite while you sip on a drink from the pullout private bar. And in your elegant grey-and-white Italian marble bathroom, you can freshen up before dual vanity sinks while your partner chooses a film to watch on one of the (yes, plural!) flatscreen TVs in your gilded space.

In Four Seasons style, the restaurants are grand, with the Palm Court crowned by a bespoke Lasvit crystal chandelier on a cupola ceiling. Gaze up at it after ordering a local favourite like melt-in-the-mouth Padang-style beef ribs served with tempeh. Perch on a green velvet throne while you ponder the dessert menu’s delectable offerings, such as creamy coconut dadar guling.

To continue your retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle, head to the outdoor pool for a refreshing swim, or make your way to the on-site spa for a Javanese-inspired treatment. You’ll want to try the Lulur, an exfoliating therapy that uses a blend of lemongrass, white turmeric and cloves to leave you refreshed and glowing.

Right in the middle of Bali’s rice paddy heartlands, Padma Ubud offers an alternative holiday to this popular island’s well-known beach resorts. Whether you’re hiking the surrounding valley with its swaying bamboo forest or whiling entire days away by the hotel’s infinity pool overlooking tiers of landscaped gardens, you’ll find something to keep your mind and spirit occupied. If you’re travelling with your family, drop the little ones off at the kids’ club – complete with its own bunk beds for naps – and head to the stone-carved spa space for a treatment using cutting-edge Elemis products.

You’ll get that coveted Balinese vibe in your guest room with glossy dark wood floors, rattan accents and patterned textiles made by local artisans. Bespoke lighting and marble bathrooms featuring freestanding tubs add even more luxe into the mix. Settle onto a rich leather sofa with a glossy magazine about local attractions, or feel your jaw drop at the epic view of the jungle from your soaring balcony.

To dine a bit differently, go for one of the hotel’s premium experiences – such as the Romantic Dinner where you’ll eat local delicacies like bebek betutu, a spicy, well-seasoned chicken dish, under a private bamboo canopy. You can also book an ultra special floating afternoon tea in the pool (get the camera ready!), or an in-depth tour of a local coffee plantation to learn where your daily cup comes from. You can even sample one of the most expensive coffees in the world, luwak coffee – though you might be pretty surprised at how it’s made!

Thinking of trying scuba diving when looking for places to visit in Indonesia? You’ll want to check out Janji Laut Resort in North Sulawesi, within easy reach of the colourful west Manado coral reef in Bunaken Marine Park. Take your PADI scuba course here at the on-site school or choose from dive sites brimming with seahorses, stingrays and more just a short boat ride away if your skills are more advanced. Although the resort’s in a serene area, it’s still easily accessible: the shopping malls of Manado city are just an hour’s drive away.

When you’re not underwater, you’ll sleep in one of 10 Minahasa-style cottages set inside the hotel’s exotic grounds. Choose from breezy wooden spaces hidden in the treetops or facing the ocean or distant volcano. You’ll wake beneath the gauzy canopy of your four-poster bed, then greet the Indonesian sun from your gleaming terrace where you can sit and plan your next sea-based adventure. After a morning coffee, opt for a splash in the hotel’s teal-hued swimming pool or a sun session in natural rock pool-style shallow baths surrounded by gardens.

The food’s always fresh at Janji Laut – this boutique hotel has no freezer, so ingredients are selected daily from the nearby market. You’ll have ample options for sampling the local grub, with dishes like bubur manado, a porridge made of sweet root vegetables topped with spinach, crispy shallots and lemon basil, cropping up on the menu.

You’ll find Kaleydo Villas about 150 metres from one of the top snorkelling spots on Gili Trawangan’s white-sand beach, known as a key place to visit in Indonesia for its idyllic clear waters. This small island – which has no cars, only pony-drawn carts and bicycles – is also a habitat for sea turtles. Take a walk down to the beach to seek out the sea creatures using the free snorkels provided by the hotel, then come back for a refreshing dip in the pool.

Book a room right by the water’s edge, and you can go from an early morning swim to eating breakfast on the patio. If you opt for a thatched wooden cabin, you’ll revel in local touches like printed fabric wall hangings and stone-tiled bathrooms – plus everything’s kept in ship-shape thanks to friendly housekeeping and a nightly turndown service.

Ask the helpful staff about anything from ferry bookings to restaurant recommendations; they’ll likely point you towards meat-free Pitug Waroeng, a famed eatery on the island especially among vegans, where you can chow down on meals made from the organic chillis, cucumbers, coconuts and more grown in the on-site garden.

Katamaran Resort is on Lombok’s Mangsit Beach, which means you get sought-after sunsets over distant Mt Agung. Stare out at the sweeping panorama from The Kliff restaurant by night while tucking into succulent seafood dishes like freshly caught crab and prawns. If you choose an ocean-facing suite to bed down in, you’ll get the same view all to yourself from the plush daybed of your private balcony. Rooms are decorated in hints of blue as a nod to the island’s clear skies, and they’ll have you eager to wash your cares away in the luxurious rainshower in your sleek glass-fronted bathroom before slipping under the 300 thread-count sheets of your king-size bed.

Life on Lombok is slow, so use this as an excuse to take things easy. Spend days splashing in the multi-tiered infinity pool, breathing in the aromas of the organic herb garden or just chilling out in the sleek spa. You’ll undergo soothing treatments here in a room overlooking the ocean – the ideal way to take a break from the heat.

And if you just can’t sit still, no matter how relaxed? The hotel organises cool Indonesia travel experiences like trekking trips to the sacred Gunung Rinjani volcano, Indonesia’s second-highest peak, and snorkelling tours of teeny tiny Gili Nanggu. Get your camera ready if you sojourn to Pink Beach, named after the rose-tinted hue its sand takes on in the early morning.

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta – MGallery by Sofitel is right by Tugu and Malioboro, the city’s high-spirited shopping area. Browse the stalls and stores here – it’s worth swinging by just to pick up some intricately made Javanese batik fabrics – then get your culture fix at Borobudur Temple. This famous sunrise spot is just 40 minutes away by car.

Back at the hotel, you can have a go at activities like yoga and jamu-making (a local anti-inflammatory drink) for free. Not to be missed is the complimentary tour of the historic and ornate building, which was built in 1918 in a blend of European and Asian design styles.

After your tour of tiled halls and polished wood furniture, slip into the opulent pool flanked by fountains in the central courtyard and try to pick out your room from the rows of vintage-style balconies. When you head up to your elegant space to freshen up for dinner, you’ll do so among antique-style art on the walls and thick Persian rugs on the floors.

The rest of the hotel is designed in upscale colonial style, too, including in Paprika restaurant with its high ceilings, shimmering chandelier and marble flooring. It makes for a sophisticated spot for a local meal from the buffet, like nasi goreng, a fragrant fried rice dish found and loved all over the country.

The Bulgari Resort Bali is as jaw-droppingly plush as you’d expect from this refined jewellery brand. From the cliff-top restaurant to mansion accommodations with their own private lifts, it’s the definition of luxury here. To treat your tastebuds, sample Balinese-influenced delicacies like tamarind-coated chicken breast and vegetable curry with turmeric rice and bamboo shoots in a refined setting, either out in the open air with views over the crashing waves or inside under the brightly lit ceiling next to classic woven lamps.

An ocean view villa at the Bulgari gets you a private plunge pool out on your own patio, ideal for welcoming the dusk with an icy tipple in-hand. Inside, take your time readying for the night in your black terrazzo bathroom – stocked with Bulgari goodies, of course – while surrounded by vintage Balinese artworks. You’ll also have 24-hour access to your very own butler, plus a free aperitif every evening to enjoy.

Spa treatments nod to the hotel’s European roots while paying homage to Eastern traditions. For a local therapy, choose the Balinese Four Hands Massage, where two masseuses will use deep, long strokes applied with hot stones and warm oils to relieve tension. You’ll take your treatment inside an authentic joglo villa, sourced from central Java and fully reconstructed at the resort for an extra special relaxation space.