La Reserve 1785 in Bali is a boutique hotel in a class of its own, offering private luxury, unparalleled service and soothing tranquillity – perfect for a relaxing getaway. Read our review to discover why this little tropical paradise deserves a place at the top of your bucket list!
Review #46
Table of contents
Location
La Reserve 1785 is located in Canggu, an up-and-coming area north of Seminyak where many hotels are being built at the moment. As a suburb of Denpasar, the island’s capital, it is still quiet and the area is characterised more by nice cafes, shops and restaurants and less by the party crowds of Kuta.
The hotel itself is tucked away in the back of the village, away from the beach. To get to the seaside, it’s just a 10-minute walk down the road.
Getting there
The most common way to arrive in Bali is at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar. From there, the vast majority of guests are picked up by bus or transfer. There are also several ports where you can catch ferries from other islands to Bali.
How to get to La Reserve 1785
We took a grab from our previous hotel, Alila Ubud, and unfortunately it took us over an hour to cover the 30 kilometres due to the chaotic traffic on the island. Always remember that even the shortest route around the island can take quite a long time!
Check-in
The entrance to La Reserve 1875 is at the end of a short cul-de-sac on the left. We were greeted warmly on the street, had our bags taken care of and were escorted to comfortable seats to check in. There were cold towels and a choice of water or a cocktail as a welcome drink – but as you can imagine, we chose the latter and really enjoyed La Reserve 1785’s signature cocktail.
Everything was ready and we were able to move into our room, even though it was only 13:45 and the check-in time was 15:00 as usual. During the short walk to our room, the nice receptionist gave us all the important information about the hotel and the opening hours.
As part of the Mr. And Mrs. Smith Hotel Collection and herewith part of the Hyatt world, the hotel is also part of the Small Luxury Hotel of the World, most of which can be booked through Hilton since this year. So you can book through these two channels, but of course you can also book directly with the hotel – so there are different benefits depending on where you book.
La Reserve 1785 at a glance
With only 13 rooms, La Reserve 1785 is almost the smallest boutique hotel we have ever visited. 6 rooms have private pools and 6 have balconies, plus an individual larger room “La Chambre d´Henriette” above the spa with a wraparound balcony.
The property was bought and renovated by Mademoiselle Henriette Reboul in 1936 and has hosted many of her friends and lovers over the years. A few years ago, two French architects transformed the property into a boutique hotel, paying homage to its former owner. The spirit of history can be felt in every corner of the beautifully landscaped tropical property.
At the rear of the property is the restaurant with pool and adjoining house altar, also not far from the river that borders the property.
Room
We booked a Pavilion Pool Suite through Hyatt and, through the cooperation of Mr & Mrs Smith, were able to book a rate that included breakfast, a welcome gift and a 60-minute Balinese massage per person in addition to the room rate. As the room category is already the highest offered by the hotel, we obviously couldn’t get an upgrade.
The hotel had reserved “La Chambre de Laure” for us – although we have to say that chambre is not quite the right word. As mentioned above, the Pavillion Pool Suite is the top room category in this small but fine hotel and is correspondingly spacious.
Welcome
As a welcome gift, there was fresh fruit waiting for us on the desk in our room, along with a welcome letter.
Living room and bedroom
The room consists of one large room that combines the living and sleeping areas. As you walk through the front door, you will see a sideboard, behind which is the sofa with a view of the beautiful floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the small but lovely pool in the garden.
To the left of the wall is the super nice and very comfortable four-poster bed with a rather heavy duvet for both of you and two pillows per person, one larger and firmer, the other smaller and softer.
On the left bedside table is a tablet including all the menus, information, the spa menu and the remote control for the TV. On the table to the right of the bed is a bottle of mosquito spray. Unfortunately, we didn’t realise how necessary this was, as the four-poster bed looks nice, but is of limited use as a mosquito net, as the top corners of the fabric are cut out and mosquitoes can easily get in. The fan above the bed provides additional cooling if you prefer to sleep without air conditioning, or should it not be efficient enough for you.
And is there a white rose on the bed? Wow! We’ve never seen that before. Really great!
To the right of the window is a nice desk with a lamp, a radio and a stylish glass box containing some practical items such as paper clips, a pencil, an eraser and so on. A television is mounted on the wall above the desk.
To the right of the passageway to the bathroom is the half-height cabinet containing the minibar, which you will need to pay for. There is also a kettle, a Tabs coffee machine and everything you need to make tea and coffee. There are also glasses and mugs.
Bathroom
The very spacious bathroom is located to the right of the entrance door and extends across the entire width of the room and into the small garden. There is a very large vanity with two sinks and some toiletries such as soap and reusable make up removal pads. The rest of the toiletries, as well as the safe and hairdryer, can be found in the low drawers just opposite the door.
Incidentally, we were given more body lotion on request, as we found the house brand super nice and used it all up in no time.
At the end of the bathroom is the fully vitrified walk-in rain shower. It is built in its own small extension and is right at the end of the pool. You can also step out of the shower through a glass door at the back and jump straight into the pool. Or vice versa you can walk straight from the pool into the shower. How cool is that? Of course, shampoo, conditioner and body wash are also available here – from the La Reserve 1785 house brand.
Opposite the washbasin is an open-plan fitted wardrobe with plenty of space to store and hang your clothes. Here you will find your bathrobes AND kimonos as well as your slippers and laundry bag.
To the right of the main bathroom is the toilet in its own small room.
Turndown
Of course, La Reserve 1785 also offers its guests a turndown service. While you are having dinner, the diligent staff will close the mosquito screens on the bed as well as the curtains, refill the coffee and amenities, and generally check that the room is tidy and clean.
View
The view from the Pavilion Pool Suite at La Reserve 1785 is not of the city or skyline as at Alila Solo, for example, but of your own small garden with private pool.
The small terrace offers complete privacy and is beautifully manicured and planted. It transforms a small piece of land into a dreamy place to relax. The large window front allows you to look out of the room and from the shower you can also see into the small garden.
Hotel activities
Pool
The beautiful pool is located at the rear of the property and runs the full width of the property. There are large kabanas on either side in a beautiful contrasting shade of red. It really is a fantastic place to relax and unwind.
Beach
You can walk down the road to the beach in 15 minutes. But we have to admit that we didn’t make it all the way there and spent our time relaxing in the hotel. We only stayed one night at La Reserve 1785 and wanted to enjoy our time as much as possible.
Spa
The Secret Spa at La Reserve 1785, with 4 individual treatment rooms, is located in the heart of the small complex, some steps downstairs – in the basement, so to speak. The entrance resembles a Balinese temple and has a real mystical feel to it, as if you are entering another world. As our package included a massage for both of us, we were greeted warmly at the agreed time and shown to our respective rooms. The 60-minute Balinese oil massage was really fantastic and we were both able to switch off and enjoy it to the full.
Afterwards, we were given a choice of water or (very strong) ginger tea and could choose to have our drinks in the spa or in the restaurant.
Special features
One of the special features we have to mention is that La Reserve 1785 doesn’t have a gym, but we don’t think it needs one as in our opinion it’s simply not necessary for such a small hotel.
The receptionist was also very helpful in recommending a restaurant for the evening and even made the reservation for us. We were then taken to the restaurant in the hotel’s own golf cart and picked up after dinner – what a great service. Communication was very easy through Whatsapp.
Restaurants
Restaurant
Le Café Rouge is an all-day dining restaurant located by the pool and also serves as the breakfast restaurant. Here you can enjoy delicious international and local cuisine all day, overlooking the pool and garden.
Bar
The bar is located in the reception area and also serves as the lobby area for arriving and departing guests. The room is beautifully open plan with comfy seating and a painting towering over everything.
Afternoon Tea
There is afternoon tea for all guests between 17:00 and 18:00. We were given this information at check-in, but had already forgotten about it by 5 pm. As we were lying by the pool we were proactively approached and offered afternoon tea and asked if we would like it. We both ordered coffee and were served a beautifully laid tray with three small sandwiches and three sweet options. Everything was delicious and the service was once again fantastic throughout.
Breakfast
Here at La Reserve 1785, breakfast is served at a leisurely pace in Le Café Rouge a la carte only. There is a small menu to choose from, but a bread basket with croissants, pain au chocolat and a small baguette comes as standard. Served with butter and two homemade jams and a fruit platter. There is a choice of coffee and juice. Everything is served at your table and you can enjoy as much as you like.
What’s more, breakfast is served from 7.30am and can be enjoyed throughout the day – no matter how late you get up or if you simply want to enjoy your breakfast later in the day!
Check-out
As with the whole stay, the check-out was very well prepared and went smoothly and quickly. We were asked the day before if we needed any help with our departure.
Costs
For one night in the Pavillion Pool Suite, we paid a whopping IDR 6.6 million, or about 395 Euros at the time.
Departure and onward journey
We travelled to the beautiful Alila Uluwatu by grab and took an incredible 90 minutes for this tour. Of course, the journey is usually completely uncomplicated and we had a fairly large and air-conditioned car in which to make ourselves comfortable, but bear in mind the traffic chaos on your arrival and departure. Especially if you need to get to the airport on time.
Conclusion
La Reserve 1785 is truly a fantastic oasis of peace. The fantastic service, the friendliness on the one hand, but also the relaxed unobtrusiveness on the other, are really so exceptional that Fabi even received a WhatsApp with birthday wishes from the hotel three months after our departure. That really makes an impression and once again shows the attention to detail that all the staff pays while working in this hotel. In any case, Fabi and I really enjoyed our stay here!
We place La Reserve 1785 in the premium segment.
Recommendation
La Reserve 1785 is a haven of peace and relaxation. We can therefore recommend this hotel to couples and single travellers. Families with young children as well as business travellers won’t really fit in here.
Hotel Homepage
Rating
We award La Reserve 1785 a well-deserved 10 out of 10 possible points. Everything is simply spot on and exactly as it should be!
Go there?
Absolutely. If you can, book at least one night at La Reserve 1785, where you can simply enjoy the beautiful hotel and have a good time without a guilty conscience.
Our small Bali round trip
Are you also interested in other hotels in Bali? Then feel invited to also read our other reviews of Alila Ubud, Hyatt Regency Bali, Andaz Bali and Alila Villas Uluwatu – we’d be delighted if you´d stay tuned.
YouTube Review
Check out our YouTube review for more great content about La Reserve 1785.
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