SD › Best Hotels Gili Islands
Updated: December 28, 2021
By Santorini Dave
12 Best Hotels in Gili Islands
1. Slow – Gili Air
Hotel Phone: +62 878 6447 6099
This petite resort is along a short stone path from a pretty beach on the quieter western coast of the charming island of Gili Air. The 10 spacious and airy villas with 1 or 2 bedrooms are attractively designed with thatched roofs, wooden floors, and walls lined with Balinese paintings. Each also features an open-air dining room, fully-equipped kitchen, and trendy outdoor bathroom, while the lofty walls offer genuine seclusion. The villas’ private pools are a decent size, surrounded by decking, and face extensive lawns dotted with coconut palms. Belgian-owned and operated, the villas are a 10-minute stroll from the main cluster of beachside cafés and a little further from the boat terminal.
• Hotel Website • Check prices on Booking.com
2. Mahamaya – Gili Meno
Hotel Phone: +62 370 637 616
Along the most isolated coast of the most laid-back island of 3 Gilis, the Mahamaya exudes considerable class. Admittedly, most rooms are huddled together, without balconies or views, but 2 separate villas directly facing the beach do offer privacy, space, and sandy gardens with swinging chairs. The main drawcards of this British-owned and operated resort are the inviting pool surrounded by wooden decking and shade-cloth, and the sublime beach just out front. The water is perfect for swimming and snorkeling, and trees among the powdery-white sand are connected by hammocks and dotted with lanterns that sparkle romantically at night. The seclusion does mean, however, that few café/bars are within walking distance, but the Mahamaya is only about 10 minutes by cidomo horse-carts from the boat terminal.
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3. Dolcemare Resort – Gili Air
Hotel Phone: +62 819 0722 1519
This cluster of villas is only a 2-minute stroll inland along a serene path from a lovely beach on the quieter western side of Gili Air. Each of the 5 villas is individually designed and thoughtfully decorated with tiled floors, oodles of modern art adorning the walls, chic lampshades and rugs, and exquisite bathrooms large enough for wooden chairs. Most of the character-filled patios overlook the small but adequate pool which is attached to a jacuzzi (unusual for a boutique hotel like this). Adding to the appeal are the garden and the café packed with traditional wooden furniture and fascinating Balinese carvings.
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4. Gili Air Lagoon Resort – Gili Air
Hotel Phone: +62 370 628 100
Steps from the wooden patio in front of each villa lead directly into a shallow private pool (where 2 lounge chairs seem to float), which then connects to the lagoon-style main pool with a swim-up bar. With an open-air bathroom and plenty of appealing wooden furniture, each villa is detached, hidden behind dense foliage, and designed like a ‘hut’. Guests have access to the luxurious Sandbar Beach Club not far away, and, remarkably, the resort is on the main stretch of beachfront cafés and bars and within a minute’s walk of the boat terminal.
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5. Karma Reef – Gili Meno
Hotel Phone: +62 819 3672 0703
On the lovely low-key islet of Gili Meno, this top-notch resort offers spacious bungalows and luxurious tents typical of an African game reserve. Shaped like traditional rice barns, the 2-level bungalows feature an upstairs bedroom with Balinese furnishings and a balcony providing direct sea views, and an open-air living room at ground level with a hammock, sofa, and mod-cons like TVs and coffee machines. The only downsides are that the island’s coastal (vehicle-free) path meanders between the bungalows and beach and there is no pool. But otherwise the Karma is ideally located: facing a pretty beach 10m away and within a few minutes’ stroll of the boat terminal.
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6. Wilson’s Retreat – Gili Trawangan
Hotel Phone: +62 370 612 0060
The limited number of rooms and villas are spread across a sandy garden sprinkled with a delightful array of trees. Rooms feature modern décor, cable TV (a rarity), plenty of storage space, and open-air bathrooms, while villas offer 2 bedrooms and more space to compensate for being 100m further from the sea. The pool is elegantly designed and flanked by gazebos, and the shady beach just across the path is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling. Located along the quieter north coast of the most developed of the Gili Islands, and with a few beachside cafés nearby, Wilson’s is a 20-minute stroll from the main strip of bars near the boat terminal.
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7. Vyaana Resort – Gili Air
Hotel Phone: +62 877 6538 8515
This group of delightful villas is spread out, offering rare peace and privacy among beachside gardens dominated by shady palms and mangrove trees. Each villa is traditionally designed with an unusual arched roof as well as a tiled patio, large open-air bathroom, and plenty of storage space. The main pool is substantial and surrounded by extensive decking, but does lack shade. Although facing the isolated west coast, the Vyaana is conveniently at a junction with an inland path, so it’s only a 15-minute stroll from the boat terminal and 300m from a cluster of inviting seaside cafés.
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8. Pearl of Trawangan – Gili Trawangan
Hotel Phone: +62 819 9715 6999
Where the busiest section of the ‘Party Island’ merges into a far quieter string of resorts to the south, this hotel offers many stylish but comparatively modest rooms facing an appealing sandy garden. More inviting are the 2-level suites designed like Balinese rice barns which share a second pool and overlook prettier gardens, but the extended balconies don’t provide sea views, which are, however, guaranteed from cottages at the front. The 2 leisurely pools are surrounded by tasteful decking, the main one featuring a ‘waterfall’ and pool bar, while the extensive grounds with shady palms face an immaculate beach dominated by the private Pearl Beach Lounge.
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9. Pondok Santi Estate – Gili Trawangan
Hotel Phone: +62 819 0705 7504
The handful of villas and bungalows are dotted among a vast expanse of immaculate lawn packed with sloping palms. The older bungalows are separated and offer a very stylish design: wide wooden patios, thatched roofs, and massive open-air bathrooms filled with flowers. The newer villas feature a similar design but are ultra-modern inside and have lovely private pools and lofty walls for maximum seclusion. The main infinity pool is encircled by exquisite gardens, while on the spotless private beach just across the path are even more gazebos and hammocks. The resort is serenely located about 5 minutes’ walk past the end of the noisy strip of cafés and nightclubs on the most developed island of the Gilis.
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10. Alam – Gili Trawangan
Hotel Phone: +62 813 3831 5303
Part of a chain of lovely hotels across Ubud (Bali), this hotel is also designed with alam (‘nature’) in mind. As one of the oldest on the most developed island of the Gilis, the hotel offers sizable gardens with tropical foliage which is enjoyed by an abundance of birdlife. The traditional-style rooms and villas feature extensive patios with sofas facing the gardens and/or pool, and the shady beach in front is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Serenely distant from (but still walkable to) the nightclubs and boat terminal further south, the Alam Gili is flanked by enticing beachside cafés.
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11. Seri Resort – Gili Meno
Hotel Phone: +62 822 3759 6677
This resort feels remote but is within a 15-minute stroll of the boat terminal and far closer to some inviting cafés and bars on the gloriously low-key islet of Gili Meno. Separate and angled to maximize glimpses of the ocean, the villas feature windows on 3 sides, although rooms in a less appealing motel-style block offer superior sea views. The restaurant and top-floor shisha lounge also overlook the pretty beach which is ideal for swimming and snorkeling and barely 20m away, but some guests rarely move from beanbags surrounding the glistening beachside pool. (Avoid the budget-priced and open-wall ‘tented villas’ in a swamp at the back.)
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12. PinkCoco – Gili Trawangan
Hotel Phone: +62 361 895 7371
One of a new chain of funky boutique hotels across Bali, it is likably kitsch – e.g., most walls feature different shades of pink – and all accommodations face the elongated pool. With a desk carved from a tree-trunk and authentic Balinese photos adorning the walls, the standard rooms are stylish, while the 2-bedroom suites feature separate lounge/dining rooms and 2 balconies. Alongside a gorgeous beach in a quieter section of the ‘Party Island’, a few cafés are nearby and it’s a 20-minute stroll to Trawangan’s renowned nightlife. Or hire a bicycle – pink, of course.
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