Before our stay at The Stones Hotel, I’d looked at photos, and loved what I saw. But The Stones is one hotel where photos just don’t do it justice. And not necessarily because it’s more beautiful in person, but because staying at The Stones is more about the people and the unexpected fun experiences and atmosphere that they create.
The Stones Hotel: Our First Impressions
Arriving at the hotel felt really grand, with a massive open lobby with high ceilings. When we got mini ice blocks at check in, I already had a feeling this hotel was going to be pretty unique. The design of the room momentarily caught me off guard (I’ll explain below), but I quickly grew to love it. Especially when I saw what greeted us… 3 uniquely designed paint tins, 1 with fresh strawberries, 1 with white fluffy marshmallows, and 1 with slices of delicious cake. The Stones Hotel had a way of making us smile.
The Room
One thing to be prepared for… when you open the door to your room you walk straight into/through your bathroom. At first, I was a little surprised, but then it made perfect sense to me I actually started to admire the way it avoided wasting space. Instead of having a corridor and a smaller bathroom, this design actually eliminates the need for a corridor and makes more out of the space.
I loved the modern and clean design of the bedroom. And we absolutely fell in love with the light… yes, the light. Not to mention the plunge pool we had all to ourselves. With views of the main pool (which is spectacular), the hardest decision we had to make at The Stones was “main pool or plunge pool?”
Location, Location, Location
The Stones Bali sits on the border of Kuta and Legian, across the road from Legian Beach. We had never stayed in this area before, thinking it might be too busy. But I must say we found some great things to do. You can retreat to the hotel and spend your afternoons relaxing, wake up early and go for a morning walk along Kuta Beach and the boardwalk, and still get a taxi to Seminyak for dinner. We would definitely return to The Stones Bali.
The Food
Awesome food experiences are clearly important at The Stones. We had the pleasure of dining at their 3 restaurants, The Stones Kitchen, Big Fish Bar & Grill, and The Long Rice Table.
Oh, and lets not forget poolside snacks and cocktails at the Cabana.
One of our favourite food touches was breakfast, both the buffet breakfast and Gourmet Express (The Stones version of room service). Buffet breakfast was delicious, unique and had an awesome design. I had the chocolate granola (ok, many other things somehow made it onto my plate), do I have to say anything more than chocolate granola?! Yum!
Room service might be something I usually skip over, but The Stones version of room service, Gourmet Express, is really in a league of its own. Staff deliver a delicious selection of food in a red and white uniform with sneakers on, carrying a big red hot-box! Not only that, but the food all comes in fun packaging that means you can eat it in your room or take it across the road to the beach to enjoy.
We also had a cooking class with the Executive Chef of The Stones, Chris Smith. The cooking class was one of our favourites. Talking with the Chef was an amazing experience, straight away you can see he’s passion for The Stones and the fun and creative approach to food at The Stones suddenly makes a lot of sense.
Beyond The Room
The pool is a standout! With swim up bar and pool chairs half in the water, it’s a pretty nice way to spend the afternoon.
We also had a relaxing massage at the Celestine Spa (how can you not in Bali?).
But one of the things you can’t help but notice… everyone you pass will go out of their way to say hello.
This was my first time staying at The Stones Hotel, which is part of The Autograph Collection by Marriott. The concept behind The Autograph Collection is pretty special… each hotel in the collection is essentially a stand alone hotel, completely unique and giving it almost a boutique hotel feel. At the same time, it’s standards always need to meet that of a worldwide hotel brand, Marriott.
Staying at The Stones Hotel in Bali, and having such a great experience made me want to explore the rest of The Autograph Collection.
The Autograph Collection have a saying… #exactlylikenothingelse
And this was exactly what made our stay at The Stones Hotel a memorable one. From the Saxophonist playing on the rooftop of the pool bar, to the fun room service, to the choice of ice cream at the breakfast buffet… Exactly like nothing else and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Almost Landing Loves
Super Friendly StaffUnexpected Little Touches
Fun Food Experiences
The Details
Hotel: The Stones Hotel
Location: Jalan Raya Pantai Kuta, Legian
Check Prices On Agoda
Have any questions about The Stones Hotel or Bali? Let us know in the comments below…
Our stay at The Stones Hotel was courtesy of Agoda and The Stones Hotel, but our experience and what we share with you is 100% Mandy + Chris :)
Hi there I am don’t if lemeridien or stones what do u recommend such hotel is better and which area is better is just for 2 nights
Illl go to seminal othe days
Thnx
Hi Pablo, both hotels are fantastic, and both are right near the beach. Jimbaran and Kuta/Legian areas are so so different. Jimbaran has both a resort feel but also a local feel with local traditional markets, fish markets etc. Whilst Kuta/Legian is much busier, it is quite a touristy area but you will have access to more things when you go outside the hotel like shops, restaurants, bars. I would say Jimbaran is a fancier area whilst Kuta/Legian has more of a range and more options for a lower budget. I think your decision is more about areas, as both hotels are great. You mentioned you are spending the rest of your holiday in Seminyak, which is much closer to Legian than it is to Jimbaran. So if you want two completely different areas, I would go Jimabran and Seminyak. But if you prefer the sound of Kuta/Legian then I would go with that. Let us know if you have any other questions :)