Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort Review: Wake Up to Kuta Beach
Waking up by the sea is one of the best feelings. You know straight away that you’re on holiday. Waking up at Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort made me smile. I lay there for a few minutes doing absolutely nothing, on a bed so soft it should come with a warning.
By Sarah Dougherty
Then I opened the balcony doors. Kuta Beach was right there, pale gold and almost empty, with the first surfers paddling out and early walkers getting going.
That’s the thing about staying here. You’re in the middle of Bali’s liveliest beach town, with shops, bars and warungs on every side, and the first thing you see each morning is the ocean. I took that as my cue to pull on a swimsuit, grab a sarong and walk along the seafront before the day got busy.
Even early, there’s plenty going on. Surf schools are sending students into the waves, a skate park is full of cheers, and experienced surfers wait out on the horizon. Everyone looks healthy and happy. Sunsets here are busy, but the mornings are calm, and I was quite happy with the quieter version.
A note from us: this article is a paid partnership with Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort. We only write about places we have tried ourselves, and every word was written by our team. Prices, opening hours and offers were correct at the time of writing but can change, so check directly with the resort before you go.
- Where: Jalan Pantai Kuta, directly across the road from Kuta Beach and connected to beachwalk Shopping Center
- Getting there: About 15 minutes by car from Ngurah Rai International Airport, traffic permitting
- Rooms: 195 rooms and suites, all with private balconies, including ocean-facing rooms and family suites, one of which comes with a PS5
- Eat and drink: Bene Italian Kitchen, Sundowner Rooftop, Daily Social, &More by Sheraton, X &More and Kuta Dome
- Don’t miss: Wednesday’s all-you-can-eat Italian night at Bene, Sunset Hour on the Sundowner Rooftop (daily, 5 pm to 7 pm) and the Sunday Social Brunch at Daily Social
- For families: PlayHouse Kids Club for ages four to 12, a kids’ pool and the Side by Side family programme
- Wellness: Ocean-facing infinity pool, Shine Spa and a 24-hour gym
Check-in and check-out: 3 pm and 12 pm - Best for: Families, couples and anyone who wants the beach, the shops and the sunset within a few minutes’ walk
The resort sits directly across the road from Kuta Beach, above the open-air beachwalk Shopping Center. Its 195 rooms and suites are decorated in white with touches of local colour. Every room has a private balcony, and the building is angled towards the sea.
It’s a neat trick. Inside, the resort is calm, airy and quietly well run, with an infinity pool, a kids’ pool, Shine Spa and a 24-hour gym to keep you busy. But the best bit is just outside the door. Kuta Beach is right there, with surf for every level and a walk along the sand that never gets old. Local sellers wander past with sarongs, sunglasses and jokey signs offering ‘beer as cold as your ex-wife’s heart’. Behind the resort, the lanes are waiting to be explored. And Kuta makes a great base for the rest of the island.
You can take a day trip to Uluwatu for the cliffs and the sunset, or walk along the beach to Legian and Seminyak.
Rooms and suites
The rooms are the reason to come. The design means every room faces the ocean, with balconies over Kuta Beach and the Bali Strait. It’s perfect for morning coffee and even better at sunset. Inside, the Sheraton Signature Sleep Experience gives you deep mattresses, soft duvets and blackout curtains, which makes an afternoon nap feel entirely reasonable.
Families are well looked after. The Junior Family Suite gives parents their own king bedroom, while the children get single beds in a living area full of toys and games. The Larger Family Suites are built for multigenerational trips. The star of the show, according to every child I can imagine, is the Premium Family Suite, which comes with its own PS5. It’s the only hotel room I’ve seen where the children were the ones refusing to go to the beach.
Dining experiences
You can eat very well without leaving the resort, from slow Sunday lunches to sunset cocktails.
Bene Italian Kitchen. The Sheraton’s signature Italian is a relaxed modern trattoria over three levels by the pool, with ocean views and a menu built around local produce and fresh seafood. Fresh pasta is made daily by Sous Chef Vinsensius Aditantra, who trained under Luca Fantin at Il Ristorante Bvlgari Bali. The menu winds its way through Italy from Piedmont to Sicily. Book for Wednesday. The all-you-can-eat Italian dinner lets you work through the pasta, pizza and antipasti for IDR 425.000++ per person.
Sundowner Rooftop. Above Bene, the rooftop has one of the best sunset views on the beach road, with nothing between you and the horizon. The bartenders clearly enjoy their work. Sunset Hour runs daily from 5 pm to 7 pm with buy-one-get-one-free drinks. Arrive early and grab a seat facing wes
Daily Social. The poolside all-day restaurant overlooks the beach, with six food stations from Asian comfort food to a seafood bar. It’s relaxed at breakfast and busy on Sundays, when the Sunday Social Brunch runs from midday to 3.30 pm with live music, international dishes, a poolside barbecue with local specialities, a dessert room the kids will love and chefs finishing plates to order. It’s the kind of brunch that quietly eats the rest of your afternoon, and nobody minds. Visitors who aren’t staying at the resort can also use the pool, so it’s a lovely spot for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
&More by Sheraton. The refreshed lobby lounge is where Kuta’s sunsets come to show off. The lobby has panoramic views over the beach, a bespoke cocktail list and an afternoon tea that’s a very civilised way to spend 3 pm.
X &More. The resort’s new cafe has a simple idea: your favourite treats, in a box. There’s freshly brewed coffee, pastries, doughnuts, salt bread and mocktails in a can, all packed up for the beach, a souvenir or the shops. It’s hard to walk past without buying something. I grabbed the crème brûlée doughnuts, which were sinful in the best way.
Kuta Dome. Kuta Dome and Kuta Dome Signature are two intimate beachfront venues looking straight out over Kuta Beach. They’re set up for romantic sunset dinners, private celebrations and destination weddings. They offer something rare in Kuta: the sunset and the sea, with a bit of privacy from the crowds on the sand. If you’re planning a proposal, an anniversary or a wedding in Bali, it’s worth asking about.
Facilities and activities
This is where the Sheraton earns its place as a family resort, though couples will find plenty to do too.
PlayHouse Kids Club. The newly renovated PlayHouse is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm for children aged four to 12, with more than 20 activities. Parents can head to the infinity pool, book a treatment at Shine Spa or shop downstairs without a shred of guilt. Shine Spa will soon move to a new home overlooking the ocean, opening next year.
Side by Side. Sheraton’s family programme is built around doing things together, whether with children, parents, grandparents or a partner. Activities include Balinese dance lessons, pizza and pasta making at Bene, sunset yoga and mocktail making, so everyone goes home with a new skill and plenty of memories.
Kite-making classes. Kuta has a long love affair with kites. When the wind is right, the sky above the beach fills with them. The class lets you build and decorate your own, then take it to the South Courtyard to see whether it flies. Classes run every Monday and Thursday at 11 am. It’s a fun, hands-on way into one of Bali’s best-loved traditions. Yours might even stay up longer than mine did.
Sunset Ritual. Every day at 6 pm, the Sunset Ritual marks the moment day turns to night, a transition that is sacred in Balinese culture. Guests are invited to join a small cultural parade, carrying traditional kentongan (bamboo slit drums) and making offerings to the setting sun. Kuta’s sunsets are famous already, and this tradition adds a little culture to the view.
Beach Run, Sunrise and Sunset Yoga. The Beach Run is the best way to see Kuta Beach before the crowds arrive, when the sand is firm, the air is cool and the surf school flags are only just going up. It sets off at 7 am every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If running sounds like too much, Sunrise Yoga starts at 7 am on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Sunset Yoga at 5 pm on Sundays is a gentle way to close the weekend, with the waves doing most of the work.
Wellness. Shine Spa offers Balinese massage, body treatments and wellness rituals to undo a long flight or a long day in the sun. Add an early swim in the infinity pool and you have the closest thing Kuta offers to a retreat.
Who it suits
Families first, thanks to the suites, PlayHouse and the Side by Side programme. It works just as well for couples, with Bene and the Sundowner Rooftop providing the romance, and for older travellers who want to be central without the noise. The real luxury is the location: the beach across the road, the shops below and the best of Kuta within a short walk.
Meetings and gatherings. Liven up your meetings with a choice of spaces, from formal rooms to cosy corners. Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort is a popular choice for groups and corporate events. An experienced in-house team oversees bookings, catering and meeting set-ups, so everything runs smoothly.
Downstairs: beachwalk Shopping Centre - more than a mall!
Beachwalk is more than just a shopping mall; for those of us who live here, it changed our lives – a modern mall in the heart of Kuta. It’s where we shop, catch up with friends, grab a bite on the seafront, catch a movie or just escape the heat.
It’s open-air and terraced, with water features and plenty of greenery, so it’s inviting and, like all modern malls, it can easily eat up hours if you’re not in a rush. Friends meet for a coffee after work, or for a sunset drink while the beach goes orange. You can catch a movie, then grab a drink afterwards, and yes, you can also stock up on make-up, sunscreen or a new bikini. Local favourites include Bamboo Blonde, Sensatia Botanicals for Bali-made skincare, and Sociolla for the latest Indonesian and Korean beauty finds.
Food is a big part of the appeal. Revolver, one of the best-loved names on Bali’s coffee scene, now has an outpost, so a proper flat white is only minutes from your room, but it’s one of many restaurants and cafes. The People’s Café does modern takes on Indonesian classics, the upstairs food court is a good-value place to try local dishes, and several cafes along the front look straight out over the sand. It’s the easiest place I know to say “let’s meet halfway” and actually mean it.
Aloft by Marriott Bali Kuta at Beachwalk
At the back of beachwalk sits the Sheraton’s younger, livelier sibling. Aloft is full of surf memorabilia and colour, hands out fruity ice lollies at check-in and makes up for its lack of ocean views with leafy gardens and a large pool. It suits friends, corporate travellers and couples who would rather spend their money on fun than on a flashy hotel. The rooms are stylish, with oversized beds and private terraces.
Even if you’re staying at the Sheraton, Aloft’s W XYZ lobby bar is a great place to end an evening after a day of shopping at beachwalk. It’s relaxed, well stocked with signature cocktails and has live music every Friday night.
DEPOT by ALOFT is tucked away inside Aloft, overlooking the pool. It’s an all-day food hall with live stations, tapas bars, generous breakfasts and poolside dining.
Beyond the resort: Kuta in brief
Kuta started as a fishing village and 19th-century trading port. Danish trader Mads Lange set up shop here in 1839. In 1936, Americans Robert and Louise Koke arrived, built the area’s first beach hotel and introduced surfing to Bali. By the 1970s, Kuta was a fixture on the hippie trail. Today it’s a lively holiday destination with great places to stay, shop, eat and catch cultural events.
The beach. Around 2.5 kilometres of sand with gentle, beginner-friendly surf. Book a lesson with a licensed surf school, or watch from a beanbag with a Bintang.
Turtle releases. From roughly April to October, the Kuta Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Centre releases olive ridley hatchlings at around 5 pm. The children go first, and it’s hard to beat watching them.
Poppies Lane. The narrow lanes behind the beach are made for sarongs, souvenirs and a plate of nasi campur for the price of a coffee. Stop at Crumb & Coaster on Jalan Benesari for brunch.
Made’s Warung. The Kuta original is still a much-loved family business, feeding surfers since around 1969 and still the place for a proper nasi campur.
Waterbom Bali. About a 20-minute walk south, and a guaranteed hit for all ages.
For every warung, cafe and bar we rate in the area, see our complete Kuta and Legian food guide.
Frequently asked questions
Very nearly. It sits directly across Jalan Pantai Kuta from the sand, so the beach is about a minute’s walk from the lobby.
Yes. It has Junior, Larger and Premium Family Suites, a kids’ pool, the PlayHouse Kids Club for ages four to 12 and the Side by Side programme of activities you can do together.
Every room faces the ocean. If the view matters most to you, ask for a premium room at the front when you book.
Yes. Bene Italian Kitchen, the Sundowner Rooftop and the Sunday Social Brunch at Daily Social all welcome visitors who aren’t staying at the resort. Book ahead, especially for Wednesday’s all-you-can-eat Italian night and Sunday brunch.
Head up to the Sundowner Rooftop between 5 pm and 7 pm, when Sunset Hour is on, and the sun drops straight into the sea in front of you.
The resort is connected to beachwalk by stairs and an elevator.
Start with a sunset drink at the Sundowner Rooftop, then stroll over to W XYZ Bar at Aloft by Marriott Bali Kuta at Beachwalk, which has live music every Friday night or wander along the seafront to find local bars and restaurants.
Hatchlings are released on Kuta Beach from roughly April to October, usually around 5 pm. Check that a release is planned for the day before you set off.
About 15 minutes by car, though Kuta traffic has its own ideas, so allow extra time at busy times.
