8 Editor-Approved Hotels in Bali You Can Book for Less Than $250 a Night

With paradisiacal pools, Balinese charm, and seriously great eats, these are the budget-friendly boltholes to consider for your Indonesian escape.Anantara Hotels & ResortsAlongside all the mystique and magic swirling around Bali, it’s long been famous as an affordable destination. One where it’s possible to stay in a glorious villa, swim in a stunner of an infinity pool, frolic on picturesque beaches, eat well, and drink all the coconuts one can slurp without spending a small fortune. As I witnessed firsthand while living on the paradisiacal island for four years, affordable hotels in Bali are everywhere, even as prices have undoubtedly risen in recent years. It’s still very possible to have an epic Bali vacation on a budget, especially when selecting a stay that offers a lot for a very reasonable rate.On this radiant island, warm hospitality is in locals’ very nature, and it shows regardless of how much money you spend on a room. Over years of hotel stays and exploration, I’ve seen what money can buy in Bali, and I’ve consistently been impressed with the value of the resorts on this list, where rates start at less than $250 per night. For far less than an extravagant European getaway or even many boutique properties across the US, visitors at these hotels are made to feel like true VIPs. Read on for eight luxurious but affordable accommodations in Bali that will blow you away.Editor-recommended hotelsFrequently asked questionsPotato Head Suites & StudiosThe first few steps inside Desa Potato Head Bali’s Brutalist-looking courtyard feel decidedly un-Balinese. But a palm-tufted beach on the horizon and a throat-scorching shot of jamu (an Indonesian tonic of turmeric and ginger) served upon check-in swiftly make it clear that you’re still very much on Indonesia’s most popular holiday island. Part hotel, part trailblazing creative village, part beach club, Desa Potato Head Bali was thought up by Jakarta-born hotelier and art collector Ronald Akili. It’s a hot spot for digital nomads and creative folks—you’ll find them hunched over their laptops in the Dome coworking space, networking over passion fruit martinis in the beach club, or getting healing treatments at Desa Spa. —Chris SchalkxRead Full ReviewFurtherWith Bali’s traffic-choked Canggu district bursting at the seams, the smart crowd has set their sights on Pererenan, a sleepy village one beach to the west. Even though new villas have popped up over recent years, they abut rice paddies and turmeric-hued temples—a flashback to the Canggu of three decades ago. At Pererenan’s heart sits the Further, a “diffused hotel” spread out over four terra-cotta-toned buildings along the village’s palm-hemmed main drag. Each is home to parts of Further’s ambitious collective of creative spaces. There’s a board shop and concept store by Australian label Thomas Surfboards; a boutique by Jakarta-based skincare brand Oaken Lab; and a breezy bistro for classic sundowners and dinners.Almost a dozen suites riff on traditional Balinese shapes and textures, with walls bedecked in burnt sienna plaster and breezy brickwork that filters the morning sun. Robust furnishings made from cast-iron, earthy travertine, and timber balance out the sultry black-and-white photography, and a wraparound balcony doubles as an alfresco bathroom. This is go-slow territory, with palo-santo-scented mornings filled with leisurely lie-ins and picnic-basket breakfasts delivered to your door, while jazzy tunes seep from the record players in every room. On an island riddled with copy-and-paste hotels, Further brings a fresh perspective. —C.S.Read Full ReviewAnantara Ubud Bali ResortThe magic in Anantara Ubud isn't necessarily on-site, despite the sweeping terrace that sits like a nest atop the jungle canopy on a mountain, the individual bungalows carved into the hillside, and the fantastically delicious cuisine that makes you realize Indonesian food should rival Italian on the world stage. Anantara knows that, in a place like Bali, unprecedented access is the biggest luxury. That's why it has focused on bringing its guests to the heart of the true Bali, one undisturbed by the hordes of travelers on the coast. This means private sessions with Hindu high priests, guided tours through lesser-explored water temples, and immersive visits to isolated mountain villages. But of course, it's nice to know that after a day of trekking through rice paddies and going on cultural explorations, the hotel's signature spa will welcome you back with a full massage, native birdsong audible through the large windows overlooking that gorgeous jungle. —Erin FlorioRead Full ReviewThe Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, BaliLocated within the incredibly exclusive Nusa Dua resort region, The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, sits on one of Bali’s most beautiful beaches. There are 257 guest rooms and 19 suites, but the best spot might be in a Lagoon Access Room, which allows you to step from your private balcony directly into the water. There are also 11 pool villas, each of which boasts an expansive private pool. A 24-hour butler service ensures guests need not lift a finger while on-site. As far as cuisine, there are beachfront restaurants, wine rooms, and pan-Asian options, just to name a few.Read Full ReviewHotel Tugu BaliWalking into Hotel Tugu Bali instantly transports you to the Indonesia of the past. In the dimly lit lobby, you realize you're standing under a massive carved wooden pagoda of sorts, which is in fact a more than 150-year-old sacred ceremonial hall that was transported piece by piece from a village in central Bali. It is one of literally thousands of priceless pieces that the owner, the biggest collector of Indonesian antiquities in the country, has installed here on the edge of Batu Bolong beach in Canggu. It’s all part of the intention to preserve Indonesia’s near-forgotten cultures (Tugu means “monument”). And it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Rooms are comprised of different villas, many of them based on Javanese wooden houses, and each of them utterly unique. The Rejang Suite, on the upper floors of a Javanese house, for example, has rich antique wooden floors, a carved four-poster bed, and a rustic sun porch lined with wood-paneled windows of colored glass that overlook the garden. —Alex PostmanRead Full ReviewCOMO Uma UbudBecause Bali is a tropical island, there's a misperception that it's all about beaches. Yet there’s little more dramatic than the magical tableau of Ubud's jungle scenes. At COMO Uma Ubud, coconut palms and banyan trees frame 46 rooms, suites, and villas, all designed by Koichiro Ikebuchi, offering an intimate, hyperlocal experience. At the heart of the resort is an 82-foot jade-green pool with rooms and eating areas staggered across the snug plot. Clever planning, fresh interior design, private courtyards, and infinity-edge plunge pools make the property feel modern—yet totally at home in Ubud. —Juliet KinsmanRead Full ReviewBisma EightFollow a bumpy lane from Ubud’s center past little shops and spa outlets, and eventually you'll reach Bisma Eight, an all-suite hideaway that does little to let on that an infinity pool hangs over the valley or that a rooftop restaurant awaits. Once you’ve checked in at the reception desk, you’re led to your suite via an outdoor corridor blooming with frangipani, pandans, and bamboo. The 38 spacious, stylish suites are home-like in feel. Amenities are designed for digitally savvy travelers, and furnishings blend painstaking craftsmanship with materials such as hessian, woven leather, and delicate basketwork and wicker. —J.K.Read Full ReviewMunduk CabinsFar from the madding crowds of Bali’s lower half, this eco-conscious boutique hotel of six standalone cabins tucked into lush mountain foliage is a quiet and beautifully designed escape from which to eat and drink very well, chase waterfalls, and get a glimpse of old Bali. Munduk is a lesser-known but rapidly up-and-coming region of Bali some 40 miles north of Ubud, known for its lovely freshwater lakes, misty (and, yes, cooler climate) mountains, and abundant waterfalls. It’s hard not to want to spend all day and even night at the hotel’s well-perched infinity pool, looking out to jungle and grayscale mountain silhouettes all the way to the north coast of Bali. Whichever of the six cabins you choose, rest assured there will be abundant glass windows that make it feel as if the Jurassic-sized ferns and other spectacular flora are on the verge of entering your cozy confines. And the mouthwatering—at times sweat-inducingly spicy—Indonesian food at Ulekan restaurant, named for the ubiquitous-in-Bali stone mortar and pestle, is like an edible tour of the archipelago.Read Full ReviewFAQ:What part of Bali should I stay in if I’m looking for an affordable trip?One of the many beautiful things about Bali is that affordable hotels, Airbnbs, and villas can be found quite literally all over the island. Sanur, Kuta, the outskirts of Ubud, Sidemen, and Amed in particular have cheap accommodations in absolutely lovely settings. Generally speaking, the farther you go off the beaten path, the lower the nightly rates you’ll find, so travelers are often rewarded for being intrepid and adventurous.What is the cheapest month to go to Bali?Historically, the rainy season in Bali is when hotels are at their cheapest. Reduced rates generally begin around November and continue through March. The exception, of course, is festive season, in late December and the start of January, when prices are notably higher.How we choose the best hotels in BaliEvery hotel review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.Kathryn Romeyn is a world-traveling journalist, former magazine editor, and author of Rizzoli’s The Bucket List Romantic Escapes: 1000 Ideas for Couples’ Adventures, Lovers’ Getaways, and Out-of-this-World Honeymoons. Her deeply engrained curiosity and passion for telling stories of intriguing places, cultures and people has taken Kathryn to 60-plus countries on ... Read MoreThe island riding an eternal wave