Expensive hotels of Bali

Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet, has been saying for a long time that Bali has the most beautiful hotels in the world. Here are some I've come across in my pre-trip armchair travels:

Sienna Villas in Seminyak (private pool, personal chef, chauffer-driven car etc. etc.)
The Legian in Seminyak
Hotel Uma in Ubud, where the cheapest rooms are US$248, and which has a sister resort only in Bhutan (kind of like the fashion chain Komodo with outlets in London, Kathmandu and Bali).

And here are my favourites:

Hotel Tugu Bali in Canggu (west of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, etc on the same southern coast);
Taman Bebek in Ubud (see my post on Made Wijaya);
Bali Agung Nirwana in between Singaraja and Tulamben on the North coast, not far from Tejakula: it claims to be "completely eco-friendly". The owners are either very nice people, or very canny at pushing the right buttons to ameliorate the inevitable angst of the rich holidaying in immeasurable luxury surrounded by comparative poverty. In any event, they have an unorthodox website, which catalogue the exploits (in every sense) of others, less holier than they.

These hotels are featured for their beautiful gardens in the beautiful Periplus book Balinese Gardens:

• Bali Hyatt (Sanur)
• Grand Bali Hyatt (Nusa Dua)
  
• Four Seasons Resort, Jimbaran Bay (said to be a Suharto family operation) $US719 a night for the cheapo rooms
  
• Four Seasons Resort, Sayan (west of Ubud) (said to be a Suharto family operation)
  
• Hotel Tjampuhan, Ubud, which was formerly a guest house for visitors to the King of Ubud, and incorporates the former home of Walter Spies, a paedophile who happened to be considered quite a good painter, but was in fact a kind of Balinese Pro Hart
  
• Amanusa Resort, Nusa Dua. US$786 a night for the cheapo rooms starts to look quite good value when you consider that you can lie in the pictured private shelter for free (but said to be a Suharto family operation)
  
• Begawan Giri Estate, near Ubud (voted best hotel in the world by Conde Nast Traveler). The cheapest room's rack rate is US$598.95, but breakfast is included, and there is a staff to guest ratio of 5:1.

And these hotels are some of those featured in this droolific book, Bali Chic (When is someone going to publish the seemingly obvious Sheik Chic?):

• Alila Ubud (formerly the Chedi)
  
• Alila Maggis (East coast)
  
• Ibah (Ubud)
  
• Komaneka Resort and Komaneka Tanggayuda (Ubud)
  
• Maya Ubud
• Natura Resort (Ubud)
• Waka di Ume (Ubud)
• Waka Shorea in Bali Bukit National Park (qeh??) on the North East coast;
• Avatara (Tanah Lot, west of Legian, Seminyak etc.)
• Villa Balquisse (Jimbaran)
• Matahari (Pemuteran, North East coast)
• Puri Ganesha Villas

Bali