I have been to Bali a handful of times now, so a new place to stay in Canggu always gets my attention. Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu only opened in 2024, and my boyfriend Harsh and I were excited to check it out and see how it fit into a part of Bali we already love. I booked us in for a two night couples getaway in March, and the short answer is that it worked better than I expected. This Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu review covers the ocean-view room, the infinity pool and its sunset cocktail, breakfast and dinner at Roomah, the surf lesson I took two minutes down the road, and the honest bits, so you can decide if the roughly 150 USD a night is worth it for you.
This was a collaboration stay with the hotel, but all opinions here are my own. If you want to skip ahead, you can book Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu on KLOOK.
Where is Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu?
The location is honestly the thing that sold me. The hotel sits right in the heart of Canggu, a five to ten minute walk from both Batu Bolong beach and Echo Beach, which are two of the best spots in the area for sunset and for watching surfers who are much better than me. I was never stuck out in a resort bubble having to taxi everywhere. Motel Mexicola, Varuna Warung and an F45 studio are all a one to two minute walk from the lobby, so I could roll out for dinner or a workout without ever getting on a scooter.
Getting there from the airport took me about 40 minutes, and that was mostly traffic rather than distance, which is very normal for this side of Bali. I arranged our own car rather than a hotel transfer because it was cheaper. If you want to do the same, I booked our airport transfer through KLOOK and it was simple: driver waiting at arrivals, fixed price, no haggling after a long flight.
I went in March, which is the tail end of the wetter months but was firmly in good-weather territory for me. I got sunshine every single day and not a drop of rain. If you can time it, the shoulder months are a sweet spot: fewer crowds than July and August, and prices that are a bit softer.
The room: King Standard Ocean View
I stayed in a King Standard Ocean View, and this is the room I would tell you to book. The design leans into wood and Balinese detail, so it actually felt like I was in Bali. The bed was enormous and the whole room felt calm.
The view is the reason to pay up for this category. I had the ocean straight ahead from the balcony, which meant I took my morning coffee looking at the water and, on our first night, watched the sky go pink from bed. If you are coming as a couple, spend the extra for the ocean view. It changes the whole feel of the stay.
Because the hotel opened recently, everything in the room was genuinely new. No scuffed furniture, no tired bathroom fittings, no mystery stains on the kettle. That newness runs through the whole property and it is one of the quiet reasons the stay felt more premium than the price suggests.
The infinity pool and that sunset cocktail
The infinity pool is the centrepiece, and it overlooks the ocean. There is a bar built right into the middle of the pool, so I could swim up, order a drink and not leave the water, which is exactly the kind of small luxury that makes a trip feel like an actual holiday rather than a stopover.
The sunset cocktail here was a highlight of the two days. I timed it for golden hour, sat half in the water with a drink, and watched the light drop over the sea. It is the sort of moment the hotel is clearly built around, and it delivered. If you only do one thing on the property, make it a drink in the pool at sunset.
Breakfast and dinner at Roomah
Breakfast is served at Roomah, the on-site restaurant, and it is a buffet. I am picky about hotel buffets because they are often a lot of quantity and not much care, but this one held up. The french toast and the acai bowl were the two things I went back for, both fresh and genuinely good rather than the tired buffet food you often get.
Our included dinner was also at Roomah, and this is where I was pleasantly surprised. The standout dishes were the Arabic cold mezze and the salmon crudo, both fresh and genuinely well done.
Learning to surf in Canggu
Canggu is a surf town, so it felt wrong not to get in the water. I did a private one-to-one surf lesson, which cost 30 USD for an hour of having someone push me into waves and gently tell me what I was doing wrong. For a total beginner or someone rusty like me, private is worth it: I got every wave to myself and far more coaching than I would have in a group.
If you want to book the same thing, here is the private surf lesson in Canggu on KLOOK. Use the code ALYDIGITALKLOOK for a small discount on your booking. Go in the morning when the water is calmer and the sun is not yet punishing.
Things to do near the hotel
Part of why this location is so good is that I could do a full Canggu day without ever needing a scooter. Here is what I actually did straight from the hotel:
- Morning F45 class. There is an F45 studio a couple of minutes' walk away, and I walked over for a class before breakfast. A good way to feel less guilty about the buffet.
- Brunch at Milk & Madu. This is a Canggu institution and an easy walk. Exactly the kind of long, unhurried brunch the town is known for.
- A local massage. I paid 150,000 IDR (around 10 USD) for a one hour massage nearby. Bali massages at this price are one of the great joys of the island, so budget for a few.
Motel Mexicola and Varuna Warung are also right there if you want dinner and a drink without going far.
What to know before you book
I liked pretty much every part of this stay, so this is not a section of complaints, more the two honest things I would tell a friend.
First, it is a new hotel, which I mean as a compliment. The facilities are fresh and well kept, and I was not dealing with the wear that older Canggu properties can have.
Second, and this is Bali in general rather than the hotel: there are mosquitoes. If you are the kind of person who gets bitten, bring repellent and use it, especially around sunset by the pool. It is a small thing, but it is the difference between a great evening and scratching your ankles for the rest of the trip.
One more thing that stuck with me, on the service. One day I asked the staff to heat up some leftovers, fully expecting them to hand it back in a takeaway box. Instead they plated it properly and brought it out like a real dish. It is a tiny gesture, but honestly that is the stuff I remember about a place way more than how fancy the room is.
Is Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu worth it?
For a couples getaway in Canggu, yes. At around 150 USD a night, I got a brand-new room with a real ocean view, an infinity pool with a swim-up bar and a proper sunset, breakfast and dining at Roomah that went beyond the usual hotel standard, and a location so central I could walk to the beach, to brunch, to a workout and to a surf lesson. That combination of comfort and walkability is hard to find in Canggu, where you usually trade one for the other.
If you like this kind of honest, room-to-food hotel breakdown, I did the same for dusitD2 Naseem Resort in Oman. And if you want to check dates and current rates for this one, you can book Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu on KLOOK. For us it was a genuinely relaxing two nights, and i loveeedddd it so much <3 Harsh and I are already raving to come back :)
FAQ
How far is Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu from the airport?
Around 40 minutes by car from Ngurah Rai International Airport, though it depends heavily on traffic. Booking a private transfer in advance saves you haggling on arrival.
How much does it cost per night?
I stayed for roughly 150 USD a night for a King Standard Ocean View. Rates shift with season, so shoulder months like March tend to be better value than peak July and August.
Is it a good hotel for couples?
Yes. The ocean-view rooms, the infinity pool and the sunset cocktail setup make it a strong couples getaway. It worked really well for the two of us.
Is Canggu walkable from the hotel?
Very. Batu Bolong and Echo Beach are a five to ten minute walk, and restaurants, bars and an F45 studio are one to two minutes away, so you rarely need a scooter.
When is the best time to visit?
The drier months (roughly April to October) are the classic choice, but the shoulder edges like March gave me great weather with fewer crowds and softer prices.