I have stayed at both the Sofiel Nusa Dua and the Westin Nusa Dua twice now. I thought that writing about my experiences at each of these resorts might be helpful if you are weighing up which one to stay at given that they are both are 5 star resorts, located very close to one another, in the quiet, serene Nusa Dua, approx 25 minutes from Denpasar airport.

Resorts in Nusa Dua need to be amazing because guests spend most of their time there, as there is not much else around. Bali Collection is your only real option for shopping within walking distance and is slowly reopening stores since closing during Covid.

The Pools

Whilst the Westin pool has a bigger waterslide which is patrolled with a lifeguard, I prefer the pool areas at the Sofitel. There is still a smaller waterslide with a kids pool which is suitable for kids up to around 10 years.

The Westin Waterslide

At the Sofitel there are pool access rooms from both sides of the resort that have steps from your room connecting you to the main pool. The main pool has a pool bar (which sadly the Westin does not). There are also two pools at the Sofitel beach club (Manarai), one with a swim up bar as well as an indoor/outdoor pool at the fitness centre. The Westin has an adults only pool and both have private villas with their own pools.    

One of the pools at the Sofitel

The Kids Clubs

The Sofitel Kids Club has indoor and outdoor play areas. These areas, equipment and their toys are suitable for children up to 6 years. My kids are now 8 and 9 and they find the Sofitel Kids Club too "babyish" and complain because it doesn't have WiFi. 

The Sofitel Kids Club

The Sofitel Kids Club is only free for the first visit per day up to 2 hours. (i.e. you can't do one hour free in the morning and one hour free in the afternoon, it's the first two consecutive hours only). 

Their daily program consists of optional activities, most of which come with an extra charge e.g. nail art at $8 per child, or face painting $5. 

The kids club operates daily from 9am-6pm and socks are mandatory. 

The Westin Kids Club has a large outdoor play area with a trampoline, cubby, good sized play equipment, and pet guinea pigs. Inside there is a cubby with plenty of additional space (including a separate room for when it's very busy and they split into age groups). They also have a kids day spa....amazing!

The Westin Kids Club 

The Westin Kids Club features a Toddlers Area for children up to 3 years old, Kids area for children aged 4 to 12 and Teens Zone for children aged 12+.

There is no charge for in-house guests here. Non guests can purchase a day pass. It operates daily from 9am-5pm. 

The Westin is definitely a winner when it comes to the best Kids Club of the two, as it caters for all age groups, is better equip and is free!

The Day Spas

Both resorts offer very impressive day spas which is to be expected being part of major hotel chains. 

At the Westin a one hour massage costs approx $115 and Sofitel is $150...they are certainly not cheap by Bali standards, but are incredibly beautiful and the staff are very well trained...I've had massages at both and they were equally exceptional. 

I do love the Sofitel massages offered in the bales out the front by the beach. A one hour massage here costs approx $70 and is pure bliss! 

The Restaurants

Manarai Beach House at the Sofitel has incredible food and drinks and is a great place to chill out. It overlooks the beach, has lounges, day beds, two pools (one with a pool bar) and an indoor restaurant. Try the wagyu burger and the C Cups cocktail - so good!  

C Cups Cocktail

Prego at the Westin is my favourite restaurant in Nusa Dua. It is Italian, offers lots of kid-friendly options and the food quality and presentation is top notch. I've eaten here at least ten times and have never been disappointed. 100% recommend! 

Prego feast

Club Millesime is the lounge at the Sofitel. If you have access to this you can have an A La Carte breakfast, a high tea from 3-5pm and canapés and cocktails from 5:30pm-7:30pm - all complimentary. (Kids have exclusive and free access to the Kids Club as they are not permitted in the lounge in the evening). The cocktails are delicious and I certainly got my money's worth every night. 

Both resorts have a restaurant on the beach which are great for lunch or sunset drinks. If you have a night to fill in, these are good options, but I would definitely opt for the specialty restaurants at both resorts if you are staying for less than a week. (We will eat at Prego when we are staying at the Sofitel, and go to Manarai when staying at the Westin...it's a 5 minute walk along the beach between the two resorts). 

As far as the main restaurants go, I usually only do brekky at them because I'm not a massive buffet fan. If comparing buffets, the Sofitel has the most on offer (their dessert room is something else), although the quality of food is the same at the two. 

Accommodation

At the Sofitel we stayed in a Pool Access room which is perfect for 2-4 people (although they advertise a maximum of three per room which we had). You can request twin beds and they are large enough to fit two in each. When you open the back door you have a small terrace with steps down into the pool. You have your own little section where you can swim...and you can swim all the way out to the main pool (all connected).

I paid $460 per night for my five night stay in December pre Christmas, which included access into their Lounge. I booked directly through the hotel (Booking.com was slightly more expensive). 

At the Westin, the four of us stay in a Pool Terrace Family Suite. It is essentially two hotel rooms connected by a sitting area with a sofa, dining table and TV. The layout is huge, the rooms are like separate wings so you can have space between the adults and the kids, or space away from the snoring one and share with a child each. The bathrooms are massive and being on the ground floor, you walk out only metres from the pool. I absolutely love this room type.

I initially had booked this via Booking.com for the same dates as above with free cancelation for $750 per night, but opted to change to the cheaper option at the Sofitel as there ended up only being three of us staying.

Shops and Facilities

The Sofitel does not have any shops, whereas the Westin has a convenience store, a gift shop, a boutique, a surf shop and a doctor. 

Both gyms are quite good with plenty of updated equipment.

Overall there are pros and cons for each of these two resorts. In my opinion the Westin has more to offer, with the pool being the only real let down.

If you are looking for the best price the Sofitel is the cheaper of the two, although if you are wanting to use the Kids Club then it might work out cheaper staying at the Westin. I recommend checking the prices both directly through the hotel and on Booking.com and hopefully you can grab yourself a great rate. Both of these resorts really are fabulous and I will no doubt stay at both of them again in the next few years. 

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For the overnight flight home tot the Australian East Coast from Bali don't forget a Kooshy Kids Kooshion for the kids and a Kooshy Kloud for you.