The Elysian

New, cubist oasis in fashionable Seminyak, with private pools, a sensory spa and a sharp eye for style

Upmarket Seminyak is the home of the all-day, all-night party, with hip beachside venues turning insomnia into an art form. And when you've just rocked for 24 hours, The Elysian is a short roll away from the hottest nightspots. And it's just about the sleekest, chic-est and down-right sexiest place to recover.

As soon as you arrive at this all-villa hotel, which is squished between a cluster of new developments and the aristocratic Oberoi, The Elysian’s clean, contemporary lines invite you to chill in linen draped cabanas around the pool, collapse onto people-shaped loungers or tempt you towards the huge variety of aromatic unguents and treatments at the upstairs spa. As an alternative, you can retreat to your minimalist, high-ceilinged villa for a snooze, or soak up the tropical sun beside your own very private pool. And if you do eventually make it into bed, you'll be lulled to sleep between the softest cotton sheets on the planet, whether it's the moon or the sun that's in the heavens when you get there.

Highs

• It's only a short taxi hop to some of Bali's best boutiques, restaurants and nightspots
• Private pools and a sundeck at your villa guarantee no tan lines
• There are gorgeous bouncy beds to cuddle up close in when the time's right - and plenty of breathing space when it's not
• It's a peaceful bolthole in a buzzing neighbourhood
• A veritable army of tiptoeing staff keeps your villa spruced twice a day
• iPads, pre-loaded iPod Nanos and Bose Sound docks are standard
• All your needs are spookily anticipated, from 'pleasure enhancing lotions' to tomorrow's weather forecast delivered to your room the night before

Lows

• The pot-holed lane leading to the villas is so narrow that the traffic's controlled by security guards wielding walkie-talkies
• The common areas aren't built for comfort - you have to perch, flop or lounge rather than simply sit
• High walls and the lack of mature greenery make the resort feel generally Asian rather than specifically Balinese
• Style takes precedence over homeliness: we longed to see a tatty old cushion out of place
• There are no views from the villas (other than of your walled garden and the usually blue sky) and no beachfront, though pale sands are just a 5-minute walk away
• Though the cooking's adequate, you're going to be heading into town for a memorable meal