Jaw-dropping find behind Bali villa door
I often have butterflies in my stomach as I open the door, as sad as that is to admit.
In my 20-plus years of travelling, I've never had a more visceral reaction to a 'first glimpse' than when I recently checked into Villa Vienna in Seminyak, Bali.
The eight-bedroom property was recently named by Stayz as the Best International Holiday Home for Aussie travellers in 2025 so I knew it was going to be good, but when I pushed open the villa's giant round wooden door for the first time, I literally gasped.
I was greeted with a big blue pool featuring a large round jacuzzi, oversized day beds and a manicured lawn.
I felt as if I'd just stepped foot onto the set of Love Island (before the horny contestants arrived).
My jaw remained dropped as Nita, one of the villa's guest liaisons, gave me a tour of the rest of the property, including the sunken living room, indoor swim-up pool bar, cinema room and the sauna (I'm not sure why you'd want a sauna when it already feels like one outside … but maybe that's just me).
You can check out the villa in the video at the top of this article (prepare to be wowed).
For three glorious nights, I was lucky enough to call Villa Vienna my home, and to give you a taste of what it was like, I'm going to run you through just one of those days.
7.30am - I wake up in my airconditioned bedroom that overlooks the pool, open the curtains, and walk into my huge outdoor bathroom for a bath.
8.15am - The doorbell rings. It's the villa's personal chefs (yes, plural) who have arrived to cook me breakfast.
Twenty minutes later the dining table is set, and the chefs lay down a colourful three-course meal consisting of a smoothie bowl, fruit platter and omelette with toast, hash browns and sausages.
9.30am - I leave the villa to get a takeaway coffee at Revolver, a cafe that serves one of Bali's best brews.
It's conveniently located just 100 metres from the villa, where I return to slowly sip my long black while lounging on one of the day beds next to the pool.
With a book in hand, I settle in for the next few hours.
11.30am - The doorbell rings again. This time it's the villa's in-house masseuse who's arrived for my prearranged massage.
The masseuse sets up in my bedroom and for the next hour she gives me one of the best, most relaxing massages I've ever received.
At one stage I fall asleep and I'm woken by my snoring. Terribly embarrassing, but also a ringing endorsement of the massage, right?
1pm - Still floating on cloud nine from the massage, I leave the villa and walk five minutes to Ginger Moon Canteen for lunch.
It's one of the many highly rated restaurants near the villa, which is located right near Seminyak Square.
2.30pm - There's no denying that Seminyak is an assault on the senses. With scooters zipping by, people trying to sell you items on the street, and tourists galore, it's easy to get overwhelmed.
But as I return to the villa for a post-lunch swim, I can't help but notice how none of that chaos is noticeable once you walk through the big wooden door.
The villa is a calm, peaceful oasis, even though it's just 100 metres from the action.
5.30pm - I wake up from an unplanned nap on one of the poolside day beds.
It's entirely possible that I was woken by my snoring again, but I don't know for sure, so let's just pretend it was the bang of a scooter backfiring nearby … yes, let's go with that.
6pm - After a quick shower, I catch a Grab (Indonesian version of Uber) scooter to La Plancha, a beach bar famous for its colourful bean bags and bright umbrellas.
With a cocktail in hand, I watch the sunset.
7pm - I arrive at MoonLite Kitchen and Bar, a rooftop restaurant overlooking the beach, for dinner.
9pm - Back at Villa Vienna, I head upstairs to the cinema room to watch a movie.
11pm - Bedtime.
My thoughts
Before my recent trip, I'd never actually considered staying in a villa in Bali, mostly because there are so many amazing hotels over there.
But I can assure you that will change from now on, particularly when travelling with a large posse.
And it appears I'm not alone.
'With more villas being built in Bali, it's no surprise we're seeing more Aussies opt for private stays, especially when they come with such standout amenities as we see with Villa Vienna,' Stayz travel expert, Sarah King told news.com.au.
'We know Aussies value privacy, comfort and convenience, so we're seeing a growing demand in Aussies choosing private stays when travelling overseas – a trend that's growing faster than traditional accommodation.'
Villa Vienna would be the perfect choice for a group trip to Bali given just how spacious, luxurious and private it is.
Watch the video tour at the top of this page and imagine being there with 15 of your besties, a playlist called 'Baliday Inn Tunes' playing in the background, sipping on Bintangs and playing Marco Polo in the pool.
If you're planning a trip to the Island of the Gods, definitely consider staying at Villa Vienna - because once you step through that giant wooden door, you'll fall in love with the place, and the staff, just like I did.
And trust me, you won't want to leave.
Spoiler: I did leave, but I left a piece of my heart (and my dignity — see: massage snoring) at Villa Vienna.
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My jaw remained dropped as Nita, one of the villa's guest liaisons, gave me a tour of the rest of the property, including the sunken living room, indoor swim-up pool bar, cinema room and the sauna (I'm not sure why you'd want a sauna when it already feels like one outside … but maybe that's just me). You can check out the villa in the video at the top of this article (prepare to be wowed). For three glorious nights, I was lucky enough to call Villa Vienna my home, and to give you a taste of what it was like, I'm going to run you through just one of those days. 7.30am - I wake up in my airconditioned bedroom that overlooks the pool, open the curtains, and walk into my huge outdoor bathroom for a bath. 8.15am - The doorbell rings. It's the villa's personal chefs (yes, plural) who have arrived to cook me breakfast. Twenty minutes later the dining table is set, and the chefs lay down a colourful three-course meal consisting of a smoothie bowl, fruit platter and omelette with toast, hash browns and sausages. 9.30am - I leave the villa to get a takeaway coffee at Revolver, a cafe that serves one of Bali's best brews. It's conveniently located just 100 metres from the villa, where I return to slowly sip my long black while lounging on one of the day beds next to the pool. With a book in hand, I settle in for the next few hours. 11.30am - The doorbell rings again. This time it's the villa's in-house masseuse who's arrived for my prearranged massage. The masseuse sets up in my bedroom and for the next hour she gives me one of the best, most relaxing massages I've ever received. At one stage I fall asleep and I'm woken by my snoring. Terribly embarrassing, but also a ringing endorsement of the massage, right? 1pm - Still floating on cloud nine from the massage, I leave the villa and walk five minutes to Ginger Moon Canteen for lunch. It's one of the many highly rated restaurants near the villa, which is located right near Seminyak Square. 2.30pm - There's no denying that Seminyak is an assault on the senses. With scooters zipping by, people trying to sell you items on the street, and tourists galore, it's easy to get overwhelmed. But as I return to the villa for a post-lunch swim, I can't help but notice how none of that chaos is noticeable once you walk through the big wooden door. The villa is a calm, peaceful oasis, even though it's just 100 metres from the action. 5.30pm - I wake up from an unplanned nap on one of the poolside day beds. It's entirely possible that I was woken by my snoring again, but I don't know for sure, so let's just pretend it was the bang of a scooter backfiring nearby … yes, let's go with that. 6pm - After a quick shower, I catch a Grab (Indonesian version of Uber) scooter to La Plancha, a beach bar famous for its colourful bean bags and bright umbrellas. With a cocktail in hand, I watch the sunset. 7pm - I arrive at MoonLite Kitchen and Bar, a rooftop restaurant overlooking the beach, for dinner. 9pm - Back at Villa Vienna, I head upstairs to the cinema room to watch a movie. 11pm - Bedtime. My thoughts Before my recent trip, I'd never actually considered staying in a villa in Bali, mostly because there are so many amazing hotels over there. But I can assure you that will change from now on, particularly when travelling with a large posse. And it appears I'm not alone. 'With more villas being built in Bali, it's no surprise we're seeing more Aussies opt for private stays, especially when they come with such standout amenities as we see with Villa Vienna,' Stayz travel expert, Sarah King told 'We know Aussies value privacy, comfort and convenience, so we're seeing a growing demand in Aussies choosing private stays when travelling overseas – a trend that's growing faster than traditional accommodation.' Villa Vienna would be the perfect choice for a group trip to Bali given just how spacious, luxurious and private it is. Watch the video tour at the top of this page and imagine being there with 15 of your besties, a playlist called 'Baliday Inn Tunes' playing in the background, sipping on Bintangs and playing Marco Polo in the pool. If you're planning a trip to the Island of the Gods, definitely consider staying at Villa Vienna - because once you step through that giant wooden door, you'll fall in love with the place, and the staff, just like I did. And trust me, you won't want to leave. Spoiler: I did leave, but I left a piece of my heart (and my dignity — see: massage snoring) at Villa Vienna.
