Amandari
Ubud, Indonesia · Aman
A 1989-built Aman resort styled as a Balinese village above the Ayung River gorge near Ubud, Bali.
Read the full verdictCompareUbud
Side by sideAmandari vsCOMO Uma Ubud
Amandari and COMO Uma Ubud, side by side — the detail is below.
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COMO Uma Ubud
Ubud, Indonesia · Como
A jungle boutique resort just outside central Ubud with around 40 rooms, a COMO Shambhala spa, and three restaurants.
Read the full verdictHow they score
Out of 20. The bars start at 10, so half a point still shows.
Overall
Overall: Amandari 17 out of 20, COMO Uma Ubud Score pending.ServiceWhy
Service: Amandari 18.5 out of 20, COMO Uma Ubud Not scored.
Amandari: Guests describe housekeeping that resets a room while you’re at the pool for an hour, and a Whatsapp line that answers instantly for a barber or a TV fix.
COMO Uma Ubud: Staff remembering names and preferences comes up constantly, down to a maintenance team sawing into a wardrobe to retrieve a dropped ring.
Rooms & DesignWhy
Rooms & Design: Amandari 16.5 out of 20, COMO Uma Ubud Not scored.
Amandari: Thatched-roof villas from the 1989 build read as authentic Balinese village rather than showroom, though several travelers flag worn bathroom corners and an outdated toilet needing a refurb.
COMO Uma Ubud: Rooms and pool villas are spacious and calm, though a couple of stays flagged furniture and finishes due for a refresh.
LocationWhy
Location: Amandari 17 out of 20, COMO Uma Ubud Not scored.
Amandari: Fifteen minutes above central Ubud in Kedewatan, on the Ayung River gorge, with free shuttles into town and to nearby rice-field walks and restaurants.
COMO Uma Ubud: A short drive or walk from central Ubud but tucked down a driveway into jungle quiet, which almost everyone calls a plus.
DiningWhy
Dining: Amandari 15.5 out of 20, COMO Uma Ubud Not scored.
Amandari: One restaurant covers every meal, which some found repetitive on longer stays, though the Sop Buntut, wagyu, and Balinese tasting dinners get specific praise.
COMO Uma Ubud: Breakfast at Kemiri is the most-praised meal on property; Uma Cucina’s Italian food is good but a couple of guests found it inconsistent.
WellnessWhy
Wellness: Amandari 16 out of 20, COMO Uma Ubud Not scored.
Amandari: The spa is small but the staff are singled out for skill, and villa plunge pools run unheated so they suit sun-soaked afternoons more than an evening dip.
Strengths and trade-offs
Amandari
COMO Uma Ubud
Strengths
- Housekeeping resets villas within an hour of guests stepping out, down to small personal touches
- Staff responsiveness via instant messaging for requests like transport or barbers
- Traditional 1989 Balinese village architecture with genuine cultural immersion, including temple and rice-field guided walks
- Small, walkable scale means no buggies needed to reach dining, spa, or pool
- Personalized touches for families, including complimentary kids’ activities and dietary accommodation
Strengths
- Staff consistently remember names and preferences and go out of their way without being asked
- Spacious, well-appointed rooms and pool villas with a genuine jungle setting
- COMO Shambhala spa treatments described as holistic rather than standard massage menus
- Breakfast at Kemiri is a daily highlight, especially the coffee and banana bread
- Close enough to central Ubud to walk or taxi in, far enough to feel secluded
Trade-offs
- Single on-property restaurant can feel repetitive on stays past 3-4 nights
- Villa plunge pools are unheated and only comfortable in direct sun
- Some rooms show real wear: worn bathroom finishes, dated plumbing, occasional pest sightings
- Smaller and less expansive than newer competitors like Mandapa, with fewer on-site activities
Trade-offs
- Outdoor pool runs cold since jungle shade blocks the sun
- No sauna or ice plunge currently, just a steam room
- Uma Cucina’s Italian food doesn’t always match the rest of the kitchen’s standard
- A few rooms and villa furnishings are due for a refresh
Where they differ
Only at Amandari
Only at COMO Uma Ubud
The verdicts
Amandari
Amandari opened in 1989 as the second Aman ever built, and it still runs on that idea: a cluster of thatched-roof villas built to look like a Balinese village, stacked into a ravine above the Ayung River outside Ubud. What you're paying for isn't the newest pool or the biggest spa menu. It's a staff who learn your breakfast order by day one and then just handle things: one guest said Whatsapping the front desk for a barber or a TV fix got an instant reply, no waiting on hold, no repeating yourself. Housekeeping resets your villa while you're at the pool for an hour, down to a fresh towel and a bookmark on whatever you left open.
COMO Uma Ubud
This is a jungle property outside Ubud where the staff learn your name by the second day and then actually use it. That sounds like a line every hotel claims, but the specifics here back it up: a maintenance team sawed a hole in a wardrobe base at the drop of a hat to retrieve a dropped ring, no fuss, no charge beyond the tip offered. A duty manager personally stepped in after a booking mix-up and turned it into the best part of someone's trip. Breakfast at Kemiri gets built into people's daily rhythm, and the COMO Shambhala spa runs treatments that guests describe as closer to a healing session than a massage menu.
Still torn between Amandari and COMO Uma Ubud?
We’re Sofie and Nicolas, and we’ve stayed in hotels like these ourselves. Tell us what the trip is and we’ll tell you which one we’d book, and why. We’re not really a booking service, but a few times a year we plan one properly for someone; if that’s what you’re after, say so.
It's just the two of us, so we take on a handful of trips at a time. If we're full, we'll say so. We reply within a working day. The hotel pays us, not you: your rate is the same as booking direct, and the perks come on top.
What fat travellers ask
Which should I book — Amandari or COMO Uma Ubud?
Amandari and COMO Uma Ubud, side by side — the detail is below.
What’s the difference between Amandari and COMO Uma Ubud?
Amandari adds Heritage and Architecture; COMO Uma Ubud adds Design and Adults-Only. Both are tagged Countryside, Romantic, Wellness and Culinary.
Which is better for service, Amandari or COMO Uma Ubud?
They land level here. Amandari: Guests describe housekeeping that resets a room while you’re at the pool for an hour, and a Whatsapp line that answers instantly for a barber or a TV fix. COMO Uma Ubud: Staff remembering names and preferences comes up constantly, down to a maintenance team sawing into a wardrobe to retrieve a dropped ring.
Which is better for location, Amandari or COMO Uma Ubud?
They land level here. Amandari: Fifteen minutes above central Ubud in Kedewatan, on the Ayung River gorge, with free shuttles into town and to nearby rice-field walks and restaurants. COMO Uma Ubud: A short drive or walk from central Ubud but tucked down a driveway into jungle quiet, which almost everyone calls a plus.
Where are Amandari and COMO Uma Ubud?
Both are in Ubud, about 1.1 km apart — close enough that the choice is the hotel, not the neighbourhood.
How does Fat Voyage compare Amandari and COMO Uma Ubud?
Fat Voyage scores every hotel out of 20 across five dimensions — service, rooms & design, location, dining and wellness — read from the trip reports in the most active luxury travel communities, critics’ reviews and verified guest reviews, with the long, detailed and recent ones counting most. Nothing is paid for, and no hotel can buy a place.