Overall, Como Shambhala Estate is the stronger stay.
Como Shambhala Estate for the spa.
Ubud, Indonesia · Como
The spa, Shirodhara treatments, and Kedara spring pools come up as the reason people book, with the on-site doctor and diagnostics only partly matching what’s promised.
A wellness resort of about 30 villas, suites and rooms set in jungle above the Ayung River near Ubud, Indonesia.
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London, United Kingdom · Como
Staff are named constantly by guests for solving real problems, from a missed-flight rebooking to a midnight laundry fix.
A 41-room boutique hotel on a quiet Belgravia street near Hyde Park Corner in London.
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Out of 20
Overall +1
Overall: Como Shambhala Estate 18 out of 20, COMO The Halkin 17 out of 20.Service +0.5 Why
Service: Como Shambhala Estate 19 out of 20, COMO The Halkin 18.5 out of 20.Como Shambhala Estate: Every guest gets a named personal assistant reachable on WhatsApp, and people describe staff appearing with water before they’d asked for it.
COMO The Halkin: Staff are named constantly by guests for solving real problems, from a missed-flight rebooking to a midnight laundry fix.
Rooms & Design +1 Why
Rooms & Design: Como Shambhala Estate 17.5 out of 20, COMO The Halkin 16.5 out of 20.Como Shambhala Estate: Villas built into the hillside mix Balinese materials with modern layouts; a few guests flagged some residences as dated ahead of a phased renovation.
COMO The Halkin: The 41 rooms run large for London with marble bathrooms and Edwardian details, though some have small windows and no view.
Location +1 Why
Location: Como Shambhala Estate 18.5 out of 20, COMO The Halkin 17.5 out of 20.Como Shambhala Estate: Set above the Ayung River with a jungle path down to three spring-fed pools at Kedara, but the 400 steps and buggy dependence are real.
COMO The Halkin: A quiet Belgravia side street near Hyde Park Corner that still puts you a short walk from the Tube and Knightsbridge shopping.
Dining +1 Why
Dining: Como Shambhala Estate 17.5 out of 20, COMO The Halkin 16.5 out of 20.Como Shambhala Estate: Glow and Kudus get consistent praise for the wellness-forward menu and breakfast, though almost nobody mentions a standout dinner beyond the healthy angle.
COMO The Halkin: Afternoon tea and the restaurant get singled out repeatedly, with coconut waffles and a well-cooked steak both mentioned by name.
Wellness +5.5 Why
Wellness: Como Shambhala Estate 19 out of 20, COMO The Halkin 13.5 out of 20.Como Shambhala Estate: The spa, Shirodhara treatments, and Kedara spring pools come up as the reason people book, with the on-site doctor and diagnostics only partly matching what’s promised.
COMO The Halkin: There’s a spa-scented bathroom experience guests like, but almost nobody describes an actual spa or fitness stay here.
Strengths of Como Shambhala Estate
Strengths of COMO The Halkin
Trade-offs of Como Shambhala Estate
Trade-offs of COMO The Halkin
Only at Como Shambhala Estate
Only at COMO The Halkin
COMO Shambhala isn't trying to be the biggest resort in Ubud, and that's the point. With around 30 residences spread across 23 acres of jungle above the Ayung River, you get a personal assistant reachable by WhatsApp for the length of your stay, two restaurants built around a genuinely restrictive wellness menu, and a walk down to three natural spring pools that keeps coming up as the single best thing on the property. People who've done multiple Amans in Bali say the butler service here beats what they got at the Aman properties down the road, which is a real comparison, not a throwaway line.
The building is the trade-off worth pricing in. It dates to the 1990s, and while renovated residences read as modern and calm, several guests noted some villas are still waiting their turn, so ask which residence you're booking rather than assuming they're identical. The 400-odd steps down to the river pools are also non-negotiable if you want to see them, and rain closes the path outright — buggies help but don't eliminate the climb. One guest specifically flagged that promised blood-test and diagnostic screening didn't fully materialize, worth asking about directly if that's why you're coming.
None of that changes who this is for. If you want a scene, a big pool deck, or nightlife, this isn't it — go to Mandapa or a beach club property instead. But for people who actually want the wellness programming to be real rather than a spa menu bolted onto a resort, and who don't mind that "quiet luxury" here means genuinely quiet, this is the one Ubud regulars keep returning to. Book it for Kedara and the personal assistant, not for the room finishes.
COMO The Halkin is a 41-room townhouse hotel in Belgravia, and the case for it is almost entirely the people running it. Guests keep describing the same shape of moment: something goes wrong, a scale disappears from a bathroom, a kettle gets forgotten, a flight is missed entirely, and the front desk just fixes it. One traveler who missed their flight had a new room booked within minutes by a staffer named Pammy, who turns up often enough in these stories that she's clearly not having a lucky week. Another checked in near midnight with an urgent laundry request and got it sorted on the spot rather than told to wait until morning.
The rooms are genuinely spacious for central London, with marble bathrooms and the kind of soundproofing that makes a street two minutes from Hyde Park Corner feel silent. The afternoon tea and restaurant pull real praise, down to specific dishes like the coconut waffles. But a few guests had to ask three times for basics like a kettle or a replacement bathroom scale, which is a strange thing to still be chasing at this price point, and there's no real wellness story here: no spa worth describing, nothing beyond a nice-smelling bathroom. If a pool and treatment menu matter to your trip, this isn't that hotel.
It suits a couple or a small family who want a quiet address, big-for-London rooms, and staff who'll actually solve a problem rather than apologize for it. Book it for the room and the people at the desk, not the amenities list.
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Como Shambhala Estate: The spa, Shirodhara treatments, and Kedara spring pools come up as the reason people book, with the on-site doctor and diagnostics only partly matching what’s promised. COMO The Halkin: Staff are named constantly by guests for solving real problems, from a missed-flight rebooking to a midnight laundry fix. Overall, Como Shambhala Estate is the stronger stay.
Como Shambhala Estate is ahead on the spa. Como Shambhala Estate adds Wellness, Countryside, Eco, Adults-Only and Balinese Design; COMO The Halkin adds Urban, Heritage, Design, Culinary and Family. Both are tagged Romantic.
Como Shambhala Estate leads on this. Como Shambhala Estate: The spa, Shirodhara treatments, and Kedara spring pools come up as the reason people book, with the on-site doctor and diagnostics only partly matching what’s promised. COMO The Halkin: There’s a spa-scented bathroom experience guests like, but almost nobody describes an actual spa or fitness stay here.
Como Shambhala Estate leads on this. Como Shambhala Estate: Villas built into the hillside mix Balinese materials with modern layouts; a few guests flagged some residences as dated ahead of a phased renovation. COMO The Halkin: The 41 rooms run large for London with marble bathrooms and Edwardian details, though some have small windows and no view.
Como Shambhala Estate is in Ubud, Indonesia; COMO The Halkin is in London, United Kingdom.
Neither: Como Shambhala Estate and COMO The Halkin both hold One Michelin Key in the Michelin Guide’s 2026 hotel selection. The Keys come from the guide’s own anonymous inspections and are separate from the Fat Score.
