If we had to start somewhere in Southeast Asia, it seemed appropriate to start with the world’s best beach club. A title that has constantly been reinforced by publications from around the world and by the recent review of every beach club in Bali by the site Best Beach Clubs Bali.
But of course, big claims require big efforts to back them up, and the question for our team was, could FINNS live up to its reputation? So, we went to find out, and this is what we discovered on the Island of the Gods.
Introduction – Getting To FINNS Beach Club
FINNS is on the tropical island of Bali, which is part of the Indonesian archipelago, and it’s a relatively short flight from Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and parts of Australia to get there.
Once you’re in Bali, you can get from Denpasar Airport (the only airport on the island) to Berawa Beach in about 30-60 minutes, depending on the traffic.
FINNS has a huge stretch, 170 meters, of prime oceanfront real estate, and its distinct open-air bamboo architecture is famous throughout the region.
Where Is FINNS Beach Club? Jl. Pantai Berawa No.99, Canggu, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Online: FINNS
Opening Hours: Open daily, every day except for Nyepi, from 10 a.m. to 12 midnight. Note: Nyepi is the Balinese day of silence; a rough parallel to this would be the Western New Year. The date changes every year, but the festival is always in March or April at some point.
Note: FINNS Beach Club is also the home of FINNS Beach Party, FINNS Garden Party and FINNS VIP Beach Club. The VIP section of the beach club has a separate entrance at the same address as above.
What’s Available At FINNS Beach Club?
FINNS is a big beach club, and the club is constantly reinventing itself. This ensures that it remains an awesome experience for regular visitors as well as for new visitors.
However, it does make our job as reviewers a little challenging, as the facilities can change from day to day.
As we go to press, this Bali Beach Club has a trio of swimming pools, including an incredible oceanfront infinity pool, around 11 bars, and 3 restaurants. There are also two retail outlets in this venue, one associated with the VIP beach club and the other with the regular beach club.
We should probably note that the VIP Beach Club is accessible from inside FINNS Beach Club, and it offers additional facilities and perks to beach clubbers seeking an elevated experience and who are willing to pay a small premium for it.
Our Detailed Review For FINNS Beach Club
We believe that reviews have to be fair and equitable. This is not just because it ensures that the businesses are treated well, but also because it ensures that the reviews are valuable too for side-by-side comparisons.
So, we opted to judge each beach club against a series of 20 criteria. The lowest score possible for each criterion is 1, and the highest is 5. That means a beach club can score between 20 and 100 points in total.
We always send more than one reviewer to a property, and they do not visit at the same time or even on the same day.
When their individual reviews are complete, they meet to exchange notes and decide on the final grades for the beach club.
Then, a review is written up by one of the team members and published on this site.
Reservation and Booking Process
You don’t have to book a seat at FINNS. The club allows walk-ins for all sections of its business. We’d also note that there is no minimum spend for seats at the bar or in the restaurant areas.
This means that you can usually get into FINNS for free. Having said that, we’d always book a seat in advance. This is especially true if you intend to use a daybed (the luxurious sunloungers preferred by the best beach clubs everywhere).
FINNS has a very comprehensive booking system on its website. You can choose the day you want to come, the place you want to sit, and choose any add-ons to your experience with ease.
Assuming you’re booking a daybed, you will find you get a much better deal on minimum spend by booking online than you will by turning up on the day, too.
FINNS will then take your deposit by pretty much any major credit card or debit card. This includes those from countries where VISA and MasterCard are not the standard cards.
One thing everyone should know about FINNS is that they have a strict policy against facial tattoos, and you will not be allowed inside if you have these tattoos. This policy is clearly outlined when you book.
Ambience and Atmosphere
FINNS is all about the party lifestyle, and if you want a day chilling with a book, this isn’t the place to be, particularly later in the day when the whole club is up and dancing.
There are live DJs, vocalists and entertainers working all day long at FINNS, and one of the secrets to this Bali club’s longevity as the leader of the beach club scene is that it’s impossible to be bored in this place.
If you want a visual treat in a place that fills you with energy and joie de vivre, FINNS is the place to be. They aim to create the world’s best party experience every single day, and we’d say that they do a very good job of that.
Location And Accessibility
Obviously, how easy it is and how cost-effective it is for you to get to Bali is beyond the scope of our review, as much of that depends on your starting point.
However, once you’re in Bali, FINNS is in Canggu, the island’s most popular beach town, and it’s on the second most popular beach in that area – Berawa.
There are issues with traffic in Bali, but FINNS is no more or less difficult to get to in traffic than any other spot on the island.
It is brilliantly positioned to enjoy an incredible sunset as it faces out on the right side of the island for a spectacular view of the sun dropping behind the horizon of the Indian Ocean.
We would also note that FINNS is more accessible to wheelchair users and those with mobility impairments than the rest of the island. But not all services in the club are 100% accessible.
Aesthetic And Design
There’s no bones about this. FINNS is a stunning building and one that’s so striking that several other beach clubs on the island have sought to emulate the open-air bamboo structure.
However, it’s the OG, and the club uses this design strikingly well, particularly in moments of passing inclement weather.
But there’s more to FINNS than the building, each area is set out to have its own unique identity while still forming part of a bigger cohesive whole.
Whether you’re in a private pool in a VIP Cabana or chilling on the lawn at FINNS Garden Party, you always feel a little awed by how seamlessly this clever and complex space is presented.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
Balinese hospitality is famed throughout the world for its caring, friendly nature, where nothing is ever too much trouble for an esteemed guest.
You can always easily catch the eye of a server, and they will be knowledgeable and helpful when it comes to walking you through the dizzying array of options on the menu.
It’s very slick and professional without ever feeling corporate. Service at FINNS feels like it’s meant to make you feel valued and special. That’s a very hard feat for beach clubs to pull off, and the staff here should be commended for it.
Service Speed and Efficiency
FINNS takes the local hospitality culture and then refines it so that it becomes more efficient and responsive than the usual service levels in tropical climates.
Your order will be taken swiftly, and then the food and drinks will arrive at your table before you start to wonder if they’ve, perhaps, taken a holiday of their own before being ready to be consumed.
This is very welcome and we feel very important, parties are all about spur of the moment action, and if you’re waiting around for ages for a beer, it takes you out of the moment.
Food Quality and Variety
There was a time, not so long ago, that FINNS used to advertise all the kitchens it has onsite in its marketing material.
While the company has pulled back on that slightly in recent months, there’s no doubt that the huge and varied culinary team that works with only the freshest and often locally sourced ingredients at FINNS can deliver superb food (and, indeed, drinks).
We love that they’ve opted for a range of local and global cuisines, so that there’s something for even the fussiest of eaters on the menu too.
Overall, we think it would take a very long time, indeed, to get bored of eating at FINNS, and by that time, they’d probably have launched a bunch of new menus to keep you excited all over again.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
The drinks menu isn’t quite as long as the food menu and FINNS but there’s no doubt that there is plenty of choice when it comes to drinks.
The beer menu isn’t huge, but that’s partly because party goers tend to go with cocktails and wine, and partly because Bali doesn’t offer a huge range of imported options at all.
The cocktail list, on the other hand, goes on for just long enough to give you plenty of choice and get you excited, but not so long that you find yourself spending an hour dithering between your options.
Then, there’s an awful lot of red, white and sparkling wines for you to choose from too.
For the non-alcoholic drinkers, there are all the classics plus a wicked range of mocktails to sip on in style by the pool.
The drinks are nicely presented, and FINNS has some of the most creative and unique glassware around.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
It’s not a great day out anywhere if you can’t rely on a place to be clean and hygienic, and we feel that FINNS meets or exceeds international standards in every respect when it comes to cleanliness.
The pool areas are clean and well-maintained. The bathrooms are spotless. We took a tour of the kitchens, and we’d be happy to eat our dinner off the surfaces (and, in fact, we did eat dinners that were prepared here).
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
The daybeds at FINNS are among our favourite places to spend a day lounging around in the world. They’re beautiful items of furniture designed to offer guests the maximum comfort.
And while things like bar stools, by their very nature, are not quite as comfy as a daybed, we found all of the seating in FINNS to be high quality and, at least, as comfortable as we’d expect it to be.
Music and Entertainment
FINNS has both local and international DJ talent appear at various times of the year. Though there are always live DJs on in the venue from the moment it opens until the moment it closes.
These DJs are supported by a host of live vocal talent, too, which adds a huge amount of depth to the musical offering.
On top of that, FINNS has entertainers working all day long to delight its guests. There are bottle girls arriving on Harley Davidson bikes, magicians offering street magic, dancing girls who can really move, and so much more.
If there’s one aspect of the beach club business where FINNS shines head and shoulders above other beach clubs, it’s entertainment. You can’t be bored at FINNS.
While the music is rarely cutting edge at FINNS, that’s clearly a deliberate strategy; it’s meant to be inclusive and appeal to as many people as possible and with the huge crowds in this venue, it’s clearly working.
Seasonality
While many beach clubs around the world close down for some part of the year or reduce their facilities due to the weather conditions, FINNS is open all year round.
There’s nothing better than the tropics to guarantee sun, heat and good times. However, the whole island of Bali does shut down for one day a year – Nyepi – the festival of silence in March or April, and that does include FINNS.
But it’s only one day, which is way better than half a year or more.
Pricing and Value for Money
We can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this. Bali’s beach clubs are so much cheaper than those in places like Miami, Saint Tropez, Tulum, etc., that if you really want to party, you can easily save the costs of flying to Bali if you spend a couple of weeks in the beach clubs on the island.
FINNS is not the most expensive club on the island, far from it, and it offers mid-range pricing, which represents incredible value for money.
A single day at Nikki Beach St. Tropez can cost you 250 euros just to sit on a daybed and then a minimum spend of 1,600 euros on champagne. That’s 1,850 euros in total or nearly $2,000 USD.
We could spend a week partying non-stop at FINNS for $2,000, and we wouldn’t have to spend so much as $1 on the use of a daybed, because it’s free.
Beach Access and Quality
You can access the beach directly from FINNS Beach Club, and if you have already entered the club and been stamped out by security, you can re-enter the beach club from the sand.
Otherwise, you do need to enter the club once by the main entrance, which is a 2-minute walk from the beach.
The beach itself is kept fantastically clean by the FINNS beach clean-up crew and their BeBot robot, which follows the human cleaning team and can remove bits of deeply embedded plastic from the sand.
Berawa Beach is a surfer’s beach, and there are always surfers out on the water. Swimming isn’t great in this part of Bali, and we’d suggest sticking to the infinity pool in FINNS for swimming.
The black sand isn’t to everyone’s taste, but if you’ve ever seen black sand at sunset, you’ll know how dramatic it can look when the light reflects off the water trapped in the sand. It’s incredible.
Sustainability Practices
FINNS is one of the two leading beach clubs in the sustainability scene in Bali. The company regularly hosts cleanups on the local beaches and works with the community on many different environmental issues.
Inside the beach club, they’ve banned single-use plastics and are working towards a zero waste policy, which has already reduced waste sent to landfills in Bali by around 90%.
The company is constantly seeking out ways to reduce its eco-footprint, and even its famous bamboo design was chosen for its sustainable nature, using local materials that can be recycled or composted.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
Every guest at FINNS who agrees to a minimum spend is entitled to a towel and the use of the changing facilities.
A minimum spend of a reasonable amount also brings access to a daybed, which is free of charge (in stark contrast to some of the other big-name beach clubs around the world).
The beds may also come with some amazing inclusions such as buckets of welcome drinks, etc.
There are also many different options at FINNS for other perks such as private cabanas and pools, VIP treatment, limo rides to the beach club, and more.
We can’t think of another beach club that allows guests to opt for so much holiday pampering if they want it.
Safety and Security
We love the fact that FINNS has a full security team. You will be asked to stop for a bag check and metal detector scan on the way into this beach club.
There will always be a security agent within a few feet, just in case someone near you can’t handle their drink properly, and all entrances and exits are kept secure at all times.
If you want to feel safe, you can guarantee you’ll feel safe at FINNS.
Event Hosting Capabilities
FINNS can host nearly any size of event, from a 2-person day out to a 10-person party to a 5,000-strong corporate event.
The beach club can be bought out in whole or in part (as long as you book far enough in advance), and so can any or all of the individual facilities inside.
The folks at FINNS have an amazing events management team that can do everything from custom decor to bespoke menu design, and they will even liaise with other suppliers for their guests to ensure that events run smoothly.
Consistency of Experience
FINNS is somewhere that some of our team members go to a lot. And when we say, a lot, we mean on a weekly to monthly basis.
Not only does this beach club consistently deliver a great experience, but it also consistently tries to improve on that experience all the time.
This is a place where good is never good enough, and we love going to FINNS to discover what’s new and improved on each visit.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
FINNS offers locker services, free local shuttle services, valet parking, luggage storage, and a whole host of other services to its guests.
In the near future, the FINNS Bali Resort will open in Canggu, and guests at the resort will be able to gain additional privileges within the beach club.
There is an amazing pair of retail stores on the site where you can find everything you need to wear on the beach, and the club is a short walk from other services such as pharmacies, money changers, surf schools, etc., too.
Summary
FINNS may style itself as the “world’s best beach club”, but based on the evidence we have, today, we think it probably is.
This beach club offers non-stop live entertainment that ensures you are never bored. It has an amazing location and design that you are guaranteed to be blown away by.
The food is world-class and the drinks are first-rate. The infinity pool is incredible, and the sheer variety of bars and restaurants will keep even the fussiest consumers happy.
But most of all, this beach club is simply amazing value for money. You can’t go wrong at FINNS, and you’d be very hard pushed to go broke here too. Book a holiday to Bali and find out for yourself.
After all, 1 in 8 international visitors to Bali already spend at least one day of their holiday in FINNS, why not join them?
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At FINNS Beach Club?
Yes, there are several pools at FINNS (though the private pools associated with the VIP Cabanas are not really big enough for swimming and are more for relaxing in), and they are suited for swimming.
We should note that these pools can get very busy as the day moves on, and if swimming is a vital part of your beach club day, it’s probably best to get there early.
What Is There To Do At FINNS Beach Club?
You can drink, you can eat, you can dance, you can watch the sunset, you can lounge on a daybed, you can swim in an infinity pool, you can wander the sandy shoreline, you can laugh with friends, and do whatever your heart desires within reason.
Is FINNS Beach Club A Child-Friendly Venue?
No, not anymore. FINNS Beach Club is an adults-only venue with a door policy that refuses admission to anyone under 16.
The club reserves the right to ask for ID, and this policy also applies to babies, toddlers, nursing infants, etc.
As a party venue, the owners feel it would not be responsible for younger children to spend time in FINNS Beach Club.
There are many babysitting, nannying, etc. services for parents to ensure their kids are well looked after in Bali while they enjoy some unwinding time at FINNS.
Who Is The Owner Of FINNS Beach Club?
The owners of FINNS Beach Club in Bali are Tony Smith, an Australian national, and I Ketut Subina, an Indonesian businessman.
The two men have worked on various business endeavours for the best part of two decades and represent an excellent example of what can be achieved when local and international talent work together to create amazing experiences.
Final Thoughts On The Review Of FINNS Beach Club
Is FINNS the best beach club in the world? Well, at the time of writing this review, we haven’t been to every beach club in the world. But we still believe that FINNS has to be in contention for the accolade.
The blend of non-stop entertainment, tropical luxury, Balinese service, sustainability, amazing food and drink at an absolutely affordable price ought to have everyone booking a flight for Southeast Asia, right now.
A day in Nikki Beach St Tropez or a week (or more) at FINNS? That’s a no-brainer decision for most people. FINNS wins hands down, not because Nikki Beach isn’t good, but because FINNS is incredible.
