Ungasan is on the southernmost tip of Bali, and it’s home to several beach clubs, mainly along Melasti Beach, which was once one of the nicest beaches in Bali but has become increasingly crowded since the beach clubs moved in.
In addition to the questionable beach, there’s the question of getting to Ungasan, which, thanks to Bali’s infamous traffic and its location, takes quite a long time to reach from any of the other beach towns.
So, when our team was asked to review Palmilla Beach Club on Melasti Beach, Ungasan, Bali, they weren’t as enthusiastic about the journey as they normally would be. Nonetheless, they grabbed their moleskin journals and scorecards and went to find out what this beach club is like for you, and this is what they found.
Introduction – Getting To Palmilla Bali Beach Club
Your first challenge with this beach club is getting to Bali. It’s a short trip from most of Australia and Southeast Asia, but much longer from the USA, Canada and Europe.
Fortunately, because Bali is a low-cost destination compared to places like Tulum, Mykonos, Hvar and Miami, you can often save the cost of your flights (or the cost of an upgrade to business) on your overall cost of holiday.
Once you land in Bali, your second challenge is getting to Ungasan. If you look at the map, it’s not that far from most popular destinations here, but sadly, its location on the Bukit Peninsula, combined with Bali’s traffic, means it can be a long drive to Palmilla.
When you arrive, you must get out in the car park at the top of the cliff and then either hire a motorbike (for which you will need cash) or walk down the cliff (a fairly long walk in the Bali heat) to the club.
Where Is Palmilla Bali Beach Club? Ungasan, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia
Online: Palmilla Beach Club
Opening Hours: Open daily, every day except for Nyepi – the Balinese day of Silence, a public holiday that takes place every year in either March or April, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What’s Available At Palmilla Bali Beach Club?
Palmilla Beach Club has a large infinity pool that serves as a focal point for the club’s activities, as well as restaurant and bar facilities, a range of seating areas, and regular live music from their onsite DJ team.
Our Detailed Review Of Palmilla Bali Beach Club
We apply a standardised evaluation method for each beach club to ensure just consideration for owners, management, and staff, and to offer reviews in a uniform structure that aids in comparing different venues.
The evaluation process is structured as follows:
- A review team is tasked with assessing the venue.
- All members are required to visit the beach club, though they can do so separately and not on the same day.
- At the venue, each reviewer completes a scorecard, rating the club from 1 (lowest standard) to 5 (highest standard) across specified categories, while also noting their impressions.
- Once all scorecards are submitted, the team gathers to discuss their findings and settle on final category scores.
- A selected team member then writes the review, incorporating the team’s conclusions and scores, before it is uploaded to our website.
Reservation and Booking Process
You would think that Bali’s beach clubs would take a look at the websites of the big-name successful beach clubs like FINNS, Atlas and Potato Head and see if they could learn something from them.
Sadly, most have not, and Palmilla’s booking process is something straight off the ark. You have to visit their Instagram page, because they haven’t got a website (yes, in 2025, they don’t have a website) and then book using WhatsApp.
That means a long conversation with someone for whom English is probably not their first language, and going back and forth over every detail.
You also can’t choose your seat when you book; when you arrive at the venue, they give you a seating menu and you can choose where to sit then.
Ambience and Atmosphere
It’s loud in Palmilla. In fact, it’s so loud that in most of this beach club it’s nigh on impossible to hold a conversation with anyone.
We quite like a party, but we like to party with other people, and we find sign language a bit inconvenient to learn for an afternoon in Palmilla.
The place definitely has a vibe, and some people really seem to like it, but it was too much for the majority of our review team.
There’s a happy balance between music and sociability, and Palmilla hasn’t found it yet.
Location And Accessibility
Ungasan is one of our team’s least favourite spots in Bali. It’s such a long drive from the rest of the island, thanks to the traffic conditions here.
We don’t mind jumping in a car and spending an hour or so getting somewhere, but 2 hours is pushing it, and in busy periods like the Christmas to New Year week, you could lose 4 or even 5 hours one way to Ungasan.
Then, when you get there, your transport woes aren’t done with. Your driver (or you if you drove) will have to stop in the car park at the top of the hill.
Once you’re there, you’re faced with a choice: pay a motorbike 10,000 IDR (cash only) to take you down the hill or walk down in the heat. Then, when you leave the club, you have the same choice in reverse.
Only to discover when you arrive in the car park that it’s full of taxi mafia who will harass you constantly if you decide to wait for a ride-share here.
Aesthetic And Design
We quite like the shabby Balinese chic of the decor at Palmilla; it won’t win any design awards, but it’s reasonably original and feels in keeping with the beach and palm tree vibe.
You’ll certainly be able to grab a few nice Instagram shots here, and while some of it looks a bit worn, it still works with the overall aesthetic.
There’s a beach bar essence to things that we appreciate, and it feels reasonably authentic, particularly when compared to some of its neighbouring beach clubs on Melasti Beach.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
The staff are OK at Palmilla, they’re warm, reasonably attentive and professional enough, but there’s nothing remarkable about the service either.
It’s good enough, but it certainly doesn’t feel like anyone’s trying to go the extra mile either. That’s a bit of a shame because one way any beach club in Bali can stand out from the crowd is by the quality of its service.
Service Speed and Efficiency
We also felt that the service speed and efficiency were good enough, but certainly not great. There was a noticeable wait for service in the first place, not an intolerable one, but longer than we’d have liked, and nobody seemed to anticipate the need for service.
Then, once the order was in, things took their sweet time getting from the bar or restaurant to us. Again, it wasn’t an unbearable delay, but it was just long enough to be irksome.
Even the final check and the change took just a bit longer than necessary.
Food Quality and Variety
While in keeping with the other beach clubs along Melasti beach, we found the food to be quite expensive at Palmilla, there’s no doubt that there was plenty of choice.
Even more surprising was that the food was very good, not quite the best we’ve had in a beach club, but certainly up there. But when you charge 140,000 IDR (+20% tax and service charge) for a Nasi Goreng, it really needs to be this good too.
The vegan member of our team was also pleased to find a plant-based menu as well as the usual menu, so they could order without fear of consuming any animal products.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
Similarly, the drinks are also expensive, though they’re not wildly out of touch with the background prices in Melasti Beach, and there’s plenty of choice.
They are also strong enough, and they are well-presented; you’ll be super happy to take some snaps for your Instagram feed of the cocktails at Palmilla.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
We felt that overall, Palmilla was clean and hygienic, and certainly, the important places like the pool area and the toilets, shower rooms and changing facilities were spotless.
However, there were definitely bits of furniture that hadn’t been kept in the best condition, with spots of rust and general dirt on the frames.
It wasn’t a big deal, and it didn’t make us feel like the club doesn’t care about this issue, but it’s definitely something that they could easily improve on, too.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
The comfy seats by the pool are quite nice and at least as comfortable as those found in any average beach club in Bali.
However, some of the other seats around this venue, particularly the bar stools, are not as comfortable, and we can’t imagine spending long periods of time on them.
Given the party vibe of this place, we can assume that most people don’t do too much time sitting down in any one instance, and the furniture will certainly encourage folks to get up and do something from time to time.
Music and Entertainment
There are live DJs at Palmilla, which would normally merit a high rating, but the volume here is frankly over the top, to the point of being uncomfortable.
One of our group members goes to metal concerts around Indonesia, and even he found the noise too much in this location.
We love a party, but we’d like to retain our hearing into our old age too. Too many nights at Palmilla would be very likely to reduce the odds of that.
Seasonality
In Bali, they only have a pair of seasons: the dry season and the wet season. They’re both hot and sunny. The wet season is not a full-on monsoon season, and instead, it sees a couple of hours of rain every other day or so.
Overall, there’s no seasonality for visitors to this paradise island to worry about. The only mandatory day of closure for beach clubs on the island is Nyepi, the day of silence. It takes place in either March or April every year.
Pricing and Value for Money
Palmilla is on Melasti Beach, and that means it’s unlikely to win any prizes for being amazing value for money; this area is overpriced for Bali.
We also felt that Palmilla doesn’t work very hard to improve that value. The food and drinks are good, but everything else feels a bit lacking, and it’s hard to ignore at these prices.
Beach Access and Quality
There was a time when Melasti Beach would have been a guarantee of an amazing day by the sea, but sadly, this area has been massively overdeveloped now.
There’s not an inch of sand that isn’t lined by some sort of business trying to milk tourists for every potential dollar.
And the sands can get super busy. You can still swim here, and the beach is attractive, assuming you can see much of it, though.
We should also note, it’s not the best beach for a sunset view. It’s on the wrong side of the island for that.
Sustainability Practices
Palmilla has made no public pronouncements regarding environmental efforts and has made no commitments in this respect either.
That’s just not good enough, and we’d like to see Palmilla take action on this front immediately. There’s no excuse for not giving something back to the island and community that supports your business.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
With a 100,000 IDR entrance fee, which gets you a towel and a “free” water or small beer, we think the perks are on the light side at this beach club.
Similarly, they don’t mention online that there’s a minimum spend if you want a nice seat by the pool, which is essentially a double entry fee.
Safety and Security
There is a bag check on the way in the door at Palmilla, which is a good thing and something we appreciate. Bali has stayed safe for nearly 2 decades thanks to the vigilant efforts of the island’s security teams.
However, we felt that the security in the venue was a little thin on the ground, though we didn’t witness them failing to diffuse any tense situations, either.
Event Hosting Capabilities
They do host events at Palmilla and are one of the few venues to allow wedding hosting. But we’re not sure who’d want to subject their guests to the banging sound of this club.
It also feels like a venue best suited to small group events rather than large corporate gatherings.
Consistency of Experience
We’ve been to this beach club a few times now, and we’ve talked to others who’ve been regularly, and we all agree that the experience is consistent; it’s just consistently OK rather than consistently great.
We’ve seen no real efforts from the management team here to improve on this either.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
There are all the basic facilities you might need at this beach club, but if you need anything else, you may need a fairly long drive into Uluwatu or Nusa Dua to get it.
Melasti Beach doesn’t have much beyond beach clubs to offer.
Summary
Palmilla isn’t a terrible beach club, but the high volume compared with the expensive prices and OK facilities and service just aren’t a compelling offering in Bali’s highly competitive beach club market.
Sure, if you’re in Ungasan, you might want to pop in and check out the decor and the food (which is good), but we can’t imagine travelling very far to visit Palmilla; there’s just not enough value in the place.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At Palmilla Bali Beach Club?
Yes, you can swim at Palmilla Bali Beach Club. There is a decent pool area in this beach club with an infinity pool, and you do get a “free” towel as long as you pay the entrance fee.
You may not bring a towel into this beach club from outside, so the entrance fee is definitely not optional for those who want to swim.
Incredibly, they collect the towels the moment they get wet, and you are required to pay to rent a new towel once yours disappears.
The water is clean, though, and the area is well-maintained, and there’s nothing to stop you from swimming here.
We ought to note that this beach club is on Melasti Beach, which means there are a lot of other beach clubs in this area, and most of them have a pool you can use without having to pay an entrance fee.
If you just want to use your own towel, you should also know that this is one of Bali’s best swimming beaches, and you can swim safely in the ocean here. However, be warned the reef break here is very challenging and should only be undertaken by experienced and skilled surfers.
What Is There To Do At Palmilla Bali Beach Club?
This is your standard beach club, and you can enjoy food and drinks from the restaurant and bar, spend time in the swimming pool or party on the dance floor.
We would note that this is a very loud beach club, and if you have sensitive ears, you might consider taking some earplugs with you to protect your hearing.
Is Palmilla Bali Beach Club A Child-Friendly Venue?
In theory, Palmilla Bali Beach Club is a child-friendly venue because this beach club doesn’t have any policies restricting access to kids.
However, it’s very important to note that this is a party hard beach club and much of the behaviour we witnessed in this beach club is not really suitable for children.
Of course, it’s down to individual parents to make decisions as to what’s right for their kids, but we wouldn’t take children to Palmilla Beach Club.
Who Is The Owner Of Palmilla Bali Beach Club?
Palmilla Bali Beach Club has not placed its ownership structure into the public domain, and we found it to be entirely opaque. However, there is some evidence to suggest that this beach club is owned by a local businessperson.
Final Thoughts On The Review Of Palmilla Bali Beach Club
We were very disappointed in Palmilla Beach Club in Bali. We’ve never been fans of entrance fees; unless there is some incredible entertainment on offer, you’re basically paying to walk into a restaurant by the sea. We have no idea what makes that a good idea.
And the fact that they not only charge an entrance fee but then stick a minimum spend on top for their customers is incredible. If you always wanted to be a beach club owner’s ATM machine, this is a great place to get some practice in.
Melasti Beach also used to be a lovely spot, but the sands here are absolutely rammed with other beach clubs, most of which are overpriced when compared to the best beach clubs on the island, which are mainly in Canggu and Seminyak.
The one thing that Palmilla does do right, however, is the food and drinks, so if you don’t mind putting up with the volume of their speakers, you might enjoy stopping here for some sustenance.
