This is a fairly recent addition to Bali’s thriving beach club scene, and we were quite excited when we heard about it.
A lot of our review team are based in and around Seminyak, so they were super happy to find a place close to home to review and not have to deal with too much time spent in traffic.
So, this is what they learned at the Ocean Grand Beach Club in Seminyak, Bali.
Introduction – Getting To Ocean Grand Beach Club
Of course, the biggest part of getting to the Ocean Grand Beach Club is getting to Bali. If you’re flying from other parts of Southeast Asia or from Australia, then it’s not going to be too long a flight time.
However, it’s definitely a longer trek from places like North America and Europe. This isn’t all bad news, mind you, because Bali is way cheaper than Tulum, Miami, St. Tropez, etc. You will find that you can often save the price of your flight (or a business class upgrade) during your stay in Bali compared to your usual beach club destination.
Once you’re in Bali, Seminyak is super easy to find, and it’s close to all the major
Where Is Ocean Grand Beach Club? Grand Seminyak, Jl. Camplung Tanduk Jl. Dhyana Pura, Seminyak, Kec. Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Online: Ocean Grand Beach
Opening Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, except Nyepi – the Balinese Day of Silence (However, some facilities are limited to lesser hours, and the Day Club is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with their “Sunset Session” running from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m)
What’s Available At Ocean Grand Beach Club?
There are three seating areas, and you will need to specify where you want to be seated within the club, as it affects the services you can access and receive.
They are a pool area, a beach terrace deck with some ocean views and an indoor area, which is ideal if you get there and there’s a sudden downpour.
This beach club currently has no entertainment facilities, but there is a fire dancing display during the evenings, which is nice to watch.
Our Detailed Review Of Ocean Grand Beach Club
We use a uniform process to evaluate each beach club, promoting fairness for owners, management, and staff, and ensuring reviews are presented in a consistent structure that simplifies comparisons across locations.
The evaluation process is outlined as follows:
- A team is appointed to assess the venue.
- Each member is required to visit the beach club, with no obligation to visit together or on the same day.
- During their visit, every reviewer completes a scorecard, assigning scores from 1 (least notable) to 5 (most notable) in predefined categories, while also documenting their observations.
- After all members have completed their visits and scorecards, they gather to discuss their experiences and agree on final scores for each category.
- A chosen team member then composes the review, reflecting the team’s discussions and final scores, before it is shared on our website.
Reservation and Booking Process
Booking systems in Bali’s beach clubs are not all that good by global standards, and sadly, Ocean Grand Beach Club typifies this trend.
Yes, you can make a booking, which is an improvement on some clubs on the island, but while you can reserve a seat, all you can do is specify how many people are coming and when.
There’s no choice of seating, and they don’t take a deposit, which means if you’re late for your booking and they are busy, you can kiss your seat goodbye.
However, this is almost certainly a reflection of the fact that they don’t charge an entrance fee or have any minimum spend requirements.
Ambience and Atmosphere
There’s a happy, laid-back seaside style atmosphere in this beach club, which isn’t particularly well-defined but certainly isn’t unpleasant in any way, either.
It feels like a hotel beach club (and not just because it is), sure, there are lots of nice touches to make you feel at home, but there’s a clear trace of corporation in pretty much everything that they do, too.
Overall, it’s a bit like visiting a beach club if McDonald’s did beach clubs; it’s an environment you can recognise and trust, but it won’t blow you away, either.
Location And Accessibility
Seminyak is one of the easiest places to get to on the island of Bali and one of the most popular places too. That can have some negative impacts when it comes to traffic volumes in peak hours, though, and we’d try to arrive before the island hots up if you want an easy journey.
The beach is an attractive one, and it can get very busy because of its visual appeal and soft sand.
It’s also an excellent place for a little sunset watching, thanks to the position on the right coast of Bali.
Overall, this is one of the most accessible beach clubs in Bali, and the location is great, particularly if you want to stay nearby or visit other beach clubs, pubs, bars, etc.
Aesthetic And Design
If the overall vibe has a bit of McD’s about it, it’s partly because so does the design. Lots of bright yellow and colourful statues and creations lend it the air of a children’s party at times.
There’s no doubt that the colour scheme works, particularly in your Instagram feed, where the bold colours will grab people’s attention and ensure that they know you’re in a beach club.
But we’re not sure that staring at bright yellow all day long is conducive to the most relaxing time in the sun.
Overall, Ocean Grand Beach Club definitely has things going for it, it just depends on whether you’re in the mood for them or not.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
It wasn’t quite the best service we’ve had on the island, but to be fair, Bali is world famous for the service standards it sets in hospitality, and that’s not a big criticism of this beach club.
We thought the staff had that Balinese charm, warmth and professionalism, and they certainly understood the menu, the beach club and the local area when we spoke to them.
We felt that Ocean Grand Beach Club could be proud of its staff and that with a little extra training, they had the potential to be as good as those in the very best beach clubs in Bali.
Service Speed and Efficiency
We were all pleased to report that the service is both speedy and efficient. It was easy to catch a server’s eye when we needed them to take an order, and they would be swift in responding.
Once the order had been taken, the kitchen and bar staff seemed to be on their toes and ready to spring into action to ensure that you were fed and watered promptly.
One nice touch is that we didn’t have to wait a long time for the bill or any change at the end of our stay in the beach club.
It’s a personal bugbear that so many places offer great service all day long and then spoil it right at the end, but Ocean Grand Beach Club maintained its standards throughout.
Food Quality and Variety
We thought the menu was very varied and that if you were visiting for a day or two, or staying in the hotel for a short while, you would have more than enough choice that you could dine here a few times without getting bored.
The presentation of the dishes was excellent, and if you’re looking to warm up your Instagram with some nice natural light food shots, Ocean Grand Beach Club is a nice choice for your next meal.
The taste and quality of the ingredients were excellent to,o and overall, we were very impressed with the food at Ocean Grand.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
It wasn’t the biggest drinks menu of a beach club in Bali, but there’s no doubt that there’s enough choice on the cocktail list at Ocean Grand Beach Club.
Importantly, the drinks were strong enough once they were mixed that they justified their price tags, which are on the high side for Bali.
We also felt that you could happily take some nice pics for Instagram of your beverages, as the bar staff paid real attention to their presentation.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
This is a 5-star hotel property in Bali, and as far as we could tell, that means that the Ocean Grand Beach Club lives up to all your expectations for cleanliness and hygiene.
Most importantly, the pool area was clean and well-maintained, and the toilets and changing rooms were spotless.
You’re not going to have any concerns about your children using the facilities here.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
The furniture at this beach club was comfortable enough, and there was a decent amount of choice of different seating arrangements, so you could find something to suit.
It’s worth noting that the best furniture is near the pool area, and you will need to get to the beach club early if you want to secure it.
Music and Entertainment
They use piped and relatively bland music at this beach club, which is fine. It’s a backdrop for conversation rather than something to get you up and dancing.
Seasonality
It’s Bali, there’s no real seasonality to speak of. It’s hot, sunny and fun all year round, and there’s only one mandatory holiday in the year, which only lasts for a single day in either March or April – Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence.
Otherwise, the good times roll all year long at Ocean Grand Beach Club.
Pricing and Value for Money
No entrance fee, no minimum spend, no towel fee, and reasonably priced (when compared to other beach clubs in Bali) food and drinks.
There’s no doubt in our minds that Ocean Grand Beach Club offers excellent value for money, and if you’re used to places like Tulum and Ibiza, you’re going to be amazed at how cheap everything feels in Bali.
Beach Access and Quality
You get full access to Seminyak Beach at this beach club, which is one of Bali’s most popular beaches. The sand is soft, generally clean and inviting.
It’s not the best beach for swimming, though it is popular with surfers who are looking for a different kind of experience.
It offers an excellent sunset view, which is usually important to beach club goers in Bali.
Sustainability Practices
Sadly, if the beach club or the hotel are currently running any green or sustainable initiatives, they’re keeping the news of it very close to their chests.
They have no details of sustainability programs in any of their marketing materials and there is no corporate sustainability reporting either.
So, we have to assume that for now, there’s a lot of room for improvement when it comes to sustainable working at Ocean Grand Beach Club.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
You get a towel and a comfy daybed, and given there’s no minimum spend and no entrance fee, that’s actually pretty generous. There are many beach clubs in Bali that would charge a towel rental fee on top.
However, there’s no other option for perks and certainly no VIP or premier status tier that could help to elevate your experience for a little extra cash.
We’d really like to see more beach clubs working on this. When we’re on holiday, we don’t mind spending a little extra for a nicer time when we’re out.
Safety and Security
They will do a discrete vehicle inspection when you enter the compound here in a car or on a bike, and there’s a quick security check on the way into the beach club, too.
The club has more than enough security staff on hand throughout the day so if any trouble should break out, it would be handled immediately without disturbing other guests.
Event Hosting Capabilities
While The Grand Seminayk does host events such as weddings, there’s no focus on the beach club and no indication that the beach club is available for events of any kind.
Overall, we suspect that as this is a guest facility, the only way you could rent this beach club for the day is to rent the whole hotel; otherwise, they’d be depriving paying customers of a facility that they’d paid for.
And that’s fair enough, not every beach club is a great destination for your next corporate event.
Consistency of Experience
We have been to this beach club a few times, talked to other customers, and read up on customer reviews, and we all feel that this is a very consistent beach club, and what you read about here is what you’re likely to experience.
However, we’d also note that they don’t seem to be looking to reinvent their experience and improve on it, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
You have all the basic amenities that you could ask for at a hotel beach club here, but there’s nothing that really stands out, either.
Having said that, you’re in Seminyak, so anything else you need is a short walk or drive from here.
Summary
While there are some small details that this beach club could pay a little more attention to and boost its scores and overall ranking, there’s no doubt that this is a very nice hotel beach club.
We wouldn’t visit this place for a party by the sea, but FINNS Beach Club – the world’s best party experience by the sea – is not far away in Canggu if we wanted to dance.
Instead, we’d come as a group of friends or family for some nice food and drink, a great sunset view, an interesting fire dance show and conversation and relaxation.
Not every day needs to be a party; this tropical island has enough for everyone to enjoy.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At Ocean Grand Beach Club?
Possibly. This beach club is laid out around three separate dining venues, and if you want to swim, you must opt for their “refreshing poolside setting” (their marketing blurb, not ours).
If you do, then you should be aware that with no minimum spend requirement for the seating that this place can get busy and seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
That means you should arrive early in the day if you want to be certain of a daybed by the pool. Once you’re on your daybed, you won’t be asked to move as long as you are ordering food and drinks.
You could also swim on the beach. However, Double Six Beach is not a great location for swimmers, and we would advise against jumping in the ocean for a dip here.
The currents along this coast of Bali are very unpredictable, and even the best-trained swimmers have found themselves being dragged out to sea here. It’s best to opt for the beach club pool or stick to the one in your hotel.
It’s very important to note that Bali’s beaches do not have lifeguards on duty. So, if you do get into trouble, you are entirely on your own. Whereas the beach club has a paid lifeguard on duty at all times by the pool.
What Is There To Do At Ocean Grand Beach Club?
This is very much a hotel beach club setting. That means there’s a swimming pool and it’s suitable for swimming. They also provide beach access so you can enjoy walks in the sand or build sandcastles and the like.
There’s a nice beach deck where you might opt to spend the sunset enjoying the spectacular view over the Indian Ocean.
And, of course, there are plenty of food and drink options to explore, and consumption is mandatory if you want to use this facility, as there is no entrance fee.
You should be aware that, in common with most hotel beach clubs here in Bali, there’s no party environment at the Ocean Grand Beach Club and no real entertainment to enjoy.
Is Ocean Grand Beach Club A Child-Friendly Venue?
Yes, the Ocean Grand Beach Club is a child-friendly venue. This is also true of the resort, which shares the site.
However, parents are required to keep an eye on their children both for their health and safety as they play and to ensure they don’t annoy any other guests.
Bali’s beach clubs don’t have a history of expelling children for playing noisily, but it’s not an impossibility, either.
You should also know there are no special amenities for kids at this beach club, and they will need to make their own entertainment.
Who Is The Owner Of Ocean Grand Beach Club?
This beach club is a resort property, but the resort is owned by a local company – PT Hotel Indonesia International (which was previously two separate entities that have recently undergone a merger).
The formal ownership structure for PT Hotel Indonesia International is not currently in the public domain, but you can safely assume that it’s locally owned.
Final Thoughts On The Review Of Ocean Grand Beach Club
We liked the Ocean Grand Beach Club as hotel beach clubs in Seminyak go, it’s a good place for a meal and some drinks. We also really like the fire dancing, which is a nice touch that other similar beach clubs might draw inspiration from.
It’s not a place for a party, but then, if you want to party, FINNS Beach Club – the world’s best beach club – is only a short drive away in Canggu, and that’s the best place to dance and have fun in Bali.
Instead, it’s a good place to hang out with some friends and enjoy a chat and some cold cocktails while appreciating the sun, sea and sand of this tropical paradise.
For resort guests, this is a wonderful extra value offering, and if you’re in the area, then we’d recommend popping into this beach club even if you’re not staying in the resort.
