From moonlit writing sessions to silent discos and spa rituals, Moon Gang is redefining the luxury hotel experience in Bali.
Set among the rolling rice fields and verdant jungles above Ubud, a stunning new stay is inviting travellers to slow down and tune in. Home to just five suites, Hotel Moon Gang is a design-led retreat where luxury, wellness and creativity seamlessly intersect.
Introducing Hotel Moon Gang
Designed by YSG Studio, Hotel Moon Gang opened its doors in June 2026.
Officially opening its doors in June of this year, Hotel Moon Gang is the latest stay to join Bali’s luxury accommodation scene. Part boutique hotel, part outdoor sanctuary, the intimate retreat is the brainchild of Firstbase Studio’s Kirsten Millbank.
Working with Sydney-based design firm YSG Studio, Millbank has built a tranquil hideaway that embraces Bali’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Characterised by its open-air walkways, staircases and corridors that let the sunlight and soft breeze through, Moon Gang blurs the line between landscape and architecture.
Style and character
An indoor-outdoor design floods the hotel with natural light and sunshine.
This philosophy extends into the hotel’s communal spaces. Outside, a leafy courtyard, rooftop garden and natural swimming pool create the perfect private refuge. Walls draped in vines, trickling water features and bamboo screens depicting the lunar cycle add to the serenity.
Moving inside, the hotel’s interiors are just as inviting, with a self-serve tea salon, serene day spa, well-stocked lounge library and Cosmic Kiosk curiosity shop. Whether you brew yourself a matcha and curl up with a book, settle in for a full-body massage or simply enjoy a day by the pool, relaxation is pretty much guaranteed.
Hotel Moon Gang is home to just five guestrooms: Velvet Mood, Night Fever, Midnight Runners, Golden Shadow and Sun Dust. While each differ in size and layout, guests can expect queen or king beds, creativity desks, walk-in showers, private patios and separate lounges in every suite.
The Midnight Runners suite is one of just five intimate guestrooms.
Wooden fixtures, linen textures and a warm colour palette of terracotta, clay, cream and ochre feature throughout the hotel, reminiscent of a Tuscan summer. Meanwhile, cool tones, stone accents and retro decor bring a Japanese sensibility, creating a design language that is distinctly Moon Gang.
More than just a luxury hotel
A natural swimming pool sits at the heart of Hotel Moon Gang.
Cosy corners invite guests to slow down and switch off.
A warm colour palette and rounded edges are evocative of summers in Tuscany.
Moon Gang is about more than just luxury accommodation. At its core is a curated program of complimentary experiences designed to nurture both creativity and wellbeing.
Developed in partnership with creative consultancy Dance Card, activities span from mindful meanderings to enlightening exercise – all designed to both ground and energise guests. Think rooftop yoga, guided meditation, poolside sun worship, moonlit writing workshops, silent discos, midnight runs, stargazing sessions and more.
Spin vinyl at the hotel’s dedicated listening bar.
Purpose-built spaces and amenities facilitate the fun, including everything from a full-spectrum infrared sauna to a listening bar complete with vinyl and a do-it-yourself DJ station. Thanks to Ubud-based BSI International, guests can also sample a selection of medically administered nutrient and vitamin infusions for a full body reset.
The details
Hotel Moon Gang is only accessible by foot or chauffeured scooter.
Hotel Moon Gang is in Ubud, around a two-hour drive north from Bali’s Denpasar International Airport (hotel transfers available). Guests check in at the Mini Moon Gang reception kiosk in Ubud’s town centre. From there, it’s either an eight-minute walk or a three-minute chauffeured scooter ride to the hotel.
Moon Gang’s five suites accommodate up to 10 guests. While exclusive bookings for private groups are available, children must be at least 12 years old to stay. Rates vary depending on room type and include daily breakfast, with all-day dining provided at an extra cost.
Reservations can be made via the Hotel Moon Gang website.
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Taylah Darnell is International Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, and this life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. After graduating, she began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's fairly certain nothing can top witnessing the northern lights in Norway, she'd love to explore Scotland and Ireland next.
Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.
The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.
1. Easy access to good food
Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.
One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.
In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.
In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.
Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.
At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.
While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.
It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.
2. Better sleep options
Sleep deeply with Novotel.
There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.
For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.
The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.
3. More ways to move
Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)
Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.
At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.
Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.
4. Better connections
Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.
One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.
Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.
A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.
Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.
All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.
