FINNS Beach Club Review: They Say It’s the World’s Best Beach Club, but Is It?
FINNS Beach Club may be Bali’s most famous tourist attraction. It’s appeared in media all over the world, it attracts everybody from A-List celebrities to tourists on their first foreign holiday.
But is FINNS Beach Club as good as people say it is? And is it the world’s best beach club as FINNS and many reviewers claim?
Well, there’s only way for us to answer these questions and it’s to give a review based on our experience as a team.
We will confess in advance, we like FINNS Beach Club and we’ve been a few times, so we feel like we have the information you need to decide whether or not to visit this iconic beach club.
Here’s everything you need to know about FINNS Beach Club:
Where Is FINNS Beach Club?
FINNS Beach Club is in Canggu near Berawa Beach.
It’s worth noting that there are separate entrances for the VIP Beach Club (which provides access to the FINNS VIP Single Beds and the FINNS VIP Oceanfront) and the regular FINNS Beach Club (which provides access to the FINNS Beach Party Area, FINNS Beach Deluxe and Grazing on the Green).
However, as you can see below, the addresses on Google Maps are the same. Don’t worry if you arrive at the wrong entrance, though. It’s literally less than 2 minutes’ walk between the two.
Address of FINNS Beach Club: Jl. Pantai Berawa No.99, Canggu, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Website: FINNS
Opening Hours: FINNS Beach Club is open every day except for the holiday of Nyepi from 11 a.m. to 12 midnight.
Address of FINNS VIP Beach Club: Jl. Pantai Berawa No.99, Canggu, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Website: FINNS VIP
Opening Hours: FINNS VIP is also open every day except for the holiday of Nyepi from 11 a.m. to 12 midnight.
What Facilities Do They Have At FINNS Beach Club?
We need to stress that FINNS offers a lot of amenities and the club is always trying to improve, which means that things they advertise today, may not be there tomorrow.
However, at the time of this review, FINNS Beach Club has 3 swimming pools (which include an oceanfront infinity pool), 11 bars (two of which are swim-up-bars), 3 restaurants (including Bondi, St. Tropez and Monsoon Restaurants) and 7 kitchens (which serve the restaurants and include a sushi bar, Indian food from Mumbai Kitchen, and much more).
What Is FINNS VIP Beach Club?
FINNS VIP is in the same location as FINNS Beach Club, though they both have separate entrances (as detailed above).
The VIP area has different seating options to the main beach club and it requires a slightly higher minimum spend than the beach club proper.
However, there are also some additional benefits to the VIP tier of service and according to the FINNS’ website, these include:
- Escorted entry & valet service
- A welcome Drink
- An afternoon Spritz
- A complimentary snack
- An exclusive menu selection
- A cold face towel
- A complimentary gelato stick
- A complimentary locker
- Priority booking at St Tropez and Monsoon restaurants
- Sunscreen & face mist
- A sunglasses cleaning service
- A power bank charging service
- A surf valet service
- High-speed internet
If you intend to make use of all these services, then the increase in minimum spend for the VIP service is a no-brainer – your benefits are worth a lot more then your additional spending and, of course, that spending is on food and drinks (or tobacco products), it’s not a fee for the services.
There are very few beach clubs in Bali currently making an effort to deliver premium tier services and fewer still that are including them in the minimum spend rather than charging a fee for them.
What Makes FINNS Beach Club The Best Beach Club In The World?
So, we wanted to ensure that our review of FINNS Beach Club was done with some objective criteria rather than just a list of things we love and we’ve broken these down below:
The Location of FINNS Beach Club
FINNS is on Berawa Beach in Canggu. Canggu is one of the most vibrant parts of the island and is currently the number one destination for visitors.
Canggu still retains some of the old Bali charm that has completely vanished from Kuta, Seminyak and Legian but has a huge amount of things for people to do.
From boutique shops to fitness centres, to markets, to rice fields, most of it is within a short walk of everything else.
Berawa Beach itself is an amazing place for surfing and for long walks at sunrise and sunset. There are very few more memorable views than the light show in the sky as the sun sets over the ocean in this part of Bali.
Given that FINNS faces out onto this beach, it means that you get Bali’s best sunset, at no extra cost, when you visit FINNS Beach Club.
The Booking Process, Entrance Fee & Minimum Spend
Every beach club in Bali has a website and a booking process. Unfortunately, not every booking process is equal.
At FINNS Beach Club, they make it super easy, you select the date you want to visit, and then you can choose your exact seat in the venue with any associated minimum spend if you want to reserve a day bed.
If you just want to see what FINNS is about? You can walk-in and take a seat at the bar or in any restaurant with empty seats.
Importantly, FINNS Beach Club does not charge an entrance fee. That means you’re not obligated to spend any money (beyond a drink once you sit down) unless you want to.
Inclusions at FINNS Beach Club
As with nearly every beach club, there’s a towel included with every day bed (one for each person up to the limit of people on the day bed). You also get access to the Wi-Fi network.
VIP members, as we saw above, get a huge list of inclusions for their increased minimum spend including escorted entry & valet service, a welcome drink, an afternoon Spritz, a complimentary snack, an exclusive menu selection, a cold face towel, a complimentary gelato stick, a complimentary locker, priority booking at St Tropez and Monsoon restaurants, sunscreen & face mist, a sunglasses cleaning service, a power bank charging service, a surf valet service and high-speed internet.
This VIP service is unmatched among other beach clubs in Bali. FINNS Beach Club is the only place to provide this level of value to its customers and it’s another reason that we like going to FINNS Beach Club so much.
Service & Security
You can’t have an amazing time without incredible service and we think that the service staff at FINNS are the best on the island.
They’re very pleasant to deal with, kind and attentive and most of all, they don’t feel like salespeople trying to extract every penny of your holiday money out of your wallet at once – which is sadly all too common at some other clubs on the island.
If you need help, you can always find someone within signalling distance and they will be with you in a jiffy.
The security team is also a real credit to the place. In a big club with lots of alcohol being consumed, they ensure that the guests are always kept safe and enjoying themselves.
The Entertainment, Music & Vibe
The best inclusion at FINNS Beach Club is the entertainment. There’s nowhere in Bali that does this better and FINNS is constantly upgrading this aspect of their business.
We’ve spoken to management at FINNS Beach Club and they believe that the happier their guests are, the more time (and we assume money) they will want to spend in their venue.
They don’t like the idea of people being bored for even a second and the entertainment team is there to ensure that you are delighted with endless surprises during your day by the sea.
The music is very much mainstream EDM with a heavy pop influence, so there’s no hip-hop or acid house to be found, this is a good thing – it means that FINNS Beach Club tends to appeal to everyone.
During the day at FINNS Beach Club the vibe is relaxed and chilled as everyone sprawls in the sun by the ocean, but at night? FINNS Beach Club is the best party environment in Bali.
The Menu & Drinks Pricing and Value for Money
FINNS Beach Club has a huge menu that is catered to by seven different kitchens. The good news is that you can order from the menu anywhere in the venue and the wait staff will get the food to you.
That means you will never be without tasty treats and they are very tasty. Yes, the food is more expensive than in some of the warungs and cafes, but it also uses very high-quality ingredients and is served in a high-end setting.
In our opinion, FINNS Beach Club delivers excellent value for money when it comes to the food.
Drinks are also at a premium price (also for the reasons mentioned above) but the alcoholic drinks are strong (unlike in some beach clubs) and they’re beautifully presented.
You will also find that if you spend a day and night at FINNS Beach Club, that the club gives away more shots to its visitors than any other venue in Bali. And who doesn’t like free shots?
There is also a daily happy hour if you want even more bang for your buck.
Finally, in this section, we should note that Tripadvisor ranks the restaurants at FINNS Beach Club as the best in the area and currently, ranks them as the best in Bali too.
The Pool Areas and Seating Options
There are three pool areas and they are each surrounded by unique types of seating. There’s also a green garden spot, where you can lounge on beanbags.
Every seat in FINNS Beach Club is expertly constructed and super comfortable. They’re designed to ensure you have an amazing day lounging by the pool and you won’t be sorry with your choice of seat anywhere in this venue.
The Retail Outlets
We should also note that there are a pair of retail outlets at FINNS Beach Club. One is associated with the ordinary beach club and the other with VIP.
These are great places to pick up some swimwear from both local and international brands. They also sell sunglasses if you need to give your eyes a break from the Bali sun.
Getting to FINNS Beach Club and Leaving Afterwards
One real challenge at some beach clubs is getting there and then getting away afterwards. Bali has a “taxi mafia” at some locations, this mafia will hassle and cajole customers to pay for overpriced taxis rather than use ride shares.
In some cases, the mafia can prevent access to the area by the ride shares and you will have to walk some distance to get a ride.
At FINNS Beach Club, however, if you drive yourself they have parking. If you come by Grab or Gojek, they can drop you at the entrance. And there’s no taxi mafia after you leave, you can use Grab or Gojek to go home. That’s awesome.
Overall – Our Thoughts On FINNS Beach Club
So, without visiting all of the beach clubs in the world. We have to agree that FINNS is the best beach club in Bali and we suspect it’s probably the best on Earth too.
It’s the attention to the little details and the emphasis on good times, rather than how much you can spend, that make FINNS Beach Club so much fun and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any visitor to Bali.
Side Note: About FINNS Recreation Club
Both the Recreation Club and the Beach Club are owned by FINNS but they operate on separate sites and there is less connection between the two businesses than there used to be.
For example, the day pass at the Recreation Club no longer includes access to the beach club.
FINNS Recreation Club houses Splash Water Park (which has been reduced in scale to make room for new Padel courts), Padel Courts, Bounce Trampoline Centre, a Fitness Centre, a lap-sized Swimming Pool, the Body Temple Spa, Strike Bowling, a Co-Working Centre and other leisure activities.
There is also a restaurant and bar called Bistro C at the Recreation Club.
We think that the Recreation Club is a great day out for anyone who is into fitness.
If you want to visit the Beach Club on the same day, there is a free shuttle bus between the two sites, which also stops in various places around Berawa Beach and Canggu.
FAQs
What’s the Best Bali Beach Club?
In our opinion, FINNS Beach Club is the best beach club in Bali by quite some distance. FINNS Beach Club is the most popular club on the island and they say that around 1 in 8 visitors to Bali, will visit FINNS at some point.
FINNS offers world-class entertainment, an extraordinary selection of food and drink, comfortable day beds to relax on and so much more.
Most of all, a visit to FINNS is always interesting which means you stay in FINNS Beach Club because you’re having fun, not because you’re desperately trying to use up your minimum spend before you go home.
Is FINNS Beach Club Worth it?
Obviously, “worth it” means different things to different people but we would say that FINNS Beach Club is very much worth it.
From the moment you walk in until the moment you leave, it’s a great place with amazing service, gorgeous pools, an endless number of beautiful people, and incredible entertainment.
The name FINNS is synonymous with Bali. You haven’t really experienced life on this island until you have enjoyed a sunset by the Indian Ocean at FINNS Beach Club and then stayed for the show after the sun goes down.
Sure, it’s more expensive than a meal and some drinks in a local warung, but you get what you pay for and things like world-class sun loungers, endless dining options, fabulous swimming pools, etc. aren’t available in your local warung.
Beach club life in Bali is all about pampering yourself for a day and none of the other beach clubs can hold a candle to FINNS Beach Club in that respect.
Is FINNS the World’s Best Beach Club?
In truth, we haven’t been to all the world’s beach clubs and we doubt that anyone has. However, we believe that at this moment, FINNS Beach Club is the best beach club in the world.
We’ve talked to enough people in Bali and further afield about their experiences at FINNS Beach Club and other beach clubs and we’ve never heard anything but positives about FINNS.
Why is FINNS Beach Club Famous?
FINNS Beach Club is famous because it excels at what it does. The title “world’s best beach club” may have been self-conferred but the people who visit this beach club tend to agree with it.
Many people plan a Bali holiday specifically to visit FINNS Beach Club and the club’s presence is noticeable in many places across the whole island of Bali.
For the moment, it’s FINNS Beach Club that sets the standards that other beach clubs try to follow here in Bali.
What is the Minimum Spend at FINNS Beach Club?
You are not required to have a minimum spend at FINNS Beach Club at all. In fact, walk-in guests may enter FINNS Beach Club for free and then take a seat at the bar or in any of the restaurant options (St. Tropez, Monsoon and Bondi) as long as there are seats available and only pay for food, drink or tobacco products that they consume.
If you want a day bed, you will need to commit to a minimum spend but you won’t have to spend a fortune – a single-seater day bed requires a spend of just 700,000 ++ IDR (That’s $45 USD or $70 AUD) as we go to press. Larger beds work out at even less money per person.
There is a slightly higher requirement in the VIP Service but that includes a lot of extras such as a complimentary locker, cold face towel, surf valet service, sunglasses cleaning service, access to the VIP section, face mist, etc.
Don’t forget that your minimum spend is all put towards what you consume – the bed, the free towels, etc. are provided on a courtesy basis.
Is There a Dress Code at FINNS Beach Club?
You can wear casual clothing of any kind by the pool, but you must wear swimwear if you want to swim in the pool. You cannot wear alcohol or sports branded clothing. Facial tattoos of any kind are not permitted.
There may be a higher standard of dress required in the party restaurants. You can find their full policy here.
What’s the Best Day to go to FINNS Beach Club?
There are no bad days to go to FINNS Beach Club. Even in the low season during the early part of the week, you will find it’s busy and that people are having fun.
There’s no doubt that every trip to FINNS brings something new, however, and you may find that you want to visit more than once, on different days to get everything from your trip.
Final Thoughts on FINNS Beach Club and FINNS VIP Beach Club
So, is FINNS Beach Club the world’s best beach club? We think it probably is. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever visit all the beach clubs in the world to put it to the test but Bali is famous for beach clubs and FINNS is its most famous beach club. And rightly so.
The service is exceptional, the entertainment is legendary, the food and drinks are absolutely first rate and with no entry fee, you can find out for yourself that this is true, without committing to a minimum spend.
We always say to friends when they visit, that if you only visit a single beach club here on the island, you should go to FINNS. That’s not to say that other clubs aren’t good, some of them are, but there’s only FINNS Beach Club and it’s the best in Bali and probably, the best on Earth too.
