Short answer: WiFi, daily housekeeping, pool and garden maintenance, and a dedicated on-site staff team are standard across virtually every luxury villa in Bali. Private chef service, babysitting, spa treatments, and airport transfer are commonly available but usually cost extra, and vary villa to villa. Below, we break down exactly what falls into each category — standard, varies-by-villa, and paid add-on — so you know precisely what you’re getting before you book, not after you arrive.

This matters more than it might seem. Two villas at a similar nightly rate can offer meaningfully different value once you account for what’s actually included versus what you’ll be paying extra for once you’re there — and the only way to compare fairly is to know exactly what belongs in each category.

The full picture at a glance

Standard (included in the rate)Varies by villa (confirm specifics)Paid add-on (available, extra cost)
ConnectivityWiFi——
CleaningDaily housekeeping——
Grounds & poolPool and garden maintenance——
StaffVilla manager, housekeeping, gardener, securityButler service (some villas)Additional/dedicated staff for events
Meals—Breakfast (some villas include it)Private chef, full board, groceries
Transport—Airport transfer (some included, some not)Airport transfer where not included; car & driver hire
Childcare—Baby cot/high chair (some villas include as standard)Babysitting/nanny service
Wellness——Spa treatments, in-villa massage
EntertainmentSmart TV (most villas)Gym, karaoke room, cinema (select villas)—
Events—Whether events are permitted at allEvent/party fees where permitted

Let’s go through each category properly, because a table alone doesn’t explain the reasoning — and the reasoning is what actually helps you compare villas fairly.

What’s standard, almost without exception

WiFi. Complimentary WiFi throughout the villa is close to universal across our portfolio — genuinely one of the few things you can assume as standard regardless of which villa you choose, particularly relevant if you’re planning to do any work during your stay.

Daily housekeeping. Villas are cleaned daily as part of the standard service, keeping the property in the same condition you arrived to throughout your stay — this is a meaningful difference from a hotel, where “daily housekeeping” sometimes means a lighter touch-up rather than a full clean, given the villa staff’s focus on a single property rather than dozens of rooms.

Pool and garden maintenance. Your private pool and grounds are maintained by dedicated staff throughout your stay — you’re not responsible for pool chemistry or garden upkeep, even though it’s technically “your” space for the duration of your booking.

A dedicated on-site staff team. Every villa in our collection comes with real staff — typically a villa manager, housekeeping, a gardener, and security, sometimes more depending on the property’s size and style. This is standard, though the exact composition and size of the team varies by villa (a 2-bedroom villa and a 7-bedroom estate naturally warrant different staffing levels).

What’s commonly included, but genuinely varies by villa

This is the category most worth double-checking before you book, precisely because it’s inconsistent across the market — including within our own portfolio — and assuming the wrong thing here is where first-time villa guests most often get caught off guard.

Breakfast. Some villas include breakfast as a standard part of the stay; others operate on a fully self-catering basis, with breakfast (like other meals) available through chef service at an additional cost. There’s no universal rule here — always confirm for your specific villa.

Airport transfer. Some villas include complimentary transfer as standard; others price it separately. We’ve written a full guide to airport transfer covering typical costs and how to check for your villa specifically, since this is one of the most frequently asked questions we get.

Baby cots, high chairs, and children’s amenities. Some family-oriented villas include a baby cot and high chair as standard, along with small touches like pool toys; others treat these as arrangeable extras. If you’re traveling with young children, this is worth confirming directly rather than assuming.

Butler service. A step up from standard housekeeping, some villas — particularly larger or more design-forward properties — include genuine butler service (attentive, on-call assistance throughout your stay) as part of the standard package; others don’t offer this tier of service at all. This tends to correlate with the villa’s overall positioning and price point rather than being randomly distributed.

Entertainment facilities. A smart TV is close to standard across most villas. Beyond that — a gym, a dedicated cinema or karaoke room, a spa room with sauna and jacuzzi — these appear on select larger or more elaborate properties (Villa Bie in Uluwatu, for example, includes all of the above) but aren’t something to assume unless the specific villa’s listing confirms it.

What’s almost always a paid add-on

These aren’t hidden costs in the sense of being undisclosed — they’re clearly optional services, priced separately because they genuinely sit outside the base villa rate. Knowing this category well helps you budget accurately and also helps you build the stay you actually want, since these are often the additions that make a villa trip feel truly bespoke.

Private chef service, beyond whatever meal inclusion (if any) your villa offers. Menu planning, market shopping, cooking, and cleanup are typically included once you book chef service, but the service itself is usually a separate cost from your nightly rate. We’ve written a detailed cost guide with real price ranges if you’re weighing whether to add this.

Groceries, when self-catering or supplementing chef-prepared meals. If staff purchase provisions on your behalf, this is typically charged to your account — and it’s worth knowing that a handling fee is common practice across the industry for this service (one example from our own portfolio applies a 20% handling fee on grocery costs, in addition to standard tax and service charge). This exists because staff time and sourcing effort go into it, not because of markup for its own sake — but it’s exactly the kind of detail worth confirming for your specific villa if you’re planning to self-cater extensively.

Babysitting and nanny services. Available at most family-friendly villas with advance notice, but priced as a separate service from your booking, since it involves bringing in dedicated childcare staff beyond the villa’s standard team.

Spa treatments and in-villa massage. Even villas with a dedicated spa room (like Villa Bie’s twin massage beds, sauna, and jacuzzi) typically charge separately for actual treatments carried out by a professional therapist — the space being available doesn’t mean the service itself is complimentary.

Extra beds, baby cots (where not standard), and accommodating guest counts beyond a villa’s standard occupancy. Covered in more detail in our guide to hidden and additional costs, but worth flagging here too: exceeding a villa’s standard guest count commonly triggers additional charges.

Car and driver hire beyond arrival transfer. Some villas offer a daily car-and-driver service for exploring the island during your stay — genuinely convenient, but priced as its own line item (typically a daily rate for a set number of hours, plus fuel), separate from your accommodation cost.

Event and party hosting. If you’re planning to host a celebration, wedding, or gathering beyond your immediate group, this typically requires prior approval and may carry an event fee — covered in detail in our hidden costs guide.

Why this “standard vs. varies vs. add-on” structure exists

It’s worth understanding the logic here, because it makes the whole system feel less arbitrary. The things that are genuinely standard — WiFi, housekeeping, pool and garden upkeep, core staff — are baked into every villa’s operating model regardless of guest preferences, so they’re built into the rate universally.

The things that vary by villa — breakfast, transfer, butler service, entertainment facilities — reflect real differences in how individual villas are positioned and equipped. A villa built around an elaborate entertainment complex (like Villa Bie) naturally includes more than a villa designed as a simpler, comfortable family base — and that’s reflected in what’s “standard” for that specific property, not a universal rule.

The things that are consistently paid add-ons — chef service, spa, babysitting, event hosting — are genuinely optional experiences that not every guest wants on every stay, so pricing them separately (rather than bundling them into every villa’s rate) means you’re not paying for services you don’t use.

Don’t forget the “++”

Every category above sits underneath one more universal factor: government tax and service charge, commonly shown as “++” next to villa rates, typically adding somewhere in the 10–21% range on top of the nightly rate, regardless of what’s included in the base stay. This applies to the villa rate itself; some add-on services (like the grocery handling example above) may carry their own tax/service treatment as well. We’ve covered this in full in our pricing guide and hidden costs guide if you want the complete picture.

How villa staff actually works, day to day

Since staffing is one of the standard inclusions, it’s worth explaining what that actually looks like in practice, since “you get staff” doesn’t tell you much on its own.

The villa manager is typically your main point of contact throughout your stay — coordinating everything from your arrival greeting to arranging any add-on services you’d like, and handling anything that comes up during your trip.

Housekeeping handles daily cleaning and general upkeep of the property, working around your schedule rather than at fixed hotel-style hours.

The gardener maintains the grounds and, on villas with extensive landscaping, keeps the outdoor spaces looking as good on day seven as they did on day one.

Security is a standard part of most villa staffing, particularly for gated or estate-style properties, providing a layer of peace of mind that’s genuinely different from a hotel’s shared security model.

A chef, where included as standard (rather than an add-on), prepares meals according to a suggestion menu, accommodating dietary needs and special requests — though as covered above, whether this is included or an add-on varies significantly by villa.

This team is focused entirely on your group for the duration of your stay — a meaningfully different experience from a hotel’s staff, who are split across every guest in the building.

How to get an exact inclusions list for your chosen villa

Given how much genuinely varies villa to villa, here’s the most reliable way to know exactly what you’re getting before you book:

  1. Read the specific villa’s listing carefully — inclusions like meals, transfer, and entertainment facilities are typically detailed in the property description, not just implied by the price.
  2. Ask directly about anything not explicitly stated. If breakfast, transfer, or a specific amenity matters to your trip and isn’t clearly mentioned, ask before assuming either way.
  3. Get your full inclusions list confirmed in writing as part of your booking confirmation, alongside your quote — this becomes your reference point if any question comes up later in the process.
  4. Compare villas on total value, not just nightly rate, once you know what’s actually included. A villa at a slightly higher rate with breakfast and transfer included may work out better value than a lower rate with both as separate add-ons — run the real numbers rather than comparing headline prices alone.

Quick reference: Frequently Asked Questions

Is WiFi included in a Bali villa stay? Yes, complimentary WiFi is standard across virtually every villa in our collection.

Is housekeeping included? Yes, daily housekeeping is a standard part of every villa stay.

Is breakfast included? It varies by villa — some include it as standard, others operate self-catering with meals available through chef service at an extra cost. Always confirm for your specific property.

Is airport transfer included? It depends on the villa. See our dedicated airport transfer guide for how to check and typical costs when it’s not included.

Is a private chef included? Generally not as standard — private chef service is typically a paid add-on, priced separately from your nightly rate, though some villas include limited meal preparation. See our private chef cost guide for real pricing.

Are spa treatments included, even if the villa has a spa room? No — even villas with an on-site spa space typically charge separately for actual treatments carried out by a professional therapist.

Is a security deposit part of the “inclusions”? Not exactly — it’s a separate, refundable amount some villas require, distinct from what’s included in your stay. See our security deposit guide for the full explanation.

How do I find out exactly what’s included in a specific villa? Check the villa’s listing details, ask directly about anything unclear, and get your full inclusions list confirmed in writing as part of your booking confirmation.

Want to compare exactly what’s included across a few shortlisted villas before you decide? Browse our full collection here, or get in touch with our team and we’ll confirm the complete inclusions list for any villa you’re considering, before you commit to anything.

Related Reads

Exceptional experiences
directly to your inbox.