After a massive makeover, Grand Hyatt Bali, situated in upscale Nusa Dua, is ready to reclaim its pre-eminent status among the stellar cast (and a growing list of new upstarts) of five-star international resorts that have converged on this Balinese enclave.

Sprawling 40 acres of tropical greenery, the 648-room hotel resort, with ocean views, was conceived as "water palaces" of kingdoms past and Balinese fables. Cascading waterfalls, crystal-clear lagoons, and manicured gardens embrace and connect four ethnic villages on the resort grounds. For the facelift, Grand Hyatt Bali added a second Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate more than 1,400, to enhance its MICE credentials. A new spa experience awaits guests at the newly opened Kriya Spa, which promises a dizzying array of treatments with unpronounceable Sanskrit names to help you attain nirvana.

However, the best experience has to be the Pasar Senggol, or Balinese night market, where you not only get to taste Balinese treats but also watch traditional Balinese dances, and costume parades, and shop for artisan handicrafts.

There's even a traditional Hindu temple, locally known as Pura, on the resort's grounds where village priests perform rituals and offer sacrifices to the gods on a daily basis. You can forgive the locals for their religious fervor. After all, it was not too long ago when Bali's well-traveled and publicized appellation as the "island of the gods" seems like a cruel oxymoron. Now it seems, the gods are back. And the locals are desperate for them to stay. For good.