As part of recent vacations in Indonesia, I propose you today a Hotel Report on this property located near Ubud.
For once, no chain hotel, but a small independent resort located in the Balinese jungle.
Booking
The reservation was made by internet 60 days before the arrival directly on their website.
Two types of rooms are available: suites or villas.
Two rate categories were offered, an Advanced Purchase rate, but without breakfast, and a Relax rate at the same price, including breakfast and massage.
Both rates were non-flexible, so I settled on the second.
Despite this, my credit card was not charged before my arrival.
Arrival
I had booked a transfer from Denpasar airport for 700,000 rupiah, about 40 euros. A little expensive, but it would have been difficult to find a cab that would take me to Ubud.
The lobby is superb, totally open to the lush vegetation.
The reception is located in aglass-walled area to the left of the lobby, while the right side houses a daytime bar (closed in the evening), which offers complimentary snacks in the late afternoon.
My room was ready immediately upon arrival, but the receptionist had a little trouble with the check-in procedure.
Not very efficient, despite the fact that I am the only customer.
The doorman brought the luggage to my room a few moments later.
Room
The suite we booked was not a suite: it’s a totally standard room, with a small armchair on the side.
The room is spacious and has a large balcony. Be careful if you want to use it, it is surrounded by vegetation and mosquitoes are around…
The bed is very comfortable.
The room is air-conditioned, but the engine is quite noisy.
The bathroom is spacious and has a nice bathtub. Be careful, however, if you use it in shower mode, you risk flooding. On the other hand, a strong sewage smell invades the place at regular intervals, and the closet really smells musty to the point that I couldn’t store my clothes there.
Finally, a virtual tour of the room:
Services and facilities
The property does not have a concierge service. Nevertheless, the receptionists found a driver for 2 whole days, at a very reasonable price, and obviously without commission for the property.
The room service is efficient, the cleaning is done without problems and with care.
The pool is very small but very pleasant. On the other hand, there is no service at the poolside, so you have to order at the bar.
Spa
The hotel has an in house spa and I was able to enjoy a 60 minute Balinese massage.
The welcome is charming and a cold drink is offered, while a form is given to me to list the possible pathologies contrary to the chosen treatment.
The massage was very pleasant, the most pleasant I had in Indonesia.
After the massage, a very spicy ginger tea is served, which is very pleasant.
On the other hand, the rates are very high for Indonesia, about 10 times more expensive than an equivalent service in the city, minus the setting.
Restaurants
On the restaurant side, the lunch and dinner menus are equivalent, and of very average quality.
The service is not the most efficient either, and especiallynot very proactive.
The wine list is very minimalist, and the local wines of poor quality.
The breakfast buffet is very disappointing, both cold and hot. The cooking of the eggs is not mastered, and the pancakes are far too thick to be cooked properly.
Departure
The departure formalities were also quite long due to the lack of training in the tools.
Conclusion
When a place is beautiful, it’s a shame that such poor service tarnishes the experience.Professionally managed, this place would be a hit.
