In Reply to: Depends on what youre after? posted by TrueMaverick on Sunday, 13. November 2011 at 16:12 Bali Time:
That can happen can't it? I mean at any hotel not specifically SBVs so I accept that you had an experience that you did not like. I think the popularity of SBVs speaks for itself. It is very hard to get a booking there sometimes because of return customers and new guests. I've tried to think back over my many stays there with regards to people being there just to sit around the pool getting drunk and I don't see a bigger number here than at any other hotel I've stayed in and before finding that I prefer smaller hotels I have stayed from Losmen to five star all around Bali. I can only remember 1 guy who said he didn't see any problem with basing his whole holiday around sitting at a poolside esky drinking beer and he was a lovely quiet sort of guy. The people we have met there have been from all walks of life not from one sterotypical group. It represents very good value at Rp350.000
It is true that by around 4ish there often will be a few or a lot of guests sitting under the bale talking and laughing. Some of them will indeed be drinking Bintang some will not. This is pretty common at hotels or on the beach in front of hotels in Bali isn't it? The only difference is that here you take your beer from an esky, save your tops and pay when you leave or when you want. Rp15,000 at the moment for anyone that wonders.
Ok so I will attempt a fair description of the hotel. Six rooms in a row along one side of the pool. Some connecting some not. Double/twin/triple. The rooms are old but clean. I imagine years ago they were homestay rooms but have been improved with air con, hot water, TV, local only and DVD player. Have tea and coffee making stuff provided. When we arrive there are usually flower blossoms decorating the room and bathroom which is an outdoor one. Everything works in the bathroom. Personal thing if you like outdoor bathrooms or not, I do. Now one possible downside to the rooms are the traditional woven bamboo ceilings but guests are considerate with their noise levels at night and we have never been disturbed by noisy neighbours.
At the end of the pool is one 2 bedroom villa and along the long side opposite the rooms is another. From just sticking my head in the door they seem to be quite nice to me and they are very well priced. Set back a little between these 2 villas is the villa occupied by the owners and behind this an outdoor kitchen, stainless steel benches etc. etc. The cooking school runs from here and breakfast is cooked here too.
Next to the pool are two bales, one long and one round. Guests can take their breakfast (yummy) here or on their verandah as they please. The time for breakfast goes from around 7.00 until the last guest has it whenever that may be. They do have some snacks or light meals on a blackboard menu but no restaurant as such. I think when last I was there the menu included spring rolls and chicken curry or meat pies and something else which escapes me at the moment. Here also is located the famous Big Red Esky so much joked about on here and which it must be admitted is really not THAT big but the Medium Size Red Esky just doesn't have the same ring to it. Several local restaurants will also deliver.
The pool has recently been drained and resurfaced. It has a kids end and is quite big for a budget hotel, certainly big enouth for me to swim laps each morning. The whole affect is very pretty and easy on the eye. Tropical greenery and orchids predominate. I can't really come up with any negatives to the outside area but maybe somebody else will.
The staff are all lovely, of course. All in all it is a very happy place to stay. That is the X factor here I find, the sound of laughter. The hosts will do anything in their power to make your stay happy. On many occasions I have seen Ron take somebody in his car imediately to a doctor or wherever to sort out a problem.
I haven't seen BBQs to be a regular feature here. Oh yes, we did have one on Nyepi day which was a lovely day much like a big family Christmas actually. However if anyone wanted to BBQ I am fairly sure there would be no problem with that. Nothing really is a problem there.