This was our 5th trip over. Sorry for the long blurb ahead yet it is a warning to others if this story can help anyone else...
I was staying at the Rani Hotel on JL Kartika last year and saw the new EDEN hotel next door being built next door to Febris. This trip we thought we would stay at the Eden Hotel resort for 4 nights. We arrived Sun 28 July about lunch time. Paid my account as they hassled us to settle the bill which was ok as I wanted to get rid of my US dollars that I had brought over. However most resorts don't hassle one to settle their bill on arrival, we thought that odd too. I had a remainder $400US dollars left in my travel doc bag along with my passport and decided to leave these in the hotel room safe whilst we went out for dinner that night. We left 6.30 pm and arrived back at 9.15 pm. As soon as we entered the room and saw that the beds were turned down and water bottles left by the side of the bed I immediately checked the safe and found I the travel doc folder with my passports and $300US dollars so $100 US dollars was missing. I immediately called the reception and the duty manager, assistant and a security guard came up. I asked why had someone been in our room as we had only checked in a few hours earlier and the room didn't need to be serviced in any way! He explained it was their policy to check the rooms in the night. I said I had been down to reception 3 times and no one told me of this 'policy'. He said they could call the police to take fingerprints etc and I stated that I my fingerprints were all over the travel doc folder. We went round and round in circles and got nowhere, the night manager said the only thing they could do was to call the police.
As I had just arrived into Bali I had some rupiah, changed some Aussie dollars and knew that I had exactly $400 US currency left in the hotel safe as that was to pay for our other hotel during our stay. I had counted the money twice before leaving the room. Thankfully I had the rest of my money on me in my wallet and money belt when we went out for dinner.
I said I wanted to speak to the manager in the morning. All night we had an uneasy sleep, barricaded the doors with the bar stools in the room. I am extremely safety conscious and careful with my money as have read so much on the BTforum over the years of what to avoid and take note of yet got caught out this time.
Anyway the next morning I met the day manager Tedy and he was no help at all except to say that the police can be called etc. I said to him Indo police are corrupt and I'm not going to any police station to make a statement etc as I've read too much on the forum to go down that route especially as I was travelling with my adult son and my husband was back in Oz. Tedy asked what I wanted and I said I wanted to leave the hotel, pay for the night we stayed and I would find accom elsewhere. I said I wanted the 300,000rp I had to pay for the room service deposit returned and wanted the balance of my accom returned in US dollars, I didn't want it converted into rupiah as I would lose too much on the hotel's exchange rate.
I returned at checkout time at noon. There was some kerfuffle about being short $44 US of my balance and they wanted me to sign a paper to which I said when I get all the US balance dollars I will sign. 5 min later the manager comes out with my money, the rupiah amount correct and the correct amount of US dollars too. I signed and we left the hotel.
We were able to get a good rate at Febris next door so went in and I wanted to pay my 3 night account with the US dollars so as to get that money off my hands. Well the reception staff said sorry we cannot accept the $100US dollar bill presented as pre 2006 notes are not accepted by hotels as they cannot be changed by the bank. The US note I had was 1996. I couldn't believe it. The other notes the Eden hotel returned to me was in $50US bills so they were ok. So I stormed back and demanded to see the manager. One of the staff got the manager and I was so fuming mad and said I want US50 bills and not this rubbish money. He sweetly said 'oh the bank gave us this money' and I said that the other hotel will not accept it and I want $50US bills immediately. He told the one of the staff to quickly give me the $50US bills as I was really loud and there was about a dozen people in the reception area, porters, counter staff probably wondering why I was this crazy lady demanding her money. He pretty much gave me the money and told me to 'go on my way'. I said I was disgusted the way they treat their guests by giving out rubbish fake money.
I am writing this to warn others as I didn't know about the pre 2006 US bills aren't accepted. Thru the week whilst there my tailor said they cannot accept the old US bills either, even my driver that I have always used on every trip do not accept the old US bills. So the whole episode left a bitter taste. Eden is a 270 room hotel, the rooms are clinical, the breakfasts simple. As it is 5 stories high there is so much noise, the newer buildings are barely soundproofed. Also there is a stupid wall fog horn on the lower floor that emits piercing fake bird noise sounds continually.
Once we settled into Febris they were wonderful. It's a solid older resort yet we felt so safe. And the massages at Febris are wonderful!
A bit further down the road on Jl Kartika across the road from where the Vira Hotel is they are building a huge mall with a Hypermarket there.
Used Bali Brumby as my Tailor, Putu was fantastic.
My driver was fantastic too, their details are on the web danielinbali.com