Expat Living Singapore

September 2005

Hotel Watch BALI p. 126

Rates from US$150
Star rating: 5 stars (villas)
Bellhop rating: 3.88
Murnis Villas Kunang Kunang

Murnis Villas offer you a Balinese home with modern conveniences, in breathtaking surroundings. As there are only two villas, each with traditional Balinese furnishings, guests can relax in the utmost privacy of their own beautiful environment, filled with lotus ponds, temples and rice barns. Personalized service is on hand, including authentic Balinese food delivered to your villa, and guided walks around the property (should you get tired of dipping in the infinity pool). A luxurious retreat located 20 minutes north of Ubud. Recommended for those who want nothing more than to escape to peace and quiet.

Rates from US$83
Star rating: 4 stars
Bellhop rating: 4.00
Hard Rock Hotel Bali

Being handed a stage pass as a keycard to the Hard Rock hotel Bali (HRH) is your welcome to a most unusual experience on the Island of the Gods. The rooms are nothing to rave about, but they are very big, modern, and comfortable. What catches your eye is the use of pop culture references in fixtures such as door signs, including I hear you knockin, but you cant come in; and on matchbooks printed with Cmon baby, light my fire! For recreation, HRH boasts the largest lagoon-shaped pool in Bali, a spa and a gym, along with a recording studio in case you feel the urge to make a CD! Not for luxury seekers, nor for those who want a truly Balinese feeling, but perfect for the young (and young at heart) rock n roller!

Rates from US$44
Star rating: 3 stars
Bellhop rating: 3.96
Green Garden Beach Resort and Spa

Checking in at the restaurants second level might seem an unusual start to your stay at Green Garden. The resort, however, is one of those places in which you have to scratch the surface in order to unearth a gem! The rooms, with their tiled floors, heavy, dark wooden furnishings and black leather lounges, have something of a European feeling. The balcony has a table and chairs and looks onto the U-shaped pool. Clean and very spacious, the resort is designed for couples; there is a window between the bathroom and the bedroom, and a huge triangular bathtub though, at a pinch, this could probably accommodate three! The three-storey open-air Green Garden restaurant looks like a huge treehouse; there are birds in cages that hang from the branches, chatting up customers. It is not a large resort, but, especially at this price, its quality makes up for its relative smallness.