Review of Hotel The Samaya Seminyak, Bali
Great accommodation, awesome setting & friendly staff:
In Bali’s upmarket beach town of Seminyak our couple’s choice for a three-day stay fell on The Samaya Seminyak. The hotel is very conveniently located, directly on the ocean and walkable to many restaurants and shops. Before being able to enter the hotel’s grounds, our car had to go through a strict control to make sure we did not carry explosives. We did not mind because it was for good reason. Once admitted, the general manager personally introduced himself to us, and a female butler led us to our room, a One-Bedroom Royal Pavilion.
My husband and I had encountered quite a number of luxurious accommodations, but this one really produced a wow effect. The Royal Pavilion is located beachside, has a huge private pool and a gazebo with a daybed and a dining area, and this surrounded by luscious tropical greenery. The interior is separated in three areas: the biggest bathroom/change area I have ever seen, a bedroom and a living room, all luxuriously equipped in a modern style.
In short, we found the guest room absolutely amazing! Its outdoor area is walled, as it is the case for all the accommodations onsite. While this provides a lot of privacy, you have no views at all, either from the room nor from the pool area. That’s a pity, given the fact that you have an absolutely fabulous vista of the sea and the hotel pool once you open the garden gate of your Royal Pavilion. And you pay extra for this location, of course.
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| Royal Pavilion in the background, hotel pool and garden in the front |
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| Private pool and outdoor area of Royal Pavilion |
Apart from the main complex – where our accommodation was located – there is also another one, named Royal Courtyard. It is across the road, a bit away from the front row, accessible either by foot or by buggy. As we had a late departure on our last day, we generously were granted a villa here. While it is also nice, it is a bit away from everything. I personally would opt for a room in the main complex by the beach.
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| Bathroom/change area of Royal Pavilion |
Food
There are two restaurants onsite, “Breeze” in the main complex and “Brasserie” at the Royal Courtyard. “Breeze” is open all day, the other one only in the evening. We only tried out the former. The meals are served here right on the beach, which is great. You hear the sound of the crashing waves and breathe in air that is tangy with salt.
The breakfast was good, served à la carte only, in large portions. In the afternoon, there is a complimentary afternoon tea, a nice touch. Once we also had dinner at “Breeze”. While we had a pleasant meal, we did not consider the food as especially memorable. We liked the cuisine at the sister hotel in Ubud better.
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| Birthday cake, treat of hotel |
Staff
Staff is friendly, helpful and ready to cater for every need. However, the atmosphere was not as warm as it was the case at the sister hotel in Ubud. Yet that may also have been due to the bigger numbers of rooms. Furthermore, I have a remark to make to our female butler. She generally was eager to please, but unfortunately she made a lapse when showing us around in our room upon arrival. In fact, she did not take her shoes off on this occasion as it is common practice in Bali. This might be a small, but not insignificant misstep.
Overall, we had an enjoyable stay at this wonderfully located hotel. The room we had was out of this world. And the setting on the beach is gorgeous. Having said that, it is a pity that swimming in the ocean was not possible, at least when we were her in April. The waves were way too big. What we also disliked in Seminyak – not to blame the hotel – , was the traffic. It was a terrible chaos on the roads, and this at any time of the day. Most probably we will not return to this beach town.
Overall, we had an enjoyable stay at this wonderfully located hotel. The room we had was out of this world. And the setting on the beach is gorgeous. Having said that, it is a pity that swimming in the ocean was not possible, at least when we were her in April. The waves were way too big. What we also disliked in Seminyak – not to blame the hotel – , was the traffic. It was a terrible chaos on the roads, and this at any time of the day. Most probably we will not return to this beach town.
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| Hotel beach |
Date of stay: April 2014
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