Satriya Cottage

The breakfast buffet was a highlight, with lots of choices each morning: juice, croissants, buns and sliced bread, muffins, eggs, sautéed sausages, baked vegetables, pasta or noodles, cut fruit and salads. If you’re Hindu, ask whether a dish contains beef. They’ll tell you, since it can be hard to know if ground beef has been added to vegetables, pasta or noodles. We had a comfortable, clean, well-kept Superior room on the ground floor, right in front of the main pool. It had the basics, including 24-hour hot water, tea and coffee, a locker and a large umbrella for Bali’s sudden rain. There was a shower but no tub. The pool was clean, and the poolside bar was good. Just be aware the main pool is 3 mtrs (9 ft) deep, so it could be a problem if you aren’t a strong swimmer. The kids pool is 3 ft deep, and the area by the bar is 4 ft deep. There’s another pool at the back in the extension, though we didn’t visit it. The garden was beautiful, with lots of trees and clearly well maintained. The hotel staff were polite and offered welcome drinks when we arrived. They were artificially flavoured and didn’t taste very good, but the gesture was nice. Daily room cleaning was provided, and the front door is very close to the beach and market. From the back door of the extension, the road behind the hotel takes you close to local restaurants and discos. The tourist desk was the one part I didn’t like. The man there had a bad attitude. We asked to rent a scooty and he quoted double the normal price. When we asked him to reconsider, he taunted us for bargaining. We rented one at the market outside instead. The market is right in front, so everything was easy to find.

We booked four nights but left after the first because the place was far below the standard we expected. The rooms smelled, felt old and weren’t pleasant to stay in. They only had physical keys, and staff wouldn’t give us the second key we really needed. They were also unhelpful when we tried to change our booking. There are much better places nearby for less money. I wouldn’t stay here again.

Clean modern rooms, a clean pool and friendly staff. The hotel is near the beach, right in the heart of Kuta. Breakfast was delicious, with plenty of local and Western options.

Satriya Cottages is right in the heart of Kuta, steps from the beach, shops and restaurants, but it still felt serene and peaceful. The staff were welcoming and always greeted us with warm smiles. They paid attention to the small details and were happy to help with anything we needed, which made the stay comfortable from start to finish. It’s a great mix of convenience, comfort and genuine Balinese hospitality. I’d happily recommend it, and can’t wait to come back.