Gerke House

The only drawback for us was being a little way from the city centre. We had a scooter, though a taxi is an option too. For a reasonable price, this was one of the best hotels we stayed at in Indonesia, and I’d definitely recommend it. Gerke hotel had clean rooms, a lovely garden, and helpful, cheerful staff. The room had plenty of space for our things and a desk, and the aircon worked really well. Breakfast was delicious.

We had planned to stay for a month, but left after just one day. The place is cheap, which is about the only good thing I can say. Our room was dirty and full of insects, and the host only said “Hi” before disappearing. If guests are planning a month there, the least you’d expect is someone showing them around and checking that they’re comfortable. The Airbnb photos are heavily touched up, too. The place doesn’t look like that in real life.

We booked for a month and ended up leaving after one night. The room was far below what the listing and photos suggested, and the whole property felt run down. The bed was awful, with a thin, squeaky mattress and such poor bedding that I folded the pillow in four to support my head. There was almost nowhere to store things, just a tiny closet with two hangers for a double room intended for a long stay. Ants crawled around the room, especially near and perhaps from the AC above the bed. I know it’s an island in the jungle, but we stayed elsewhere nearby without this pest problem, so the climate doesn’t explain it. The bathroom was especially bad: dirty, stained shower walls, a rusty floor, a shower control clogged with dirt and limescale, and mold on the ceiling, all of which we photographed. It was uncomfortable even to shower there once. The internet connection was very poor, too. A dryer was listed along with a washing machine, and that was one of the main reasons we chose this place for a month. When we asked, the host seemed surprised and suggested air-drying clothes instead. That isn’t the same as having a dryer. We found another place ourselves, which was fortunate because Airbnb took a week to process our complaint. We received only part of our money back, so we lost out. Even the one night’s breakfast took an hour, though we’d ordered only two bowls of yogurt with fruit and granola. While we waited, other guests were loud and their child played a movie at full volume on a tablet, while staff did nothing. The host wasn’t welcoming and barely spoke to us beyond giving her name, Ekaterina. She didn’t explain how things worked, and when we had to seek her out about missing appliances, parking, and using the main door at night, she seemed uninterested in our questions. The whole interaction felt very awkward, not like a “superhost” experience. There’s plenty more I could say about how much the place needs cleaning and updating to match its dressed-up photos, but it’s a waste of time. I strongly recommend finding somewhere else in Bali. We learned that the hard way and lost money.

Made and his family have made Gerke House feel like a little paradise in Bali. It’s an unusual, wonderful oasis and a great place to settle in if you want a relaxed retreat. They look after you so well that you’ll want to return again and again. Incredible!