Kuta EcoStay

The hotel is a minute’s walk from busy legian street, and the service is top level. They also offer cheap laundry service. It’s a good location and a cheap hotel, if you can put up with the smell of mold. There was a lot of moisture in the room, with visible mold on the walls, and the smell hit every time I walked in. Another problem was other guests making noise while people were trying to sleep. They talked on speakerphone all night, and their voices made it impossible to sleep on two of the three nights I stayed. At 1 o’clock one morning, I had to ask a guy to be more thoughtful of other people at that late hour.

The shower kept swinging from scalding hot to freezing every few seconds, and the Wi-Fi barely worked in either room. We could connect to the router, but there was no internet except in one corner where a few people sometimes got a signal. Check-in was another problem: although we’d told the manager when we’d arrive, we waited 40 minutes for someone to come. Then we were told our reserved room wasn’t available and we’d have to move after the first night. The first room had no fridge, despite one being included in our reservation, and we found a lot of dead cockroaches under the bed. Sharing this in case it helps others decide.

We spent a week at Ecostay and were really pleased with it. It has a lovely family-run feel, and the staff were accommodating. They arranged a taxi for day trips when we needed one, and did our laundry twice. The beach was about a 10-minute walk away, with a 7 eleven nearby and plenty of good restaurants close by. We also liked that it was away from the hustle and bustle. The price was right too. Give it a try, I doubt you’ll regret it.

The host was super friendly and helpful, and the room was clean with a towel provided. Everything’s within walking distance, which made the location ideal. The Wi-Fi wasn’t steady and the aircon didn’t cool very well, but it was still a great place for a few days.