Marina Villa in Seminyak

This was my third stay, and I’m not looking elsewhere now. Each villa has its own pool and a spot to sunbathe. The place is clean, and the design, layout, and decor all feel very carefully thought through. It’s in a quiet part of Seminyak but within walking distance of the beach, restaurants, and trendy bars. I’m glad I found it, and I’ll be back.

We had trouble getting around with our luggage because the villa is at the end of a street and cars can’t go farther. Its location was just so-so. The staff were friendly and tried to help, but couldn’t make the stay feel better. We stayed seven nights as three friends and arrived to find the villa old and run down, with limited, outdated facilities compared with similar places in Bali. The rooms were clean, but we had to ask a couple of times for cleaning and fresh sheets. The overall atmosphere didn’t feel very inviting.

The staff were generally lovely, and our driver was too. The pool was a good size and there was plenty of space, and some other features were nice. Still, for the price, we were disappointed not to get what we were promised. The photos were very misleading, even after I messaged to ask for exact pictures of the pink villa. A large bath was one of the main reasons I chose it, but it had been filled in and nobody could explain what happened. People walked in several times after being asked to wait. The host took a while to answer messages, the hot water ran out mid-trip, and each person only had one thin pillow. Airport drop-off wasn’t included, only pickup, even though we were promised both.

We were asked to leave in the middle of the night. The owners take the money upfront so you can’t change your mind after arriving, but then seem to take no responsibility for guests. The villas sit deep in narrow lanes with no lights, cars can’t get in properly, and there’s no security or caretaker. This was an extremely unprofessional experience, and I felt cheated. Don’t get caught in the villa’s trap.