Penida Green Palm Cottage

We didn’t stay longer than ten minutes. The room was full of flies and mosquitoes when we arrived, and the open bathroom had them too, along with a frog. We checked out and found somewhere else that cost half as much and was incomparably better. We’d already paid in full, but when we asked for a refund they refused and told Booking that we hadn’t shown up, so we couldn’t leave a rating there. We’ve traveled for quite a while and never had this happen. I’d never book here. It has a high rating, and I really don’t know how.

The service was good, and the price for the quality was reasonable, though this wasn’t the best hotel I stayed at in Bali. Breakfast was a lot, with around four dishes, so thanks, but it was more than my friends and I could manage. The mosque can be heard at 04:00 and 06:00, and there isn’t a quiet place to sleep. For me, the location wasn’t great either: it’s a 15-minute walk from the harbour if you arrive from Bali, and walking there at night doesn’t feel good.

The host was awesome and really friendly. We had a great stay, the room was great, and the swimming pool was awesome. Special mention for the fantastic breakfast. A must-stay.

The sewage smell was the main problem. It came from the bathroom but spread through the whole room and was so strong it was hard to stay inside. Staff said it was “normal” for that room and suggested using the AC and ventilating it. We tried that and more, but the smell never went away. They only apologized, with no other solution. They shouldn’t sell a room with this problem, or should at least offer a real fix. There were other issues too: towels weren’t changed, the breakfast juice wasn’t fresh, and the coffee was pretty bad. One staff member was constantly walking around with a camera and often took pictures of guests without asking. Even trying to eat breakfast peacefully, despite the unbearable flies, or relax by the pool, you might have someone hovering nearby taking photos. It wasn’t worth the price, and I don’t recommend it.