Pakels Bali Villas

We weren’t expecting much for the price, but it turned out to be worth it. Being able to bring our dog, Dastan, made the stay more enjoyable. Good value, especially when traveling with a pet.

The rooms are huge, with a comfy bed and good AC. I especially liked the upstairs patio and balcony areas, and the shower was good. We were surprised when bugs suddenly swarmed the room and bathroom right after we showered. They gave us bug spray and the bugs disappeared instantly. The pool area is nice, although it didn’t feel very private because staff seemed to be watching from the cafe/bar. Breakfast could be better, maybe two slices of toast and two pancakes, but for the price I can’t complain. The hotel also arranged a really early taxi for us to the ferry, which was two hours away. A lovely place for a couple of days.

When I arrived, I found bed bugs in the room and told the host right away. We were offered the room next door, but it also showed clear signs of bed bugs, with black stains visible everywhere. Since I’m traveling with a backpack, I didn’t want to risk it and decided to leave. After we moved out of the first room, the hotel gave that same infested room to new arrivals without dealing with the problem. When I asked for a refund, the host reacted very aggressively and refused any compensation. It was a very disappointing stay, with questionable cleanliness and unprofessional management. I don’t recommend it if you care about your health and belongings.

Edit: My girlfriend went down to order breakfast. I came down 20 minutes later and ordered food with tea. Somehow only the tea got prepared. I said, “room 12,” pointed at the menu, and said, “and this, number 2.” I just can’t comprehend this kind of (choose a word). Absolutely awful. Nowhere else is this bad, and I’ve been in Bali for almost 3 weeks. There’s plenty to do, but nobody seems to be managing this place. Every time I walk through, the employees are sitting or lying around staring at their phones. The food was good, but nobody collected the dishes. Staff speak almost no English, and ordering a drink meant everyone trying to figure out how to make one of the few drinks on the menu. The drinks came half full. The pool table is broken and missing half its balls, and there’s zero discipline. The corner of the pool had hundreds of little things floating in it. I saw what looked like dead fish in a clear bag near chairs covered with bugs, and a dirty chair had part of a dead fish on it, so I had to turn over the seat cushion. People see all this, and customers become fewer. I don’t want to eat or swim here because the whole property feels neglected. Clean it and fix everything. Fewer customers means less work. It’s awful to see, especially here.