Peninsula Bay Resort

We loved the pools, and there are so many to choose from, with lots of space and chairs to sit around. The rooms were great, and the staff were lovely. Breakfast was amazing too. The hotel sits right on the bay in a quiet spot just off the main road, about a 10-minute walk or 2-minute shuttle ride away. Don't be put off by the other reviews about timeshares. It is a timeshare hotel, but that didn't affect our stay. No one asked us about an opportunity to buy in. We did say it would be a fab place to invest in someday because we liked it so much, and we plan to stay again.

Don't go, they're scammers! There is a legitimate resort, but they approach English-speaking tourists, especially couples, and ask them to “view the new resort to help promote” it, with a free taxi there and back. They hand you a “lucky dip” voucher, which they open and say can only be redeemed at the resort. One person in the couple gets T-shirts, while the other gets the “top prize” of 10m idr, an iPad mini, or a luxury holiday within 2 years. It makes sense why they target couples, since it seems everyone gets one of each prize. They ask for way too much information. When “Bonny” approached us, we said we were only going to the shop with a little cash and had nothing else with us. He assured us that was fine. At the resort, though, they wanted to see our passports. Luckily, I had Grab on my phone and a signal, so I could order a taxi and get the hell out of there. We also saw other holidaymakers going through the same thing. There is no prize. If you're thinking of staying there, I'd avoid it, because that lets them keep scamming tourists. This needs shutting down!

AVOID!!! I wish I'd looked into it more, because I fell for the scam. As a member, you're treated worse than if you'd simply booked on booking.com. The hotel itself is nice, and the wait staff are lovely, but there's no way out of the timeshare. They brush you off or ignore you. What I was promised when I bought in was very different from the actual experience, and I travel to Bali regularly.

They use local people on the streets of Kuta to target tourists, especially couples, while pretending they aren't selling anything. They'll hand out raffle tickets, and somehow one person wins first prize, either an iPad, 10 million idr, or a week's stay at the resort, while the other gets T-shirts. The catch is that you have to go right away in a free taxi. Don't go. We didn't, and I expect they'll try to sell you something without giving you a prize. Shame on you for bothering tourists like this.