River Sakti Resort

The pool view and rooms made the stay worthwhile, and the hotel itself is amazing, breakfast included. Getting there was the hard part: the road was closed, Grab and Gojek weren’t allowed, and our driver couldn’t reach the hotel. We had trouble getting clear information from the hotel, so ended up walking about 20 minutes at night with our luggage. Ask ahead about the best route in.

The balcony and infinity pool both have lovely views, and you can order a floating breakfast at the pool. It’s a quieter spot with better views, about a 5-10 minute motorbike ride from the centre. We heard what sounded like a mouse outside our room on the first night, which scared us, but that can happen in the jungle; the staff kindly offered to move us. They were incredibly helpful throughout. Daily cleaning, slippers, robes, fresh towels and toiletries were provided, and they can arrange scooter rental or a massage too. We’d definitely come back.

We came to Indonesia from 12,000 km away and spent a month travelling around the country. This hotel was the biggest disappointment of the trip. Our family of four had booked two rooms, but we were assigned rooms on the lowest level, below the pool. The property runs down in levels from the street toward the river Sakti, and the rooms lower down had a strong sewage smell and mold, possibly from poor plumbing and the high humidity. It was almost impossible to sleep or spend time in the rooms, so we stayed outside most of the time. We thought about finding somewhere else in Ubud, but it was peak season and options were limited. We told staff and asked to change rooms, but all the higher rooms were occupied. They tried to help, though the smell got worse at night. We also asked for a partial refund because the rooms weren’t suitable to stay in, but the owner or management dismissed the request. The owner/management were non-Indonesian and seemed indifferent to our concerns. We had missed some reviews about these problems before booking, and I’m sharing this so others know what to consider.

All the rooms look out over the pool and jungle, and the setting is beautiful. There’s also a shared seating space where you can relax or use the kitchen. Our room was clean and nicely furnished, and the staff made us feel welcome. It’s around a 10-15 minute drive to central Ubud. I’d happily stay again.