Tiara Guest House Ubud

I spent the last three months at Tiara Guest House and was very happy there. The rooms were really good, and the staff are the best in Bali. Thanks for making those three months so comfortable :)

I came here while attending a purification ceremony nearby. The rice fields around the property make it a peaceful place to slow down. My room was bigger than I expected, especially since I usually stay in hostels. It was very clean, with lots of fresh towels, good water pressure and temperature, and a mini fridge for food and drinks. There’s a kitchen with plenty of utensils and somewhere to eat, plus a long, narrow pool that’s nice for swimming and a shared TV and sofa area. Getting there is the drawback. You can only be dropped on the main road, then take a narrow, unpaved entrance path that bikes can use. With large checked bags you may need to carry them to the entrance, and in the rain the path gets muddy.

I left a night early because I didn’t feel safe coming back after dark. Cars can only get as far as a quiet road, then there’s an isolated, dark, bushy footpath. As a solo female traveller, that didn’t work for me. The rooms, building, and view are nice, but the doors are so low I hit my head every time I went through one. I’ve got a bruise. The place may still be finding its feet: staff were friendly but not always around when I needed help, breakfast was difficult to arrange, and at first I was told water wasn’t provided. It was also exceptionally noisy, despite being surrounded by rice fields. When I left early, the owner first said there’d be no refund, then said he’d “try,” and later offered to refund me if I gave them a “good review.” That felt icky. In the end, he gave me a partial refund.

Bad owner and bad vibes. I wouldn’t recommend it. We stayed one night and moved straight on. The place was noisy and dirty, with three construction sites and one production nearby making constant sawing and drilling sounds. The access road is very narrow and usually dirty, and the swimming pool is tiny and dirty too. There are plenty of better places for the same price.