Lelewatu Resort Sumba

The scenery is the best part of this beautiful property. The room was clean, well presented, and looked just like the booking photos. The staff were welcoming and always smiling. But the premium price felt hard to justify given the technical and service problems. Both the balcony door and the side door to the pool were stuck shut. I told a staff member, who came to look right away, but neither was fixed. I wasn’t offered a room change, only two free cocktails for the inconvenience. The Wi-Fi didn’t work at all overnight, and staff entered my private area to make repairs without asking first. Breakfast was disappointing, with ingredients that seemed low quality for the price. The front desk also wasn’t ready to provide basic change for guests. For a high-end property, these kinds of problems fall short of what I’d expect from an international luxury hotel.

My villa was spacious and clean, with a private pool and a beautiful ocean view. I stayed in the One Bedroom Pool Villa Ocean View, and it was a great place to relax. Dinner was good too. The F&B team were friendly, and my Chicken Kafir was delicious and generously portioned. The arrival and departure were both smooth thanks to the team. Mba Ayu at reception welcomed me warmly, helped me out, and personally showed me to the villa. At checkout, Mba Grace was kind and professional. Bang Adhy from the Driver & Guest Experience team escorted me and made leaving pleasant. I had a wonderful stay at Lelewatu Resort Sumba. The warm hospitality and service made it memorable. Highly recommended when visiting Sumba.

Sumba is stunning, and so is Lelewatu resort. The ocean view villa was honestly the best hotel room I’ve stayed in. Ayu and Nicolas were lovely.

Getting away from people was exactly what I wanted, and I didn’t need sightseeing options that would cost a fortune. I loved the view from the room, and the staff were so friendly, always smiling. They were great people, though not trained for the five-star, white-glove service the hotel suggests. That’s fine with me, but I think management should reset expectations around the five-star claim and reconsider the prices. I don’t think this should be called a five-star resort. The room only had a hand shower, and the house, pool, and access roads badly need maintenance. There were animal droppings on the wall. I didn’t mind on my first day, thinking that part had probably been missed, but expected them to be cleaned by day three. Sparks also came out of a socket whenever I switched off a light. Not an issue for what I wanted, but worth knowing: there’s no access to a swimming beach, and tours cost crazy amounts.