Heritaz Villa Ella

The rooms and balconies are huge, and the location is right in the centre. Breakfast was generous, with coffee, juice, bread, eggs, and roti, and the Wi-Fi worked fine. The TV didn't work, but the caretaker brought us a kettle when we asked. I think the place needs more promotion because it deserves better than a 3.5 rating.

At the massage place Ella New Suwamedura, my family of 6 had a disappointing visit. Five of us had a bad experience, and just 1 found the service acceptable. They promised professional massages and said everyone was good. We asked for a foot massage without lying flat, and they said chairs were available, but the seats were makeshift chairs that seemed intended for waiting customers, not proper massage chairs. They used stools to prop up our feet, and the holes in them pressed painfully into our heels throughout the session. Instead of relaxing, the massage was uncomfortable. We'd been told our package included a hot towel or compress. When we asked after the massage, they said it was supposed to happen during the foot wash at the start. But there was no hot towel or compress, just soapy water. We suggested adding cushions to the chairs, but staff barely acknowledged the feedback. Communication was hard partly because of the language barrier, and it also seemed they weren't willing to accept what we told them. Only after we kept expressing our disappointment did they offer everyone "another 5 minutes of professional service." That left us wondering whether they considered the original service professional at all, despite repeatedly saying "good massage, good massage" to persuade us to go ahead. The whole thing felt misleading and poorly handled.

We were happy with the family room: it was a good size, spotlessly clean, and had a very comfortable bed, a comfortable chair, and a balcony. The staff were pleasant and helpful, and breakfast was good, with pancakes, eggs, toast, and fruit. For the price, the hotel is good value, and we'd stay again if we were in Ella on a budget. It could get loud at night and in the morning when chairs scraped across the floor upstairs. Smoke from a fire at another property behind us also drifted into the bathroom each day, though it wasn't a huge issue.

For the price, this is a nice hotel with clean rooms. We could watch lots of monkeys in the trees from our balcony. Special thanks to Niroshen, who made us a really tasty breakfast.