Bali Beach Cottages
The (really) standard bungalow
Amarta Beach Cottages is a mid-range hotel with around 12 bungalows, situated in Sengkidu (next to Candidasa).
Overlooking the Bali sea, the place is very quiet: the only thing we can hear is the sound of the waves! Do not worry; you will still be able to find a few warungs and a convenience store nearby.
During our stay and according to the current exchange rate, the price per night was about €26.2 (IDR 400, 000) for standard bungalows and from €32.7 (IDR 500, 000) to €52.4 (IDR 800, 000) for superior bungalows.
The hotel is equipped with a swimming pool overlooking the sea; it has a lovely and well-maintained garden a nicely decorated restaurant as well as a spa (with two small massage corners in the garden). When it comes to services, there is the opportunity to rent bikes and book transportation.
According to a few guides and websites, it seemed to be good value for money. We however were extremely disappointed!
The room
Our 25 m² standard bungalow had two (old and creaking) bamboo single beds, a ceiling fan, a mosquito net, a terrace overlooking the swimming pool and the sea and a bathroom, outside, with two towels and two soaps.
The room was very dark, old-fashioned, the (awful) beside lamps were completely rusted and the walls entirely stained: absolutely no care was put into the room maintenance, except for the cleaning of the floors. The bed sheets were even holed and stained. The bathroom was also in poor condition: when was the last time they cleaned the glass support?
The hotel services
Everything was expensive: from the restaurant (however very nicely decorated), to the spa (the massages are around 3 times more expensive than at the nearby accommodations! As a result, we did not see anyone getting a massage!). Likewise, no free shuttle was available to reach Candidasa, unlike at the Crystal Beach Bali.
Other downside: the WIFI. A disaster! It was instable, long and regularly failing.
By contrast, the staff was pleasant and nice.
The breakfast
Breakfast is served at the hotel’s restaurant. It comprises a hot drink, a fruit salad and one dish to choose from a selection (banana pancake, eggs with two slices of bread with homemade jam . . .) While breakfast was certainly tasty (especially the homemade bread and jams), it was too light, and most importantly, there was no option for an Indonesian breakfast. Actually, yes it was possible but only “à la carte”: €3.3! (IDR 50, 000). By the way, in which country are we, again???
The nice seafront Breakfast at Amarta Beach CottagesWhat nights did we spend?
Despite all these downsides, we slept rather well in this hotel, cradled by the sound of the waves.
You will have realised that, with exception made of the good nights of sleep we spent there, we did not really enjoy our stay at the Amarta Beach Cottages. The swimming pool and the garden are certainly well maintained, however in our opinion, this hotel is over-promoted. The standard bungalows are rather disappointing (is it also the case for the superior ones and the suites?); they suffer a considerable lack of maintenance. It would have been appropriate to maintain the rooms with the same enthusiasm they put into the garden!
Our verdict:Bad value for money for the standard bungalows: nice setting but real lack of maintenance (old-fashioned and neglected bungalow). You can find much cheaper nearby. We do not recommend this hotel. Best checking out the Crystal Beach Bali only a 300 m walk from there!
