Peaceful with a great value for money
- Standard Double Room at Crystal Beach Bali
Crystal Beach Bali is a 15 rooms hotel, rather atypical and with a very good value for money in Bali.
It is not situated right in Candidasa, but in Sengkidu (a small quiet and authentic village close to Candidasa), and oversees the Bali Sea. The place is very peaceful: the only background noise is the sound of the waves! Do not worry, you will still find some warungs and a convenience store nearby.
Why is this place atypical? For several reasons:
First of all, the hotel offers different types of accommodation.
During our stay and according to the current exchange rate, there were: beds in dormitories for women only (€3.8 i.e. IDR 65,000 a night!), double rooms (economical, standard, suite or one-bedroom-apartment: from €11.4 i.e. IDR 195,000 up to around €37.8 i.e. IDR 650,000), as well as rooms for 4 persons.
The rooms are located in 2 modern buildings (including one which is currently undergoing refurbishment, however, it did absolutely not disturb us).
The standard double room (23 m²) we had was well equipped: air conditioning, a fridge, a large bed, a flat screen and curtains (rather thick for once, which is rare in Bali). The bathroom is private and inside the room. It comprises a shower with hot water, towels and a set of toiletries (shower gel, shampoo and even toothbrushes and toothpaste). Housekeeping is made every day.
Then, the setting! Bordering the sea, the place is really nicely fitted out as an invitation to relaxation: solid wood double deckchairs (with a net that reduces the sunlight) and hammocks where you can laze around, swimming pool to cool down. It is even possible to snorkel right in front of the hotel!
Finally the hotel provides many services to ease the life of travellers, at no cost or a very reasonable one: direct access to the sea (dedicated stairs), free shuttle services to Candidasa, a few exterior power outlets, the possibility to use the laundry for only €0.3 i.e. IDR 5,000, scooters rental for €3.5 i.e. IDR 60,000 per day, one hour massages for €4.7 i.e. IDR 80,000 and on site restaurant with dishes for around €2.3 i.e. IDR 40,000. Everything is made to enhance your relaxation (and without breaking the bank) in good conditions despite the distance from Candidasa’s shops.
- Standard Double Room at Crystal Beach Bali
- The buffet style breakfast
The buffet style breakfast, available from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., is included in the price of the night. It offers Indonesian dishes (fried rice or noodles . . .), occidental products (bread and jam, cereals, doughnuts . . .) and soft drinks. We took advantage of this variety and went for diversity!
The staff is also nice, especially Annie, the manager (Indonesian) and we noticed it even before we arrived at the hotel! Her English is good and she often begins the conversation.
What nights did we spend?
- The lovely seafront
We slept very well at the Crystal Beach Bali. The bed is extremely comfortable and we were not awakened by any noise (neither animals nor scooters!). Breakfast was fair enough and so were the dishes we had at the restaurant, for a very reasonable price. Here, the tourist is not seen as a cash cow and we definitely appreciated it.
We absolutely loved our stay: tranquillity by the sea, pleasant swimming pool, cleanliness of the room, laundry for a very low price, the employees and the fair WIFI connection. According to us, the only downsides are the lack of cleanliness of the garden which was not ideal (trash found here and there) and the lack of finishing touch in several areas (nails without anything hanging, unfinished concrete visible in the room’s cupboard). These inconveniences will however not prevent us from coming back. And for only €19.5 i.e. IDR 335,000 per night (or even less for the double economic room or a bed in a dormitory!) it is legitimate to find a few weaknesses.