Heliconia Villa

Our first trip to Bali so we didn’t really know what to expect, and were so happy that Heliconia Villa didn’t disappoint! The private pool was lovely, we spent a lot of time in there. The gardens are beautiful, it’s like being in paradise. The room itself was clean, well maintained and very comfortable. The bathroom had a double sink, a bath, shower, toilet. The bathroom has a very tropical feel with it being partially outdoor-ish, but still private and secure. The outdoor kitchen has a double gas burners, a fridge, water cooler and plenty of bench space if cooking is your thing. It wasn’t mine, so we only used it to dish up takeout! There is no oven or microwave. There is also a large outdoor lounge and a dining table. All of this is in a type of undercover patio. Very nice. Very thoughtfully there is also mosquito coils available and the first night a staff member came and lit for us. The areas of improvement are for me, the floors. Bali is a naturally wet environment and the floors throughout aren’t non slip, in fact are quite slippery, including the patio straight from the pool, and the bathroom. This was mitigated by towels and being careful, but some non slip tiles would be great. All up, we loved it and it was an amazing place to stay. So close to great massage places, restaurants and bars, ATMs and a pharmacy. Staff were so lovely, friendly and helpful. They also organised a really wonderful driver for us to and from the airport and who also drove us around when we wanted to go out and about. Will definitely go back when we go back to Bali!

Where to begin… firstly the reception area, if you can call it that, is a run down open concrete space more akin to a laundry than a welcoming space for a nice villa. This should be your cue to turn around and find somewhere else to stay, or you can make our mistake and check in anyway… Be warned, the photographs make the the place look beautiful and are extremely misleading if the dump-hole Villa 2 is anything to go by. The facility is tired, grubby and run down to put it mildly. The outside kitchen isn’t somewhere you would ever want to cook a meal unless sudden weight loss is your bag. The outside seating and pool area has mildew decorated walls with a crumbling fountain and blinds you don’t want to touch and the lounger’s delicately positioned in front of a crumbling, dirty concrete area which will do wonders for your kids immune system if you pop them in there for a play. At the back of the bedroom and it’s horrible dated furniture there is a dark weird pool with a couple of depressed carp who look like they would rather take their chances on the streets than be trapped there any longer. And then there’s the bathroom… which appears to have been modelled on a 1970’s truck stop public rest room, all that’s missing is a glory hole and a couple of crack ******* to give it the full ambience of the decor. Don’t try and stand under the shower if you are over 5’8” because that’s as high as it goes, might want to think about wearing something on your feet as well. Not worth the money, not even close, should be priced at less than $100 per night to reflect what you get. We spent our hour there booking somewhere else and then left. Checking the reviews we are not the first people to do this. Very disappointing.

We stayed here for 6 nights as a couple wanting a peaceful private pool villa with easy access to cafes/restaurants and transport. The villa is beautiful, spacious and fantastic value for money. Staff are friendly and we were able to check in after 11pm. There was a turn down service nightly, pool towels and lounger chairs, and umbrellas for the rain showers. It is a super quiet spot down a driveway with all sorts of flowers and tropical fare. Right outside there is a multitude of cafes, restaurants, pharmacy across the road and a couple of convenience stores less than 5 mins walk away. It is still walking distance to Seminyak beach, next door there are massage places and taxis/scooter rides without pre booking can happen as soon as you go outside. An ‘easy’ place to book for a relaxed holiday and can definitely recommend.