Ananda Resort Seminyak
Jl. Laksamana No.1001X, Seminyak, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
right in the heart of the Seminyak dining and shopping village.
Joyce and I had been in Ubud for the proceeding week enjoying the sights and sounds of the Forest, the mountains and touring around with our new found friends from Canada who we had met by chance at the Ubud market. (See Blog abut Walter Spies ) to be publishes soon
We'd spent the morning proceeding Nyepi in Ubud, and what we thought would be a quick drive from Ubud down to Seminyak ended up taking about 4 hours because every village we passed through we had to stop and wait for the local celebrations of the Ogah Ogah procession to pass by. ( refer to previous blog about Nyepi )
Each Village takes their Ogah Ogah statues to the major cross roads delineating north. south, east and west, places the statues there and then proceeds to create a storm of sound, using gongs, saucepans, bamboo sticks, whatever makes a loud sound, to ward off the evil spirits of that final year and welcome the evening of silence that comes at midnight and stays till the following midnight.
By the time we finally arrived in Seminyak it was mid afternoon.. We arrived at our hotel and the thought of a relaxing beverage was enticing, especially as the two for one cocktail offer had just begun.!
The reception area of the hotel that had once been a five star many years ago still had the grace of an aging monarch, although slightly run down.
The restaurant and main dining area opened up onto the street for passing trade.
The restaurant and most of the hotel was decorated in a "Balinese style" or as some call Neo Colonial Dutch. Many of the tables were Marble, the light fittings generally styled on milky glass and bronze, with an antique colonial look, the floors and furniture, polished teak, ( so you know the hotel is older, as most modern builds in Bali do not now use as much expensive wood and what is now classed as rainforest wood for their new constructions.
The pool was massive, with swim up bar, that was only attended by staff ate afternoons for happy hour, and surprisingly , the whole Nyepi day, as there was no where else for the foreign guests to go, as you were not allowed to leave the hotel, or wander the streets. You had to stay inside your hotel grounds for the day, or risk being herded back by the "Temple Police" The pool was surrounded in pale sandstone, that had once been glorious, but again had seen better days. On that particular day, there was not a deck chair, beach lounge or even a cushion on the Cabana floor left to sit or read and enjoy the sun.
On first glance, the hotel still retained the faded glory of its past, once a 5 star hotel set miles away from anywhere, with huge acres of luxurious gardens, sold off over the years to provide hat is now the modern street scape of Seminyak, and the main shopping and restaurant strip of the area.
The rooms consisted of "cabins" or bungalow" which had once been self sufficient with stoves and fridges with a small kitchen built outside the lock up bedrooms, reminiscent of early Balinese homes built for foreigners to live. The Bungalows consisted of two "floors" or suites, upper and lower. In their haydays these suites would have been magnificent. now they are a faded reminder of what they once were. The rooms are clean, but basic. The plumbing has seen better days, and the once polished marble floors and bathrooms are chipped and faced, leaks abound in most rooms, and plumbing noises can be heard if your downstairs or upstairs neighbours use their bathrooms during the night. The air-con was surprisingly good, but the sweet sounds of silence , especially in the rooms bungalows located to the left side of the property where a huge car park is located on the other side of the dividing fence, where the Jalan Laksamana "GLITERATTI " parked their Hire Cars and Drivers, whilst dining at any of the well known restaurants located on this street, did note bode well for a good nights sleep. Generally the noise lasted well into the early hours, as Balinese drivers revved their engines hard, to make up for their small physical statue, and attract the attentions of local girls selling snacks and street food for them whilst their clients dined on meals that cost them a months salary nearby.
As you can see the Balinese inspired architecture mixed with its Dutch colonial attributes makes for pleasant and peaceful surroundings during the day.
Enjoying and early morning by the pool
Having said all of these things about the hotel, Would I stay there again? Well I have, several times, Why? you might ask, well the rooms at the very back of the hotel on the right hand side, are far superior to any nearer the front, Yes its a walk, but the bathrooms are in much better condition, the rooms are twice the size, you could put a family of 6 in one easily if there were enough beds in the rooms, they have a sunken bath a large stained glass window in the bathroom suite, a dressing room and make up desk with enough closet space again for a large family, and the rooms are cheap by Foreign standards.
If you've come to Bali to eat drink and sit by the pool, and do nothing else, this hotel is right where you want to be.You walk out the front door, and literally all the restaurants in that street and surrounding streets have great reviews, Not just good reviews, but consistently world class food reviews. What you save on you hotel costs, you can spend on dining out !
