Jason2023
April 20, 2023
We came to Maua after our previous hotel cancelled within 24 hours of our arrival so trip.com organised a replacement. We hadn't looked at Penida but glad we ended up there as it was easier to visit the main island sights.
Firstly, the location has stunning volcano and sunset views. They were incredible.
The location as far as everything else goes however is only good if you do not need immediate access to a beach, bars, restaurants etc. There are a couple of homestay type restaurants within a 10 minute walk through what can only be described as a dirt track with many large, deep pot holes and puddles so get your hiking boots ready if you want to venture out. Everything else will need a taxi and they're expensive here. If you are happy to stay, eat and drink at the resort apart from day trips, the location is ideal.
The staff were excellent. Linda gave us a very efficient and helpful check-in. The restaurant was quite slow but Ayu really looked after us, making our dining experiences more special along with the other staff. They were always very busy so i can only assume they are understaffed because it wasn't full of guests. The food was very well presented and (apart from the lamb chop which was like an old boot) mostly good quality with a good variety of healthy and regular, tasty food options. The breakfast has so many options, it was really very good.
The Spa was good value and we had a very relaxing 150m treatment.
20 minute taxi ride from the harbour started at 250k. We negotiated the driver to 100k. Still more expensive than Thailand.
The price of food here is quite steep and they add 21% service/VAT which is more than what you pay on Bali island. If you take a cab (or walk if feeling adventerous) to Crystal Beach, they have great food/drink options at reasonable prices.
They have a no drone policy which is great, but be aware if they have wedding guests, you may have a drone flying over your 'private' pool/garden for a few hours which was very unsettling. After speaking to the manager, all was resolved quickly.
We hired a taxi driver to take us to all of the east and west island sights, price 900k for the whole day (start 10am, arrive back around 6.30pm).
All in all, this hotel is stunning and the rooms are great. The staff are simply excellent and we had a great experience on Penida. Thank you to the Maua staff for making the hotel a great place to stay.