Sanur Beach Villas - Reviews - Bali

I ended up staying at the Sanur Beach Villa by accident. Having already made (confirmed and paid for) reservations at another hotel in Sanur, I got wind of this beautiful, small resort after I received an email from its owner, Ron Hope. Ron had responded to my post in the bali.com travel forum, where I had asked for help on places to see and things to do in Sanur.
It didn't take long for me to change my sights and settle for this quiet, private resort, after checking out the website! I couldn't believe the price, for starters (under USD30 for a superior room and USD60 or so for a two-bedroom villa), and the pics of the rooms and the surroundings were enough to get me on the phone with BloodyRon (his nick on the bali.com forum) and booked a room for two nights! Normally, I try not to get duped by pictures of a hotel or resort, but decided in this case, to throw caution to the wind. The pictures of the resort on the website were very inviting! Just a day before my flight, I confirmed my reservations and also got Ron's help to arrange for an airport pickup.
The day I arrived, I couldn't find my ride, amongst the gazillion names being displayed by the numerous agents who were there to pick up their guests. I gave up after ten minutes and called Ron to ask if my pick up had arrived and who I should look out for. He described who I should be looking for, and I finally found him. Twenty minutes later, I arrive at the villa, to be greeted by a bald, stocky Australian who looked to be in his early fifties. It was Ron, in his sleeveless tee shirt and shorts, who welcomed me. He led the way to my room, then invited me to join him for a few beers once I settled in. Not wanting to be rude, I said yes, but not before I checked out my room and bath.
The room was lovely! Two twin beds, neatly made, with a face and bath towel tastefully folded, was left for each occupant. There was a tv and a DVD/CD player. The mini bar was stocked with sodas and a couple of bottles of local Bintang beer. The wardrobe doors were made of woven rattan, and fitted in well with the interior. The only minus was a missing rug or small carpet for the tiled floor which could get really cold once the aircon was turned on. But my favorite was the bathroom! A large bathtub built in to the bathroom with shower overhead, overlooks a little garden with an electric lamp, which is surrounded by an ivy covered wall. I'd never seen anything like it. And I couldn't believe I was paying such a great price for this luxury.
Each room has a verandah which overlooks the pool. The pool in turn is surrounded by trees and plants which gives one as much privacy as possible. That, and it keeps you cool in the humid Bali weather.
After enjoying my tour of the room, I head out to the poolside to join Ron for a few rounds of Bintang beer, said to contain more alcohol than the average European beer! We get better acquainted and Ron tells me a little bit about the guests that he had staying in his resort. I later had the opportunity to meet most of the guests who stayed at the villa at the time, and we became fast friends.
After hanging around for a couple more hours, I took my leave and retreated to my room where I crashed until the next morning.
Breakfast is included in the room rate per night. You can choose to join the other guests by poolside for breakfast or have on the verandah of your room. Ron's wife, Irma, prepares the excellent breakfast, from the menu presented.
I can go on and on about the resort - how quiet and peaceful it is which in turn provides one with the privacy needed, how lovely and cool the weather is outside thanks to the shady trees that surround the place, add to that the great accommodation and gorgeous bathroom!
But having Mr Hope and his wife make you feel so at home when you're a guest at the resort, is the BIG plus point. His wonderful hospitality and genuine concern for the well being of his guests is enough to make you want to stay in Bali for as long as possible.
Another thing to remember is that Ron deals in cash. If you do run out of money and can only pay him via credit, he'll be happy to make those payment arrangements. Unfortunately, I forgot about those arrangements until it was late in the night, so agreed to pay him in cash instead. I got nervous when I found out that I was a little short, but Ron just waved my worries away and joked that the next time I return, I can arm wrestle him to settle that debt!!
If you're a solo traveller, I highly recommend staying at Ron Hope's Sanur Beach Villas!! He'll make you feel right at home, and introduce you to other guests that may end up taking you with them on their tours of the island, as well as dinner and drinks later!!
IF you're planning on staying on Sanur beachin Bali, think about staying at Ron's "home"!