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Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran, Indonesia [Master Thread]

Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran, Indonesia [Master Thread]

Old Mar 30, 2013, 3:25 am
  #46  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,748
Now for some fun things. The hotel is still 10-20% unfinished, so you can do a bit of exploring.

Here for your viewing pleasure, The Sky Villas, still under construction.















Some thoughts. Being on the roof, it is blisteringly hot. I got burnt in the 15-20mins I spent up there taking photos. The Villa is cooled by a single normal-sized airconditioner. I do wonder whether it will be adequate. Secondly, the jacuzzi has a skylight but there is no ventilation/air circulation. I guess you could use it as a sauna


And here are some pictures of the Penthouses. I couldn't get access to the rooms though I presume they are the same as the Aqua Studios, perhaps with one converted to a living room.







As you can see they are in an even more unfurnished state - only one seemed to be done and occupied. Access to the deck is through that little stairwell if you're occupying the Penthouse. But I got there by taking the elevator to the roof and then walking along the top of the building - there are little gates leading to each Penthouse deck.

Last edited by travelswithmyself; Mar 30, 2013 at 12:14 pm
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Old Mar 30, 2013, 3:31 am
  #47  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,748
Lastly, here are some snaps of the food, always the fun part of a trip







You have a choice of the usual buffet, AND an unlimited ala carte menu cooked ala minute. AND a drinks menu too. AND AND the Le Meridien Signature Breakfast menu common to all LeMs. How's that for variety?



Of course they can't all be roses. Food and drinks were prepared differently each day. Here are examples - the apple mojito, the "calypot lou su fun" (sp) which came in a claypot on day one and in a normal bowl on day two. And without meatballs. But the best part is, these are indonesian bakmi noodles, not cantonese lou shi fun noodles . But it tasted great nonetheless. The bottom one is the sticky rice piklets that had sauce one day and none the next.





At the bottom corner is the cake they gave me as a Plat (I think). It was calorie-laden and absolutely delicious

Last edited by travelswithmyself; Mar 30, 2013 at 12:20 pm
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Old Mar 30, 2013, 3:32 am
  #48  
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Awesome set of pictures. I cringed when I saw the proximity of the toilet to the sink. That's an accident waiting to happen. And the clear door between the bathroom and room - is it possible there is a switch to make it opaque? Otherwise, what were they thinking??

Amazing job on pictures with all the descriptions and labeling. Thank you so much for all the time you invested.
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Old Mar 30, 2013, 3:48 am
  #49  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,748
Comments from me...

1. The resort is like a little condo. A friend who stayed in the Intercon a few years ago told me he couldn't believe they managed to squeeze a hotel into the little strip of land that the LeM is built on. But I belive the GM has commented on Tripadvisor that they are going for the boutique hotel feel.

2. Because it's small, everything is a little less private. You can see into everyone's balcony, and part of the rooms, even from ground to 2nd level. The hotel was quiet while I was there, but I'm not sure how it will be when it's busier.

3. The gym and spa are likewise small - the gym was in a room about the size of a Lagoon View room.

4. The hotel is in it's soft-opening phase - so there is a lot of stuff that isn't up to scrach. Tiles have fallen off or are not glued. Pool lights are not functional. Rooms are missing small things - mine had no downlights in the bathroom shelves - just a piece of cardboard covering the hole. There was no hot water in the sink (but plenty in the shower). And if you walk around a bit you can see that quite a number of rooms are still being built. But none of that actually detracts from the stay, and the hotel is fine to stay in as-is.

5. I thought the wifi was very patchy though travelling companions had no issues. LeMJ has decided to go with access points with different IDs at different locations eg Lobby, Bedroom, Pool, and I found that switching from one to the next was not always seamless - there would be overlap of signal and the devices would not automatically switch to the stronger signal. They could have gone with one Wireless ID and just had repeaters in the whole resort. Worst part - zero signal in the toilet area - how am I supposed to update FB and FT that way! :P

6. The food was great IMO. I rank it better than the W (which has dropped in standard). Service was excellent too. We recognised quite a few staff who were from the W so perhaps that's why everything felt very much like W-lite.

7. There isn't all that much to see, do and eat in Jimbaran, and I wasn't impressed with the beach. There is mini-shopping mall about 3 mins out, but it only has an expensive Japanese restaurant, a moderately priced Balinese restaurant, and a branch of Grocer and Grind which I'm told is an excellent place to eat. There was a Le Occitane spa, and little else of real interest. Circle K (minimart, and a place to top up your phone card) is about 5-7 mins walk out. Jenggala pottery factory is about 5mins away by car, and is a place to eat and paint your own pottery.

I'd come back again, but not at the drop of a hat. And it would be really to just chill in the resort. With that in mind, I'd go for the lagoon access units - so convenient to just walk into the pool.

Oh yes. Price. It was reaching USD200 when I last looked (though I got it for less). A bit more gets you to the W where as a Plat you will certainly get an upgrade to a Spectacular Room with the fantastic sunsets. So if it's low season for the W, you should really compare prices.

Last edited by travelswithmyself; Mar 30, 2013 at 12:23 pm
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Old Aug 26, 2013, 3:31 pm
  #50  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX
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Any new review for this property?
I'm thinking of going there next Jan.
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Old Aug 26, 2013, 5:27 pm
  #51  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: MUC
Programs: LT Marriott Gold, Velocity Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 334
We had a recent stay at this property. As a Gold we were upgraded to a suite which was appreciated. Room was extremely spacious and well laid out. However, you can see a few issues with the finishes.

Internet and breakfast seems to be included. Had no internet issues, breakfast - I would be surprised if you couldn't find something on the buffet to your taste. Staff were definitely eager to assist and go above and beyond, however they are lacking the polish that you might find at longer running establishments. The gym is small but adequate if you are after a cardio workout. Only issues I saw in that area is the provision of paper cups rather than water bottles and the air conditioning did not feel adequate.

I had a massage at the spa and thought it was good. Of course if you go outside the gates it is probably cheaper but in my mind you get what you pay for. I'm not a big fan of the local beach. Went there for cocktails and snacks one evening and the prices were almost on par with those of Le Meridien. Didn't help that I saw a rat chewing right by oblivious diners.

Overall we liked the property. We were very well treated during our stay. However, I am not a big fan of the area so probably would not return to Jimbaran.
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Old Aug 28, 2013, 1:36 am
  #52  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BKK
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Originally Posted by Toula
.....As a Gold we were upgraded to a suite which was appreciated.....
wow, this hotel was very kind, great!
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Old Sep 22, 2013, 8:46 am
  #53  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
Researching my options to stay at this property, the "Aqua Pool Sky Penthouse" and the "Oceanic View Sky Villa" are about the same price. Can anyone comment on which is preferred?

It looks like from travelswithmyself's photos (thanks for all the great photos) that the Penthouse units might have a better view?

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Old Sep 22, 2013, 11:03 am
  #54  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Originally Posted by jmgriffin
Researching my options to stay at this property, the "Aqua Pool Sky Penthouse" and the "Oceanic View Sky Villa" are about the same price. Can anyone comment on which is preferred?

It looks like from travelswithmyself's photos (thanks for all the great photos) that the Penthouse units might have a better view?

given that the hotel is not quite finished ( i went this month and havent gotten down writing my review), I will take the Penthouse.
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Old Sep 30, 2013, 10:17 am
  #55  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
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I reached out to Le Méridien Bali to see if it's possible to confirm an upgrade prior to arrival when booking with points, here's what I got back:
JMGRIFFIN: I see that I can book the "Classic: 2 Double Beds" room for 12,000 Starpoints per night during these dates.

If booked, can you advise if it would be possible to pay cash to receive an upgrade to a Suite, Villa or a "Aqua Pool Sky Penthouse"?

LM BALI: Thank you for your email and contacting me directly in regards of your upcoming journey. Yes, you can upgrade the room to penthouse or villa with a top up price as both categories are not considered as standard Suites room for upgrade of our SPG member.

I am happy to offer you a special rate of USD 300 for villa and penthouse at USD 400, price quoted subject to 21% tax and service. Please let me know if the offers are accepted therefore I can organize the space for you.

JMGRIFFIN:Thank you for the very prompt reply! Are the rates of 300 USD for a villa and 400 USD for a penthouse a per night rate or total price for the 5-night stay?

LM BALI: I am sorry for the confusion. Price will be per night.

JMGRIFFIN:Thanks but wow, those rates are quite high! Is there any possibility to get a better rate?

For example I see that I could book the Oceanic View Sky Villa for $377/night or the Aqua Pool Sky Penthouse for $380/night during those same dates so booking with points and then doing the top up of $300-400/night doesn't make much sense. An upgrade rate of $100/night might be more reasonable?

LM BALI: Thank you for your email. The offers of USD 377 (villa) and Penthouse at USD 380 is the pre paid promo rate at our web inclusive advance deposit required.
Happy to reduce the upgrade fee if you wish to have the pre paid upgrade as well.

But I could not go lower than USD 150 + 21 % tax and service / night, Top up from the existing room that you have booked.
This offers valid for both penthouse and villa, Let me know if you are interest ? I am attaching the form that you have to filled up and return to my self to secured the villa or penthouse space.
The amount will be charge directly to your credit card details provided.
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Old Oct 1, 2013, 5:53 pm
  #56  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
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Originally Posted by jmgriffin
Happy to reduce the upgrade fee if you wish to have the pre paid upgrade as well.

But I could not go lower than USD 150 + 21 % tax and service / night, Top up from the existing room that you have booked.

Shows that it really never hurts to ask - that's a 50% markdown from the initial quote. Though if you value your points at $0.02, then the initial 12K is $240. Add $150 and you have $390... not sure if that's the best deal but then again, points don't do anything if they're not used. But I thought you'd already decided not to stay here...?

I'm a real advocate of asking for what we want though I've also found that you might need to get to someone who can actually make decisions. I've had a totally different response when corresponding with the "rank and file" FD people answering the hotel email from spg.com, and when corresponding with the higher management.
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Old Oct 3, 2013, 5:43 am
  #57  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by travelswithmyself
Shows that it really never hurts to ask - that's a 50% markdown from the initial quote. Though if you value your points at $0.02, then the initial 12K is $240. Add $150 and you have $390... not sure if that's the best deal but then again, points don't do anything if they're not used. But I thought you'd already decided not to stay here...?

I'm a real advocate of asking for what we want though I've also found that you might need to get to someone who can actually make decisions. I've had a totally different response when corresponding with the "rank and file" FD people answering the hotel email from spg.com, and when corresponding with the higher management.
I definitely decided not to stay here on this trip, just wanted to report back what I found before making the decision.

Also, I looked at the deal more like a cash & points proposition: ($372 normal rate of villa - $150 top-up rate) / 6,240 Starpoints (average rate with 5th night free and 35% off coupon) = 3.56 cents/point. Pretty good return!

Given this, I would have taken the deal if we'd decided to stay at this property.

Last edited by jmgriffin; Oct 3, 2013 at 8:01 am Reason: fixed my math
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 10:02 pm
  #58  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: SPG Plat, HH Gold
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Finally written!

My review on the property if anyone is interested.

Thanks for reading!

http://goodhotelreview.blogspot.com/...mber-2013.html
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Old Oct 17, 2013, 12:11 am
  #59  
 
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Hi,

I think it would be reasonable to post atleast an excerpt of your blog posting and not just the link.
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Old Oct 17, 2013, 1:45 am
  #60  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: SPG Plat, HH Gold
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Originally Posted by remymartin
Hi,

I think it would be reasonable to post atleast an excerpt of your blog posting and not just the link.
Hmmm, my entry is heavily photo-based and I do not wish to possibly distort the thread or drain bandwidth with the pictures.

Thanks for the suggestion!
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