agjil

Thanks for the review Jerremy, the pics of the suite room you stayed in look very nice.

I'm curious if this hotel can be a good choice for a destination hotel as well.
It sounds like most folks use this hotel as a transit hotel for overnight connections, but I'm wondering if the location of this hotel would be OK for someone who is on vacation and plans on staying in Bali for about a week.

Thanks!

sbams

That depends on your requirements and expectations. Obviously not in the same class as for example the Conrad (or the almost newly rebranded Hilton) on the island, which are both beachside properties. Or other resorts which are even superior to these. On the other hand, there are plenty of very simple accommodations which fit the spot for many travelers with a lower budget and lower expectations - the HGI would fit somewhere in between.

Despite the proximity to airport, the location is actually not so bad. Easy access to the Kuta/Seminyak area without being right in the middle it.

Assimilated Cajun

Sorry, I was only there for one night, left early the next morning and did not eat breakfast. I did have dinner in the hotel restaurant, and it was decent -- as I recall, there was a good selection of Indonesian and Western foods, including some vegetarian options -- and not too expensive.

In other ways my experience was similar to that of several others in this thread. It's a nice new hotel very near the airport. The pool looked inviting but I did not have a chance to use it. The staff was friendly (to me, at least) but did not seem terribly competent. No special HHonors line was open. My room was clean and reasonably spacious but also quite ordinary. The front desk didn't mention anything about my having been upgraded due to Diamond status, and nothing about the room suggested that it was an upgrade.

The hotel shuttle seems to be not really a shuttle but rather an agreement with a car company that they will pick up passengers from the HGI when they're not busy doing other things. After dinner when I was trying to arrange a shuttle for the next morning another guest was loudly complaining that the shuttle was a snare and a delusion. The hotel staff basically told me they couldn't guarantee a shuttle would be available but that they would do their best. I wasn't too worried, because I didn't have much luggage and it was only about a 15-minute walk to the airport (albeit, I was informed, on busy roads that don't always have sidewalks). But in the morning there was a car waiting for me. I think the hotel employee who checked me out said it was a taxi and that the hotel had already paid the fare.

This hotel is nowhere near as nice as the Conrad, the Grand Hyatt, or dozens of other resort hotels. It's not even as nice as the other airport hotel, the Patrajasa. But for the price it's hard to beat. I got a rate of about $60, which with tax and service was still only $73. As others have noted, I could have stayed for even less if I'd been willing to spend a trivial number of HHonors points.

The next time I stay in Bali I hope it will be for at least two or three nights, and in that case I will head for the Conrad. But the HGI is fine for one night, especially if you have an early flight in the morning. And it will be even better if they get a real airport shuttle.

agjil

Thank you for the insight.
I've ever been to Bali before, and the more I look at the hotel's location, the more I think I should just stay at hotels/resorts closer to the tourist attraction areas.
Some of the resorts there look really nice.

sbams

You will love Bali. A huge dilemma is that some of the nicest resort hotels are in Nusa Dua, but this is also not the best area to reach the touristy area. My favourite is Seminyak, plenty of fun in the evenings, restaurants, bars, island life, but it's quite a trek from Nusa Dua (the HGI is kind of half-way). My preferred accommodation is the Conrad (not the best, but with HHonors status it's terrific value).

To do tourist stuff during the day, temples, rice fields etc etc, or to visit Ubud, you will need transport from wherever your hotel is.

craigthemif

Since reports suggest that the shuttle isn't a proper shuttle, how did people organise it? Email the hotel in advance? I've got a 9-hour layover in DPS coming up and am thinking about burning 5000 points to get a stay credit and somewhere to relax for a few hours, but if reaching the hotel is actually a pain I might have to reconsider.

KLflyerRalph

After arrival you head to the 'Golden Bird arrivals lounge', tell your a guest from the HGI and they'll drive you over.
BTW there are day rates in this hotel too. About $45 from 9AM to 6PM.

KLflyerRalph

I promised to report back but haven't got around it. I'll do a short summary here and you can check a couple of photo's here.

As posted before, we emailed the hotel beforehand about the shuttle service and were told to present ourselves at the Golden Bird office at DPS. This worked very well, although the drive is longer than you expect due to the traffic and toll booths of the airport. The HGI is along a major airport road.
The lobby was open air where also the restaurant and bar are located as well as the pantry. Check-in took a while as they were not very efficient nor overly friendly. No mention of our diamond status or the fact that we were upgraded according to the earlier email. I had to ask about breakfast and was told just to go to the restaurant. No vouchers needed. They let our family of 4 on a 5k award booking have breakfast as diamond benefit without issue. We also received a bottle of water.
Our rooms on the second floor were connecting; one with a king one with twins. Of course due to the age of the hotel the room was in very nice condition. Clean with a large desk and the king room also had an extra chair. We especially liked the giant (for this hotel category) bathroom with very large rainshower. Amenities were Peter Thomas Roth. Everything was spotless. Minibar was empty (much appreciated) and the internet was fast and free for everyone.
In the evening we had dinner in the hotel restaurant. Indonesian food was quite good for a chain hotel, however the service was incredibly slow even though we were the only guests. Did not use the complimentary shuttle to Kuta. The beds were good and we had a good night's sleep.
Next morning we were surprised there was a legitimate buffet breakfast. The selection and quality surpassed our expectations with quite a lot of hot items, good pastries and an extensive salad bar.
In summary we had an excellent stay for the price paid. Rooms were very clean and modern, breakfast was above average as well and the hotel offers nice extra's such as free transfers to the airport and Kuta, the pantry and coin laundry. All in all very nice for an overnight. Although we left the following morning and not explored the surroundings, I got the impression that the location would not be suitable for a longer stay. The area around the airport is so busy and you'll lose a lot of time stuck in traffic. If you really want a holiday, stay at a resort nearer the beach or tourist spots.

agjil

Thanks for the report, very helpful for me. ^

denkigroove

But don't forget to contact the hotel in advance to your arrival like me. Last week I arrived at the Golden Bird Lounge without "booking" a shuttle reservation and the girls there drove me the short way for 200k IDR to the Hilton Garden Inn. The price with Uber is round about 15k IDR...what I've realized later.

sandyph

Hi All,

My flight will be arriving half past midnight in DPS. Is this hotel within walking distance (google maps said so) or do we need to contact them to fetch us (traveling with a baby)?

Thanks

shonanroger

It is in walking distance when you are travelling with light baggage and without a baby.

FlossieFlyer

As advised above, pass through immigration and then go to the Golden Bird lounge as say you are a guest of the Hilton Garden Inn. They will then arrange a transfer.

On my first visit I had pre-advised the hotel but on my second visit I just presented myself to the lounge.

The instructions I got when I emailed are below.

"We are currently collaborating with “Golden Bird” to give you the best arrival experience.

Either from the Domestic or International terminal, please follow the “Golden Bird” logo and present yourself to the Golden Bird Lounge by stating that you have a booking at the Hilton Garden Inn Bali Ngurah Rai Airport.

You will then be escorted to the shuttle car and 5 minutes later will arrive at your destination."

Zopira was very pleasant to dealt with if you have any concerns - [email protected]

There is no need to walk.

sandyph

ok, thanks for the information.
Will report back during my stay

greenfrog2015

Do I need a shuttle or I can just walk to it?