ijkh

Trash in Bali is not specific to Jimbaran but all beach locals.

In my opinion having visited Bali since the early 1980s: Bali has ALWAYS had "trash" on the beach. Why? Locals have ALWAYS made their religious offerings directly into the sea water. The offerings are composed of food, flowers, and other items of gift to the gods. The local feral dogs and monkeys used to take care of it. Still Bali has never been a really great beach local in my opinion.

So what happened to Bali that made it worse? Plastic bags. The bags originally were often black and white striped. You could see them all over the beaches. Prior to plastic the locals had used banana leaves for transporting and containing goods. Those banana leaves when discarded were simply dropped haphazardly when they were finished use. Then of course so were plastic bags tossed without care. The change from organic to plastic happened really fast. Locals and some visitors never seemed to get the hang of dealing with the garbage. They were not accustomed to not naturally composting. Habits are hard to change. Bali changed to dramatically so fast it is paying the cost now. I could go on and on but think this is enough

Don't blame the IC resort for systemic island issues. Sure it would be nice if they cleaned it but there is just so much debris. Who knows if it is possible to keep up with the trash?

Do visit Bali for the culture not primarily sitting on the beach.

dsfjkhdfshjk

Checked into here recently. Got given the std dia amb upgrade to duplex, 1xxx.

Room was hot (bedroom in the attic), phoned reception who said they keep A/C at 23/24 degrees steady, so they had to send techs to unlock cooler air so I could sleep.

Not a fan of the duplex so have requested a flat room, also requested closer to lobby/facilities.

Grounds are huge and well maintained, beautiful greenery. View out to the bay is nice. Property is dated and showing its age. Cobwebs, cracks, paint coming off, lack of detailed cleaning inside rooms. Staff are friendly but service/experience isn't 5 star. Quality of breakfast/food at restaurants (so far) has been average.

I don't yet understand why this property is so highly rated. Theres a good chance my expectations were set too high..but for the walk-in rate being what it is, I don't see where the value is at all. It also doesn't help that a month ago I was at IC Phuket which is quite new and great.

The variance of quality of the IC brand is something often talked about. Both the hard and soft product being wildly different between properties and regions. Generally I'm finding newer properties to be excellent, older being not excellent.

Oh and I used the immigration fast track service offered by TICBALI + pre-prepared the visas and customs stuff, it was great. Off the plane to baggage area within 10 minutes, within 30 minutes in a car and gone. Much better than standing in line for 1-1.5 hours. Cost was 1.4m IDR for 2, would strongly recommend if arriving during busier times in busier seasons.

Any recommendations for things I should do/experience to change my stay? Here for at least a week so I'll have to try and give it a chance. Following that, expecting to be up in Canguu. Driver said it would be 2-3 hours to get up there due to traffic.

HadesNL

In the spirit of our FT-ambassadors,
Thank you for your first post,
A warm welcome to FT


Some observations about your post:

- travelling to Canggu,
Yes it can take a while to get there,
You can evade busy roads if you depart early morning from Jimbaran to Canggu,
when tout Tuban, Legian, Kuta, Seminyak are still fast a sleep after partying or are still having breakfast
(sneaking past the sleeping lion as any flittering bat would do)

- things to experience during your stay
It pays to do research & homework in advance,
especially now that you are staying in Bali in high season,

sights busy with tourists,

especially those picture perfect instagram spots


https://indonesia.tripcanvas.co/bali...ns-vs-reality/

hoards of instagramners descending like locusts on certain locations




as some restaurants might be fully booked,
certain venues closed due to events etc,..,,
an example would be very popular with the happening crowd :
restaurant Si Jin
https://www.sijinbali.com


Best is to tell your interests to your driver or the hotel congierge
to plan ahead the route, optimum visiting hours, get advanced relevant information
Upthread are also suggestions provided others' experience


You wrote about using TICBali Travel Agency service for pre-arrival airport formalities ,
Indeed, getting E-Visa and QR for E-Customs Declarations prepared pre-flight makes for a smoother airport arrival in Bali.

As i've never heard about them,
A quick google shows images & text of holidaymakers visiting their travel agency office for other tourist related activities
I am sure they can provide tips&help concerning your interests and update your driver with the latest informations for instructions


But you can read up on the type / pricing / range of activities
https://www.viator.com/Bali/d98-ttd
YMMV as locally booked direct can always be different in cost & quality

stevie

50% of our time was outside of the hotel, but the days we decided to relax I wish I was smart enough to tip in advance for a cabana. Out of the 5 days we stayed by the pool we got a cabana one afternoon only.
I tipped the guys at the bar by the pool and one of the guys that helped us with towels/sun beds the night before we left. Probably should have done this the first evening!
Anyway, it should be noted each evening my wife and I took a walk on the beach and went to our room by the club pool . The 2 cabanas on the grass between the pool and beach seems to be the night time bed for a number of feral dogs.

dsfjkhdfshjk

Thanks for your response Hades. Long time lurker, now second time poster.

Some further observations after a few more days.

I was moved into a standard room at my request, 4xxx, which I find to be much better than the duplex, plus a more central location in the property.

Again the grounds, pools, gardens are fantastic; the high point of this property. But thats really where the positives end for me.

Service is slow and staff generally are not at a level you'd expect for a 5 star international brand. 3 phonecalls and 90 minutes for A/C techs to come out; 30 minutes for bellboy to come and collect bags; room not ready at check-in despite arriving after 3; no personalised service or recognition of several bookings despite prior contact with property + status; completely wrong bags delivered to room; 'firm' pillows requested via phone and identical standard pillows delivered.

Want a classic cocktail when you're lying by the pool? Server doesn't know know what that is (moscow mule, whisky sour, tom collins!), even when written down and sent to the bar they say they couldn't make them! Ok, let's try a mojito instead. Fool I was. Tablespoons of sugar sitting at the bottom of the glass and a completely off-mix. This is a $13 USD drink at a supposed 5 star property, its not acceptable.

Across more than a dozen meals, I've not been satisfied and several went unfinished. Breakfast is poor, room service menu and quality is poor, similar experiences with jimbaran gardens and sunset grill. The beef burger was inedible and the rice hard like plastic. I've not tried either the Italian or the Japanese for fear of similar disappointment. The best meal I've consumed to date came from Pho house nearby via Grab. Given the limited number of quality food options within walking distance of the property, I'd love to be able to enjoy nearly all of my meals from inside.

As to quality of the rooms, they are beat up and dated but overall acceptable. A/C is loud and remember to ask for the temperature controls to be unlocked if you like to sleep cool. In my current room water leaks through the shower door, makeup mirror is broken, sink doesn't flow freely, toilet is stained, bookcase drawer broken, cracked floor, balcony door doesn't completely close, mosquitos live rent free.

I'll be checking out of the property early and provide them with this feedback.

Its my opinion that this would be a fantastic holiday inn or crowne plaza, but it is not deserving of IC brand, lest they greatly improve the soft product & F/B.

demue

Reading your accounts, I almost feel like you must have stayed at a different hotel or things really went south big time in the last 9 months or so.

Not sure where you usually stay and how you like your food, but it all sounds rather concerning and not what we experienced (and we have been staying there for 30+ times over 15+ years) and I don't think usually being in a Club or Specialty suite would lead to such a different experience.

Now don't get me wrong, the place is far from perfect, especially under the current ownership, but if your room was run down already 1-3 years post full renovation (depends on the wing (your initial 1/2xxx was renovated first, 4xxx during Covid and 5/6xxx finished in 2022 IIRC) then that's concerning.

While I can see service being a bit slow at times which I would say is a bit of a "theme" in Bali and them being blurr on some cocktails (yes this should not be the case at those prices), we never found the food poor, e.g. at breakfast it has been fine (good coffee). Stellar? Well not that either, but actually pretty decent. Especially the Indonesian food menu had improved over past years (it was too westernized/ to pared back on flavor and spice) that my picky Indonesian family member was quite okay with it.

Anyways, experiences differ and I am sorry to hear yours was disappointing for you. If you stayed somewhere else in Bali that you really liked and considered excellent (much better than IC) that would be interesting to learn if you don't mind sharing.

minz56

I think with this property you need to set your expectations carefuly. IMHO this is not a 5 star deluxe property (try the Four Seasons almost next door), rather a 4-4.5 star large scale resort of which there are many in Bali (particularly in Nusa Dua). Deterioration happens quickly in the tropics and management need to have an ongoing maintenance plan to deal with it. If this is not happening then that is of concern. Food is, of course, subjective. I found the food to be OK without being fabulous, though the Italian restaurant was a miss for me, being the wrong concept for a hotel like this.

It is disappointing when you invest a lengthy stay in a property that doesn't work for you. I hope you have better experiences during the remainder of your time in Bali.

dsfjkhdfshjk

I spoke with the manager earlier and passed on feedback. He was understanding and suggested he's aware of some service issues recently & particularly whilst they have been busy. I passed on the names of some great staff too. I appreciate that I was able to give the feedback, settle the check and will be elsewhere tomorrow without fuss.

Demue its actually my first time in Bali and my wife's second. We have an engagement up in Canguu which is the reason for our visit (we'll now move that earlier) and we chose to take some days here prior partly because we'd come to the end of our Thai visa period! We'll be staying in a villa up there. I would agree thankfully that the coffee here in the morning is quite good.

Somewhere I did stay recently, not in Bali, was Phuket IC and this was excellent. Food was amazing and I gleefully woke for breakfast & thoroughly enjoyed room service & restaurants. Tough act to follow for IC Jimbaran however I've never felt this way about any of the other ~10 IC/Kimpton/Regents (Asia/MENA/NA) I've stayed at over the past 12-18 months. In fact I've rarely had anything bad to say about any 5 star hotel!

As I sit here typing I'm chewing on a lamb curry. Not great, not bad, just ok.

minz i think you're right and its an issue of my expectations, thanks.

I do appreciate everyone's opinions/experiences, especially those that are regulars. I do hope that perhaps my poor experience can be chalked up to a busy period, a temporary lapse that can be resolved, or that I'm a snob that belongs at a $1k a night property and that your return trip to this resort is as excellent as the last.

Bonus: An acquaintance who loves Bali recommended these places for me some time ago. Perhaps they're helpful for you too:

- www(DOT)google.com/maps/placelists/list/bJ3DVCohzPIkfabkuDMRU9ZaWebXDQ
- www(DOT)google.com/maps/placelists/list/523GU_9RPslFbwfVlbbF5Z6UzsJqEw
- Miss Fish for dinner in Berawa and DJ afterwards is new and cool as well

Favorite beach clubs :
Mari (adults only) berawa
Ku de ta seminyak
Potato head seminyak
La brisa canguu
Como canguu

stevie

Sorry to hear about your poor experiences at IC Bali. I am replying as we spend the same length of stay at IC Phuket as we did IC Bali, this year and last.
My view on the food is that Balinese food is generally not as good as Thai. I found the food offerings at IC Bali bland and boring, but this might actually be down to finding Balinese food just ok, especially compared to Thai.
Service in Bali much slower (and frustrating at the IC club to begin with) but it improved as it got less busy. Service in Phuket much more efficient but this may be a cultural issue as I found Balinese just more laid back.
What is a better resort, Phuket for me no doubt, but price plays a big parts also, Phuket was significantly higher when I checked.
Anyway good luck in the future.

Romain_

I just completed a stay. The resort was very busy, so business is good (the driver said most hotels are around 85-90% booked, similar to pre Covid).

I could discern some “downgrades” with the club experience compared to my last stay a few years ago but it’s not doom and gloom:

• No free airport transfer, and the paid airport transfer is also rather basic (no water, no fresh towel)
• In room breakfast not offered as alternative anymore
• Evening drinks at the sunset bar not included anymore
• Not being addressed by name and having to give my room number most of the time (this may be because I'm not RA anymore and not a regular as I don’t see how they can possibly remember names for all people with club access).
• No more chocolates with turn down service

Overall considering they have over 120 club rooms and suites (out of 420 total) + people with lounge membership, I think they’re doing a fine job to keep it premium. The breakfast is nice, the atmosphere is relaxing (they still have a piano player in the evening), the evening drink selection is very good, and the club pool is enjoyable.

Outside of the club, I have mixed feelings. The overall resort remains in good condition and staff are lovely. I think it could do with a bit more staff, lounge chairs and cover around the main pool. It didn’t feel like there had been a huge cut, but you wouldn't expect to struggle to find a place to sit in a 5-star resort.

Romain_

I agree restaurants at IC Phuket were really good, better than at IC Bali (although club is better in Bali). The resort is newer so rooms are nicer, but I'm not a fan of the resort layout, very "dense" and cut by the road.

demue

Similar thoughts. I definitely think the layout of the grounds and overall resort plan is much superior at IC Bali. Phuket is an odd site plan dictated by what they were given to build the resort.

IC Bali definitely has staff shortages and they know it and are trying to fix it, but such is the same for many hotels there and beyond Bali I would reckon. They went down to 500+ staff from a few thousand (2k IIRC or similar) during Covid and ramping up with well trained resources is extremely challenging as everyone is competing for staff, especially in the so called 5* / Luxury category. Same as hire cars and drivers (good, experienced ones) are still an issue as well and hence all the complementary shuttles we had for Club look unlikely to make a return any time soon (leaving cost aspects aside even).

stevie

They certainly were a couple of weeks ago. In fact some people ordered dinner at the club pool bar and enjoyed the complimentary drinks.

HadesNL

Maybe it switches depending on season / peak - off peak holiday period

Romain_

Did you mean club pool bar? If so yes it's included. I meant the sunset beach bar which is on front of the beach, south of the main pool.