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-   -   The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia [Master Thread] (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-marriott-bonvoy/169495-laguna-resort-spa-nusa-dua-bali-indonesia-master-thread.html)

SF1K Sep 6, 2006 7:45 pm

The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia [Master Thread]
 
Was just in Bali and stayed at the Sheraton, now Laguna Resort and Spa, we also stayed their last year. They are just finishing their remodel. Updated Lobby, fully remodeled rooms, and ballrooms, and remodeled restaraunt. The property was fantastic last year and even better this year. The Sheraton name was not appropriate for this level property. The General Manager is excellent and we had drinks with him one night - an absolute perfectionist. German guy whose lived in Asia for many years, his wife is Indonesian.

I would return to this property any time. Also they have a model bungalow, where they have a manager's reception that is of the style they will build at the St. Regis - I totally want to buy one!

derpelikan Sep 20, 2006 12:38 am

bali
 
i have been to the that hotel, and i must say it is a great hotel but it doesnt have a lounge.

i found the Westin Nusa Dua Bali better.

the suites for Platinum upgrades are really nice. modern, new and stylish.
westin nusa dua bali has larger suites, but they are not that modern .

i think i have pictures of both hotels somewere, if you need , i can email you the photoalbum i did create that time. just pm me.

if you need help on the westin nusa dua, you might try to ask DIANA, who is the master of the NUSA Dua :) and the loved baby of the RBC lounge staff.

i have know some persons on both hotels too, so if you need email adresses you can pm me too.

dp

claes059 Nov 5, 2006 3:52 am

New Ambiance in The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.
 
Pics: see http://travel.webshots.com/album/553387176eAZwjS

In August 2006, I stayed some nights in the Sheraton Laguna …. Oh… uh.. now The Laguna Resort & Spa in Bali, Indonesia! Since my last stay in 2005, the hotel was renovated.
I had a special arrangement when I flew in from the Sheraton Bandung, where I had a really great stay. The pick – up from the airport was in time and very convenient. I arranged it via the hotel. When I arrived I experienced a sort of VIP treatment, and was greeted by the hotel manager. I was quite surprised.
In a flash I noticed the changed lobby. I was not pleased with the first impression, since I did like the “old “ lobby” with it’s Indonesian style interior with many flowers.

The “same” executive suite was appointed to me as I last year. Mrs. Dayu accompanied me to the suite. When she opened the door, I noticed a completely different suite. Instantly I was shocked by the difference in interior and atmosphere. The Indonesian style interior was gone. Now I was faced with a modern interior, which I experienced as coldish and impersonal. It could have been a suite in New York of even Amsterdam. I was really very disappointed with the changes in the interior in the suite, and I still regret the hotel “ruined” this suite.
During my stay I could not feel at home here, it was too coldish and impersonal for me. (see my pics, though the suite seems to be nicer on the pics!)
The bedroom seemed to be a bit warmer in style, but was not my taste compared to the beautiful “old “ Indonesian style bedroom.

The bathroom was the same as last year. The toilet is also located in the bathroom. I regret there is no separate toilet, as you can expect in a suite. It is not comfortable to relax in the bath when the toilet has been used.
Furthermore it would be practical if a clock was available in the room.
This executed suite, offered some privacy. However, most of the accommodations do not offer some privacy.

I did see the studio and the deluxe rooms. See my pics.
The interior of these renovated rooms appeared to be much more warmer and with some Indonesian styles. Warm wood, carvings in the wall, very nice comfortable furniture, for instance, made these accommodations much nicer than the coldish executive suite I stayed in. However there was not much privacy in these kind of accomodations.

The gardens, lagoons etc. were like last year, still very beautiful and well kept.

Reataurants
This time I tried the award winning Indonesian restaurant, Myang Sari. When I entered the restaurant, it appeared to be empty, and I hesitated to dine here.
The interior is very beautiful and cozy. Service was friendly, but since I was the only guest all evening, it was sometimes overwhelming…..
I was disappointed when reading the menu. Since I did not like seafood, I had a hard time finding a nice meal.
Furthermore, no traditional Indonesian food was available. No nasi / bami, no rendang, no bab ketjap, no atjar, even no kroepoek, etc. The waiters did manage to help me out, and managed to get me some kroepoek, etc. And finally a had a nice meal.
In the beautiful restaurant was a boy who played the flute, all time long. Though the Indonesian music was nice, I did feel a little embarrassed the boy had to play, and play and play. And after a long time, I could do with some other music…
When I told one of the waiters I thought the boy needed a break, they insisted he had to play for me. Only when I persisted and told them I wanted him to have a break they permitted him to do so.
Again, service was very friendly, but it was not great to be the only guest in the restaurant. I felt not comfortable and I think the menu should have some non-seafood items with some traditional Indonesian food. Since the menu could not give me what I wanted I did not go back. I regret this, since Indonesian food is my favourite.
The next evenings I had drinks in the Cascade bar. This open air bar is quite nice, and the service here is very warm and friendly. The view of the lights / fire in the area near the bar is beautiful and it is very relaxing. In the evening you can enjoy some live music here.
From here I could see guests looking at the menu of the Myang Sari. I noticed most of them went away after reading the menu…
So what it the purpose of offering an Indonesian restaurant with a menu which is not attractive for most of the guests. In my opinion the restaurant should offer some Indonesian traditional dishes, like nasi goreng, and rijsttafel.

After this disappointing dinner experience, I decided to try the café / restaurant Lagoon. It was great to be back here and I liked the new look of the interior. I was very pleased with my waiter, mrs. Fuji, who I remembered from last year. For me she a shining star of Starwood and makes the dining experience here perfect. She goes one step further in her service.
Moreover, colleagues of her did not want to serve me Indonesian food like Nasi goreng, kroepoek, atjar, etc. But she arranged it for me, so I could have my Indonesian dinner. I was a happy SPG and enjoyed coming back here! She showed service with a smile. I did come back to the café / restaurant Lagoon the next days. The ambiance near the Lagoon was quite nice and partly open air.
But once again, I regret it was so hard to get some Indonesian food in the restaurants. In Amsterdam, where I live, we have many Indonesian restaurants. It is very easy to have some Indonesian food experiences. I was amazed it was so hard to get my most favourite food in the hotel.
I do want to thank mrs. Fuji for her extra friendly efforts to serve me the Indonesian food. Otherwise I would have been quite disappointed.

I had my breakfast in my room via room service. Sitting on my balcony, it was every morning a feast to start my day with a perfect breakfast. Roomservice is ok. Only sometimes it was very, very annoying the person on the phone did not understand English and it frustrated me it too so much effort to get what I wanted!
Though it is possible to order some complimentary coffee or tea via the butler, I find it much more convenient to have a coffee maker in my room. I noticed other guests had the same idea. It seems just more practical. Perhaps a butler who serves the coffee is more stylish, but sometime you just do not feel like this. You just want to have a cup of coffee or tea in your own privacy.

The bussiness centre has moved and the location is closer to the lobby now. The area is smaller than before. Prizes for internet are rather high! Service is perferct here.

There are some shops in the hotel. The service they offer is very good. I had a very nice experience when I had to buy a short. Since they could not offer what I wanted, they promised me to order it and it would be ready the next day. And boy, when I went there next day the short was available!

I noticed a ATM is located in the nearby Westin hotel, which makes it easier to get some cash. Quite an improvement compared to last year. However the machine did not accept my bank card and I still had to go to the bank!

I made use of the concierge in the hotel, and arranged a trip with chauffeur to the Meridien hotel, which is now a Starwood property. It was very annoying the concierge and chauffeur told me he could speak English, but during the trip he did not understand what I told him. Furthermore I asked the concierge for a comfortable car, one day before my trip. At first sight it was, but the car appeared not to be comfortable at all!


Would I go back to the Laguna resort and Spa?
Yes and no.
Yes, because the service is very friendly and perfect.
Yes, because the lagoons and gardens are so beautiful.
Yes because the beach and sea are so relaxing.
Yes, because the accommodations are so spacious and comfortable.

No, when I have to stay in an accommodation with no privacy.
No, since there is no accommodation with seaview.
No, if mrs. Fuji is not on duty (!) and I cannot have my favourite Indonesian dinner, since her colleagues do not bother to give me that service.
No, if the menu in the Myang Sari does not offer traditional Indonesian / Asian dishes
No if I have to stay in a coldish executive suite.


Pics: see: http://travel.webshots.com/album/553387176eAZwjS

FLYGVA Nov 5, 2006 6:06 am

well, the pictures really do not look that bad, but im comparison to some of your pictures on LH738's page, I could somehow understand it. Especially the lobby is really looking different.

The interior is different, too, and lacking an indonesian touch. Though I have to admit, I did not dislike it, but you get a room like this e.g. in the Intercontinental Berchtesgarden and that is really a different location.

Sometimes a renovation with a refurbishment could be a disadvantage.

Jan

claes059 Nov 8, 2006 2:13 pm


Originally Posted by FLYGVA
well, the pictures really do not look that bad, but im comparison to some of your pictures on LH738's page, I could somehow understand it. Especially the lobby is really looking different.

The interior is different, too, and lacking an indonesian touch. Though I have to admit, I did not dislike it, but you get a room like this e.g. in the Intercontinental Berchtesgarden and that is really a different location.

Sometimes a renovation with a refurbishment could be a disadvantage.

Jan


According to some of the personnel, most of the returning guests were not happy with the changes. They also missed the "Indonesian ambiance" in the new look. Guests who stayed for the first time liked the rooms.
The interior in the executive suite was cold, I think one has to experience this. The studio's and deluxe rooms were much warmer and stylish however.

I had the same feeling in the Sheraton Bandara. They showed me a renovated room, and it was also a big disappointment. No Indonesian touch, modern and coldish!

I agree with you, sometimes a renovation can be a disadvantage!

Keith009 Nov 9, 2006 7:03 am

That looks like a very nice LC. Cheers for the pics. :)

The only LC I've stayed at is the Sheraton Imperial in KL, and while the service was top notch - I didn't really like the decor and the furnishing. The 'old world' style was cute for a while but it didn't feel that luxurious and was actually a little creepy at night, which prompted an escape to the Westin for my remaining nights in KUL (ahh welcome to the 21st century!). I was then told by a friend of mine, who's an absolute fan of LCs, that they deliberately make LCs look old and worn so that they give you a 'historical' feel. :confused:

And indeed when I did my research for BKK SPGs, the SGS does resemble the Sheraton Imperial, which made the much more modern WGS an easy choice for me. How I wish there were more Ws (my favourite within the SPG stable of brands) around the world - I'm still reeling over the loss of W Sydney. :(

Glad to see the 'old world' look is not the case for all LCs.

Oh well, horses for courses I guess.

chanp Mar 4, 2008 3:50 am

Did the category change for Laguna Resort, Nusa Dua Bali?
 
Was this property a Cat 3 or 4 before this last change today (March 4th). I was in HNL on a MR and remembered that I better book my stay before I cant take advantage of it. When I called on the phone I could have sworn the agent told me it was 7k pts a night and 3500 with the promo. I just looked my acct and there were 30k pts taken from my acct for 6 nights. There are some threads where I read that it was a Cat 3, but I dont see their name on the change as of March 4th. Does anyone know if it was a Cat 3 yesterday?? I called the PLT line and agent in Cork said it was always a C4.


Cheers
Chan

1K_From_SNA Mar 4, 2008 4:57 am

It was a Cat 3. I have a res there for March before the change.

PS:
Here is the link from *W showing it. Go to the bottom.

http://www.spgpromos.com/categorycha...egoryCode=3&EM

Squzair Mar 4, 2008 5:27 am

Yes, its just gone up from a CAT 3 to CAT 4,
while the Westin also went up from a CAT 2 to CAT 3 ....

as I also made a reservation on 3 Mar, to beat the category change as well as to utilize the 50% off redemption.

Squzair Mar 4, 2008 5:32 am


Originally Posted by chanp (Post 9354051)
Was this property a Cat 3 or 4 before this last change today (March 4th). I was in HNL on a MR and remembered that I better book my stay before I cant take advantage of it. When I called on the phone I could have sworn the agent told me it was 7k pts a night and 3500 with the promo. I just looked my acct and there were 30k pts taken from my acct for 6 nights. There are some threads where I read that it was a Cat 3, but I dont see their name on the change as of March 4th. Does anyone know if it was a Cat 3 yesterday?? I called the PLT line and agent in Cork said it was always a C4.


If you had made the reservations before the deadline of 3 March for the 50% off promo... then you'd beat the Category change deadline of 4 March, as well.

So the Laguna should only cost you 21Kpts only (50% of 6 x 7Kpts), instead of the 30Kpts.... a quick call to the Plat line should sort out everything!

Cheers!

chanp Mar 4, 2008 11:43 am

hum...i just checked my spg acct right now and it gave me back 9k pts, said cat change discrepancy. thanks for the link and the info. when u all staying there. ill be there may 15-21

capitalflow Apr 20, 2008 5:39 pm

Laguna Nusa Dua, Bali
 
I am a Platinum with Starwood -- have been since 2000 -- and have stayed at a lot of resorts throughout Mexico, Tahiti, South Africa and Europe. I have 7 days reserved at the Luxury Collection in Bali at the end of May. The spa menu is quite extensive -- and the restaurants look good, too.

Has anyone stayed at this property, received their Plat upgrade (yea/nea) and used the spa?

KosherKimchee Apr 20, 2008 11:16 pm

Stayed at the Laguna last year as a Plat. Upgrade to huge suite. Spa was fantastic, we had massages every night before going to our room (open pretty late). Points can be redeemed at a very attractive rate for instant rewards -- if I recall 750 points got you a breakfast that's normally like $20+ pp.

Downsides -- Nusa Dua is hardly the place to be in Bali, pretty far from what Bali is all about. That said, given that you can hire a driver for like $30-40 a day (book in advance through one of the people recommended here on FT, otherwise the hotel will hook you up with someone who charges $12 per hour) if you dont mind the minor inconvenience of having to be driven to other parts of the island, then the room really are great if you are a Platinum.

One more thing, we did this tour thing that combined a downhill bikeride (dont think Maui, think more of a controlled freefall) and whitewater rafting down the Ayung. Was awesome, the bikeride hit some ancient villages and temples plus some coffee grinders and then the rafting was a great way to cool off and see the amazing jungle.

mario33 Apr 21, 2008 3:46 am

Yes they do upgrade Platinums but no comp breakfast.
If I remember correctly, you also get 15min (yes fifteen minutes) internet access "per stay" at the biz centre (how generous :rolleyes:)

The refurbishment was very well done; the heavy gaudy interiors have been replaced by a modern decor with much slimmer furnitures. Though very modern with plasma tv etc, the decor has a slight balinese touch (sandstone wall with local design). The rooms do feel more spacious but the balcony is still very tight with 2 chairs and a table. The bathroom is also quite small (no separate shower) and apart from a new lighted mirror, the original fittings remain intact.

There is no minibar and coffee/tea is complimentary by "butler" service which is a nice touch. The "butler" will also bring their entire collection of DVDs to your room for your selection .

The local mall "Bali Collection" is a bit more vibrant now with a department store, a supermarket, several cafes and restaurants, and a few boutiques.

The resort does feel very crowded when occupancy is high and appears to be very popular with local Indonesian families. I stayed at the Le Meridien during the same trip, and I much prefer the setting and quieter atmosphere there though the interiors are very dated at the LM.

Overall The Laguna is nice and comfortable.

lerasp Apr 21, 2008 7:54 am

something else to consider - i just returned from staying at both the Laguna and Westin next door. I prefer Laguna for rooms, decor, and grounds. but Westin gives free breakfast and 1hr cocktail hour with free drinks. I got huge suites at both. Breakfast is about $20 at both. so, for that, i'd be willing tos tay at the westin, while still spending most of my pool time at Laguna (as well as going to the Spa). The are so close to each other, it's very easy to do.


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