I just got back from my third trip from Bali. Usually me friends and I will use Ubud as our base and only make day trips to Kuta. This year we decided to stay in Kuta and had chose Suriwathi Hotel in Legian area, since we've read the positive reports there.
Somehow it must be a bad choice of day or bad luck- for when we first arrived we were shouted at by the receiption that they were fully booked. When we showed our reservation which we made via email, they couldn't locate our booking on record. (Somehow when a Caucasian walked in just after we checked in and asked for a room, voila! there was vacancy).
They proceeded to insist we pay the current rate of 270,000 rp. tho' our agreed rate when we booked was at 230,000 rp inclusive of an American breakfast, which we were told the next day was not included.
The room was lamentable and dinky and the only saving grace was that they were clean. We were woken up by the numerous staff that lingered and chattered loudly outside our room during the wee hours of the morning.
Yes, Suriwathi is a clean hotel, it has a fridge and is within tottering distance from the inebriation zones, where it is located itself is dismally uninspiring. Other than that, I'll probably give this place a miss thanks to the unaccommodating and rather unfriendly staff.
Eric Quah