In Reply to: Bali Hyatt Sanur posted by Sunny Days on Tuesday, 17. June 2008 at 18:32 Bali Time:
Hi Sunny days: I have stayed at Hyatt Sanur on four occasions now and I have to be honest in saying that I reckon this property is well passed its prime. Hyatt Sanur has been around now for probably 25 - 30 years and it really shows. On the positive side, the property is nestled in fabulous gardens and is pretty well resourced in terms of facilities. It has a couple of pools, plenty of in-house dining options and it's beachfront location is fantastic - the beach path that goes right by is an absolute highlight of Sanur. The hotel staff are simply fantastic and they go out of their way to ensure you are enjoying your stay. Its location within Sanur's shopping precinct is very good with warungs and a great selection of shops close at hand. There is a Hardy's supermarket within walking distance and a Circle K also on the perimeter of Hyatt's property. You will certainly find plenty of fun shopping, transport and eating options close at hand. And although the choice is nothing like the frantic offering of Kuta, in many ways I reckon what Sanur offers is every bit as good - and in some ways even better. Sanur is also a great place to come home to after a day in the shopfest that Kuta offers - a few dollars in the cab is all it costs. The night life of Sanur is vastly different. Plenty to do and plenty of people around...just not the party party levels of Kuta and Legian etc. Nevertheless, I personally love the feel and style of Sanur - I think it has much to offer. Unfortunately the sheer size of Hyatt's layout can also be its worst feature. The hotel's accommodation is basically made up of three large rectangular blocks which are daisy-chained together. If your room happens to be in the third wing-block, it can mean you have a fair bit of walking between your room and the hotels main facilities - this can be quite tiresome towards the end of your stay. If you stay in Regency Club, though, you are not likely to wind up in the third wing. A Regency Club ocean view is not a bad option as the sea breeze is always a nice thing to experience. Please be aware that the rooms don't open out on to sand. The hotel grounds are very expansive and this means that the lawn area between the hotel's rooms and the beach is quite large. The lawns are also heavily dotted with palm trees so regardless of what level your room is on, there is no completely unobstructed view of the water. It's hard to say what is the best choice when it comes to room level - the hotel only goes up 4 levels I think and in many regards the ground floor is probably your best bet because your room verandah opens direct onto the lawn and you don't feel boxed in by a wall. The hotel's architecture means that the higher you go, the shallower the depth of your balcony. The dining areas and main recepetion area at Hyatt sanur are based on open sided pavilions - so it's quite "balinese" in its feel. The Regency Club Club area has its own pavilion where you can enjoy a light breakfast (continental or cooked), light refreshments any time of day and complimentary drinks in the early evening. It makes for a very pleasant and relaxing place to enjoy breakfast - especially if you don't want to get caught up in the busy buffet option where the main part of the hotel's population eats. Within a day or so the staff will know your name and your eating preferences. If you decide that you would like to take breakfast in the main dining area, as a Rgency Club guest, the Hotel will generally issue you with a complimentary breakfast voucher to eat there. The choice of food is much much larger but it is also much busier. I must say it makes a nice change to eat there if you are staying for a number of days. There is no difference in room size between Regency Club and a standard room, but their location is better placed within the property and of course you also have the convenient benefits of the Regency Club lounge, plus a later checkout time (I think it gives you an extra 4 hours). Personally, I think it represents pretty good value for the comparitively little extar that you pay. I'm not sure how much extra it costs because that seems to be something which is regularly negotiated up or down depending on seasonal demand. If you log into the hotel site via the Hyatt page you will be able to see the rack rate differences at least. In general terms the Hyatt has lost a bit of its sparkle and polish - things don't look as well presented as yuo would expect for a Hyatt standard. That may have more to do with the traditional Balinese style of architecture the property is built on than anything else. It's still a great place to stay and it certainly isn't some run down old hotel - it just feels a litle tired and dark in places. But if you look past the cosmetics, it's a well run, comfortable 1st class hotel that offers plenty of amenities and pretty good value for money. Cheers - kevin