I had originally planned to divide my time between Seminyak and Kuta, but a quick scan of the forum while I was away alerted me to a bed bug problem at the hotel I had booked in Kuta (La Walon)! So, I had to scramble to find alternative arrangements, which was quite difficult at this peak time of year as most places were booked out or charging ridiculous prices.
TUNE HOTEL, KUTA
As I was arriving late at night and I am on a budget, I booked one night at the Tune Hotel in Kuta for about $12 AUD. For those unaware of the Tune concept, it goes by the theory that travellers in transit have two priorities - a comfy bed and a clean bathroom. The rest can be paid for as extras (eg. towel rental, air condtioning) much like budget airlines. So, I had the smallest single hotel room I have ever seen, but the bed was soft and clean, and the bathroom modern and with a massive showerhead. Tune Hotel is located just behind Matahari and I would only recommend it for ONE night if you just need a bed to stay.
I also booked a room on my last day for a few hours, as there is nothing worse than checking out at 10.00am when you have an midnight flight. I think $12 is a good investment for a place to put your bags and have an afternoon nap and a shower before leaving.
DRUPADI STUDIO APARTMENTS, SEMINYAK
I did a lot of research to try and find some budget accommodation in Seminyak and this place seemed to be the best value at $39 US per night. It is located on Jln Drupadi, which is a lovely little laneway that runs between Jln Laksmana and Jln Dhyana Pura (5 - 10 min walk either way). I really liked the location because it had a rural feel even though you were in the middle of Seminyak (there were cows down the road!).
There are 7 studio rooms in total, so it is quite a small place. The rooms are big and include TV, aircon, in-room safe, etc. I was a little bit disappointed in the bathroom as it was quite dirty and a bit smelly, but I am a bit of a Diva! Each room had a lovely patio overlooking the small but adequate pool. There were only 2 sunlounges that only got about 2 hours of sun a day.
I think this place was quite good value considering it was in Seminyak. I personally would stay here again, but I would only recommend it to a budget traveller.
TUNE HOTEL, LEGIAN
I stayed here for one night as part of my La Walon alternative. This room cost about $30 AUD as I had not pre-booked. Tune Legian is located down the beach end of Double Six, and is similar to the Kuta version but I did like this one better.
DEKUTA, KUTA
Another La Walon alternative, I booked this place online for one night for 745,000rp and I really enjoyed it. Dekuta is located down the beach end of Poppies 2, and it is very new and modern and clean. The rooms have a comfy bed, BIG flatscreen TV with a million channels, clean bathroom, balcony etc. The staff were eager to please and nothing was too much trouble. I would definitely recommend this place as it is great value for the location at less than $100 a night.