Grégoire
Google
Our stay at Pondok Pitaya Hotel for two weeks was unfortunately far from what we expected.
Major issues:
- Poorly insulated rooms: we could hear everything happening in neighboring rooms and outside, making nights difficult.
- Very few sun loungers, already insufficient for hotel guests and often taken by outsiders (who pay only 50K rupiah to use the pool). As a result, we had to wake up very early to "reserve" a lounger.
- Quite slow service: whether at the restaurant or by the pool, we had to wait 20 to 30 minutes to be served, while outsiders were prioritized. A very unpleasant feeling of discrimination when you pay for a two-week stay.
- Water problems: cold water and lack of pressure on several occasions.
- Dirty and poorly managed pool: no supervision, surfers or outsiders washing themselves there, and families turning the space into a daycare (toys everywhere, screaming, tables and loungers monopolized). We even filmed a scene where an Australian family occupied 4 loungers, 2 tables, and beach mats, turning the area into a real daycare.
- Mediocre included breakfast: incomplete (lack of granola, yogurt, fruit on some days), undrinkable coffee with grounds at the bottom. Strangely, the paid coffee was very good! The advertised hours (7 AM–11 AM) were not respected: we often had to wait until 8 AM, even with tours planned for the day and the driver waiting for us.
- Ineffective Wi-Fi: slow or out of service several times.
Conclusion:
A hotel that prioritizes outsiders (for a few rupiah) over those who pay to stay there. The team is sometimes not very organized, even though everyone is pleasant. The pool area sometimes lacks cleanliness, and the included services are not always up to par. Too bad, because Balian Beach is a splendid place.
P.S.: I’ve attached a video to my review to illustrate the atmosphere at the pool (loud family, monopolized loungers, etc.). If you’re looking for a hotel to relax, avoid this one
