We were in Bali for four weeks where we would be meeting up with our daughter and her husband for some of that time who were also holidaying in Indonesia.  Hoping to get a good rate on four weeks of accommodation we reached out to a few places and Japa Suites and Villas came back with the best deal.  So this lovely quiet retreat would become our home for the next few weeks.

Address

Jl. Hanoman Jl. Raya Pengosekan Ubud, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia

Date stayed

Friday 22nd July, 2022 for 25 nights

Room Type

Deluxe double room including breakfast each morning x 22 nights

Villa with private pool including breakfast x 3 nights

Price

The price was 24,700,000 IDR with 50% due before we got there and via an international transfer.  The breakdown ended up being:

22 nights in a double room = 22 x 850,000 =18,700,000 IDR ($1,843 AUD)

3 nights in a double room = 3 x 2,000,000 = 6,000,000 IDR ($591 AUD)

Location

Japa Suites and Villas is centrally located in Pengosekan, Ubud.  With just a short walk to lots of good warungs and restaurants, massage places, Yoga Barn, Ubud Palace and Monkey Forest, we were able to easily walk everywhere.  Although centrally located,  it is tucked away slightly back from the main street. Japa Suites and Villas is 34km from Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Check-in/Check-out

• Check-in is from 1500 (3pm)
• Check-out is before 1200 (12 noon)
• 24 hour reception
• Government issued photo ID required 
• A welcome drink was brought to our room after check-in and a little while later two small banana pancakes, topped with banana and strawberry.

Parking

There is a small amount of onsite parking at the property which is complimentary for guests staying at the property.

Internet

Free high speed internet is available in rooms and all areas of the hotel.  We found it to be reliable and fast.  

Room Features

We stayed in three different rooms during the course of our stay.  We spent seven nights in Room 201 Pancala which was a Deluxe Double room on the second floor, three nights in Room 108 Japa which was a Villa with a private pool and 15 nights in Room 110 Madra which was a Deluxe Double room on the ground floor adjacent to the pool.

Features of our Deluxe Double rooms included:

• 36 square metre non-smoking room with tiled flooring
• Complimentary internet access
• Adjustable thermostat controlled air conditioner
• One extra large double bed (otherwise known as a King)
• One long day bed
• Ensuite with shower, sink and toilet
• Bottled water
• Bedside tables with lights
• Flatscreen TV
• Long desk and stool
• Tea and coffee making facilities
• Hanging and luggage space

Each room is different so the two Deluxe Double rooms we stayed in contained mostly the same featured but differed in some ways.  For instance the Pancala room had a very large bathroom and was overall a nicer room where as the the Madra room had a partially outdoor shower and another small atrium room although I wasn’t sure of the purpose of this.  The layout and location of the rooms were different too with the first closer to the breakfast area and road and the other closer to the main pool.

Room 201 Pancala 

Room 110 Madra

Features of our Private pool villa included:

• 180 square metre non-smoking room with marble flooring
• Complimentary internet access
• Adjustable thermostat controlled air conditioner
• Flatscreen TV
• Safe
• Tea and coffee making facilities
• Kitchen set
• Mini bar
• Bottled water
• Private pool
• Outdoor kitchen and sitting area with beautiful gardens
• Oversized bathroom with duel sinks and a separate bath and shower with views
• Bathroom amenities
• Desk and chair
• Turndown & laundry service
• A sarong each to use when visiting temples

Room 108 Japa

Hotel Facilities

The facilities at Japa Suites and Villas include:

• Spa and Wellness centre
• Yoga
• Swimming pool with sun umbrellas, deck chairs and beach towels
• Restaurant
• Airport shuttle
• Daily housekeeping
• Dry cleaning, ironing and laundry services for a fee

Breakfast

Breakfast was included in the price of our accommodation and was a la carte with a choice of a savoury and a sweet dish, fresh juice and tea or coffee.  This could be brought to your room or you could enjoy it in the picturesque outdoor restaurant surrounded by the beautiful gardens which is what we chose each day.  There are tables out in the garden or under cover in case it rains.  A lot of care went into the presentation of the food and we enjoyed the food.  The menu changed slightly after about the first week but then stayed the same.  With only a few of each dish to choose from I would have liked to have seen it change more regularly.  After initially trying everything we found ourselves sticking mostly to our favourite dishes which were the Bubar Ayam and the Açai Bowl.  The black tea was too fragrant for my liking but the staff went and purchased some English Breakfast tea for me which was really thoughtful of them and really appreciated.

Things to do in the Area

Ubud has an abundance of temples that are worth visiting but as we saw a number of these last time, we skipped them on this visit.  Instead we enjoyed the following activities:

• Visit Monkey Forest
• Shop at the street side stalls
• Have a massage at one of the many massage outlets (we had heaps)
• Cool down with a cocktail or fancy drink
• Enjoy the views from the Love Swing at Campuhan Ridge Walk
• Sit and be entertained by how many items locals can carry on their scooters

Pros

• The location is ideal as it’s close to everything but off the main road so is lovely and quiet
• The staff are very friendly and go that extra mile to ensure your stay is enjoyable.  For instance, little gifts of mini fruit skewers, Balinese candy and Biscuits were brought to our room most days and when they found out I liked English Breakfast Tea they went out and purchased some for me to have at breakfast.
• The gardens and all the greenery not only looks attractive but provides shade and a feeling of peacefulness.
• Bottled water was provided in our room daily
• Having a fridge has been very handy
• Breakfast is a la carte which I prefer to a buffet breakfast
• Japa Suites and Villas represents very good value for money
• Our rooms were cleaned daily without fail and the cleaners did a great job
• On checkout we were presented with a personalised card and an attractive wooden gift.  Not sure if this is typical or because we stayed there for an extended period of time but it was a lovely gesture and we have a keepsake that will remind up of Japa Villas each time we see it.
• There are no monkeys on the property so there was no fear of having them snatch our things or them bothering us.

Cons

• The international transfer Japa Suites requested ended up being a bit of a hassle and cost us extra.  It would have been good if we could have just given them our credit card details so they could charge us that way.
• We had to move rooms due to the shower not draining properly
• Sometimes there is an unpleasant smell coming from the bathroom in the rooms we’ve been in.  We find the fan makes it worse and the situation has been a lot better since we stopped using the fan.
• I would have liked to see the breakfast menu change more as by the end of our 25 night stay we were definitely ready to sample some new breakfast food.
• The cleaners did a really good job cleaning our room but we found on a couple of occasions when we returned to our room that they had left our door unlocked.

Summary

Japa Suites and Villas represents great value for money and the staff try really hard to make you feel welcome.  The location is ideal with it’s close proximity to attractions, good eating places and shops and yet is far enough from the street to make it a quiet sanctuary away from all the hustle and bustle.