Where to Stay in Bali: The Royal Eighteen Resort and Spa (Kuta)

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There were several things I looked for when I was searching for accommodations in Kuta:

• Proximity to the beach – Kuta is famous (or infamous) for its waves and its parties, and though I’m neither a surfer nor a party girl, I thought it would be worth checking out.
• Proximity to the St. Francis Xavier church – We would be arriving in Kuta on Easter Sunday and wanted to hear Mass. I wasn’t too sure about the availability (and advisability) of public transport around Kuta so I wanted a hotel that was walking distance to the church.
• Reasonable amenities — at least air conditioning and WiFi
• Good reviews

The Royal Eighteen Resort and Spa had all that and a buffet breakfast and a rooftop pool. Me = happy.

The hotel staff were great. The receptionist smiled so much, Hershe said she was probably the happiest person she’d ever met. The chef came by our table and briefly chatted with us during our first breakfast. The security officer always greeted us when we came in or went out and asked us where we were going. (That kind of irked me at first, to be honest; I’m not sure it’s any of his business where we were going. And I was kind of wary. But I reflected that, in the Philippines, when we encountered acquaintances on the road, we would often ask “Where have you been?” or “Where are you going?” so it might be the same thing in Bali/Indonesia. Benefit of the doubt.)

The hotel was also just a short walk to the Kuta Art Market (souvenirs galore, if you don’t mind haggling) as well as to the Matahari Department Store, which had a supermarket where we bought stuff like water, snacks, and even packs of coffee to take home.

The beach was, oh, around a 10-minute leisurely walk from the hotel. It was very near, we would often go to the beach, go back to the hotel, then go to the beach again. And whenever we had our fill of the beach, we would go to our room and check Facebook check in with our family, or we would go up to the rooftop and laze around the pool.

The Royal Eighteen was a great choice, I think, and it wasn’t TOO expensive at IDR 550,000 a night, considering its central location, pool, and buffet breakfast. I would stay there again and I definitely recommend it to anyone planning to stay in Kuta.

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“Where to Stay in Bali: The Royal Eighteen Resort and Spa (Kuta)” was created by LSS for travel site Small-Town Girls, Midnight Trains. All rights reserved.