Bali Rani Hotel

Bali Rani Hotel is situated on lush tropical grounds with trees, flowers, and well-tended gardens. A koi pond with lily pads helps make for a particularly beautiful and serene setting, and adds to the Balinese vibe here. A red-roofed bale meten (traditional Balinese house) sits in the middle of the pond, and houses an indoor, open-air guest parlor. Guests are greeted with a welcome drink in the large lobby with skylighted center, marble floors, sculptures of horses, and Balinese murals. The hotel's centerpiece is its large lagoon-style swimming pool, with a large freeform section, an adjacent circle-shaped area, and center sculpture spouting water into the pool. The pool has a poolside bar but no swim-up bar or music, so it doesn't have the energetic atmosphere of some other hotels and resorts in Kuta. But the guests who stay at the hotel seem to like it that way. The Bali Rani draws mostly couples to its quiet environment, contemporary rooms, and location near shopping and not too far from the beach. With its lack of specific kids' activities, though, the hotel is not great for families with children. 

Bali Rani Hotel is in southern Kuta, a prime location for access to shopping. The Discovery Shopping Mall is across the street, the Lippo Mall is a two-minute drive or eight-minute walk, the Beachwalk Mall is a five-minute drive, and Mal Bali Galeria is a little over a 10-minute drive from the hotel. The Bali Rani is also in a good spot for access to water parks: Waterbom Bali is a three-minute walk and Circus Waterpark is a five-minute drive. Segara Beach is a 10-minute walk from the hotel and has surfing and great sunsets. Kuta Square is also within 10 minutes by foot. It's a 10-minute drive to reach the area with Sky Garden Bali entertainment complex and the Ground Zero Monument to the victims of the 2002 Sari Club bombing. Kuta Art Market is a two-minute drive and the Vihara Dharmayana Buddhist temple is a five-minute drive from the hotel. Ngurah Rai International Airport is a five-minute drive from Bali Rani Hotel. 

Rooms at the Bali Rani are a bit of a mixed bag -- some are pleasantly contemporary while others are a bit dated and worn. Most have some sort of Balinese decorative elements and wood furnishings and trim that adds a dash of local character. The color palette is white and brown, with some rooms adding light blue, red, or violet. Rooms are generally in good condition, but a few have issues with worn or stained towels and bed linens and leaking or non-functioning air conditioning. These lower category rooms -- like the Deluxe Room that we saw -- have chipped furniture and dated fabrics. All are fairly spacious, with entry-level rooms starting at 291 square feet (27 square meters). Standard features include electric kettles for instant coffee and tea, plus free bottled water, minibars, free (sometimes spotty) Wi-Fi, and 32-inch flat-screen TVs with over 40 international channels. Occasionally the Wi-Fi has connectivity problems. All have terraces or balconies, some overlooking the swimming pool. A few rooms open directly to the pool. Family rooms and suites have sitting areas. Bathrooms are fairly good sized, and all come with hairdryers and showers. Some have separate bathtubs and walk-in showers. 

Bali Rani Hotel features a large, lagoon-style swimming pool, bordered by a large deck and poolside bar serving light meals and a good range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The hotel also provides an average-quality free breakfast buffet, with Indonesian items and the typical Western dishes as well. For lunch and dinner, the brasserie restaurant serves authentic Indonesian cuisine in addition to Asian and Western dishes. Room service is available around the clock and the hotel also hosts occasional barbecue nights. The on-site Balinese spa offers a good range of massages, scrubs, wraps, facials, and nail therapy. The hotel also has meeting rooms, airport transfer (for a fee), concierge service, and free parking. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, but doesn't always work well.