Bonsai Villas

An intimate and secluded haven tucked away behind a busy main street, Bonsai Villas is quiet enough that guests feel a sense of peace and harmony, and can even wake to birds singing in the morning. The hotel has four one-floor villas housed in low-slung white buildings built with natural teak timber. At the front of the property grounds is a distinctive Japanese torii gate. Also on the grounds are a bamboo door, bonsai trees, ferns, and gold Buddha statues. Guests enter to a lobby done in white, and colorfully decorated with red-and-violet-cushioned chairs, a gold Buddha bust, abstract wall art, urns, wall-mounted bookshelves, and a flat-screen TV. The outdoor pool is in a narrow, rectangular shape, and set in a pretty and well-landscaped alcove with trees, shrubbery, and flowers, a Japanese-style red wall, gold sumo wrestler statue, and two lilac-colored chaise lounges. The hotel tends to draw couples who like the romantic and intimate feel, and families, who appreciate the roominess and full kitchens of the villas. 

The Bonsai Villas is located on a busy street in the center of vibrant Seminyak, a block west of the Bintang Mall and a two-minute walk south of the Biasa store and art gallery. Plenty of other shops and galleries are within a short walk of the hotel, and an area with numerous restaurants -- including vegetarian, Japanese, and Indian cuisines -- is a five-minute walk north. Seminyak Beach is a five-minute drive or 15-minute walk west of the hotel, while Petitenget Temple and Petitenget Beach are about 10 minutes' drive northwest of the Bonsai. Echo Beach surf spot is a 30-minute drive northwest of the hotel and Ngurah Rai International Airport is a 20-minute drive south of the Bonsai Villas. 

Bonsai Villas has four spacious one-floor villas, each with one bedroom. The villas are all clean, and quiet despite the hotel's busy city center location. The villas are individually decorated, but all have a modern-meets-traditional Japanese aesthetic in red and lime green, with cherry wood paneling and trim, white or black lacquer furniture, bonsai trees, plants and flowers, Japanese art and wallpaper, and Japanese shoji-style sliding doors. All villas come with air-conditioning, ceiling fans, daily housekeeping with turndown service, living rooms, full kitchens, dining areas, safes (which may not fit all laptops), free Wi-Fi, and 32-inch flat-screen TVs with DVD players and over 60 channels. Kitchens are simple and efficient: small sinks, two-burner stovetops, medium-size refrigerators/minibars, toasters, tea and coffee facilities, and cutlery and dishes. In each villa, a sliding door opens onto a private terrace overlooking the garden and equipped with an outdoor shower. Bathrooms are clean, well-lighted, and quite spacious, and come with bathrobes and slippers, as well as stall showers. 

As a small hotel, the Bonsai Villas has few facilities, with no fitness center or business center. It has no on-site dining, but numerous restaurants are within walking distance of the hotel. The hotel's centerpiece feature is its small outdoor pool, shaped in a narrow rectangle and good for a short lap. The pool is set in a pretty, secluded garden area with deck and lounge chairs. Guests receive a refreshing cold towel upon arrival, free fruit juice, and two free bottles of mineral water per day. The hotel also has a 24-hour front desk and free parking. Staff is consistently helpful with restaurant recommendations, and with booking reservations, drivers, and airport transportation. Wi-Fi is free, though can be spotty in villas.