Brown Feather Hotel

The charming Brown Feather Hotel is a quaint, homey, and laid-back little gem in one of southern Bali's more upmarket locations. The architecture is distinctly colonial and the decor throughout the property has a distinct bohemian edge, featuring eclectic wrought iron and rattan furniture, beautiful tropical plants in oversized pots, and long vines that spill down from the hotel's upper floors.

Facilities at the hotel are limited to a communal kitchen, a small lobby, and a narrow lap pool. The pool is the focal point of the hotel, and all the rooms look out onto it. It's surrounded by tropical plants and has a view of the rice fields, though lacks lounge chairs and doesn't get much sun. The only seating around the pool is a wrought iron day bed, it overlooks the picturesque rice field view and is the perfect nook to curl up with a good book. That almost perfectly sums up the overall vibe here, and it's not the place for those looking to party until dawn. Instead, couples seeking peace, quiet, and style in a minimal-frills package make up the bulk of guests here.

The hotel's location is ideal, though beach lovers will need to hire a cab or prepare to walk a bit. Brown Feather sits along the quiet and laid-back Batu Belig Street, within a five-minute walk of Petitenget, one of Seminyak's most trendy neighborhoods. The area is home to many of Bali's fine-dining restaurants, including Metis and Sardine, which are both less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The happening Potato Head Beach Club is a seven-minute drive from the hotel and the ultra chic Ku De Ta restaurant is 13 minutes away by car. The black sand Batu Belig Beach is a 15-minute walk from the hotel and although it isn't great for swimming because of the heavy rip tides, it does offer up some decent surf. Unfortunately, this beach also tends to be poorly maintained and it's common to see trash and debris washed up along the sand. Kuta Beach, Waterbom Park, and the airport all take around 40 minutes to reach from the hotel, though this varies with traffic.

Rooms at the Brown Feather Hotel have slight variations in size, layout, and decor, though the look is similar across the board. Rooms feature rustic and colorful concrete tiles, retro furniture, and beautiful textiles. Large doors and windows let in plenty of natural light and tropical air. Decor includes hand-woven rugs, patchwork quilts, vintage lamps, paintings and tapestries, as well as ethnic Indonesian ikat bed runners. Wrought iron beds with comfy mattresses are a nice addition, and work desks are made of rich teak.

Rooms are outfitted with air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, mini-fridges, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. The Deluxe Halona View Rooms are the only rooms that feature balconies and rice-field views. The open-air balconies are accessed via a large opening window with stairs that lead out to plant-filled landings. The Magena Suites have larger footprints, more seating and wardrobe space, and a freestanding copper bathtub that makes them a lovely upgrade.

Bathrooms are spacious and have an elegant design that includes white concrete tiles, large mirrors, and copper vanity sinks with old Singer sewing machine bases. Metal doors featuring floral-engraved glass panels divide the bathrooms from the rest of the room. Free boutique toiletries as well as bottled water are provided.

The features at the Brown Feather Hotel are limited, and the hotel is best for guests who don't need much in the way of frills. The main feature is a narrow pool in the center of the property. It sits amid long vines that spill into the pool area from the roof of the hotel. Although the setting is nice, the pool area lacks lounge chairs and is in the shade most of the day. A communal kitchen is available for guests and is outfitted with a full-size refrigerator, stovetop burners, a microwave, toaster, and rice cooker. Breakfast options include both Indonesian and American options, and while it's a simple affair, prices are affordable and most past guests are pleased. The hotel doesn't serve lunch or dinner, and room service isn't available. The hotel has free bicycles for guests to use, and there's plenty of parking space. Wi-Fi is also free in both the rooms and common areas.