My boyfriend and I were looking for a nice place on Balian Beach because we were touring the island. He is an architect and we were excited when we read that this place was designed by a French architect designer. It was a bit expensive for Balian Beach, but the reviews were good so we said, "Sure! Lets's try it."

We wanted clean rooms, good food, nice grounds, AC, a pool and close to the beach. I think this place sort of covered what we wanted but not exactly. As one reviewer mentioned there were bugs in the room, and they were in the bed, termites or carpenter ants I think. Also, we too had a very large black spider living in the bathroom (I think the size of a cookie). We don't freak about insects but the termites in the bed did kind of make me itchy. The outdoor shower did have algae and didn't drain properly. And finally the rooms themselves were very dated with 70's mirrors and a crazy tangerine orange flat paint on the wall; very early 80's. All of this would have been fine, but the price was what you would pay for a much nicer villa elsewhere.

We didn't really think the food was that great either though perhaps it was what we ordered. I recommend going to the first warung down at the end of the beach on the right, get the fish sate and the Tempe curry - delicious and for 20,000 rupiah.

The pool was pretty nice, water a bit cloudy, but refreshing. The grounds were also quite lovely with extensive flowering gardens, a small private cove/beach and gorgous ocean views from the massage pavillion. The location of the hotel is definitely away from the usual hum of motorbikes which was very nice.

Oh one last thing: There were fire ants by the pool and in our room's outdoor shower area that bit up my boyfriend pretty badly. Nasty bites!

My wife and I just spent Christmas here.

Pro's:
The location is amazing. There is a beach you can walk to (not the surfing beach) via a nature trail that is a romantic dream. Black sands, crashing waves, blue skies with white clouds, sea mist - you name it. It felt like a honeymoon and we have been married almost five years. The resort grounds are also amazing. Watching the sunset from multiple sides of the cove can become a hobby.

The food is awesome. We ate Christmas eve dinner there and many other meals. I had some of the best duck of my life, and the crispy pork belly was simply fantastic. Coconut cheesecake, homemade pasta and homemade bread are just some of the great things on the menu.

Near Bailan Beach: A simple 5 minute walk to the surfer hangout. Some cool bars, cafes and people. You can also rent boards (surf and boogie) there.

Owner came by and gave us Christmas presents. So classy, Dominic also insisted we check out the above mentioned beach. He made us feel welcome.

Cons: (Note: we had a great stay but there are some things you should know about that dropped our rating to average. The pro's above were all at the top level)

Bugs in room: I get it, we are in Bali, bugs are to be expected, but there is a tipping point and our room reached it. Ants crawling on us in the night, waking up to bugs in our bed, and multiple large spiders in the bathroom. Luckily, we had geckos in our rooms (which we don't mind) so we didn't get too bitten, but it did cause us stress. This is largely due to the types of traditional windows and doors used in the villas. They look great, but clearly leave gaps large enough for wildlife to enter.

More on rooms: No TV (not a huge con, but you should know), aircon was mediocre, and the outdoor shower was dirty with poor drainage and green algae.

Pool turned off at night: Stagnant pool water after 6:30 p.m. doesn't make me want to take that morning dip when they turn it on again 12-13 hours later.

To Sum Up: We would go again, but probably try the honeymoon suit in hopes of a more secure room. The food, beaches, cool resort grounds and friendly owner make it a place to visit.

Quiet and beautiful cliff top location, amazing french/Asian cuisine and a great pool. Fun for the kids, great black sands beaches nearby.

We really enjoyed our 3 nights here. The room was very comfortable and private, any room service requests were the most prompt i have ever had anywhere in bali.
We were scoping it out for a return visit with our kids, and will definately go back next year. Probably the limited dining options in the area would limit how long I would want to stay in Balian, although we did eat at the night market in the village on the highway and enjoyed it without getting unwell.
We had a bike, and i think you would want your own transport while staying. This was quickly arranged at a reasonable rate through the hotel.
We would have liked to be able to watch a movie, but there were no tvs in the standard rooms, and a big jump in price to upgrade. Normally with the kids we carry our own dvd, so no problem.
I thought it was a really laid back place, the staff were attentive, but not overbearing. The food was good, just not enough indonesian for my palate.
Would and have recommended to other friends and families.