THE COLONY HOTEL

SEMINYAK, BALI

FROM WHERE YOU WOULD RATHER BE.

Not me of course, I'm in chilly Sydney. This post on the other hand, is reviewing somewhere I think we would all rather be. As we approach the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, I'm daydreaming about waking up to mild mornings, walking barefoot in the grass and having plates of summer fruit. Instead I'm carrying around a hot water bottle (and a few extra kilos), donning a snuggie, counting down the days until Spring and eating blocks of nestle crunch chocolate. What can I say? I'm NOT a winter person. AT ALL. It's by far my least favourite season, but every year I have that same glimmer of hope as it approaches. "Ohhhh sitting by the fireplace drinking wine is going to be SO romantic" and " I'm really going to rock this coat, beanie and scarf look"- when in actual fact I just have an electric heater (I don't know where this imaginary fireplace always comes from?) and I end up just looking like a hobo in my aforementioned outfit. I should look on the bright side- Sydney is so lucky to have such mild weather for the majority of the year. I don't even truly know the meaning of cold- just imagine living in Iceland!! IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. And needing to get up for the toilet in the middle of the night. Seriously- hats off to the people of Iceland!!

Onto somewhere a bit warmer- Bali- specifically: THE COLONY HOTEL.

Jase and I toured this hotel last May- when we were staying at another property close by. We didn't stay here but we got a very good feel for it. Besides having the guided tour of rooms and facilities, we spoke to guests, the manager on duty and had a quick bite of lunch here. All very positive things to report!

PROPERTY:

A small child free property in the backstreets of Seminyak. Immaculate grounds. A very modern & bright white design. A two storey property borders a small lap pool. The hotel restaurant- URCHIN- sits at the front of the hotel ( serving predominately seafood & sushi dishes, as the name suggests) and overlooks the gorgeous pool area. Roughly 20 rooms in total that vary in price and layout. Absolutely fantastic location- 5 minutes to the beach, La Luciola, KuDeTa, great shops and restaurants. It couldn't be a better position- especially considering the reasonable rates!

ROOMS:

We viewed both the standard room on the lower level and the junior suite on the upper levels (pictured). Both types of room are gorgeous. I would definitely opt for the larger junior suite- unless you would like to have the pool at your doorstep or need an easy access room. The upper levels have small but functional balconies that overlook the pool area and also have the advantage of no-one above you making noise. Very spacious, modern bathrooms designed with marble and luxurious fixtures. Really large fluffy beds, big flat screen TV's and powerful air con.

OVERALL:

I would really consider staying here next time we visit Bali- we were thoroughly impressed. At less than half the cost of other hotels around the area, it offers great value for money. Being a child free hotel it's (obviously) not going to appeal to every traveller, but if you fall into this category I cant recommend it highly enough.

For those who like curry, the best restaurant: "lello lello" is next door- seriously delicious, review to come! 

For more information: www.thecolonyhotelbali.com

All photos by Belinda- www.outoftheoffice.com.au