Lombok Hotels with Bars

This was a treat as it’s a birthday celebration but it soon turned into a series of unfortunate events. The service and staff are amazing but their rooms have a serious bug problem. We woke up in the middle of the night to find our pillows covered with winged bugs that looked like ants, they were in the pillow and on the pillow, upon inspection there were more on the headboard and on the sofa by the window. We started to also notice dust piles on the floor in the room too, so we suspect they are eating at the wood. It was pretty alarming to find and have bugs crawling on your bed and we soon found out it was on our bags too. A staff member was quick to come to our room to inspect but the main team have already gone home. They allowed us to switch rooms but it looks like the problem is in the other room too. By the bed, more dust piles and on the sofa more bugs. It’s midnight so we sprayed the bed with bug spray and hope no more will crawl on us. As well as this their sink was blocked. We are both adventurous people, slept in the rainforest before, camped etc so we are not scared of bugs but when these could be termites or carpenter ants, our biggest worry is bringing them home. It’s not a nice situation for them either given their buildings are 200 years old. The next morning comes and the situation was not handled like a luxury hotel would. No one came to speak to us about it and no apology until I mentioned it at reception. The room they moved us to was also a smaller one so we effectively paid for a bigger room that we couldn’t stay in, this also wasn’t mentioned. There were positives like free bike usage, good cocktails, board games in lobby and a clean pool but I wouldn’t say this is a luxury hotel but more like a 3 star hotel with a 5 star mask. All in all, a birthday that wasn’t a treat.

Pondok Santi Estate is truly an exceptional place to stay. We stayed at Pondok Santi Estate in Gili Trawangan for four nights, and from the very first moment, everything exceeded our expectations. The level of service is outstanding — a true 5 out of 5 — and the experience feels much more like a five-star luxury resort rather than a hotel. Every detail is beautifully designed and perfectly maintained. The rooms are spacious, elegant, and extremely comfortable. Housekeeping is impeccable, and the staff is attentive without ever being intrusive. The restaurant experience deserves special praise. The food quality, presentation, and service were consistently excellent. Breakfasts were a highlight of our stay — fresh, delicious, and served in a peaceful, beautiful setting that made every morning feel special. What truly sets this resort apart is the warmth and professionalism of the team. From the room staff to the restaurant team, everyone made us feel genuinely welcome and well cared for throughout our stay. Personally, Gili Trawangan itself is not a destination that impressed me greatly. However, Pondok Santi Estate completely transformed our experience and made the island a place I would happily return to again — specifically because of this resort. We feel very fortunate to have stayed here and are deeply grateful for such a memorable and high-quality experience. Pondok Santi Estate is a true sanctuary of comfort, elegance, and exceptional hospitality, and we would not hesitate to return.

The hotel's location is fantastic, right on the beachfront with private sun loungers. The staff are welcoming, and there's a tap outside each villa to rinse off sand after the beach. We were greeted wonderfully and checked in immediately as our room was ready. They promptly brought welcome drinks and cold towels. Regarding the downsides: there are no disposable toothbrushes or body lotion. The water isn't in disposable bottles but in a carafe that you have to refill yourself in the lobby. The room is very dark with insufficient lighting. The windows aren't airtight, leading to high street noise, especially when the call to prayer starts at night. The refrigerator is also very noisy. The air conditioner is positioned to blow directly onto the bed, so we had to sleep with our heads at the foot of the bed. The AC is also loud. There were strange worm-like caterpillars crawling in the bathroom and room. There are no power outlets near the beds. Breakfast is à la carte, with an additional buffet offering vegetables, fruits, cheese, cold cuts, and pastries. The breakfast food isn't very good; poached eggs were overcooked. A plus is that you can order several dishes from the menu. The latte coffee was very bitter, and I had to add milk myself. I believe the price for this hotel is too high. The only plus is the location – it's conveniently situated a 10-minute walk from the port and has a beach spot where you can see turtles.

Sea Shell Hotel Gili is a small and cozy hotel where we stayed for two nights during our trip to the Gili Islands. The hotel is located inside the island rather than directly on the beach, but the ocean is still within easy walking distance — just a short walk to the left side of the island. Considering the size of Gili, the location is actually quite convenient and quiet. Our room was spacious with a large comfortable bed, perfect for relaxing after a day in the sun. The bathroom was also quite big with good plumbing — hot water was always available and the water pressure was strong. Overall everything was clean and well maintained. One small thing that felt a bit strange was that we were given only one towel per person. If a place positions itself as a hotel rather than a guesthouse, it would be nice to have at least two towels per guest. Another detail we didn’t love was the drinking water system. Water is provided in a jug rather than sealed plastic bottles. While it may be more eco-friendly, personally I feel a bit more comfortable when the drinking water comes in sealed bottles. The hotel has a large swimming pool which looks nice, although we didn’t end up using it — when you’re on Gili, swimming in the ocean feels like the obvious choice. Breakfast was probably the most disappointing part of the stay. There is a menu, but in reality there aren’t many options to choose from. On the second morning about half of the menu was unavailable when we tried to order, and no explanation was given. Amsterdam - Good cafe near the hotel :) in the end we sorted out our breakfast there Overall, Sea Shell Hotel Gili is a decent option if you’re looking for a quiet place to stay with spacious rooms and a good bathroom. It’s not perfect, but for a short stay on the island it worked well enough.

The hotel's environment is good, but the sign at the main entrance isn't very noticeable, so be careful not to miss it. Once inside, the place is quite spacious. For the price, it's very good value for money. The rooms have balconies, making for a very comfortable stay.

Absolutely lovely place, I love how the resorts have everything so we don’t need to go outside to reach certain places. Comfortable bed Beautiful nature Strong wind Private beach Facilities of jet ski, boat riding Affordable food for lunch and dinner Bicycle riding Cute coffee shop Magazines to read However to take note, there may be language barrier as most of the workers here understand Indonesian better than English. I can also travel to Gili Islands from the hotel, but best if we go to Bangsal Harbour which is 40 mins from hotel, as the cost is cheaper 25k rupiah, compared to hotel around 1.07 million rupiah if I’m not mistaken(as they use private boat)

location: 4.5/5 - not far from the airport. about 40 mins to an hour. secluded. perfect for staying in and spending time and money on the services they provided service: 4.9/5 - the staff are friendly, attentive, helpful all that without being ‘too much’. any requests must be liaised through whatsapp, since they don’t have a phone in the villa, they will reply within 10 minutes. the 0.1 minus was bc i put a special request and they didn’t bother to do it. tried to book a massage appointment last minute too bad they have no availability. food: dinner 5/5 - prices after tax are still very affordable. had steak & frites for less than rm60 (Malaysia could neverrrrr). cocktails selections are good and strong. breakfast 4.5 - wide selections but nothing extraordinary. they have eggs station but the eggs were bland. your normal breakfast buffet spread mix of both asians and western price: a little on the higher side and i’ve spent a fair share of staying in nice resorts around Lombok but no complaints because i know what i wanted

I stayed in a two-bedroom family room. Overall, everything was fine. The room was cleaned every morning/afternoon. All the staff were friendly and very helpful with our needs. Because of its beachfront location, nestled between two lively bars, the atmosphere here isn't exactly quiet. It's suitable for active people, not those looking for tranquility.

The resort was good, but the staff seemed to be micro managing everything. About half an hour before checkout I got a text reminding me of the checkout time, to which I did not respond (did not seem like I had to). Then, 20 minutes before checkout a guy starts knocking on my room window telling me the checkout is in 20 minutes, which I was fully aware of. Then after checkout, I was told to wait the reception because they were ‘checking the room’. I inquires what they meant, and they told me they would be checking for ‘things such as stains’. Very weird, and it all felt very pushy. Especially considering I was only one of the few residents, and most rooms seemed to be empty.

I would like to warmly thank the bale sasak team for their exceptional welcome and impeccable service. Every staff member contributed to making my stay unforgettable with their kindness and availability. The facilities were perfect, and the atmosphere was relaxing. Thank you again for everything; I hope to return soon! Special thanks for Pedro the goat! I want to see you again brother!