GRAHA SANDAT VILLAS
The Graha Sadat Villas make for a great first time stay in Bali . Rates at this Ubud hotel tend to be relatively cheap and affordable. Guests are immersed into what looks and feels like a mini Balinese village with daily offerings
to the Gods placed on doors, an abundance of natural Indonesian foliage and interior streams of koi fish as you enter the property. At Graha Sadat Villas, guests are close to tourist areas but live in a very local environment. I arrived to the property after dark, but soon realized I had made an excellent choice in accommodations.
ROOM
Sliding doors opened onto a beautiful 4-poster canopy bed. The color pattern of the room was very elegant -creams, beiges, white with dark contrasting hard wood floors. And then there was the to die for ceiling! Gorgeous!
Bedroom area provided ample space for two people to sit, stretch out and relax. Room came equipped with a nice size sofa, very small vanity, table, trunk and television. Additionally, there was a well working air conditioner, ceiling fan and WiFi.
The mornings were simply beautiful in that the room opened up onto a lovely patio overlooking tropical plants and a private pool.
BATHROOM
Stepping into the bathroom was another experience - I loved it! Carved free standing stone tub - equipped with bath salts. River rock free standing shower and separate water closet or toilet. The entire bathroom was all indoors, but gave one the immense feeling of being outdoors. The ceiling was high and acted as a skylight. Bathroom was very clean and serviced daily - which included replacement of mineral water.
Clothing storage area was in the bathroom -but not a lot of it. One wardrobe and one tall shelf unit was provided. Although the set up was nice and neat, I found clothes hanging challenging - not much space.
THE PATIO/POOL
The patio was lovely to sit on after a day of touring. I also found it a perfect place to have an early morning breakfast. This very functional area comes equipped with a a kitchenette that includes a refrigerator, stove top, plates, glasses, etc.
Loved having a private pool! Very refreshing and welcoming on those intensely hot Bali days. And it was only me. No screaming kids at the pool screaming, "Look mom!"while jumping in to the water.
All the villas at Graha Sandat are beautifully yet rustically landscaped. They are not slick and perfect looking, trying to overly impress. Foliage abound, it was like being in my own tropical backyard. As much as I loved touring Ubud and the surrounding area, I always enjoyed "coming home" to my private villa.
SAFETY/ NOISE
As a female solo traveler, I felt very safe in my villa and while walking around the property - even alone at night. If I had any safety concerns they were only related to walking on the flat walkway stones which could be very slippery when wet.
ONE NEGATIVE ISSUE
Although I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Graha Sandat Villas and sincerely recommend the property, my stay was not without a few "issues." Let me start by saying, I suspect all the villas could do with an overall inspection and some repairs.
In my case, two of the floor boards leading into the bathroom would buckle, thus throwing me off balance (albeit gently) every time I entered. Then, two days into my stay, I noticed water on the floor in the separate toilet area. I thought the toilet was leaking, but as it turned out, the ceiling was leaking due to the heavy rain fall. The matter was fixed with 24hrs and hotel management attempted to accommodate me with a free breakfast - although I think a percentage off of my room would have been more appropriate, but I did not protest. Overall my villa was in good condition. But as with any property, general inspection and maintenance needs to be conducted on a regular basis.
PRICE
$113.97 / night (October) ; $75 - 85 (Low Season)
PROS
Budget friendly modern Balinese living experience on a lovely property in walking distance to major shopping, eateries and tourist spots such as Ubud Market, Ubud Palace and Saraswati Temple. Property is very safe, clean and relatively quiet. Private patio and pool allow for personal cooking, food storage and complete relaxation at a very affordable price.
CONS
Limited storage space for belongings. Some rooms are in need of a little maintenance.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Graha Sandat Villa's website beacons you to "Come stay with us where you can forget the world and feel relaxed, forget the daily worries." I definitely feel guests can achieve that goal with a stay at Graha Sandat Villas and I will once again take them up on that promise soon.
Graha Sandat Villas
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia