The winning element of Hotel Tugu Bali is its location, situated just metres from Balong Beach on the main road in Canguu. Prior to our 2-night stay at Hotel Tugu, neither of us had been to Canguu before. Being centrally located meant that we were able to explore the area efficiently in the short time period that we had.
// The Location //
Prior to coming to Canguu we did not quite understand how large Canguu is. There are multiple areas to stay depending on what you are looking for. Hotel Tugu is positioned at the end of Jl. Pantai Batu Bolong which we found to be the main road into and out of Canguu. This prime location means that staying at Hotel Tugu positions you around the best cafes, restaurants and other amenities.
On another note, Hotel Tugu is by far the most ideal location for surfers as you can literally walk out the door and be at the surf break within a minute.
// The Hotel Tugu //
It is undeniable to say that Hotel Tugu is one of the most unique hotels in Indonesia. As the owner is apparently the largest antique collector in Indonesia, you can imagine how many magnificent and historical objects are positioned throughout the hotel.
The entrance to the hotel is incredibly grand. As you arrive out of the car you find yourself met by two large sculptures, similar to the entrance of an Indonesian family home. Even the reception area would have you thinking that the hotel has at least 50 rooms. We were shocked to hear that there were only 21 rooms at Hotel Tugu!
The grounds of the hotel consist of pebbled paths with double storey Indonesian styled huts positioned across the hotel grounds. A main feature of the hotel grounds are the dreamy lotus ponds positioned in the grounds of the hotel. These ponds surround the grand suite of the hotel, Puri Le Mayeur.
// The Room //
We stayed in room 107 known as a Dadari Suite which came with a plunge pool. The other option is to stay in a Rejang room, positioned on the second floor with a private indoor spa area.
We found our room to be very generous in size. The room came with a large king bed with canopy, separate toilet and bathroom and outdoor patio area with a plunge pool and large rocking day bed.
Due to the design of the double storey houses, we found our bathroom to be quiet dark with minimal artificial lighting. This however was a minor issue. We loved waking up and looking outdoors to the plunge pool which looked onto the pond and beyond that an Indonesian temple.
// The Amenities //
Besides the hotels close proximity to the beach, the hotel also features a generous sized common outdoor pool. We didn’t spend time around the pool during our stay seeing the whether was not great so we can not comment on the service and amenities around the pool.
The highlight of our stay was the number of dining experiences available. We spent one night at the JI Terrace which is on the 3rd storey and features an amazing view over the beach especially for sunset. You do not have to be staying at the hotel to visit JI Terrace and would recommend visitors to Canguu to come here anyway for drinks or a Japanese meal (standard of food was great!).
Additionally, we dined one evening at the restaurant on the ground floor which also served Japanese food. The interiors of this restaurant were formed from an antique temple dating back to the 18th century.
As the rain prevented us from spending time in the sun, we instead opted to spend the afternoon at the spa. Decorated simply, the spa offers a range of treatments from healthy and rejuvenating facials to pedicures and hot stone massages. If you have enough time here and feel like pampering yourself, it is worth while checking out the spa!
// Our verdict //
If you are after an unusual and quirky hotel experience Hotel Tugu is the place to stay. With lots of cultural experience you can certainly spend a long time just walking around the hotel observing historical artefacts.
We were impressed with the standard of the hotel and the enthusiam of the staff. Our only negative comments would be the quality of light in the bathroom and the wifi (which we found to be a bit of a hit and miss in areas). There is certainly no denying that the location of this hotel trumps the downsides.
If you would like to book a room at Hotel Tugu mention ‘kotravellersTugu’ in your email to bali@tuguhotels.com to receive 10% off their best available rate!
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