Club Bali Family Suites at Legian Beach

This property is clean and functional, but feels more like a motel than a beachside resort with suites -- which is what's implied by the hotel's name. Much of the lobby is a proud but dated-looking display of local touches including Balinese wooden furniture and paintings of traditional Indonesian temples and the countryside. Gold lettering on the front desk looks tacky. Hallways look slightly old, as well, with broken tiles in several spots. The grounds are more pleasant, featuring terra-cotta pathways weaving through lots of lovely greenery and the occasional fountain. While the hotel isn’t fancy, it is popular with tourists -- mostly families -- who prefer low rates and self-catering over frills.

The Club Bala -- part of the complex of the neighboring Jayakarta Hotel -- has a central location in the heart of Legian’s tourist neighborhood, on a small street surrounded by shops, bars, and restaurants. While the area is convenient, it can also be heavily crowded. The Legian Beach is a five-minute walk away via a shortcut through the hotel. The Double Six Beach is nine minutes away on foot. The 3D Dream Museum Zone Bali is a seven-minute drive away. Further out, the Waterbom Bali park is a 40-minute drive away. Ngurah Rai International Airport is a 30-minute drive away. The hotel does provide airport pick-up service. 

Suites are available with one, two, or three bedrooms. All are spacious, clean, and feel like apartments with ample closet space, separate living areas with plump sofa beds, and kitchens. Framed pieces of traditional art hang on walls. Balinese-patterned bed runners and pillows, and carved details on the desks and dressing tables add local touches, but overall, the mostly brown, wooden furnishings are ordinary and show their age. 

All non-smoking suites have individually-controlled air conditioners that work well, flat-screen TVs, safes, and free patchy Wi-Fi. The well-equipped kitchens include stoves, kettles, microwaves, rice cookers, dishwashers, toasters, and mini-fridges, along with cooking utensils and dishware. Balconies in one-bedroom suites are small, but manage to hold furniture. Views aren’t exceptional, though. 

Bathrooms are small in proportion to the rest of the spaces, and old-looking, but clean. All one-bedroom suites have shower/tub combos with handheld showerheads. Two- and three-bedroom suites have two bathrooms: one with walk-in showers and handheld showerheads, and another with a jetted tub.  

Amenities are mostly located in the neighboring Jayakarta Bali hotel. Guests can walk to its restaurant/bar, which is a large, open space covered by a wooden roof and featuring casual seating and a simple bar area, in about 10 minutes. Prices for food and drinks here are significantly higher than at the other eateries on the same street. A breakfast buffet of mostly continental items is served, but it isn’t included with room rates, and the spread is mediocre. 

Guests can also use the Jayakarta’s three pools (and pool bar), which are relatively well-maintained, but can get crowded with children, and lounge chairs get taken up quickly. The beach is a more spacious place to enjoy the water.  

The gym (also at Jayakarta), is free but its dated equipment, drab room, and dysfunctional air conditioner are in need of updates. The spa is more appealing, with simple but pleasant traditional decor and a few rooms containing massage beds. A children’s corner provides a small indoor play area for kids, and an outdoor playground has swings, seesaws, table tennis, and tennis courts. Free parking is available at a large indoor lot on-site.