After the reviews, I was really looking forward to our stay at Ubud Village Resort and Spa. I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed.

The villas are beautiful, but ours needs refurbishing. Mostly, the air conditioning was not strong enough. As you can imagine, Bali is hot, hot, hot. And I just couldn't cool off at that property. Dining was great, but outside, so also hot. I needed a very cool room to go home to. Not to be.

The furniture outside needs replacing. The wood decking was worn out. The lighting in the bathroom was very bad.With just a little money, this property could be spectacular. Did I mention the private pool? The outdoor shower? The outdoor tub? Really nice, but I was just hot.

The spa is great. The food was also great.

The staff are amazing. Specail regards to Piki and Kama who did everything to make our stay enjoyable.

When we walked into our villa it definitely had the wow factor. A plunge pool all of our very own, flat screen tv, four poster bed and a wonderful outdoor bath. The villa had a modern Balinese aesthetic that was very nice. It was an oasis away from the craziness of Ubud - 'taxi taxi TAXI?'

We stayed in a villa overlooking the garden/rice paddies/restaurant and the view was very nice when we weren't lazing around on the bed. Only real negative worth mentioning is that the tea/coffee facilities are very mediocre. Sachets of Nescafe and creamer dont shout 5 star to me. Perhaps coffee plungers/coffee pots and fresh milk (or UHT) should be made available so guests can enjoy a nice cup of coffee in bed?

The people working here are nice. However, at times genuine smiles were few and far between. We were also taken aback about the gentle interrogation about our plans on a couple of different occasions - and felt it wasn't just idle curiosity or interest in what we were up to. It wasn't a good feeling at the time and it still leaves a bad taste.

Saying this, we hung around the restaurant/garden the next day (late flight) and the staff took good care of myself and Mr Josh! Also having the luggage room was very handy. Another plus was that we able to access the regular free shuttle service even though we had technically checked out.

Breakfast was pretty good, an a la carte menu with about 5-6 different options. I must say though I prefer a buffet breakfast (I like to eat a lot of fruit). The view from the top floor of the restaurant was spectacular - overlooking rice paddies and the grounds. The grounds themselves are well kept and allow for sweeping views. The pool looked pretty good too - although we only used our private pool to swim in. Oh yeah, they provide free afternoon tea between 4 and 5pm which was very nice.

This hotel/resort/spa offers something very different in the atmosphere and the service absolutely eclipses that of all other hotels in the area of Ubud. The owners have produced a luxury hotel but maintained the warm & accommodating feeling throughout which is found only in a genuine Balinese environment. The grounds, which are free to wander, offer the typical village life with an abundance of genuine coconut trees and once again, the owners have not spared the gift of intrigue for visitors to enjoy sitting and contemplating or meditating in the small bale bengong (pavilions)situated around the gardens. The food is absolutely devine - leave room for the delicious desserts!! I will definitely return to this haven of Balinese life.

2 nights just spent at the Ubud Village Resort & Spa just wasn't enough! The service was outstanding and the villas were stunning. The whole resort is so spacious that you feel very secluded and peaceful.. I definitely recommend this resort as an escape from the hussle & bustle. Many thanks to the staff who made our first stay in Ubud a memorable one!