We stayed at the Legian for 5 nights out of our 9 night visit to Bali and it was the best hotel for overall experience. The staff were friendly and the pool staff new our names from day one which i thought was a nice touch.

The rooms were huge and loved the four poster bed with white curtains around it which was very romantic. We had breakfast brought to our room every morning and had this out on our massive balcony overlooking the ocean. The day bed out on the balcony was a great touch as well, but by mid morning is was too hot & humid to sit out there. The bose sound system & ipod docks were great, they even give you an ipod to listen to during your stay which had some fantasic music downloaded.

The pool was divine with 2 infinity edge pools we were always able to get pool beds close by and you overlook the beach which is quite entertaining watching surfers being dumped by the waves - kept my fiance happy!

I would definitely recommend this hotel it is fantastic.

We stayed at The Legian Bali to attend a friend's wedding at Four Seasons, Sayan. Had 3 nights at the Legian, then travelled to Ubud for two nights at the Four Seasons, then back to the Legian for another 3 nights. As we booked via a travel agent I am not exactly sure how much we paid for the room but it seems to be around USD700 for a Deluxe Suite.

After being picked up at the airport, we arrived at the hotel to be greeted with a complimentary fruit mocktail, absolutely delicious. The check in experience was excellent with the staff leading us to comfortable chairs to enjoy our drinks and bring the forms to us for completion they were very attentive (very different to any Australian hotel I have been too, where you usually have to stand in line waiting for someone to serve you). That first night we arrived in the evening and decided to have a drink at the bar, the hotel arranged a baby sitter at very short notice, the babysitter was very nice and came over every day for a few hours so we could do some shopping and head out at night, she was excellent.

Hotel breakfast was amazing each morning, I would gorge myself and not need anything else until the afternoon. They had both western and asian breakfast buffet. The Nasi Goreng at breakfast there was better than anything I have been able to find back in Perth.

The room was huge, with a small kitchette which came in handy so we could prepare food for our daughter. Had an excellent view from our balcony.

They have a heap of sun lounges near the pool and overlooking the beach, but get down early to snare a prime position.

The only problem we had with the hotel was the second time we checked in we ended up with a room at the opposite end that we originally had and found that this area had a heap of mosquitoes.

Overall, the hotel was amazing, staff excellent and attentive, they all knew our names, close to the beach, breakfast was unreal. Generally was a really good stay, defineately will stay again once the aussie dollar picks up a bit moreso i can afford the accomodation.

My wife and I returned today from 8 nights at the Legian, preceded by 7 nights at their sister hotel, the Chedi Club in Ubud.

The Legian is a very well run hotel and you would have to be outrageously spoiled not to have a great time here. The service is outstanding; the staff memorise the names of all the guests and are friendly and efficient and actually seem to enjoy working there, and the manager greeted us on arrival. We booked the cheapest room, which was very large and nicely, if unimaginatively, decorated. We did wonder why for such a large room the bed was only queen size. We also had some problem with the air-conditioning which they did fix quickly, but it failed again on the last night. The food was also good; the breakfast buffet was extensive and top quality. Dinner was also good but relatively expensive and the restaurant wasn’t very full. Also to be fair the rates are very affordable, at least by Western standards, and we felt it was good value for money.

In fact there is very little to criticise. However, albeit for reasons not all within its control, we rate the Legian highly but can’t rave about it. Firstly while they clean the stretch of beach in front of the hotel, you don’t have to walk very far to see litter and dead fish strewn everywhere; a problem which apparently is particularly acute in rainy season. Needless to say the ocean, if you are brave enough to swim in due to the waves and currents, isn't clean. The pools are well maintained but too small for a hotel with 67 rooms, and not deep enough to really swim in. Note that Dec/Jan is rainy season, and most days it would rain, although fortunately usually in the evening and at night when it didn't matter and there was ample sunshine during 6 of the 8 days. They provide afternoon tea, a nice touch, except the cakes that accompany it are sub-standard. The hotel has a huge security presence which is a sad necessity, and while we never felt unsafe in Bali, it can make you feel skittish.

Most of all was a sense that for a small hotel it just doesn't feel very exclusive, and could be almost anywhere in the world. The architecture, decor, food, and general ambience feel like a generic luxury international beach hotel not an Asian let alone Balinese experience. The hotel attracts an eclectic clientelle including older men in speedo's with wives a fraction of their ages, "fashionistas" who walk around like they are being filmed, Antipodean families who can't control their volume, and a significant contingent of gay couples.

For this reason we would strongly recommend combining a stay at the Legian with a stay at the sister hotel, the Chedi club in Ubud which we can't recommend highly enough. While it is only 40km away, it is a completely different experience, and made for a really well balanced holiday.

Outside the hotel, the food was also excellent. We went out to eat on 7 nights. One restaurant we thought was exceptional (and we are avid foodies) was Sarong, which needs to be booked well in advance in high season. We loved it so much we actually went back a couple of nights later. We had 2 courses and shared dessert, and the food bill was only around $US 65, but note the wine in Indonesia is expensive and this was no exception, the cheapest wines starting at around $50. Also good at the pricey end of the scale were Kafe Warisan and Living room, and at the inexpensive end of the scale is Made's Warung ($50 for a huge amount of food and the local "Hatten" Rose wine which is very drinkable).

Reviews are always coloured by people's expectations and personal tastes and preferences and mine is no different. Altogether we enjoyed the Legian but if you want more of a travelling experience and less of a “scene”, or want to immerse yourself in Balinese culture, or expect an idyllic tropical beach, this isn’t the place for you. If you want a 100% reliable luxury hotel with great service, and where you can just relax and eat well for a few days then you can’t fail to have a good time.

Stayed at the Legian, after spending three nights at Chedi Club at Tanah Gajah. The stay at Legian proved to be quite a disappointment.

The Bad
The rooms are extremely dated and old. The water pressure in the shower was extremely low. The ground floor door could not be locked (had to call them to fix it, for security reasons). Musky smell. Do not eat the Sate Club across the street. It was recommended by the receptionist. The prices are exorbitant.

The Good
The beach (simply fantastic). That is the best part of the hotel. It has got fantastic views at sunset. Most people had to go to Ku De Ta to look at the sunset, I did mine on the bed facing the beach, with a bottle of Moet (Rose). That was priceless. The food (yummy). The staff at the restaurant/pool area (attentive).

I guess part of the disappointment was that I came to Legian after spending three nights at the Chedi Club. The service standards/amenities/benefits of the two hotels are world's apart.