Having heard so much about Bali, it is with great anticipation that we head off to the Indonesian island for our year-end holiday. We took an evening flight to Bali and due to a slight delay we reached the airport about 10pm.

Once out of the customs, the hotel had someone greeting us. We decided against the hotel limousine at US$17 and went for the taxi instead. It would be Rp95,000 (about S$14 or US$10) for the trip to our hotel, The Laguna Resort and Spa at Nusa Dua. Our vehicle was checked by security officers as we enter Nusa Dua area and again as we enter the hotel. Nusa Dua is home to many five-star resorts and that could be reason for the enhanced security.

We booked our room for our Bali holiday via the Starwoods website and had the offer of a 25% discount for 5 nights. The hotel had already given me an excellent impression right from the start through email correspondence as I enquired about various services and Bali info. 

We were warmly received by the hotel even though it was past ten in the evening. One butler, Pinto, saw to our check-in, brought us to our room and patiently showed us the facilities. Having mentioned earlier that we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, they did something special for us by surprising us with a delicious anniversary cake.

I love exploring hotel rooms and I was amazed at the spacious room, the comprehensive set of bathroom amenities available, the big bathroom and bathtub. The view from our room overlooking the garden was great both in the day and at night.