MERUSAKA Nusa Dua

Our stay at Merusaka Bali was unfortunately disappointing, although I do want to acknowledge that the reception staff were helpful and tried to assist when issues were raised.

The biggest problem was with our accommodation. We had to change rooms three times. In the first room, the sofas were damp, had an unpleasant smell, and felt as though they had not dried properly. We arrived late at night after the hotel restaurants had closed, so we ordered room service instead. Unfortunately, the food was poor and did not meet expectations.

Housekeeping was also inconsistent. Our rooms were often not cleaned properly, and we had to complain several times before this was addressed.

The breakfast experience was another disappointment. We felt that staff were more attentive to white guests than to Asian guests. It was only after we raised this concern that the level of service towards us noticeably improved. Whether intentional or not, this left us feeling uncomfortable and undervalued.

To the hotel’s credit, things did improve towards the end of our stay after our complaints were addressed. However, we should not have had to raise so many issues for basic standards of cleanliness, maintenance, and service to be met.

Merusaka has the potential to be a great hotel, but significant improvements are needed in housekeeping, food quality, room maintenance, and ensuring all guests receive the same standard of service regardless of their background.

Overall this is a nice place. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I’ve stayed in a few places in Bali and this lacks the Bali charm. The rooms and decor of the restaurants and spa are a bit bare. The grounds between the hotel and sea are mostly lawn not the lovely lush gardens you see in other hotels. The rooms are built in small apartment blocks in 5 rows so if you’re above the ground floor your view is of the opposite room. The rooms themselves are very big and have everything you need, comfortable big beds, very nice bathrooms. The downstairs rooms have a little pool in front which seems like a nice idea but these fall between the buildings so again no view. The pool areas are nice but virtually always no space as people do the standard ‘booking’ with their towel which is universal. Also not many trees around the pools. I sat by the beach instead which was very nice and quieter. Very good service to get food and drinks there. I had the bad luck to come during school holidays so the hotel was busy and noisy but to be expected. My recommendation if you have kids or on a budget then this place is a good idea. This is not a 5 star resort. If you’re looking for something a little more high end and authentic Bali then try somewhere else like the Hyatt, Ayodya or Paradisus.