I stayed in the Intercontinental with my...
I stayed in the Intercontinental with my girlfriend in July 2004. We had a deluxe room with a view of the pool area which was one of the best rooms I have ever stayed in. Complete with DVD player (to watch all the dvds at night that I'd bought in Kuta), beautiful bed and top notch bathroom. The hotel itself is a stunning place. Lonely planet describes it as 'fortress-like', but don't let that put you off. It's gardens are very well kept and the pool facilities are stunning. My major complaint with the hotel is the price of the food and drinks in the hotel itself. Food is about five times more than what you would expect to pay in a small restaurant or cafe in bali, and pizzas by the pool are about $12US. We didn't eat dinner at the restaurants in the hotel as they were too expensive for us, and an excellent choice is the massive amount of seafood 'warung' along the beach, literally about 10 metres from the hotel.
The breakfast at the intercontinental is the best I have encountered at any luxury hotel, ever. It was truly terrific, and did not have the same busy and tacky atmosphere as many of the hotel buffet breakfast rooms have.
Quite simply, this hotel is stunning, and really gets you away from the hussle and bussle whilst only being 20 minutes from Kuta. It's a beautiful secluded resort more suited for couples than children, but having said that the childrens facilities seemed excellent. The staff were very courteous and even have their own drivers and cars to take you wherever you want to go for $20US per 2 hour block. Go to this hotel for a really fantastic break away. The only cons are prices of food and drink, and a lack of any happy hour which many balinese resorts have during sunset.