Stayed at the Bali Padma in July...
Stayed at the Bali Padma in July 2004. The hotel is an immaculate place with some of the finest gardens and subtle water features I have seen at an luxury hotel. It's a really beautiful place and the people are warm and friendly. The pool is beautiful, but could do with a few more umbrellas for shade. Still, there's always the massive amount of palms. We stayed in a standard room in the main block which was nice, but could do with a bit of a refurbishment. Everything worked fine and the bed was seriously the biggest I have EVER seen, but it was just a little tired for a 4.5 star place. The breakfast at the Padma was excellent and the other meals were equally as good. Great burgers and cocktails at the swim up bar. There is also a 'sunset bar' which they set up every evening and have a happy hour where cocktails are 2 for 49,000 rupiah. I come from Sydney and felt no stranger there, as there seemed to be a lot of Aussies, but also a considerable amount of German and Japanese tourists as well. Prices for food and drinks were all reasonable, and the location is terrific. You can indeed walk to the heart of Kuta from the hotel, but it's best to walk down the beach on the sand to avoid Jalan Legian or "hassle street".
Overall a great hotel, excellent pool facilities, good restuarants and cheap cocktails every evening. Very close to lots of shops and restaurants. Rooms could do with a bit of a renovation, but are still quite nice.