By Luiz Sanchez – Living in Bali it is easy to get stuck in your own bubble, always doing the same thing and going to the same places. This week I decided to take my wife on a little staycation, and we settled for the Fairfield Marriott Hotel on Sunset road.
Living in Canggu means I don’t often go out that way, and so places like Seminyak and the great new Trans Studio Mall are largely ignored. We chose the Fairfield for its great central location and reasonable prices. We expected a middle of the line accommodation with passable food and came away very surprised at the excellent quality of the hotel and its amenities.
We arrived shortly before noon and were warmly greeted by the front of house staff. After checking in we were shown to our room overlooking their gorgeous swimming pool. The room was very spacious, with an amazing shower and products from Sensatia, a welcome luxury we did not expect to find. Their showers feel really luxe, while the bed was so soft I nearly passed out before the day even got started!
For lunch we ate at their restaurant, Jejaton. Their menu was packed with local delicacies and we were pleasantly surprised by how tasty and authentic their Indonesian food selection was (I’m not sure why, this is a Marriot hotel after all). Best of all, it didn’t bust our budget and we must have sat there for over an hour enjoying the food and drinks. The Jejaton, as their waitstaff told us, sources locally and is really proud of their Indonesian culinary heritage. They sent their chefs across Indonesia to find inspiring recipes to bring back to the restaurant and it shows. As someone who grew up in Indonesia, I was taken aback by the quality of their ingredients and diversity in their selection.
Exploring our neighbourhood.
After lunch we went for a swim, followed by cocktails at their pool bar. The cocktails were freshly made by the accomplished bartender and we lounged around the pool until it was time for us to hit the town and explore. We decided to catch a movie at Trans Studio Mall, which has a rollercoaster on the roof by the way, and spent the better half of our evening exploring their vast food court and watching a film.
We ended our evening at the Fairfield, enjoying some more drinks by the bar serenaded by a really good live band. Throughout our stay at the Fairfield we felt welcome and were very well taken care of, and we ended our stay there with a decent breakfast buffet offering a wide variety of cuisines, from patisserie to fresh fruit, omelettes and Indonesian specialties.
Affordable Luxury.
The Fairfield positions itself as an affordable hotel but does not skimp on providing its guests with high quality amenities and experiences. Their most expensive room still falls comfortably under 1 mil a night. If you are visiting Bali and are the type of person who likes to do tours or get a cab everywhere then the Fairfield is a good option too. Being on Sunset Road means you aren’t driving out of the congested Seminyak traffic to make your way to Uluwatu, Sanur, the airport and Ubud. All you have to do is organise a driver with the hotel and off you go. If you have never been here before, it is not a bad way to see it all for the first time.
I will probably be coming back soon, and wouldn’t mind making the drive from Canggu to the Fairfield even if only to eat at their amazing restaurant. Next time I will probably use it as an opportunity to explore Seminyak, and even the mysteries of Denpasar, and see what has changed in the years I have been gone!