Qunci Villas Resort 琨淇別墅度假村 — Hotel in Lombok

Good points: All the staff were always incredibly friendly and attentive — no complaints here at all, it was absolutely perfect!

Negative points:

Room/House: The whole building is not insulated at all, which means it’s always noisy — not just from the muezzin, but also from street music and motorbikes. On top of that, the room stays bright at night because of glass panels above the walls. Of course, the muezzin is part of the culture, but if you can literally hear your neighbor coughing, that’s not acceptable. We’ve stayed in much better-isolated places in Indonesia. The bed, however, was comfortable.

Bathroom: The shower had no handheld part, and had no door — so half the bathroom was always wet. The glass panels were grimy, and the sink splashed water everywhere and didn’t drain properly.

Water: Only 4 small bottles (0.33l each) of drinking water per day for two people in the room and nothing else anywhere free in the resort. It doesn’t feel very “premium” when you have to walk to the gas station across the street every day just to buy water, while in other resorts free water dispensers are the norm.

Breakfast: The quality is good, but again — just not enough. Contrary to what some reviews say, you can only choose one dish, not two. It comes with a small fruit plate and one cappuccino (or similar). Any second coffee must be paid for — only filter coffee and tea are free. You have to pick one item, so if you’d like something sweet and something savory, that’s not possible. The food itself is delicious, but portions are tiny, and it’s simply unacceptable that you leave breakfast at a 5-star resort still hungry unless you pay extra.

Pools: Beautiful pools, great service with sunbeds and towels — but again, a big no-go: local souvenir vendors hang around directly next to the pool, talking to guests while they’re lying down. Nothing is done about it; even the security guy was chatting with them. They also block the otherwise stunning view and talk loudly, which totally kills the vibe.

Restaurants: The prices are simply over the top. Of course, it’s normal for things to cost more at a resort, but here it’s just exaggerated. In a local restaurant, a large beer costs around 55k, while here it’s 107k including tax. The same goes for food: way overpriced. In the end, we barely ordered anything because we refused to pay those inflated prices on principle.

There’s a “Happy Hour” every day from 5–7 pm (2-for-1), which brings prices to a good level — but honestly, it gives off the vibe of a cheap cocktail bar that always has Happy Hour. Why not just set fair prices that are 30–50% above local averages, instead of doubling everything and pretending to give a deal later? It just doesn’t feel good.

Same story with the spa: average treatments cost ~1 million IDR (around €50), while excellent local spas charge 300–400k. Charging more would be fine — three times is not.

Gym: The gym is honestly a joke — just a few dumbbells, a stepper, and an old stationary bike. No treadmill and no barbell, so it’s basically useless for anyone who trains regularly. At least a free morning yoga class, which is a nice touch!

Conclusion: We booked a Garden View Twin Room, so the lowest category - and that’s totally fine. We paid around €93/ night. Still, this resort disappoints on many levels. We get the impression that many reviewers either compare prices to Europe and say it’s “cheap,” or have simply never stayed in other 5⭐️ resorts (in Indonesia) before. But realistically, prices and quality should be compared to other local hotels - and by that standard, The Qunci just doesn’t deliver and is overpriced. It’s not a lot of money for most Europeans, but for that amount in Indonesia, there are far better options.

From check-in to Happy Hour, the entire experience feels designed to make guests spend as much money as possible. Many of these issues have already been mentioned in reviews a year ago, where management replied that they would “look into it.” Clearly, nothing has changed — which makes it obvious that they...

Update from August 2025:

This was already our second visit to this wonderful resort - and one thing is certain: it definitely won’t be our last.

Rooms: Spacious, beautifully decorated, and in excellent condition. You can really tell how much effort the staff puts into keeping both the rooms and the entire resort well-maintained and spotless. Everything feels cared for with love and attention - a true oasis to relax in.

Dining: We dined exclusively at the Asian restaurant (after all, I don’t need to fly all the way to Lombok for a Neapolitan pizza 😉). Every single meal was an absolute delight - especially the Sasak Night, which was thoughtfully curated with interesting and very tasty dishes. The wine list is also excellent, with Hattan wines from Bali – though we did miss the Sabbabay Blossom, which would be a nice complement to the Hattan Aga White. A special thank you goes to Chef Sodik: not only a highly talented chef but also someone who knows how to interact with guests in a warm and genuine way. Fantastic work, Mr. Sodik 🙏🏻

Staff: From the reception team to the pool crew, room attendants, service staff, and gardeners - everyone is incredibly friendly, attentive, and genuinely wonderful people ❤️🙏🏻. A special mention to Hery (I hope I remembered correctly) - a wonderful waiter with deep knowledge and an exemplary host. From the very first moment, it felt like dining at our favorite local spot. Thank you so much for the warm and relaxed experience!

Spa & Wellness: We each enjoyed two massages, and both were absolutely satisfying. My long-standing neck tension was finally released with one satisfying crack - what a relief ❤️ Thank you so much for that amazing treatment!

Conclusion: We will be back - without a doubt. Lombok has our hearts, and Qunci Villas is the perfect place to experience it again and again 🌴☀️ because:

“Lombok, I love you Manjakan aku dengan alammu, Lombok, I love you Menyatu aku dengan pasir putihmu, Lombok, I love you Semai rinduku untuk kembali lagi.”

❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Original from 2022:

Beautiful place, good food, super helpful and friendly staff all the way and a cozy poolside! We really enjoyed our stay 🙏🏻 Terima kasih

When we arrived we wanted to change our room, because of the close near to the restaurant. Toni from the reception helped us immediately to find another room together with us. Awesome and friendly handling. In less than 15 minutes we had the perfect room for us! This is this customer friendliness I miss in hotels in Europe sometimes ❤️

About the beach: The sellers with sarongs, rings, drawings and sun glasses are a bit annoying by time, but the beach is pretty nice. The water is clear, clean and the sand is white and black.

We’ll be back as soon as...

This is a heavenly hotel which is tranquil and unpretentious, and we loved everything about it. ||We're travelling around Indonesia and Japan for five weeks with our two young daughters and having statues in Java and Bali this is by a big margin the most relaxing and the loveliest of the places we have stayed. Everything is just right. It's not too big but not too small. There are three fabulous restaurants to choose from. There are three beautiful pools. The beach is truly stunning, black sand that sparkles in the sunshine with clear blue sea and a beautiful reef to explore. There are great waves for surfing in the morning and the most stunning sunsets. The rooms are beautiful, the setting is beautiful, the staff are incredible. So kind and thoughtful, they speak great English and have taken such good care of us as they do for every guest. Special thanks to the wonderful waiters in the Italian restaurant, Nooq, who kindly replaced our water when one of our daughters thought me going to the loo meant I didn't want it and poured the entire bottle in the flowers to water them. The pizzas there are the best we have tried and all the food especially delicious, even by the high standards of the hotel. ||There are tables right on the sea front from which to eat breakfast and dinner with an unforgettable view and the gardens are both beautifully kept and perfectly planted. The rooms are beautiful too, with lovely furnishings and outdoor bathrooms which are hidden in an inner courtyard. The spa is stunning and there's a great gym as well as yoga classes. There's no kids club but the resort is perfect for children who want a bit of independence and parents who want to allow this but keep an eye on their children as it's not too big for children to get lost and everywhere they go there are staff keeping an eye on them. ||What I loved most about Qunci is that it's not pretentious and it's truly relaxing, and just the right level of luxury to be allow you to switch off completely without feeling intimidated or like you're in a resort that's the same as every other resort you've stayed in that we have experienced so many times with big brand chains. This is a seriously well managed hotel and a beautiful property, and in our experience getting this in an independent resort is really exceptional. ||Bring a snorkel and a fully charged Kindle and switch off completely here, knowing you will be so well looked after and will have the most...