Rawa Lombok — Hotel in Lombok

I stayed here twice back in 2022 and really loved it. That‘s why I decided to come back this time. The place has a colorful and tasteful interior with a charming mix of local vibes, natural materials, and modern furniture. I especially loved the rooftop bar with its little plunge pool, it’s a cozy place to hang out with a nice view over the town. The breakfast is truly excellent, and the restaurant serves really great food. So I had high expectations returning here.

Unfortunately, this time my stay was quite disappointing and health concerning.

Over the years, like many places around here, it seems that maintenance has been neglected. The lower-floor rooms receive no sunlight, and the bathrooms have only a small window slit with a mosquito screen. A proper ventilation in this room is not possible. As a result, humidity is trapped inside the room, and the bathroom doesn’t dry after a shower. When I arrived, there was visible mold in the room. They placed a dehumidifier and an air purifier inside, which is nice, but also shows they’re aware of the issue. The humidity constantly stays between 70% and 80%, and the dehumidifier fills up quickly.

Instead of properly treating the mold, they simply painted over the affected areas, which doesn’t solve the root of the problem. The smell in the room is moldy, the bedding feels damp, and even the ceiling made from woven material is flaking and showing signs of moisture damage.

The mattress is old, sagging, and uncomfortable. Not suitable if you have any kind of back issues! I had a terrible night sleep. I also noticed that the room wasn’t properly clean and in general, the space feels quite run-down over the years. Tiles are cracked, paint is chipping, and the wall is full of mold touch up reparations.

Even the rooftop area could use some love it haven’t been refreshed in years. It’s really a shame, because the place has such great potential.

One major issue this time was also the noise level. It was extremely loud due to parties and loud music in the surrounding area. On top of that, you hear all the street traffic now, and people walking by or making noise very early in the morning. If you’re looking for a peaceful place to relax or sleep early, this is unfortunately no longer the right spot.

When I addressed my concerns with the manager, I didn’t feel heard. Instead of offering solutions like a different room, a mattress topper, or even a simple apology, I was told, “You can check out.” That response made me feel quite unwelcome, especially since I had booked multiple nights and was genuinely hoping to find a solution.

In short: this place used to be a hidden gem. It still has charm, but it needs serious maintenance and more care in how guests are treated when issues arise. I really hope the owners will take this feedback seriously. The concept is beautiful, but it’s being lost...

The room itself is nicely designed and we truly enjoyed the food (especially breakfast). However, our overall experience has been quite disappointing due to several issues:| 1. The toilet bowl was visibly dirty when we checked in — stained and clearly not cleaned properly. We even took a photo right after arrival.| 2. The top of the fridge was sticky and unclean, as if something had spilled and hadn’t been wiped.| 3. There was no bathmat provided in the bathroom.| 4. The hot water heater initially didn’t work, although it was fixed after we reported it.| 5. Netflix was still logged in from a previous guest and unusable. No staff knew how to resolve it, and when we asked if someone could contact the last guest, we were told they had checked out a week ago, meaning the issue had been ongoing and unaddressed. We eventually fixed it ourselves.||We shared this feedback with the staff in a constructive and respectful way, but were surprised and disappointed by the dismissive response: “You can cancel if you’re not happy.” This kind of reaction shows a lack of professionalism and an unwillingness to accept feedback, which is unfortunate for a hospitality business.||That said, we did appreciate the birthday decoration arranged for my wife — a thoughtful touch. It’s a shame that the experience was undermined by poor cleanliness standards and a lack of proper guest service training.||We hope the management takes this feedback seriously, as there is a lot of potential here with the right...

★★★★★ "Best Breakfast in the Southern Hemisphere!"

Listen, when your daughter says "Dad, you need a break from... everything," and books you a room at Rawa in Lombok, you trust her judgment.

LETS TALK ABOUT THE BREAKFAST. Absolutely outstanding spread every morning. Started safe with pancakes and waffles but ended up becoming a huge fan of their nasi goreng (though that sambal nearly took the roof off my mouth the first day - had to document the exact spice levels in my food diary). Fresh juices and coffee kept coming like they knew my typical morning routine.

Room was massive - got a different one from Sarah because apparently "Dad, we both need space to decompress." Only downside was this intense spiral staircase that looked borrowed from a fire station. Not exactly ideal when you're pushing 70, but the staff was always there to help with bags.

Beach was pristine. Room was spotless. But that breakfast... I took detailed photos of every dish (147 in total, chronologically organized).

Best vacation I've had since... well, let's not get into ancient history.

Pro tip: Ask for the nasi goreng with sambal on the side. Trust me...