Māua Nusa Penida — Hotel in Nusa Penida Subdistrict

I booked 4 nights at Māua Nusa Penida through TravelZoo. Initial impressions were great; the place looks awesome at face value, the scenery is amazing, the rooms are gorgeous, I was given cold towels and a delicious tea when I arrived, and the food all looks magnificent.

Day one was lovely, though we were a bit put off by the very difficult road to the villa and general isolation. The private pool was phenomenal and the room was comfy. Water was free and delivered on request.

By day two, we started realizing the food looked a lot better than it tasted, and that the meals were not consistent from one day to the next (I had the vanilla pancakes three times and got very different results each time). The isolation became an additional problem; there's almost nothing within walking distance, Gojek has practically no drivers on the island, and the couple of walkable sites (like Gamat Bay, which is amazing and you should definitely visit) are VERY difficult walks. My partner and I are both in great shape and accustomed to extreme heat (I camp for a week at a time in the Mojave without a vehicle) but she still suffered heat stroke on the return trip and the road is very steep grade almost the entire way. If you want to go out and experience the island, you need to use a taxi for pretty much everything.

By the third day, we had concluded most of the food was genuinely not good and very inconsistent. This became doubly painful after dinner, at which point we were informed that our TravelZoo package was NOT being honored as it was written to us in the email; through what appears to be a mistranslation issue, the package was drafted by the hotel as having only two free lunch or dinner meals per person for the entire stay, but the agreement sent to us via email from TravelZoo said we got a free lunch and dinner every day of the stay. We were not told this or billed for a meal until after our fourth one, at which point we were told we had to pay for the dinners we'd just eaten as well as the previous lunches.

The front desk staff were quite polite and I acknowledge they had no power to resolve anything, so I begrudge them nothing, but the manager they called in was very unhelpful, didn't directly speak to us at all, and ultimately refused to do anything whatsoever to make amends. He at some point called someone on the phone but we were not told whom and nothing resulted. I wound up with a $94 USD bill for a meal I didn't enjoy and only ordered because we were explicitly told it was free.

The front desk also tried to charge us multiple times for the transportation shuttle, three separate times, and their contracted drivers had far more expensive rates than the drivers through the Gojek app or the local taxis. For reference, the airport shuttle they arranged was 700,000 IDR for both pickup and return, while the driver I hired through Gojek to make virtually the same drive afterward was 80,000 IDR one way. You do the math.

The whole billing debacle was so distressing that we chose to check out a day early and pay to stay at another hotel (the Mercure in Katu) instead, which was also very nice and much better located. Seated at breakfast on our last day before leaving, we heard another couple discussing having the same problem with meal billing and also telling the server that they were checking out early.

It is also worth noting that there was construction going on right next to our villa (like within a hundred feet of it) all night and day that was clearly audible through the walls. It did not keep me awake but a lighter sleeper would have a very hard time relaxing there.

I have already contacted both the regional and global Swiss Belhotel offices about my issues but it's been 3 days and I have yet to receive a response from either of them.

It's really unfortunate that the billing and customer service situation so thoroughly ruined our experience at an otherwise lovely resort, but the situation could have been extremely easily resolved if they'd just comped a meal, which we offered as a resolution but...

Absolutely amazing!

We had the fortunate opportunity to stay at this resort due to a Travel Zoo promotion. We were told that we were the first people to purchase the Travel Zoo promotion. How special is that? Thank the Lord for Travel Zoo! It was a bit of a challenge to get there due to the poor weather conditions, almost making it a missed opportunity. Luckily for us, it was safe to travel to Nusa Penida that day by public speed boat. Upon arrival at the pier, our driver greeted us and assisted us with our luggage. Once inside, he offered us iced cold water infused with fresh fruit and mint! This was no ordinary resort pickup! Upon arrival to Maua, we provided our passports and given a refreshing welcome drink while we waited for our room. The wait took approximately 1 hour. While we waited, we had options to enjoy the pool, the bar, or the “Library” which has many classic board games (i.e., Uno, Shoots and Ladder, Chess, etc.) to keep children of all ages occupied. If none of those things interest you, taking photos of the hilltop view is another option.

When our room was ready, we were provided with a room key and a driver who whisked us away to our 1-bedroom luxury private villa. Our attendant showed us around and provided us with various ways we could spend our next 5 nights. Here is a breakdown of our time well spent:

Food and beverages:

The breakfast was very filling and one serving could be suitable for two people! Due to the length of our stay, we were pretty much able to try every entrée on the menu for breakfast and dinner.

The dinner selections were plentiful as well! Servings were larger than we expected, so it was harder to finish, nevertheless, it was delicious! On most occasions, we simply asked for child sized portions to avoid wasting food.

Due to our package inclusions, we were provided with a nightly cocktail for the two of us. My suggestion is to be adventurous and try various selections with local fruits, you won’t be disappointed.

Our bedroom was more than comfortable and spacious for two people. There was plenty of space to store your luggage and clothing. The fully stocked refrigerator came with a selection of soft drinks, liquor, and snack for a fee to be paid at check out. Additionally, our room was provided with beach towels for our private pool.

The bathroom provided a unique take on nature with both a rain shower type of shower head and an additional shower handheld.  There is also a planted tree (small) within the open top shower. Our only issue was the smell that came only from the bathroom area, which came from the dampness, which created mold.

Activities:

On the night of our arrival, we were able to participate in the wine pairing dinner and live music, which began at 7PM. Prior to the show, we were informed to go to the bar to have a cocktail and enjoy the traditional Balinese dancers.  After our meal, we were able to take photos with the performers and the CEO Sebastian (he looks like James Bond by the way-handsome).

Our package also included two 60-minute massages. Upon arrival at the spa, we were given a choice of which type of massage oil we’d like. There were other items available for sale as well. After we changed into our robes, we were given a salt foot scrub before we were asked to lay on the massage table. For the next 60 minutes, our masseuse worked on our aches and stressed muscles.

The additional events held while we were at this resort were BBQ buffet and performance by a local trio consisting of a drummer and to guitarist. I don’t think they had a name, but I called them Try-Joi, as that is what listening to them brought us! They sounded great for our final night at this resort.

The other activities were paid activities, which included a journey to Nusa Peinda and a cooking class. With the cooking class, we were able to not only create a meal and memories, but we were also given an apron, chefs hat, and certificate to bring home!

On our journey to Nusa Penida, we learned how the Balinese people pray and the history of...

If you are looking for a paradise or heaven, you have found it. We were a family of 4 (couple with 2 girls, age 12 and 13) and we were so fortunate to have stayed at their gorgeous 2 bedroom villa for 4 nights and it was NOT ENOUGH. While other hotels in Bali area may offer bigger rooms, butler service, etc, this place really did completely blew us away and ruined us for other hotel experiences. We are all missing Maua and keep talking about how awesome it was!! Let me share some of the experiences so you can plan your visit to this amazing property.

First of all, if you can get the private boat transfer, I highly recommend it. We got that one way and the regular ferry on the other to compare, and seriously, it is worth every penny to go private. Not only is everything taken care of, it is also really FUN!

Secondly, the staff here are FANTASTIC! All of them! Our kids can’t stop talking about how nice everyone was, especially Harry. He is Maua’s activity manager, and he arranged the private boat and other things we needed there. He has ZERO air of arrogance, and nothing was too much for us to ask. He went above and beyond. Harry, you are the best!

The rest of the staff were also impeccable. Always greeting by our names, eager to help us but also leaving us alone enough. That balance is hard to strike and they did an excellent job. Everyone was amazing and I want to name you all, but I only remember Linda and Dinda! Your smiles are making me smile still.

Restaurant:

The food here is quite good. I was actually surprised how good it was. If you can get the breakfast inclusion, please do as it is fantastic. You get all the hot beverages you want, fresh juice, fruit dish and a main as well as warm pastries. Each dish is artistically presented and they were all delicious! Each day, I looked forward to my cappuccino design as it was different all the time.

Staff at the restaurant were also fantastic. My family had to leave earlier than the kitchen’s opening (7am) each morning for snorkeling, but they opened early and brought food to our villa or packed them to go for them. What a spectacular service.

Lunch and dinner are also great here. Dishes take about 30 minutes to prepare, just FYI. But you will get yummy garlic bread while you wait at dinner.

We especially enjoyed pool side snacks! Also, special thanks to Aya who took care of my kids while we were both at the spa. Speaking of which…

Spa:

Go. The treatments here are fantastic and super reasonably priced for what you get. We got a treatment each day, and we were sad the final day. Therapists here are fantastic.

Villa:

We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa. The view, the layout, the pool, everything was fantastic! I was in awe every moment. Rooms are equipped with universal outlets as well as USB chargers which were great! The beds are comfortable, and we especially enjoyed the turn down service with freshly made bite size desserts each evening. I am used to wrapped chocolates, not fresh sweets that are super delicious! Our kids looked forward to it each night.

The outdoor shower/toilet was surprisingly nice as there were no mosquitos. I was worried about that, but none of us had any trouble. Toilet is TOTO with a hand-operated bidet. Not regular TOTO I am used to with the heated toilet seat and remote control, but this was far better than the hand held sprayer I see often. Thank you.

Outdoor living space is in between the rooms, which was perfect for our use. We could be together whenever we wanted but also could have privacy. We love Nespresso, so we were glad to find a Nespresso machine in the living room.

If I had it my way, the lights would be on dimmers and there would be a bathtub. But it was not a problem. You can tell I am super picky, and I was truly amazed and blissed out each and every moment.

Over all, If you are coming to Nusa Penida, this is a no brainer. Just come to Maua and stay here for 5 nights or more. We should have, instead of just 4 nights! We all miss...