Centra Taum Seminyak Bali

Marketing is everything. The power of illusion could make an old product brand new. So I did research before making reservations.Like A LOT of research, in case I don't get what I paid for. From numerous positive reviews and speedy correspondences with the hotel, I made a click of faith.

When the driver picked us up from the airport, I knew it was the right choice. First impression counts. He was neat, courteous and wearing the hotel uniform with pride. You hardly get those sort of people nowadays. At the pick-up hall, many are quite sloppy with their dressing. 

Upon arrival, we were lead past a long pond to the hotel check-in table. The counter ladies offered us a welcome drink while they processed our reservations. An IDR500,000 refundable deposit is required when they hand the room card to you. There is only one card. One thing I belatedly found out was that the hotel offers shuttle service to Seminyak Square a few times a day. The counter lady didn't offer this information to us, instead I found it online on Tripadvisor!

Centra Taum is made out of individual blocks with only 1 unit on each floor like ours or those with 4 units to a floor. Some reviews stated that the industrial minimalist look of the hotel gave off a tired feeling. On the contrary I thought that they focused their resources in the right place- the rooms.

Remember this photo from the previous post?

My studio room was on the top floor an individual block. That means I have no neighbors, except the one on the floor below. We had a nice unobstructed view of the surrounding area but being on the top floor also meant my room would be really warm after a hot day. There is no attic space above my unit. So the AC goes straight on whenever we arrive.

Outdoor sofa and view from the balcony

The room sorta overlooked the pool. The palm tree was in the way. 

My room came with:

1. balcony with outdoor sofa and a hanging rack for all those wet towels and bikinis

2. canopy bed

3. huge sofa
4. lots of hangers

5 .kitchenette

6. safe

7. 2 bottles of drinking water everyday

8. kettle

9. coffee and tea, instant of course
10. mini fridge

We bought some bottled water from the convenience store across the hotel. The water from the tap in Bali is not safe for drinking. Some has informed me that even after boiling the water, tummy upset may set in. 

For the bathroom:

1. huge bathtub but no bath salts. Bring your own! You deserve a soak in the tub after a long day out.

2. a bamboo ladder sorta thing to hang towels. I saw some people carry the ladder out to the balcony to dry laundry.

3. soap

4. those shower gel/shampoo contraptions on the wall

5. towels

6. shower cap

Toilet and bath

Swimming pool

Breakfast is by the pool. They serve a decent continental and Asian breakfast. It 's the same everyday but it was enough for me. I had a Snake fruit (or buah salak) as part of my breakfast routine during my stay since it's hard to come by in Singapore. That fruit was hardly touched by the non-locals. I think either they were put off by the snake skin like texture or they did not know how to open the fruit up for the crunchy meat.

The service there is pretty good. Here is what I have personally experienced:

1) Whenever I alight from a cab or a tour MPV, the guards would stop the car before leaving and have a look at the back seat to see if I left anything behind. At night, they would bring out the torchlights to check. If I wanted to take a cab, the guards would go to the road and hail one for me. There is always a smile when they greet arriving guests.

2) At breakfast, they would ask whether we prefer coffee or tea. Once we let them know, they would return with a teapot of the requested caffeine. That way, it would save on the time they would take refilling and it is more convenient for us instead of trying to get a server's attention for a refill.

3)When I asked for an airport return transfer, the staff suggested that taking a cab would be cheaper. I got the pick-up for free but had to pay for the return. When I explained that I'm travelling alone, they agreed to do the airport transfer for USD20. Don't get me wrong, they really have airport transfers but I think they were thinking that the price may be a bit steep if I'm not sharing the cost. I'm fine paying for the peace of mind. At least I know I won't be kidnapped or something. Some may think their gesture may be dismissive but I'm glad that they did not hard-sell me the airport transfer as the first means of transport.

The distance from the hotel to Seminyak Square is 4-ish kilometres? The hotel may suggest some restaurants around 500m the left of the hotel for food but I suggest either taking dinner at the main shopping area of Seminyak or eat at the hotel. The ones on the left are quite pricey, not to mention walking there in the dark is dangerous.

They do a pretty good spa too! Around SG40 for 90 minutes?
Centra Taum may be a 3 star hotel but their service is awesome! Except for the part of not informing me of the shuttle....I wasn't within the vicinity during the day anyway so it's alright.

Staying with Centra Taum Seminyak for my maiden trip to Bali is a thumbs up :)


Centra Taum Seminyak Bali
Address: Jl. Lebaksari No. 37-39, Petitenget, Kuta, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 4731797
Price: SGD$$