Parigata Resort & Spa, Bali

Came in to the hotel on a late booking which was handled well by the hotel and Agoda. Extended our stay for another two nights by booking again through Agoda. Rooms at the hotel are cool, spacious and clean. Nice balcony but the two wooden chairs are a bit hard. Fair size pool and no problem getting sun-loungers. Towels readily available. Hotel operates a free shuttle service to the beach and sister hotel where there are more sun-loungers, umbrellas and towels available for guests. No hassle from hotel staff to buy drinks or meals. Sanur seems to be more built up than it was 7 years ago and has lost a little of its charm in the process. The restaurants and cafes are mostly empty now (in June) - the staff say this should improve in July and August when they expect an influx of tourists. There are plenty of private taxis to take you wherever you want on the island but you have to bargain each time you want to go anywhere which becomes a bit tedious after a while. Didn't visit the market this time because couldn't face the pressure to buy - there is enough of that on the beach front. The shops that seem to do well are the fixed price ones, because there is more chance of you being left alone to browse the goods. Silver is good but many of the designs seem to be Mexican. There are plenty of ATMs everywhere and dozens of 'Official' money changers on every street. We chanced upon a funeral procession in Sanur while we were there - a low-key one compared to the one we saw 7 years ago. Worth following to see first hand how it is done and the cultural activities that surround the event. There and everywhere, the locals are quite happy to have their photo taken and never ask for money for you to do this. The taxi drivers are good in telling you all you want to know about the area. You certainly don't need to book an organised trip.

On arrival, we were allocated an enormous room,devoid of any character, overlooking the car park - definitely one to be avoided if you are here for a holiday. Not what I expected, having stayed here in the past. After two visits to the reception we were eventually given room 110, on the ground floor, which overlooks the gardens and pool. The room was a good size with an adequate bathroom and an outside seating area - just a few steps to the pool - in a really lovely setting. I was disappointed to find that the rooms had not been maintained to the high standard of five years ago; our bathroom had a large crack running right through the marble surround of the washbasin, the shower curtain was old and dirty, towels were thin, grey and clearly needed replacing and the floors, although cleaned daily, always left you with black feet. Even with these complaints, the hotel ambience is lovely. Everything is very relaxed and the staff incredibly helpful. The pool probably makes this hotel- lovely design and well maintained. Lots of great restaurants are within walking distance if you don't want to eat in the hotel and there's an internet cafe with fast broadband two minutes away on foot. Definitely a place to consider.