Legian Express - Legian, Bali, Indonesia
Legian Express
Legian, Bali, Indonesia
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The Legian Express is a mid range hotel centrally located in the heart of busy Legian. This small friendly hotel offers access to all the shopping and nightlife you could ask for as well as quiet cottages to escape to.
The Legian Express being situated on Jalan Legian with a restaurant outside seems on first impression to be a mid range place. The building that faces the street is a typical western structure that opens onto a patio next to Jalan Legian. Upon entering you will see the reception to the left, an inside restaurant in the middle and a bar area on the right side. Although this lobby area didn’t impress at first it was spacious and the bar area was neat and well stocked. I noticed traditional Balinese carved doors and panel work in the lobby and all the staff wore traditional outfits.
Legian Express in located on Jalan Legian about 30 meters up form the Matahari department store. As far as Legian is concerned its right in the middle affording easy access to shopping, restaurants including Ryoshi and Tepanyaki ( Japanese ), Katupat ( Indonesian ) and Mama’s ( German ).
For nightlife there are many bars close by and nightclubs include Kama Sutra ( a few minutes walk ), Peanut Club and Bounty which are less than 5 minutes walking.
To get to Kuta simply step out the front of the hotel and hail a cab. Kuta is literally 3-5 minutes in a taxi and the Hard Rock Café is also only a few minutes located on the beach side of Kuta.
Judging the Legian Express from the street I’d say it was nothing fancy. The restaurant seems rather bare although there are traditional Balinese carved wall decorations and all the staff wear traditional outfits. The building isn’t new but as you walk through to the garden area you will see the swimming pool and lovely, well attended cottages. The pathways and flower beds are cared for and add color. The high roofs of the cottages are made with alang-alang, a natural fibre from Ubud and special bamboo from Bangli, giving a very Asian feel to the inside of the cottages.
The rooms are spacious if not luxurious and come complete with a bathtub, tv and fridge. The cottages have traditional open air bathroom which for a foreign guest is a very pleasant surprise. There’s nothing like taking a shower being surrounded by plants while the sunlight warms you.
The pool is small but well kept.
My host Made was extremely friendly and spent time showing me around. The staff here wear traditional outfits and are respectful. As the Legian Express is a small hotel you will have many opportunities to talk to and get to know the staff.
The restaurant looks rather plain but there is some very nice Balinese carved paneling.
The Legian Express is strategically located in Legian right on Jalan Legian. It has access to the street side shopping of Kuta and Legian as well as the Matahari department store which is 30 meters away. Restaurants, bars and nightlclubs abound too in this area including Ryoshi ( Japanese), Mama’s ( German ) and Katupat ( Indonesian ) restaurants and Kama Sutra, Bounty and Peanuts nightclubs. To catch a taxi means only stepping out onto the street.
The hotel is affordable and offers spacious bungalows with traditional roofs and open air bathrooms. This is a small hotel which is a good place to start your Bali travels from.
I would stay at this hotel if I wanted more than a guest house but less than a fancy hotel. There is a restaurant and bar on the premises together with a pool.
I like to walk and check out the local scene so this location is pretty good. Kuta is a few minutes away, the beach is 10 minutes walk and there is an abundance of restaurants, bars and nightlife right there.
I like the tranquil atmosphere of the cottages with the tradiutional style roofs and open air bathrooms, perfect for relaxing after exploring.
I might stay somewhere else if I wanted to go for the bargain basement type places, maybe somewhere on Poppies for example. If I was looking for a complete getaway with a high level of luxury the Legian Express would not fit the bill and the busy street life outside might be overwhelming for some people.
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By Nick | Permalink
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Legian Express - Legian, Bali, Indonesia
Legian Express
Legian, Bali, Indonesia
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Manager: I Made Runatha
The operations manager of the Legian Express in I Made Runatha from Tabanan, Bali. Made has been with the hotel for 3 years and told me he worked at the Ba;li Hai restaurant / spa before which has the same owner.
He told me the Legian Express has been open for 5 years and was operating under a different name for 4-5 years. The hotel has 24 room ( 16 standard and 8 cottages ).
I noticed the cottages have a traditional roof and Made said they used a traditional fibre called alang-alang from Ubud and special bamboo from Bangli which is known for its durable quality.
At the moment hotel occupancy ranges from 60% -100%. The guests range from Australians, who make up 60% of the total and stay an average of 10 days or more, Japanese, who make up 20% of the total and stay for 4-5 days and Europeans, who make up 5 % of the total and stay for an average of 7 days. The hotel also attracts visitors from other Asian countries including Taiwan and Korea.
The hotel was operating with less staff when I visited and Made was really on top of things. He was brutally honest and told me the hotel has 4 other locations including one in Denpasar which is shit, catering to domestic guests.
I asked Made about the selling points of the Legian Express and he said high on the list was the location right on Jalan Legian. Proximity to shopping on the main street as well as the Matahari department store and Legian Plaza are in handy reach.
Made told me that as well as having its own restaurant the 3 which he would recommend to guests in this area are Mama’s restaurant which is 10 meters away and serves German food, Katupat which serves Indonesian and Tapanyaki which serves Japanese food.
Walking to the beach will take approximately 10 minutes.
Made told me about the development of Kuta and mentioned how several years ago local crime started to become more noticeable until the banjar ( local religious organisers ) began taking more of a leading role in punishing offenders. Made said that now crime is not too much of a concern and guests are very safe.
Made told me that cleanliness and hygiene are very important at the Legian Express and the water used for cooking is bottled water.
Upon arrival guests are served with a welcome drink and have mineral water in their rooms.
Made said that because this is a small hotel the staff have a chance to talk to the guests and get to know them.
Here’s the real deal: Nick the Travel Nutter reviews Legian Express »
Number of Rooms: The Legian Express has 16 Standard Rooms and 8 Cottages. The rooms are spacious and the cottages feature traditional Balinese style roofs made from alanag-alang and bamboo and open air bathroom.
Amenities & Services:
Guestroom Facilities
Each standard room has individually controlled air conditioning as well as shower and bathtub with hot and cold water.
The Cottages are well appointed and have showers with hot and cold water, TV with local channels, a telephone.
Dining & Entertaining
The Express Café serves delicious Indonesian and western cuisine in an open air side walk setting. Buffet style breakfasts can be arranged for larger groups inside.
Recreational & Amusement Facilities
Landscape garden, outdoor swimming pool.
Other Services & Facilities
Rates:
Basic (10 Nights Stay):
Additional (per night):
High Season Surcharge (per room per night):
* All rates shown in US Dollars
Also enjoy as part of your Bali Experience package:
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By Nick | Permalink |
No Comments | May 16th, 2003 | Trackback
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