“An Oasis of Heart in a Desert of Cynical Luxury”
So you crave the experience of a homestay but cringe at having to live cheek by jowl and in relative austerity...bottom line, you want the comforts of a Four Seasons, but you want the local version of momma meeting you at the door with a hug a hand on the hip and the appraising eye that says "I don't know who's been taking care of you, but come on in, momma's going to make it right."

Villa l'Orange or Villa Orange is just such a resort. It's a tiny resort with the property only having 4 villa type bungalows. The property's diminutive acreage only accentuates the feeling that you're entering a relative's rather lavish Bali home rather than a hotel or a resort. You are greeted so warmly and so familiarly by both the human staff and the 4 resident "family" dogs, that you truly encouraged to feel at home.

What further reinforces this impression that you are home is the lack of a formal "check in". You grab your welcome drink and head straight to your "home away from home" as it is advertised. A brief tour of your villa and you are indeed home. This illusion is possible because the online booking process takes care of all the necessary paperwork before you arrive. A truly very very special touch. Kudos, management team!

The property while small is lavishly landscaped and the bungalows are nestled deeply shrubs, trees and greenery. The greenery instantly forming a relaxing backdrop to the sapphire blue of the pool, the relaxation of the visuals reinforced by the roar of the surf crashing on the sea wall not a 100 feet away.

Let's talk service. The service staff treat you like family. I had to attend a wedding at a nearby villa and called the staff on the villa mobile (more about that later), and they came almost immediately on a scooter to whisk me back to my villa, pick up my tie and whisk me back to the event. Wayan (I'm not sure I'm getting his name right) took the trouble to inquire if I'd like for him to come pick me up again AFTER the event. I told him probably not as it would be late. He reassured me that this would not be a problem and that he would wait to pick me up. It was close to 11pm when I called and who should show up pronto, but Wayan!! With a smile! And the attitude of warm service can only result when backed up by true heart, a ton of true blue heart.

Yet another exhibit that must be entered into evidence for intent to provide good service is the simple black Nokia cellphone with speed dial for the manager, the driver, and room service all conveniently printed on the back of the phone to remind you that management is serious about ALWAYS being there to provide the service that they promised they would deliver. Doing the thing that you said you were going to do is often the most neglected element of hospitality service today. Villa l'Orange delivers on this front!

This more than anything else leads me to recommend Villa l'Orange or Villa Orange.

I mean you can gripe about the facilities, not enough lighting for nighttime, the inconvenient stairwell that leads to the garage and staff quarters, the randomness of the wall switches and the ones that don't seem to turn anything on or off, or the office work area that has no work lighting, the random toiletries or the fact that the property does not actually have a beach, but rather leads right onto a seawall. All this becomes secondary and even superfluous when you consider that this is actually a very very comfortable homestay rather than a mediocre luxury resort experience.

For this reason, Villa l'Orange or Villa Orange Bali gets my vote for service with heart by people and management that WANT you to feel at home, that believe that when they do their jobs well your stay will be unforgettable for all the right reasons rather than just another soulless Bali resort experience. For me at least, momma did make it right.

Tripadvisor

“Perfect!”
Our stay at Villa L'Orange Bali was perfect. Nine nights of bliss. Julian, Tiong, Kadek, Made, Dolar, Ketut, Ayun, Komang, everyone helped us to feel welcome and attended effortlessly to any request. The Villa's are just lovely, the grounds immaculate and the pool heavenly. I could go on an on about the amazing food we were served, impeccable. We will be back, now we have found our slice of heaven in Bali. Andrea, Angel, Bella, Orange and Tin Tin, we miss you and hope to see you again soon.

Tripadvisor