The Galaxy Hotel- Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

Address: Jalan Abimanyu, No. 9A, Seminyak

Website: www.galaxyhotelbali.com

The hotel looks like it's situated right near the beach on the website but it's actually on a busy road in Seminyak, an upmarket area in Bali, surrounded by boutique clothing stores and nightclubs. It was in a convenient location, with restaurants and a few warungs nearby, and a convenience store almost directly opposite.
We'd booked an ensuite room for seven nights in early September, 2009 for A$194 in total, which is quite expensive considering you can find an equivalent room in Kuta for around A$12. However the cost fits the area and the hotel was quite pretty, built in the traditional Balinese style. The doors were two narrow double doors Balinese style again, but had a slight gap in between which one had to be aware of when one was in the room with the lights on.
The room was quite decent sized, with a writing table and two chairs, and the bathroom had a hot shower with a Western style toilet. However at times, it smelt a bit damp as the floors retained water which was annoying. The air conditioning was great after a day's sweaty walking but would occasionally stop working, and there was nothing to fix it but to stand up on the bed and repeatedly press the on button in the hopes that it would start up again.
We'd sometimes have food tied up in bags and left on the table, but this wouldn't deter a few ants from finding their way in.
The hotel came with free wi-fi which was very convenient, but the signal would be quite weak when using it in the rooms so you'd have to either stand outside on the common balcony where it would slightly improve, or go next door to the adjoining bar where the strength would be the strongest.
The owner, an Australian man, was helpful when we asked about transport and gave us some idea of how much taxis would cost to go to Kuta, for example. However, it was his co owner wife, who inadvertently gave us the best advice by hiring a motorbike/scooter as it would work out easier and better value. However the rest of the local staff didn't know much English and therefore weren't able to provide us with useful local information if they were asked.
Overall, a nice place to stay for the beginning of our trip, with the nice little luxuries of a place that wouldn't necessarily come with a place cheaper. One would possibly then 'downgrade' to a hostel in Kuta where it'd be closer to all the action later on, but no major complaints here at the Galaxy.

Rating: 7/10