Hotel Elen- Senggigi, Lombok, Indonesia

Address: Jalan Raya Senggigi

Website: none

We were dropped off by the shuttle bus at the edge of town, in front of an affiliated tourist information centre and told that this was the centre of Senggigi to scare us. As from what anyone could see, it looked tiny and deserted. Most of the passengers on the bus had the smarts to ignore their 'advice' and start walking. We did, soon enough. And we found the 'real' centre of the town, where a young teenager and an older man approached us and strongly suggested 'Hotel Elen, Hotel Elen' to us for budget accommodation. We let them guide us to a narrow, dodgy looking alleyway next to a convenience store which initially I was very hesitant to go through, but it turned out legit as this was where Hotel Elen was situated, behind this block.

We managed to negotiate the nightly price for a bed room down from Rp 100 000 to Rp 90 000 per night (A$12) for a week's stay with one of the co owners and checked in. Our room was one of a rectangle of rooms outside, opposite a koi pond with a small waterfall as well as a poor bird entraped in a tiny birdcage. It had two seats, a table as well as a clothes hanger which was quite useful for drying off swimming costumes after a day at the beach. The room was simple but clean enough, and the bathroom had a Western toilet with a flush. The shower was cold water but it worked relatively well. There was also a cupboard with shelves to store our belongings as well as a fan to replace the old, broken air conditioner.
After a few days of having some food tied up in bags, the room would attract a noticeable amount of ants, but nothing much more menacing which was good.
The staff would say hello everytime they saw us, but would thankfully keep pretty much to themselves, besides tending to the property and gardens. The owners paid significant attention to make the gardens attractive, with a large fenced up cage at the back containing birds and rabbits. Another magnificent bird was kept in another small cage but in bad conditions, with the interiors needing urgent cleaning. The animals do give a pleasing element in the surroundings but the owners may like to pay greater attention to their upkeep to keep their viewing pleasurable by the guests.
The breakfast was extremely simple- one thin plain pancake with either bali coffee or tea, and a cup of sugar. We used the sugar to add taste to the sole pancake, but would sometimes need to substantiate our breakfast later on.
Overall, a decent place to stay in a town severely lacking budget accommodation. Rooms are clean enough, with nice surroundings but prepared for a very simple breakfast.

Rating: 7/10