Review: Waka Namya

We're just back from a weekend in Ubud. We decided for this trip to check out one of the Waka Group's properties. Waka has two properties in Ubud, Waka di Ume, which is a more traditional hotel accommodation, and Waka Namya, which is a villa resort. We chose the villa resort (imagine that!).

Waka Namya Resort and Spa is located in Penestanan Ubud -- that is, just around the corner from the Blanco Museum. Though the property is close to the river, the rooms are all garden view and it is quite a small property.

All the villas are built in traditional Balinese style with one even a Lumbung (rice barn) design. The property has tropical garden landscaping, a large swimming pool, a restaurant and a spa.

Our room was the Deluxe Lanai (pictured here). The room furnishing were nice, the room clean, and the bathroom large and with all amenities. On the downside, there is no television and no WiFi. Also, in terms of the physical facilities of the room, there was no place to sit! The room came with one straightback chair at the dressing table -- that's it. I guess they assume you won't spend much time in the room. There is an outdoor area immediately outside the door, but there were only two straightback chairs there as well. The rooms would benefit from a nice comfy chair and the outdoor space from a lounger, a day bed or some place to crash and hang out. The property also tapped into one of our pet peeves: two double beds pushed together to masquerade as a "king." (Hoteliers! Wake up! Two doubles pushed together (or inside one frame) is NOT the same thing as a King sized bed! The massive Lovers' Lump that occurs in the middle of the bed is not pleasant!)

One of the odd things about the property is the layout. It is a villa resort but you don't get your own private villa. They have taken villas and split them into multiple units, so unless you reserve, essentially, 3 or 4 rooms, you don't get your own villa!  We wound up in a villa with a pool which we had to then share with 3 or 4 other guests. (Our unit is pictured in the top photo - we had the back, right hand bedroom.) Really this is the sort of thing that we don't like about villa resorts in general and why, to our mind, they are less attractive than private villa properties.

They want US$150 for the room. Given the facilities, the privacy, etc., I don't really feel the value for money equation works out quite right, but reasonable minds may differ on this point.

On the positive side of things, the staff was very pleasant and attentive, the property quiet, the rooms clean and the location great. All things considered, it was OK.

In sum: Not great, but not a bad experience either.

Waka Namya has a website at: www.WakaNamya.com/