[02/26/2010] The Novotel Lombok is a beautifully designed hotel. The rambling paths, whitewashed walls and towering thatched roofs all bring to mind traditional villages. The people are welcoming and friendly, the sunset bar is the perfect place to watch a fiery sunset and there are plenty of activities every day, from archery lessons to night time movies on the beach. So what's wrong? Well, it's just that the hotel is in the wrong place. The beach is passable for kids digging holes and making castles but swimming? Forget it. It's shallow, the bottom is strewn with sharp coral and at high tide it's full [more]

[12/29/2009] Lombok, the next island to Bali, is often described as "Bali twenty years ago". There is much less tourism infrastructure and few international hotels; some people complain that it is not as developed as Bali, people are less geared to travellers and tourists and that there is little to do. That is not necessarily a bad thing, if one just wants a quiet, relaxing break! The Sheraton did indeed give us a quiet and relaxing break, which was exactly what we wanted. It was not perfect; we had read some negative reviews describing unpleasant smells in the room, which we did find in our first room, [more]

[12/19/2009] Overall it was a good stay. The room was comfortable, if a little basic. The hotel grounds were certainly relaxing and there was a nice, open-air feel to the lounges, bar and restaurant. The food was good enough. Being a weekend, it was busy, but that was noticeable most of all at Reception, rather than anywhere else.