Filion Suites Resort and Spa

“ Good hotel but end of season & parts of it were shutting down. Indoor pool cold which was a shame as the outdoor pools were far too cold to go in.

“ Top Tip: Bali harbour & the little cafes great for relaxing

“ We had a lovely week at the Fillion Suites Resort and Spa.

The hotel is in a beautiful setting and the views are spectacular. We usually go for hotels that overlook the sea but were not disappointed by the greenery and the hilly mountainous surroundings.

Our room was immaculate, spacious and the bed was very very comfortable and the sheets soft. The bathroom was again very clean and the shower spacious. The room was cleaned every day and we were also given new towels most days.

We went in the 2nd week of September and it found it was very quiet during the days at the hotel and a little busier at meal times which is what we were looking for. On most days by the pool you could hear a pin drop which made for a relaxing tranquil break. The pools are very clean and no shortage of sun loungers.

If you want to explore the surrounding areas we would suggest hiring a car. If you want to go to the beach and into Bali, the hotel puts on a mini bus service as it really is too far too walk especially in the heat. The bus is fairly small but the driver will come back for you if he can't fit you in. The irregularity of the bus does mean that if you miss it (or the driver drives straight past you!) you will have to wait a couple of hours untill he comes again and the last bus leaves at 6.15. The hotel does run a couple of excursions which reception can assist you with.

The staff overall were very friendly and helpful. Manos who runs the bar in the evening is the life and soul of the hotel and cannot do enough for you despite working every day and working long shifts. We had a lot of fun with him and every cocktail he made was with care and attention! The waiting staff mostly work all day due to the fact there are so few of them. As September is nearly the end of the season you can imagine they are all starting to tire but most of them were still very attentive towards the guests.

The food is very nice, a lot of variety at meal times and all very clean and fresh. The fresh fruit was lovely. I do feel that if I were to stay any longer than a week the food may start to get a little repetitive.

Please be aware though that the drinks are expensive at the hotel.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this lovely hotel and would definitely return.

“ Top Tip: Hire a car if you want to explore as the hotel is in a remote area!

The beach nearer the supermarkets is the nicest! We did not like the one nearer the harbour as much.

“ We arrived at the hotel and were greeted by Renata a beautiful Polish girl who kindly gave us a welcome cold drink of water on arriving. Renata gave us a brief resume of the site,the restaurant,bar and pools. She offered us towels to be used and changed as often as you wished for 5 euro (refunded when handed in on last day) also safe key for in room 10 euro but again refunded on leaving.
She then took us to our room,a large ,bright ,modern room ,two single beds pushed together with good quality bedding,a bed settee ,comfy armchair,table, bedside tables,dressing table and enormous flat screen television which had chanels in English,German,French and Russian.
The bathroom was also very modern with a walk in cubicle shower,large ceramic bath , modern round bowl sink and toilet two large bath towels,two small and a bath mat.
The balcony was large and bright and had spectacular views over the Bali hills.

The restaurant was bright and airy and you could eat inside or on a balcony outside looking over the hills.
There was an enormous choice of food at breakfast and for the evening meal, to suit all tastes and nationalities. In the morning you had the choice of tea or coffee and plentiful fruit teas and freshly squeezed orange.
In the evening you could purchase drinks ,water was 3 euro and drinks were similarily priced to an English restaurant.
The pools are beautifully set on a tiered basis so you don't feel surrounded by other guests.
The pool bar was always open ,whare you could purchase coffees or alcahol and snacks. Whenever Manos served you he gave you a dish of crisps. At happy hour cocktals were 5 euros and a small glass of wine £2.50.
The spa seemed to be closed the majority of the time and we had bad feedback from other guests so did not try it ourselves.
We hired a car because we reckoned it would have taken us about 1 1/2 hours to walk down to Bali harbours, the little bus provided by the hotel is good but not very regular.
We,or I should say my husband was not keen on driving on the roads there, so we did not go out at night.

“ Top Tip: There is a little taverna on the third beach where you can get free wifi with your drink of coffee ,they have a bookshelf full of donated books which you can borrow and replenish. Their food is lovely but enormous portions. With every drink you get nuts and crisps and biscuits an water with your coffee.

“ It didn't start well when they had no record of our booking on arrival - wanted to put us in a double room until they could free up a suite, but I stood my ground. The emphasis was on me going back and forth to provide a record of my booking/payment rather than them chase the local agent - it all came across as a bit too much of an effort for them.

Things could have run a bit quicker, but that was probably just the usual Med mentallity. There appears to be minimal staffing - I don't think I saw more than 8 or 9 people who must work all hours in various areas of the hotel. The food is very nice - plenty of choice - but nowhere near haute cuisine. There are lots of additional costs for using some of the facilities, inaddition to which the Spa is not open every day. There were a few other issues too...

*The a/c in the room - and several other rooms apparently - is quite erratic. Ours was not working on arrival and despite it being mentioned at Reception with a promise it would be looked at, it wasn't. After another mention and still nothing, I resorted to looking at it myself - as did a neighbouring room - and we both fixed it ourselves.

*Although the rooms are very tidy, the website representation is not what you would call accurate - the photos show the rooms (ours was a pool-side suite) dressed and decked out with all manner of furnishings and accessories. In reality, the rooms are bare (absolute minimum) and the standard of finish re paintwork etc could be far, far better.

*The bathrooms are also tidy enough, but the plumbing is awful. The hotel may be up a mountainside, but for a hotel selling itself as a luxury resort it's nowhere near acceptable. Having filled a bath on the second day, my daughter emptied it only to find that the entire contents leaked out from underneath, into the living area and along the corridor. Barricades were set up with towels to stop it flowing into the bedroom. This was also mentioned to Reception - but no apology or 'thank you' to clearing it up - just a "Do you still need a cleaning lady then?". Over the course of the week it happened more than a few times and still no action - the drain aways can't cope with the flow of water - so be prepared to mop up backflow if you're booked into 804!

Filion needs to be re-labelled - it's a low 4 star (on a VERY good day) aspiring to be a 5 star - but it's a long way off. At a glance, it could get a way with it - but the promotional material is not accurate and if you look a bit closer, the finish is just not up to scratch.

“ Top Tip: N/A - the hotel is not within easy walking distance of the nearest town (Bali) - but great if you're looking for a quiet, undisturbed holiday with very little noise. Bali is a ten minute drive if you have a car or use the hotel mini bus, otherwise almost an hour's walk. The beaches in Bali are not so great (small, overcrowded and a bit tatty) so best to hire a car and venture out a bit further. DO NOT BOOK THIS HOTEL IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR WHAT WE (IN THE UK) EXPECT BY WAY OF 5 STAR LUXURY - YOU WON'T GET IT.