Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana

We travel often, Value for money is important. If this was a resort for 100$ I would understand but in this price range ( we visited St Regis, Jumeirah, Komaneka Bisma, Ritz Nusa Dua etc) this place is definitely lacking good management . Food was expensive but the worst we had in Bali , service lacking, friendly but nothing much else. We left after one night as there was no pleasure in staying any longer . Please consider Komaneka properties and Como instead.

Loved our stay in every way. Attention to detail was second to none, staff were so helpful & friendly. The hot air balloon ride at sunrise was v.special, rice paddy tour & walk back through village, incredibly beautiful property & expansive grounds..loved feeding swans & white pigeons, lotus ponds, pools & beautiful spa plus mojitos / open walled restaurant at sunset. Perfect for our wedding anniversary & highly recommend 1bd pool villa with outdoor bath, absolutely gorgeous.

I wanted to love this resort. It has so much potential. Sadly, poor management, food, service and construction mean this isn’t a resort I would return to soon. My summarised points below; The positives; 1) Beautiful grounds (for the most part - see negatives below). Lovely lotus ponds, sweeping walkways and setting.was generally calm - a world away from bustling Ubud 2) The limited number of guests (just twenty villas), so the place feels exceptionally spacious and private) 3) The colonial decor and artwork, which is tastefully done to reflects a private estate not a themed hotel. Issues with the layout (below) but the interiors were nice 4) The sense of seclusion you have when staying here 5) the comfy beds with quality mattresses and linens The negative; 1) Limited privacy in the entry level rooms. Others have more privacy but the standard rooms are close together with windows looking into each others bedrooms. I was moved to a family suite, which had two bedrooms and a private pool. This was much appreciated and enhanced my privacy. However, if I had paid the full amount for this suite, I’d have been really unimpressed. The pool was a decent size but boxed in by large walls with no sense of the green and serene space you’re here for. The bath is also by the pool, which would be highly impractical for families - the kids couldn’t be in the pool whilst mum had a bath! I think the pool and bath must be later additions because they make little sense in terms of layout. I believe the one bedrooms are probably the best both in terms of layout, privacy and views. 2) Ongoing construction; the hotel is building what looks like 4-5 new villas in the rice paddy area. This is really short-sighted. It blocks the “unobstructed view” of rice paddies the hotel claims to have, and will reduce the feeling of space. I understand the need for more revenue but there are other ways to achieve this (see below). I was really annoyed by the impact on the view (see photos) and the lack of care by staff. I complained several times and no one bothered to come and talk to me. 3) The poor level of service; most staff working here seemed not to be in the sector because they really wanted a career in hospitality - and it showed. Slow service, lacklustre smiles, no one greeting you in the morning or when back from excursions, no enthusiasm at all. They try to funnel all communication with you via WhatsApp, which is supposedly to help guests. But it acts to deter any sort of normal service. You’d never have the top hotels deliver the entirety of their service via WhatsApp. Sure, it’s helpful if you need them to restock your minibar or something. But beyond that, human service is still vitally important and the bedrock of hospitality! I literally had to WhatsApp to get anyone to even clear dirty plates after a meal. It’s absolute madness 4) The food was very far below expectations. The Balinese dinner was lukewarm and the sort of thing you’d be served in any conference (mass catering) or even on an airline. Even the simple dishes - like a burger - are a greasy hot mess. This is a massive shame, as the whole point of being somewhere like this is to be able to properly “retreat” (i.e. stay at the resort) but you either have to accept pretty poor food (at high prices, for the quality) or venture out. I pretty much lived on Caesar salads and even then had to give instruction to grill rather than boil the chicken breast and to remove the slimy boiled skin! Room service was even worse, with dishes arriving wrapped in clingfilm like you’d see in a 2* hotel. I don’t like to single people out, but in this case the executive chef needs to be held to account. I wasn’t the only one raising issues; others sent food back which arrived cold or made other complaints. The restaurant could be such a star attraction but it’s not; it’s a pretty uninspired lacklustre place where nobody looks that happy and the food is all just a bit awful - and no one seems to care about standards or be in charge! 5) The excursions offered aren’t particularly good. The prices are least three times the price of any external company (luxury private car, driver, guide) - I wouldn’t necessarily mind if the itineraries were personalized and the service assuredly high quality. But the staff have so little interest in you that they never ask. I’ve had butlers before and they make an effort to meet me in person daily (not for long - they just find me by the pool or at coffee) and ask how my day is and if they can help answer anything or plan anything. This sort of concierge/butler system is great and in these circumstances you don’t mind paying more. But as there was none of this whatsoever and no one showed any interest at all in my stay, I just arranged independently. Again a massive lost opportunity. 6) The main pool was often cloudy and filled with of debris. The one in my villa was even worse - so much so that I didn’t use it. If you repeatedly asked then it would be cleaned but weren’t too bothered otherwise. Both need much higher upkeep and filtration. 6) Underscoring all of the negatives above, the management was absolutely absent. Not once did I meet the GM or similar. Nobody seemed to be in charge. If there was clear visible management, inspiring their staff, raising standards, being present in the resort, I’m sure this place would dramatically improve. 7) The villas need an injection of money to upgrade the bathroom/shower areas which are tired and not luxurious. Stain worn tiles on the floor etc. Would I stay again? Definitely not whilst the renovations and constructions continue. And beyond this, sadly (and it is sad, as someone initially put love into this place) probably not unless there was a change in management, change of chef and general upping of the standard back to what I assume it used to be. For something similar, but miles better in terms of service, food quality and upkeep, try Mesastila in Java. Or if you are here for the rice terrace views, try one of the hotels in Sidemen. Tanah Gajah - please sort yourself out. This could be one of the nicest places in Bali but it’s currently a very sad resort with list potential. Happy to discuss with you.

This is a beautiful hotel and a real haven away from busy Ubud. We stayed in a pool villa which was beautiful. The staff were friendly and attentive. The spa is definitely worth a visit during your stay. We dined in the restaurant several times, overall the food did not impress us so much and was often served luke warm which was not good for me. We tried the tasting menu and four of the five courses were exquisite. The flavours were amazing as was the attention to detail. We were slightly disappointed with the desert which did not seem to have the same attention to detail as the first four courses. The fire dance is definitely worth attending although I would probably skip the meal if we attended again. Overall our experience was good and we would return but eat out more than eat I

Our second stay and they maintain a high level. Clean, cozy villas, some with private pool. Perfect service, picturesque landscape. This hotel has been planned like a work of art, stunning like a garden of paradise and full of beautiful paintings. Great pool surrounded by sculptures and ponds with lotuses. An oasis of birds. But as usual, the most wonderful team. The people are the heart of this place. Special thanks to Made Nopiari, Dayu and Edi from the Restaurant for making us feel at home. Committed management staff ( special thanks to Pasek), experienced masseuses (thank you Suma), gentlemen serving the pool always friendly and willing to help, courteous gardeners, trying to do their work in the least disruptive way for guests. Tour very professionally organized by the hotel, the driver who played the role of our guide (thank you Carlie) introduced us to the Balinese culture and willingly answered questions. Delicious food and drinks, the Chef cares a lot about the quality and taste, however wine is quite expensive