Bali holidays are the best or are they?

Exclusive Bali Villa Holiday's are the best or are they?

A Bona-fide Licence for a Bali Private Villa Agent

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Bali Private Villas - Booking a holiday can be a difficult process, holiday companies advertise special offers to entice you to make a booking through them, these offers often appear to be unbelievable, but when you try to book them they add many mandatory extras such as; Luggage allowances are so low in their weight allowance that you have to pay for an additional amount in order to carry what you require for a good holiday. On the plane if you want an isle seats, or if you are traveling as a family or just a couple and would like seats together this can again be an extra charge, you may find that you are restricted as to your time of departure, or there is a requirement to stay away from home for a minimum period of 16 days etc., by the time that you add all of the extras then these “special deals” are not special at all.

Back to Nature one of Ubud's finest villas by: The Leading Villas of Bali

All to often resort hotels and holiday companies have offers of all inclusive packages (room, breakfast, evening meal and sometimes, as can be the case in the Caribbean, free drink) all of this look to be good value in the glossy brochure, but when you arrive at the resort you are given sets of meal vouchers for a 3rd rate canteen. A canteen which is surrounded by 1st class restaurants which you can of course use, but you have to pay extra by redeeming your vouchers and your voucher is suddenly almost worthless. In the Caribbean some resort hotels have all inclusive drinks offers, often the bars are few and far between. When you do find their bars they have employed so few staff that it is like visiting an International rugby match at one of the worlds stadiums, the customers waiting to be served could number 20 people wide and 5 people deep, whilst there is only one bar tender on duty.

In order to avoid disappointing holidays many people are opting to book private villas for their exclusive use, where they are not in a scrum when ordering a refreshing drink, where they can prepare their dinner or choose to go to a quality local beach restaurant. A private villa will have its own pool with pool side beds, ample shade so it will not be necessary to climb out of bed at 4am to make sure you get a sun bed in a good location around a crowded hotel pool. Holidays should always be a true definition of the word holiday, to take a break, to relax from the rigors of your everyday life.

Bali does not come more relaxed than this Ubud Villa by: The Leading Villas of Bali 

The only real way to be sure of a true holiday, a place where you can truly relax is to book a private villa, where you have your own pool, a bar that you bring with you from duty free or stock locally from the nearby Minimart. So you can make a cocktail as and when you want, your own crisps or nuts to savoir as you maximize your time around your own pool under your own gazebo.

One place that has embraced the private villa rental concept is that of Bali, Bali has 100s of private villas for holiday rental.  Most of these private villas come with their own staff, they're positioned close to all the beaches, places of interest, they are close to boutique shops artisan areas and world class restaurants. Bali’s villas have everything close at hand that you will need for a luxury holiday in the sun. The villa market in Bali is a competitive market and competition has driven style, elegance, safety, it has provided all the furnishings and linen to match a holiday that's fit for royalty. These villas are simply stunning in appearance as they are elegant and stylish, but above all they’re comfortable to stay in for the duration of your holiday.

Tropical living

The Balinese culture is primarily based on Hinduism, this make the Balinese of a serene and calm disposition. The peoples core belief is that of karma, karma leads their way of life as it influences their every action and behaviour, they believe they should always try to lead a good life as it is their belief that they will be favoured at a time of their passing. This attitude to life ideally suits them to the hospitality industry as karma has taught them to be relaxed with themselves and with others. It is this attitude together with the fantastic climate that has made Bali such a unique and sought after holiday location.

Bali is often referred to as Australia's Hawaii or the Paradise Island.

However, booking a villa in Bali is not as straight forward as it at first can appear. But if booked correctly and it really is easy to book correctly, you will have the best holiday ever.

Can you be anywhere quieter: The Leading Villas of Bali

There are a few things to remember:

1.    Bali's villas are owned by private individuals and as we all know humanity comes with a good and a bad side so you need to be aware as to what you are booking and from whom you are booking your villa. I will explain this in more detail later in this article.

2.  Global, large faceless website companies that market hotel rooms from a drop down menu are now providing holiday rental villas. These companies due to the Internet are global but run on minimum staff, their staff are predominantly sales or IT orientated, they invariably sit in some provincial town in the middle of England.  These companies are positioning villas as though they are hotel rooms in a city centre hotel. 

Remember these companies with their global brand only provide a web site for owners of villas to show their villas to their market.  These companies do not inspect any hotel nor do they inspect any villa property that they market, they do not reference nor even know the location of any property that they list. The website company compounds the issue even further by not controlling the accuracy of the review process, content that they publish on their sites, I will explain this in  more detail later in this article. Booking through these sites is OK when you are booking a Marriott, Hyatt or even staying 1 or 2 nights in Mildred's B&B, because some other third party professional body will have graded these hotels and B&B establishments, they will have been star rated.  There is no such system in place for rental villa properties here on Bali. 

If you are tempted to book a villa or even a hotel room through these global web-sites companies and you have read the reviews be-aware, some reviews on these sites are often manufactured by the owners themselves. An owner or manager of a villa has access to the admin of these websites they set the price, they can lower a price then follow that action with a reservation for 1 night effectively booking their own room or villa.  The owner or manger lowers the price to limit the commission that they pay to the website operator. Why would they do this? Simple really, they get an email as if they were a bona-fide guest asking them to review their accommodation, bingo a small price to pay for a glowing review of their own establishment.

Managers and owners will also cultivate certain guests, coaching them throughout their stay in order that the guest feels duty bound to give a glowing review of their villa which is then published in the public domain.  It is worth remembering that in the absence of a third party audit on a villa the only conceivable way to grade an establishment is from the published reviews, one mans rubbish is another mans treasure.

A little piece of Heavon you will feel right at home

 

I am of the firm belief that you should not trust your holiday to those who do not know about the villa or the location that you are going to.  Holidays are precious and are becoming critical to our well being in this dynamic world that we live.  Always use a licensed agent here on Bali to book a villa, invariably the price is the same and in some instance the price can be cheaper. I will explain how to determine which agents on the ground in Bali are reputable and how you can spot a back street one man band who has a glossy web address but no license to trade granted by the government of Indonesia.

The villa owners come from all walks of life but the dominant owners can be property developers who see a quick buck to develop villas for rental in this burgeoning market. A property developer has no clue as to what the hospitality market needs, so they are often non responsive to the protestations of their incumbent guests, making the smallest of issue magnify in the minds of the guests such that minute problems can spoil a family's holiday.

 

I will cover as to how you seek the maximum protection by just following a few rules and you will have the best relaxing holiday possible, To add to the complexity Bali is, as I am sure it is the same with many destinations, brimming with unlicensed agents offering villas for rent. These agents often push properties that the licensed agents have dismissed as the property does not conform to basic hospitality standards, the villa is in the middle of a building site or it is so far off a main road that you need a chiropractor to be available for when you arrive.

Solution:

This place is so peaceful, so fitting for when you unwind

There is nothing wrong with a property being owned by a developer, a lawyer, a butcher, a baker, a candle stick maker (you get the picture), as long as their villa has been contracted out to a management company for this company to operate the villa on a day to day basis. The management companies are invariably from the hospitality industry and know what linen to provide, how often to change the bedding, towels.  The management team know that if you order a fruit basket that they are to provide that basket at a time that you asked for it, they will know when to clean the rooms and when to give you peace and quiet. The management make sure that the TV's are tuned and that the remote is clean, they know when to remove lime from the shower head or polish the taps and that they know they are to provide mineral water.

The management will know that they can not cut corners when it comes to basic services such as; the supply of electric or water.  They will have contracts in place with the utility providers, they will pay based on used units as determined by meters, they will not pay by a pre-paid arrangement, as they will not take the risk that the supply will be cut during a period when it is most needed i.e. in the middle of a hot night shutting down the AC’s to the bedrooms (as is often the case). Important always make sure your villa is managed properly and by those in the know.

A Natural Tub

The basic rule to follow from all that I have said above is:  Never go to an unlicensed agent to book your villa, licensed agents have spent good money to establish a reputable business, to register their company and to understand the mechanics of the villas that they offer. These agents on the whole rely on their reputation, on word of mouth to build their businesses; they have a good mix of regular clients as well as new clients. They're pursued by the villa management companies to offer their villa properties so an entry on the licensed agent's website comes with a guarantee of a certain standard. The reputable agent will inspect the villas regularly but importantly they inspect prior to the arrival of any of their guests. Complaints are encouraged to be directed to the agent and if the villa management are in anyway non-responsive then these villas are removed from their listings.

Which means; the unlicensed agents take these villas and publish on their websites for the un-suspecting public to see, these are second tier properties. These second tier properties also find their way onto the global hotel booking web-sites, as I have said these sites do not provide staff to audit these properties as they only provide a brand which gives access to the web.  The unlicensed agent rather than investing in a reputable business will establish many websites to market these villas, in some cases they have over a 100 websites, they have no interest if the electric goes off in the middle of the night, they have no interest if the owner is responsive to the guests needs or not.  As the demand for villas is big here in Bali if one website loses reputation then another of their sites will grow.

It is worth knowing that rates for villas are usually the same across all the providers of luxury villas.  However, one villa owner recently said to me that when he offers his villas on these global web-site windows, he increases the price as their brand already implies ‘late deals’ giving the impression the rate is already low,  he relies on their customers loyalty to this global brand.

How do you know a licensed operator, what do you look for?

A registered agency with a registration granted by "Pemerintah KotaDenpasar" (Government, area: Kota, Denpasar) and that they have a "Dinas Perijinan" registration number, furthermore that their registration identifies them as a "Jasa properti" provider (permitted to provide a property service). If it is not on their website then ask to see evidence of their registration.

Happy holidays in Bali - if you need advise or some guidance then I can be reached through the comments section.

All in all a great addition to The Leading Villas of Bali range of luxury villas http://www.theleadingvillasofbali.com

 

For other villas look to the pages Booking Villas in Bali http://www.bookingvillasinbali.com

Look also at http://www.thevillas-bali.com

Due their superb pricing this collection will soon be added to: http://www.budgetvillasinbali.com  

To enhance your Asia experience then take a look at http://www.statura.co.uk

See us on Amazines  http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm/4137908?articleid=4137908

The Barmy Villa Market in Bali

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View across the Bay from Jimbaran
The Leading villas of Bali

Booking a holiday can be a difficult process, holiday companies that provide special offers to entice you to make a booking through them appear unbelievable, but when you try to book them the additions such as; extra bags, isle seats, seats together, time of departure, minimum stays etc., they are not special at all. Hotels that have all inclusive packages that look good value in the brochure but when you arrive you are given sets of meal vouchers for a 3rd rate canteen.  A canteen which is surrounded with 1^st class restaurants which you can use but you have to pay extra by redeeming your vouchers and your voucher is suddenly almost worthless.  In the Caribbean some resort hotels have all inclusive drinks offers, at these resorts they place the bar in a distant location, often the bars are few and far between. When you do find their bars they have so few staff that it is like visiting an International rugby match at one of the worlds stadiums, the bar could be 20 people wide and 5 people deep with just one bar tender. You get the picture I’m sure.

By way of avoiding these disappointing holidays many people are booking private villas where they are not in a scrum for drinks, where their dinner is of a good standard and that they are not up at 4am to make sure they get sun beds around a crowded pool.  Holidays are what they say on the label a time to holiday, to take a break and relax from the rigors of your everyday life.

The only way to be sure of a true holiday is to book a private villa with its own pool, a bar that you bring with you from duty free or stock locally from the nearby Minimart. You can make a cocktail as and when you want it, crisps or nuts to savoir as you maximize your time around your own pool under your own gazebo.

Luxury Villa O'Hara - Leading Villas of Bali

One place that has embraced the villa concept is that of Bali, Bali has 100s of private villas for holiday rental, most of these villas come with staff, they’re situated close to all the beaches, all the amenities. These villas have everything close at hand that you will need for a luxury holiday in the sun.The villa market in Bali is a competitive market and competition has driven style, elegance, safety, it has provided all the furnishings and linen to match a holiday that's fit for royalty.  These villas are simply stunning properties.

The Balinese culture is primarily Hindu which makes them of a disposition that is serene.  They believe in karma, karma leads their way of life as they believe they should lead a good life so they are sure to be favoured at a time of their passing. This attitude to life ideally suits them to the hospitality industry. Karma has taught them to be relaxed with themselves and with others.  Their disposition is ideal when in hospitality and has made Bali such a unique and sought after holiday location.

Bali is often referred to as Australia's Hawaii or the Paradise Island.

However, booking a villa in Bali is not as straight forward as it appears.  But if booked correctly, it is easy to book correctly, you will have the best holiday ever.

There are a few things to remember: 

1.      Bali's villas are owned by private individuals, as we all know humanity comes with a good and a bad side, you need to be aware as to what you are booking and from whom you are booking your villa. I will explain this in more detail later in this article.

2.      Global, large faceless website companies market hotel rooms and now provide holiday rental villas.  Their young and in-experienced staff, who invariably sit in some provincial town in the middle of England, are positioning villas as though they are hotel rooms in a city centre hotel. Remember these operators only provide a web site for owners to show there villas, they do not inspect, view, reference or even know the location of any property that they list. The website company compounds the issue even further by not controlling the reviews that are put on their sites, I will explain this later. Booking through these sites is OK when you are booking a Marriott, Hyatt or even staying 1 or 2 nights in Mildred's B&B.

I will explain later in the article why you should not trust these global websites and why you should use a reputable agent in Bali. I will explain how to determine which agents on the ground in Bali are reputable and how you can spot a back street one man band who has a glossy web address but no license granted by the government of Indonesia.. 

A Luxury Bedroom - Booking Villas in Bali

The global website operators; If you book a villa or even a hotel room through these global web-sites companies, be-aware, some reviews on these sites are often manufactured by the owners.  An owner or manager, who sets the price on these sites, can lower a price then follow that with a booking for their own room or villa, this way they limit the commission they pay to the website operator. Why would they do this? Simple really, they get an email as if they were a bona-fide guest asking them to review their accommodation, bingo a small price to pay for a glowing review of their own establishment.

The villa owners come from all walks of life but the dominant owners can be property developers who see a quick buck to develop villas for rental in this burgeoning market. A property developer has no clue as to what the hospitality market needs, so they are often non responsive to the protestations of their incumbent guests, making the smallest of issue magnify in the minds of the guests such that minute problems can spoil a family’s holiday.

I will cover as to how you seek the maximum protection by just following a few rules and you will have just the best holiday, To add to the complexity Bali is, as I am sure like many destinations brimming with unlicensed agents offering villas for rent. These agents often push properties that the licensed agents have dismissed as the property does not conform to basic hospitality standards, is in the middle of a building site or it is so far off a main road that you need a chiropractor to be available for when you arrive.

Solution:

There is nothing wrong with a property being owned by a developer, a lawyer, a butcher, a baker, a candle stick maker (you get the picture), as long as their villa has been passed to a management company to operate it on a day to day basis. The management companies are invariably from the hospitality industry and know what linen to provide how often to change the bedding, towels etc, they know that if you order a fruit basket they are to provide that basket at a time that you asked for it, They know when to clean the rooms and when to give you peace and quiet. The management make sure that the TV's are tuned and that the remote is clean, they know when to remove lime from the shower head or polish the taps, to provide mineral water.  The management has a contract with the electric supplier whereby they pay monthly, quarterly etc., not by prepaid meter that expires in the middle of a hot night. So the risks continue...  Important always make sure your villa is managed properly and by those in the know.

A Bali Sunset - Booking Villas in Bali

The basic rule to follow from all of this is: Never go to an unlicensed agent, licensed agents have spent good money to establish a reputable business, to register their company. These agents on the whole rely on word of mouth to build their reputations. They're pursued by the villa management companies to offer their properties so an entry on the licensed agent’s website comes with a guarantee of a certain standard. The reputable agent will inspect the villas regularly but importantly they inspect prior to the arrival of any of their guests. Complaints are encouraged to be directed to the agent and if the villamanagement are in anyway non-responsive then these villas are removed from their listings.

Which means that unlicensed operators pick these villas up and then market them - be aware these are second tier properties. These second tier properties also find their way onto these global hotel booking web-sites as these sites do not do an inspection of the property, they have no interest if the electric goes off in the middle of the night, causing the AC to switch off, as the payment is via a prepaid arrangement.

Rates are usually the same across all the providers of luxury villas.  A purported website company that offers “late deal” rates, one villa manager here on Bali said to me "they put higher rates on these sites as the brand is already there, the perception is that the rate is low so for them they market higher so late comers pay more".  If you do risk an unlicensed agent or whether you go to a licensed operator, the rates are often the same.

How do you know a licensed operator, what do you look for?

License granted by the: Pemerintah Kota Denpasar

A registered agency with a registration granted by "Pemerintah KotaDenpasar" (Government, area: Kota, Denpasar) and that they have a "Dinas Perijinan" registration number, furthermore that their registration identifies them as a "Jasa properti" provider (permitted to provide a property service). If it is not on their website then ask to see evidence of their registration.

Happy holidays in Bali - if you need advise or some guidance then I can be reached through the comments section.

For an example of a licensed operator refer to 'The Leading Villas of Bali' http://www.theleadingvillasofbali.com

For another example of a licensed operator refer to Booking Villas in Bali.com http://www.bookingvillasinbali.com 

For another example of a licensed operator refer to Budget Villas in Bali.com http://www.budgetvillasinbali.com 

For expert knowledge of the Asian market refer to statura.co.uk http://www.statura.co.uk

Rent a villa for a family holiday can only be done with knowledge

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Bali's spiritual flower the Frangipani,

What to look for when booking a villa here in Bali. 

This market is full of villas for holiday rental, its full because there is a high demand so every Tom, Dick and Harry are building villas for the tourist market because there is a fast buck in it.

Villas on the whole are built and owned by individuals, most individuals pass the villa to a management company as the management company will be from the hospitalityindustry and they will know how to prepare the villa, look after the villa and serve the guests. They know how to keep  everyone happy, safe and well cared for.

When an industry is in a growth market some owners will cut corners, they will initially try to manage the villa themselves as their sole interest is to maximize profits. They can have the best personality in the world but when they are not from the hospitality industry then they cannot be as attentive as is sometimes needed, often it is the smallest of issues that can spoil a holiday.

I have said in other articles that Bali is no different to other resorts around the world, if there is demand then every person good and bad move in on that market to exploit it.  In Bali you can rent a villa in many ways either through an on-line global web company, through a licensed agent or through an unlicensed agent.

Many villas are perfectly presentable as most are really quite spectacular, but if they are not managed correctly, they are in the middle of a building site or so far off a main road and down a long and bumpy dirt track you will feel you need the attention of a chiropractor by the time you reach your villa, you are sure to leave Bali or any other resort around the world having enjoyed the sun but in need of another holiday.  We all know that today’s work place is very stressful add to these long hours we receive a salary that is taxed to the hilt, so we need to maximize our dollars, find time to relax and rebuild bonds with kids etc.

Villa Frangipani by Booking Villas in Bali.com

Another way to book a villa is through an online International booking company. These agents are great if you’re on a business trip in some major city and staying at a recognized chain with appropriate star ratings.  As these establishments will have been scrutinized and graded through personal inspections by independent auditors.  Please be aware, at no time do these online global sites visit any establishment in order to assess that they are fit for business , quite the opposite to register your good or your bad business on these sites all you need is a pulse.  The grading is left to you the customer through the review process.  To compound the issue there is nothing to stop an owner booking a room or villa of his own, by so doing this an automatic email is generated to the person booking, in this case the owner, for that person to then provide a review, of course they are pleased to do this and you can bet they get maximum marks.  To book a villa from these sites for a place where you will stay for several days if not weeks, a place where you want to relax and bond with your kids etc.  Book a villa through someone who knows what you will expect to receive, a person who inspects the villas and is happy to stake their reputation on your booking being every bit as you expect if not better, a person who is on hand throughout your holiday should any small point arise or if something is just complicated and you need guidance

So how to avoid a nightmare holiday and not just in Bali:

When booking a villa, always use the services of a reputable agent a local person on the ground in Bali.  For my money I would always choose the licensed agent for the simple reason they have invested money into this market and they have to protect their reputation, their license as well as their income.  All villa owners and management companies use these agents as a first point of contact.  If the villa property is not up to scratch, complaints are not attended to, it’s in the middle of a building site or the owner has no clue about hospitality then these licensed agents cannot risk their reputation to promote these villas.

A place to start a perfect day not a building site to be seen

So make sure you use a registered agent here in Bali and that you take guidance from them as to where the villa is, its proximity to the areas that you want to be i.e. beaches, spectacular walks, white water rafting etc.   Invariably the licensed agents only deal with the management companies that are from hotel business or hospitality because these guys follow strict processes as to when to clean, when to provide and to respond to your needs during your stay.  Simply put they are experts in ways to make you feel at home and to ensure that you leave Bali having had a wonderful time and that Bali’s reputation as a paradise on earth is intact  You on the other hand are chilled and ready for the next 12 months of slog..   

    

Here is where the unlicensed agents scores, they pick up these rejected properties then they proliferate these villas throughout the web via 100’s of web addresses.  They appear to be many different reputable companies and as the villa still has plenty of exposure due to many entries this would suggest to the unknowing that this is a good villa, worthy of a look.   The unlicensed agent has no interest in the chore of becoming licensed nor are they accountable for their trading practices, they are only looking for an income and as they have many web addresses/sites if one slows then usually another picks up. 

License granted by the: Pemerintah Kota Denpasar

Always use a licensed agent with a registration granted by “Pemerintah Kota Denpasar” (Government, area: Kota, Denpasar) and that they have a “Dinas Perijinan” registration number, furthermore that their registration identifies them as a “Jasa properti” provider (permitted to provide a property service). If it is not on their website then ask to see evidence of their registration.

A little planning up front can ensure that you have a relaxing holiday on this wonderful island.

Happy holidays, please come and experience Bali as it really is the best place on the planet. 

For an example of a licensed operator refer to 'The Leading Villas of Bali' http://www.theleadingvillasofbali.com

For another example of a licensed operator refer to Booking Villas in Bali.com http://www.bookingvillasinbali.com 

For another example of a licensed operator refer to Budget Villas in Bali.com http://www.budgetvillasinbali.com 

For expert knowledge of the Asian market refer to statura.co.uk http://www.statura.co.uk