Hotel review: Nick’s Hidden Cottages, Ubud, Bali

A quiet escape in a very-much urban jungle.

Sneaking away for the Easter long weekend (plus a day), we decided on Ubud as our Balinese destination for it’s tranquility, lush landscapes and laid-back style. Coming from Sydney, Australia (which was just coming out of summer), we weren’t looking for a beach holiday. Rather, we were looking for somewhere quiet, authentic and, of course, with delicious food and hotels with a local flair. Ubud in Bali delivered just what we were looking for.

About the property

Sitting a street over, but a world away, from the main drag in Ubud, Nick’s Hidden Cottages is tucked into a valley accessed only by foot via a path through a rice paddy.

The Room

We booked a deluxe room, and lucked out with the location. Our room (201) was facing both the pool and jungle valley, which gave us lush views from the room and the porch (which had a few seats on it, too).

Inside, there was a double bed, small vanity/desk with a mirror, a wardrobe and a mini-fridge. (It did come stocked with a few basics, including Bintangs and bottled water, all at very affordable prices.)

The canopy bed as pictured on Booking.com definitely wooed us and the roughly $50 price point was just what we were budgeting for.

Bed comfort

The bed was a bit firmer than we’re used to, so it wasn’t a real winner for us. But that’s not to say we didn’t sleep well. Being down a quiet pathway off the road, and with the room being at the back of the hotel, it was incredibly quiet at night.

Bathroom

We’ve lived in apartments with bedrooms smaller than this bathroom — it was huge!

There were the usual suspects, a toilet, sink with plenty of counter space around it, and a combined shower and tub.

The one thing that was lacking, was a shower curtain. The shower head was on the wall along the length-wise side of the bath, so you did have to angle it carefully to not get water all over the floor.

Here’s a walk-through video we took of the room so you can see what it was actually like.

Breakfast

Breakfast was included in the price of our room, but you do have to opt for this. Considering it was just a few dollars more and makes mornings much easier, we paid the extra $5-$10 more to include it. And we’re glad we did, because it was plentiful.

It included:

• A choice of a fresh fruit juice or plate
• Unlimited tea or coffee
• Your choice of mie goreng, nasi goreng, a classic American breakfast or a selection of pastries

Being in Indonesia, we opted for either mie goreng or nasi goreng each morning, and it was a delicious way to start the day. And came with a decent handful of prawn crackers.

The pool

While not large, the pool was incredibly refreshing after a day walking around in the sticky, Ubud heat.

Cleaned by staff each morning, the water was cool, but not cold. We’ve found in similar climates, hotel pools often get quite warm and offer little reprieve from the heat, but the pool at Nick’s Hidden Cottages was the perfect temperature.

There were about seven or eight lounge chairs surrounding the pool, and most of the times we were there, we had all of them to choose from.

Filtered drinking water and a pile of fresh towels were available in the covered area next to the pool. If towels ran out, or if you wanted a poolside snack or drink, there was also a phone there to call reception who would very quickly bring something down for you.

Service

The staff at the hotel was incredibly friendly. They’d greet us each time we passed by reception, were attentive at breakfast time and would always say hello if passing you on the hotel grounds.

While we didn’t make any bookings with them, like most hotels in Bali, they did offer a booking service for day tours, private drivers or airport transfers if needed.

Accessibility

Unfortunately, this hotel is not ideal for anyone with mobility issues. Although a stunning property, it is built into a hill and there’s a lot of stairs required to get just about anywhere.

The pathway from the road to the entranceway of the hotel is quite narrow too. While definitely wide enough for a pram or a wheelchair to come down, there’s no way to get to any of the rooms without using stairs.

From reception down to the first set of rooms, there is a flight of stairs (and they’re quick deep, too). To get to our room, there was another set of stairs, and then another one to get down to the pool area.

Location

Found about half-way down Jl Bisma, just one street over from the main drag in Ubud Jl Monkey Forest, Nick’s Hidden Cottages is in a great location.

Jl Bisma is a much quieter street with less traffic and fewer pedestrians, but still plenty of bars, restaurants, spas and convenience stores to choose from. A few hundred metres down the road there were three restaurants competing with live musicians, but at Nick’s we couldn’t hear a thing.

Another aspect we loved was the cut-through at Nick’s Pension, a sister hotel to the cottages. Across the road and a few minutes’ walk away, the pension has a path running through the valley to Jl Monkey Forest cutting the walk time to the main street in half.

💡Cheaptrips tip: We’d also highly recommend a visit to Lokal Bar along the pathway. It had a great atmosphere, live music and delicious cocktails made with local arak.

Distance from the airport

From I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, it will take about 90 minutes to reach the hotel in Ubud. It’s only about a 40km drive, but traffic is pretty heavy in Bali and there aren’t motorways.

We booked a private transfer on Booking.com for about $18, as it was about half the price of what we were being quoted elsewhere and less than what the local ride share services were estimating.

Distance to Ubud’s main attractions

Nick’s Hidden Cottages is about a 20-minute walk to the entrance of the Sacred Monkey Forest, a must-visit in Ubud.

Nearby, you’ll also find Ubud Palace and the main market about 15 minutes away. It’s also about a 10-minute walk from the entrance to the peaceful Subak Jewuk Manis (Sweet Orange) rice fields walkway.

The price

We paid $54 per night for our stay, which was over the Easter long weekend.

We checked other times of the year though, and found rooms for as low as $43 (or $49 if you opt to include breakfast).