Puri Madawi

Funky lumbung-style hotel in up-and-coming Petitenget (next to Seminyak) - stylish budget rooms close to a secluded beach and Bali’s party capital

The further north along the coast from Kuta the more upmarket the hotels become. So we fell upon stylish, spotless and perfectly located yet sensibly priced Puri Madawi with glee. Lumbung-style, set in an ordinary little lane in Petitenget, just north of trendy Seminyak and Legian, with cows grazing and a Balinese family going about its business, it's a 5-minute walk to a wide, sandy beach.

It’s hip Austrian hotelier Daniel Kornfeld’s baby: one of those 'I loved the land so much I bought it' stories. He and his brother designed and built the 16-roomed hotel and marble swimming pool from scratch. Every detail - from poinsettia trees in the landscaped gardens to ecologically-sound fabrics in the cleverly designed suites - has been chosen to give an upbeat, Balinese feel and plenty of good karma. You're just a taxi-ride to both Eat Street (which speaks for itself) and Jalan Double Six (which rocks from midnight until the last celebrity DJ plays her final cut). Puri Madawi provides the perfect recovery retreat for you to emerge refreshed to face the clubs and bars again.

Highs

• The Indian Ocean’s a stroll away and there’s great food, bars, clubs, shops, markets and spas within a short taxi hop, yet this has a semi-rural feel
• Top value spotless rooms designed with a sharp eye for detail that outclass any other budget accommodation we’ve found in Bali
• Restorative, colourful gardens with comfy poolside loungers for relaxing in after a hard night’s partying
• Decent breakfasts at the poolside restaurant; drinks (and informal Bahasa Indonesia lessons) at the bar
• 24 hour security guard

Lows

• There’s building work in the area; though it’s far enough from Puri Madawi to be unaware of it, there are ugly fences around the construction site
• Steep steps on the path are tricky for those less agile or with kids
• You’ll need taxis (which are cheap and plentiful) to get anywhere other than the beach and the eateries at the northern end of Seminyak/Legian
• Apart from breakfast, the cooking is enthusiastic but amateurish; fortunately, some of the best new restaurants in Bali are just down the road