Griya Shanti Villas & Spa in Ubud

This place in Ubud is disappointing. If you pick this place based on reviews, let me explain how they actually got so many “good” ones, which was shocking for me. As soon as we arrived the receptionist welcomed us with their free goodies: a 30 min massage, some offering making, and a “free floating breakfast if we leave a good review.” At that point I knew it was going to be bad. After a long flight from the UK and their long talk at reception, all we wanted was some food and sleep. We arrived around 11:00 and were told the kitchen was closed — great 🙄. We went somewhere else for lunch while they were “cleaning” our bedroom for check-in. We got into our little villa to find: • a dirty pool, • dirty bedroom with falling paint, • a rug over the view for “privacy,” • mould in the bathroom, • soiled towels and bedding. We were too tired after the jet lag to say anything at first, as we didn’t want to react out of anger — but they saw our reaction. Next day, the owner was there ready for us, clearly knowing what was going to happen. The villa wasn’t the one from the pictures either. Then the kitchen… honestly I have never seen such a dirty kitchen in my life. It was disturbing. My papaya and watermelon tasted of onions because they don’t even wash the knives. I couldn’t eat there — I have allergies — so I ended up eating outside or asking for boiled eggs. My paid breakfast was basically a waste of money. I’ll give credit: the owner accepted full responsibility, which I appreciated, and tried to resolve the issue. He moved us to another villa that was “closer” to the pictures. But here’s the trick — the photos are a mix of several villas, so you never actually get what you see online. The second villa also had issues: • cigarette smell, • soiled curtains and towels (I had to point it out to get them changed), • falling paint, • dirty bathtub I couldn’t use, • mould smell, • a useless kitchenette with mould in the cabinets. The staff tried their best to clean, but the place overall needs a full refurbishment to look anything like the edited pics. It’s not what you expect, and the marketing is misleading. Bottom line: don’t be fooled by the reviews. They’re bought. The villas are dirty, dated, and not worth it.