Bali, Blog, Hotel, Indonesia, Review, Travel | 25 April 2025 | 15 MIN READ
Faded Glory: An Honest Review of Lv8 Resort Hotel Canggu’s Disappointing 5-Star Experience
18 hours ago
The room smelled of mildew. The lobby showed poor upkeep, despite an army of hotel employees. Long and eerie hallways belong in a Key & Peele movie or a Stephen King novel. Is this truly a 5-star hotel?
Maybe I could look past the false outlets or blood-stained chairs—just kidding, I don’t know if it’s blood or juice. I mean, is it blood? But at a certain point, it felt like I was on the set of White Lotus in a surrealist experiment where I should have been stuffing cash into ornaments and this was all just a giant Ponzi scheme, with workers just there as cover.
I mean, am I the only one questioning just what is going on with this property?
Nestled in Canggu, Bali, your experience first starts with confusion as you enter the gates of the hotel. Every Gojek driver seems perplexed once they reach the hotel’s entrance, which is more reminiscent of passport control than a luxury resort.
Price: $482.31 for 3 nights (Two Bedroom Suite)
Dates: March 5-8, 2025
Location: Jl. Discovery No. 8, Canggu, Bali 80361
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
The Bottom Line
Lv8 Resort Hotel Canggu fails to deliver on its 5-star promise with deteriorating facilities, bizarre security theater, and neglected maintenance. Despite spacious rooms and adequate internet speeds, the property’s overwhelming issues with cleanliness, upkeep, and service make it impossible to recommend for the premium price of $160/night.
First Impressions: Your Papers, Please
Approaching the hotel’s entrance isn’t enough. As your car, moped, or Gojek sits in front of the arm barrier, a person approaches with a large metal wand with a circular mirror attached. They check for bombs and survey the undercarriage of the vehicle, then make the car owner pop the trunk before waving you through.
You could argue this extra security is needed after the Kuta attacks in 2022 or the Jimbaran attacks in 2005, but it creates only a false sense of security rather than effective protection. What about our backpacks or checked luggage? It’s security theater at its finest.
How do you know there isn’t C4 packed inside the door? I could have a concealed 9mm on my waist, and then you let us through? If you’re not fully checking the car, then you aren’t really looking at the car’s contents.
A reminder for all U.S. travelers: check our country’s State Department travel website for current risk levels for Indonesia or any destination. If it’s level 1 or 2, you’re good to go. If it’s 3 or 4, don’t bother.
As you approach the lobby, it feels like being on the movie set of Sacha Baron Cohen’s “The Dictator“—where there’s pomp and circumstance upon arrival. The only thing missing from my diplomatic entrance are little flags on the front sides of the car’s hood.
The Lobby & Check-in Experience
The check-in process is slow and dreadful. My friend checks in as I wait to examine the fixtures and fittings of this supposedly five-star hotel. Deteriorating furniture, dilapidated walls with decaying surfaces, and random assortments of cables and green turf are immediately apparent.
We had to wait to check in but were told we could leave our luggage with staff. I was hesitant and kept my luggage with me. After all, it contained my work materials and important documents.
To kill time, we explored nearby Ducat cafe, a froyo spot, and eventually made our way to ISHA cosmetics, a gelato shop, and then clothes shopping at Atilla & Co. After enough time had elapsed, we caught a Gojek back to the hotel.
Once again, our newly anointed Gojek driver was confused by the entrance. One bomb sweep scan later, we finally entered the hotel and made our way to our room.
Gear Used
The Building: A Horror Movie Set
On the way to the room, you will pass hallways that are just, truly, disturbingly long. You know the type of hall where you calculate how long you can walk without making eye contact, and if you make eye contact, how long to maintain it before looking back down? Yes, that one.
Let’s just take a break here. I have to complain again about the hallways. These hallways are ones where you just add the effect of dark flickering light, set the scene at night, and now you have the Zombie level of Call of Duty or a Resident Evil movie. It could very much be the set of many horror films—Hollywood take note and thank me later!
But here, the sheer poor upkeep will keep you distracted, admiring the dilapidation exhibited by this property.
I’m talking about improperly hung paintings falling off walls, with extreme fading and dirt on top. It looks as if someone just picked up a shipment of white powder, immediately hid it in the wall safe, then hastily placed the painting on top and ran away when they saw two Americans walking down the hallway. At least that would make for a better story.
From nude paintings to cracked-out doors, the entire property screams neglect.
A quick glance at our door revealed a hole that looked like the beginning of a The Hills Have Eyes moment. More than anything, this screams Get Out (the 2017 horror film, if you haven’t seen it yet). My spidey senses were tingling. How the hell did I end up here after staying in the wonderfully open and accessible TRIBAL Hostel in Canggu and most recently a private villa in Pererenan?
I stare at the peephole of Room 126, half expecting a clown from It or a Chucky doll (yes, the one from the Child’s Play movies) to come running from the other side, charging and yelling ‘AHHHHHH!’ as they too press their eye against the peephole. Luckily, it has a one-dollar padlock. I feel safe.
I proceed with my walk of shame to our room.
The Room: Spacious But Neglected
The room is large and expansive, almost as if two apartments were crammed into one. Each room is studio-sized with its own large bathroom. Yet, the place reeks of mildew.
A quick glance around. Ah yes, the same reflections of the lobby below. Nothing but deterioration everywhere.
I mean where do I start? OK fine the bedroom. You said bathroom? That’s next.
For the bedroom—what kind of shortcuts are these? One socket is cut from wood—improperly, I might add—painted over, and placed between two properly sized socket covers. When I did construction, I didn’t take these shortcuts, especially not in visible locations.
Then there’s the multi-connection port. I’ll just have the picture do the talking (see below).
Now, let’s make our way to the bloody chair.
Just kidding. But, wait, is it blood?
Now let’s make our way to the bathroom. Oh, my.
The Bathroom: Decent Size, No Prize
At a quick glance–it’s a rather large bathroom. I have to give the hotel credit.
However, soon the positives start to fall short. A glance over at the shower and then using it just proved its litany of issues–especially with the shower head.
The shower head is supposed to exude a waterfall-like effect like those at the Grand Hyatt in Taipei or the JW Marriott in Miraflores, Peru.
No, not this one. This one is crooked. It’s green. And it has corrosion all over the metal.
Ok, maybe I can deal with that. Let’s get some soap and shampoo to wash our hair. Wait? It won’t pump? What’s the matter with this thing?
Ah yes, of course, a jammed and fluted soap pump that’s overly frayed. That means the staff has refilled this bottle over and over (maybe taking out the pump) and never noticed the frayed end?
The shower drain? I’ll keep it short: it gets clogged.
The Pool: A Glimmer of Hope?
You might think, as I did, “Let’s take a look at our patio.” Deluge and drudge? No thanks.
Let’s head to the pool instead. At least there we could drink our sorrows away while absorbing Vitamin D that will supercharge our happiness so much so that it will offset the start to this depressive destination.
I was cheerfully greeted by the green waste-colored water surrounding the main “pool house.” But, let’s make our way around.
A quick glance shows this outdoor experience is actually not that bad. Of course, at the back of my mind, I can’t help but compare it to the pool at TRIBAL Hostel.
We sat for a while and enjoyed a coconut and a few other items since we had some credit.
I look at the hotel poolside chair. It looks at me. It screams, “Please don’t sit.”
I sit, but lean forward. That will do it.
Then, I look down at the stand that separated our poolside chairs. Is that a nasty discarded paper towel of some sort that’s hanging on for dear life, that hasn’t been cleaned up?
After further thought, I think I’m ready to go explore the city again.
Value Assessment
At $160.77 per night ($482.31 for three nights), Lv8 Resort Hotel Canggu is charging in the premium range for Bali accommodations. Breaking this down to per person costs reveals an even more stark comparison:
- Lv8 Resort Hotel (Canggu): $80.39 per person per night
- TRIBAL Hostel (Canggu): $56.38 per person per night
- Villa Kirana (Pererenan): $58.33 per person per night
This means Lv8 Resort Hotel was approximately 43% more expensive than TRIBAL Hostel and 38% more expensive than Villa Kirana per person per night. For this significant premium, you receive dramatically inferior accommodations and service.
Even if this is a Chase-recommended property, it falls far short compared to what you’d book through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program. While at the pool, I did a quick comparison of what Amex Fine Hotels program would offer in terms of extra benefits, and there were plenty of better options.
Guest Demographics
While I saw other guests, I didn’t find many Americans. Most seemed to come from South Korea and India–including a wedding party. I’m sure they must have had the same questions I had: How did they find this place?
In India’s Aerocity, you have Roseate Hotel and other fine accommodations. In South Korea, you have the Four Seasons, a true five-star hotel, but even the Mercure Ambassador in Hongdae or voco in Gangnam are better—and those aren’t even 5-star properties.
You know a property that has some shortcomings but given its destination would still hold on to four or five stars? The Hilton Resort & Spa in Mauritius. This place isn’t even close.
Better Alternatives in Canggu and Nearby
For a similar price range, consider:
- W Bali Seminyak ($180-220/night)
- COMO Uma Canggu ($175-250/night)
- Private villa rentals in Pererenan ($100-150/night)
- For budget travelers, TRIBAL Hostel offers clean, modern accommodations at $56/person/night
- Villa Kirana in Pererenan at $58/person/night offers 4x the space of a hostel room
Rating Breakdown
- Cleanliness: 1/5
- Facilities: 1/5
- Service: 2/5
- Location: 3/5
- Value for Money: 1/5
- Internet: 4/5
- Overall: 1/5
The One Saving Grace
The one redeeming quality of this property is the internet. The speeds were more than adequate, eliminating the need to use my mobile hotspot.
Here my Beryl AX Portable Travel router and StarVPN setup worked perfectly. That meant I could easily handle my meetings, phone calls for an upcoming event without connection issues or having to worry about insects crawling the walls or a possible internet shut down.
Could that be the saving grace of this place? High-speed internet?
Lv8 Resort Hotel Canggu
Tips, Tricks, and Logistics
- Don’t book here. Please view other properties around the area for better lodging.
Conclusion
I cannot recommend Lv8 Resort Hotel Canggu, except for Hollywood Horror movie directors.
There is nothing that would change my mind about this verdict. Some staff members were friendly, but that alone is not enough reason to choose this destination after spending countless hours flying to Bali, especially when other superior lodging options exist in the area at similar or lower price points.
I am sure in previous years, Lv8 was an embodiment of success and stature. Today, it stands as a mere shadow of its former self. Its glory has been reduced to disfigured walls that looked like they’ve been fracked to death by a Pennsylvania drilling company, corroded fixtures, and the pervasive smell of mildew.
Mmmm, vacation!
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