Step into the Vue beach club, you will find the place with a view to kill for. An infinity pool, 50 meter of standard Olympic infinity swimming pool, blend into the ocean that is known for perfect wave for surfer. Rolling waves decorate the golden colored sea as the sun get ready to set for the day.
But immediately you find something that is amiss in such an alluring place. The dark moss on the floor, and the dull color of the paints showed that this place really need a lot of maintenance. Things are more obvious when you dip under the water in the pool. The water is far from crystal clear. And worse, along the wall and the floor of the pool, you can find missing tile, black scorching mark, and cables tucked in a hole that supposed to have a pool light.
There is a lot of story around this place. But for now, lets dig down into the room.
The Room
One of the attraction point that draw me to Lv8 Canggu is the size of the room. “82 sqm” is what written in the booking site. Space has always been a necessity, and especially during COVID 19 pandemic, space has become even more important when the 3 of us need to cramp into a room.
The 82 sqm room is indeed very spacious. We were checked in to 1 bedroom suite, with a living room, dining table and a working table. The living room and the bedroom has a large balcony overlooking Mount Batu Karu.
The bedroom is equipped with 1 king size bed, with a 32″ TV. Other than the balcony, the bedroom is also connected to the bathroom. There are 2 wash basin, Grace’s favorite, and also a bath tub, Ethan’s favorite. For me, I am happy with the ceiling shower.
In the living room, there is a sofa large enough to take a nap. There is also another 32″ TV, but somehow has less channel than the TV in the bedroom. There is also a dining table, a small fridge, and standard coffee/tea making equipment.
After just a few minutes in the room, we realized that the room has really worn out beyond the age. Lv8 is just operational for 7 years. But the room seems has worn out more than another hotel that has operated for 40 years. The lighting, the dull color of the wall and furniture, and the floor give the feeling of lack of maintenance.
Hotel Amenities
The Vue Beach Club is definitely the main, and the only best thing about Lv8 Canggu. Imagine dipping into the infinity pool, overlooking the rolling surf near sunset time, with lychee martini.
The beach club itself, and the pool, is also feels need more maintenance. There are a lot of missing tiles in the pool. And in fact, the infinity pool is also not overflowing as it should be.
Around the Hotel
Despite its premium location, there are not much development around the hotel. There are just few places within walking distance, and no convenience store nearby.
The best bet is to rent a motorcycle to go to Jalan Pantai Berawa, a short drive away. There are much option there. Or call Grab Food/Go Food, which might be more comfortable.
In Conclusion
Such a premium location, and with such spacious room, I can imagine how Lv8 and Vue Beach Club in their better days. If you do your research on the Internet, you will know what happened that caused Lv8 Canggu deteriorate to its current condition.
Or, it is probably destined to deteriorate by higher being. One of the reason why the area around Lv8 is less developed, despite the premium beach location, is that, the land is considered sacred by the Balinese. So, it should not be developed after all.
Talking about Vue beach club, there are many other places with better maintenance where you can have a good time. But if you are looking a more affordable beach club, Vue might be OK, as long as you also accept the condition.