Hotel Santika Kuta Bali is located along a bustling and congested main road, though the hotel is laidback and far removed from the energetic nonstop party vibe of nearby Kuta. The hotel receives a mix of vacation and business guests, and features facilities well suited to both business and leisure. Centered in the hotel is a large lap pool surrounded by frangipani trees and a wooden deck with lounge chairs laid out. The pool occasionally gets busy. Serani Restaurant features a semi open-air dining area adjoining the pool plus a large indoor dining section. The restaurant is busy during breakfast but the rest of the day it tends to be empty and lacks ambience. 

During our tour the hotel  seemed fairly empty, even though it was almost fully booked and there was a business conference happening in one of the meeting rooms. This quiet scene is common during the day, as most guests tend to gravitate towards the beach or downtown Kuta to swim, shop, eat, and explore.

The hotel's location is easy to find along Jalan Raya Kuta Road, a bustling main road near downtown Kuta. Although the hotel is a 15-minute walk from downtown, the sidewalks and heavy traffic in the area make exploring on foot a bit difficult. Many guests opt to take taxis. Next door to the hotel is a Chinese restaurant and across the street is a shopping center with fast food restaurants and a large grocery store. Money changers and ATMs are also in the immediate neighborhood.

It takes around a 10-minute drive or 15 minutes on foot to reach both Kuta Beach and downtown Legian. Kuta Beach is a long white-sand beach that's great for surfing, swimming, or just lounging. It's Bali's most popular beach, so it's always crowded with tourists and beach vendors. The waves are well suited to novice surfers as they break over a soft sand bottom. Other attractions in the area include Beachwalk Mall, Discovery Shopping Mall, and Waterbom Bali -- all take around 10 minutes to reach by car. The airport also usually takes around 15 minutes to reach, though traffic in the area is unpredictable so driving times can take significantly longer.

Rooms at the Hotel Santika Kuta Bali have a clean and stylish look, and although they're compact they don't feel overly cramped. Large windows let in plenty of natural light and airflow and also make the rooms feel larger -- especially in the Executive Rooms. Interiors feature light colored and sparsely decorated walls, bright floor tiles, and simple modern furniture made of dark wood veneer. Rooms are outfitted with work desks, roomy wardrobes, and comfy upholstered couches or chairs. Standard amenities include air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs with cable channels, mini-fridges, safes, and free bottled water.

Bathrooms are well maintained, compact, and feature glassed off shower sections and elegant black marble vanities with large mirrors. Bathrooms in the Executive Suite are more spacious and contain deep soaking tubs. Toiletries are provided in all rooms.

The hotel features quite a few room types, all have have similar features and amenities but higher category rooms feature more space and better views of the pool. Ground floor rooms have direct pool access. Although, guests should note that the ground floor rooms by the pool can be loud during the day, as the pool tends to be a hub of activity. Rooms with connecting doors are also available. Room walls are fairly thin and guests do report some room to room noise plus traffic noise issues.

Features cater to both business and leisure travelers. A long lap pool is the focal point of the hotel. The pool is surrounded by a large wooden deck lined with flowering frangipani trees and lounge chairs. Adjoining the pool is the Serani Restaurant, which features an alfresco poolside seating area as well as a large indoor dining area where a daily breakfast buffet is served. The breakfast buffet has a decent selection of both Western and Asian fare and is inclusive in most room packages. Lunch and dinner tend to be quiet, since most guests opt to dine out. Two small meeting rooms are available, though the hotel has no proper business center. Room service and in-room spa treatments are also offered. There is a free shuttle daily service that to Kuta Beach. The lobby area features a large wooden reception desk with two counters set up for speedier check-in, and staff can help guests arrange tours and motorbike and car rentals. Both parking and Wi-Fi are free.