What to look for and to be aware of when booking a villa in Bali

Bali's Villa market is a solid testament to a free market economy, for here entrepreneurialism prevails as competitive pressures drive style, quality and price. However, be-aware as with all private enterprises you have individuals who own, manage and rent out villas that only appear to be good in their marketing as the quality of the villa can be lacking. Villas are often managed much like a hotel would be managed i.e. by a company that is well used to the hospitality industry. But, remember when a villa management company runs a villa they have to be more diligent than they would be if they were running a hotel as villas have many living areas and recreation facilities that are personal to the holiday maker therefore to compromise is not an option.

So villa managers provide an appropriate level of service for their villas, this service is based on a knowledge which has been gained within the service/hospitality industry. Individual owners are often not of a service sector background, they come from all walks of life for example they can be lawyers, property developers, general traders who have "made good" etc.

Villa holidays in Bali are pure luxury

To complicate the market further villas are rented through various agencies who handle many hundreds of properties, be-aware there are a number of unlicensed villa rental companies who ply their trade here in Bali and they do this from a glossy web site. There are a number of reasons why these companies should be avoided and I have explained this later within this article, for now and for your guidance:

1) Always check that your selected villa rental agency, which you have identified through their glossy web-site, that they are a registered agency with a registration granted by "Pemerintah Kota Denpasar" (Government, area: Kota, Denpasar) and that they have a "Dinas Perijinan" registration number, furthermore that their registration identifies them as a "Jasa properti" provider (permitted to provide holiday villas).

There are many hundreds of villa rental agencies in Bali who are prepared to rent properties to tourists, but there are only a few who have the appropriate accreditation. Invariably the prices remain the same between the un-licensed operator and that of the licensed operator, so for peace of mind ensure that your holiday will be well cared for by the official representatives of the tourist industry of Bali.

A tranquil setting on a tranquil island

The official agency's representatives are actively pursued by the owners and management company's, it is these agencies that have built a solid reputation as their reputation generates business "through word of mouth". It is these licensed agents who put the time in to inspect properties and to ensure that they reach an appropriate standard. Should any properties fall short of their standard or the owner or manager is not co-operating with the guest then they are de-listed from the agency's books. On the other side the unlicensed provider actively seeks out these villas to seek favour with the private owners and management companies, the management companies are wary of using unlicensed operators so invariably the substandard property that the licensed agent de-list or do not market they will find there way onto the books of the unlicensed operator.

2) Many Villas are privately owned and managed by the owner themselves. Whilst several owners and I would say the majority are professional as they consider the needs of their market, and the importance of a good reputation for their future sustainability, there are a few, these really are limited in number, that are only looking to get a quick buck from their villa and are not at all responsive should an issue arise.

The villa rental market here in Bali is often "manic" as the demand for villas is very high as on the whole Bali holiday villas have a unique style, quality and have a very responsive service. The villas usually have stylish designs, quality furnishings. The villas have evolved and are built with Balinese traditions such as an "outdoor lifestyle". Bali enjoys a great climate, such that it allows the architect to design the villas based on their traditions and then combine those traditions with contemporary designs. The architects marry an "indoor" lifestyle with "outdoor" living. It is this style, quirky design and climate that forms Bali unique villa offering, hence the high demand.

However, when demand is intense then developers move into the market and they then build many villas for the tourist to rent. Many of these developers, whilst are good in development, see the quick buck in the rental market, they become villa managers. It is not rocket science to compare a developer business with that of the service industry and to see that the two are mutually exclusive.

License granted by the: Pemerintah Kota Denpasar

So whilst there is no harm in a villa developer renting out their villas it is best that they use a villa management company to care for this market. For a professional approach, as many Villas are privately owned the better informed owners then pass their villa to a Villa management company. The management company's act much like a hotel franchise would act, in so far as they adhere to certain standards of cleanliness, appearance and service, their approach would then flow throughout their properties. As these management companies manage many properties this also gives them a critical mass, such that they can easily deal with issues should they arise, they are not so dependent on the owner of the property. Their style and elegance is uniform across all their managed properties, much like a Marriot, Hilton, Hyatt etc.

For my knowledge of the Asian market as a place to do business refer to: Statura Ltd http://www.statura.co.uk

For an example of a licensed operator refer to ‘The Leading Villas of Bali The Leading Villas of Bali http://www.theleadingvillasofbali.com  
or take a look at ‘Booking Villas in Bali http://www.bookingvillasinbali.com

For value properties look at:Budget villas in Bali http://www.budgetvillasinbali.com