Resort-Hotel Guide Covers Bali
Resort-Hotel Guide Covers Bali
Resort-Hotel Guide Covers Bali
In the German-speaking countries Austria, Germany and Switzerland the critical RELAX Guides are fashion products that sell well: guides for Wellness-hotels, that respectively list, comment and judge all spa resorts and hotels in the country. In the booming industry of health-tourism, an indispensable help to find the best addresses for the next Wellness-vacation. Recently, the RELAX Bali Guide also made its debut, critically approaching under the magnifying glass all hotels and resorts for a Wellness-vacation in Bali and Lombok. The RELAX-team has visited and anonimously tested altogether 80 establishments.
White lilies for the best
All hotels were tested and rated on a scale from 9 to 20 points, according to specific criteria. The best were also awarded up to four of the coveted RELAX-lilies. For example, the Four Seasons at Sayan obtained, like the Amanusa in Nusa Dua or the Oberoi in Lombok, four RELAX-lilies. On the other hand hotels like The Legian or the Matahari Beach were awarded three. Approximately 40 percent achieved no lily.
First Spa-address in Asia
Christian Werner, the Vienna-based RELAX Guide author, says „Bali is number one in Asia, despite the fact that the expression ‚wellness‘ is almost unknown and the keyword ‚spa‘ is rather used“. The island possesses the most and best spa resorts in the whole of Asia. Although it is heavily invested also in India, Thailand and other Asian countries, the Balinese thus far go much further in quality and quantity. It is noteworthy that the amount of striking addresses has multiplied by three within the last three years.
Anonymous Wellness-detectives
A RELAX Guide is not written from behind a desk. For the first time in the history of tourism in Bali all addresses were recorded and all facilities visited, one to three times in the past months. Christian Werner states, „To research for the book, our people drove 2,989 kilometers by car on this little island.“ It was not always so easy. On the one hand, the researchers could not rely on existing information, there were simply none yet. On the other hand, regional phenomena as flooded roads or interrupted telephone lines, as well as high temperatures, made the work not always relaxing. Christian Werner: „Besides, we had to stretch our budget for the test-stays: it is not unusual in Bali for the room rates to hit USD 1,000 a day. However, you can still find a bargain that is less expensive.“
Reality versus Advertisement
The brand new RELAX Guide Bali has absolutely nothing to do with the usual tourism-catalogs. In these, almost every hotel gives the impression to be „the best“. One findes out that reality is a much milder version of the advertisement text only when it is too late. One cannot buy or influence the rating of RELAX Guide. In any case, the publisher succeeded in making a respectable book. And the Bali spa-visitor from Europe has for the first time not only a complete overview of all addresses, but also a neutral rating to get orientation from, before he has to dig in his wallet for his Wellness-vacation.
Important decision-helper
The guide is an important help for the visitor, because many hotels do not deliver what their shiny brochures promise. What atmosphere you can expect in a hotel? Is there car-noise from the balcony, or the view to nature is interrupted by roofs of other buildings? Can you have breakfast in bathing robe? In what neighborhood is the hotel located? How good is the price/service relation? The RELAX Guide Bali shows clearly: the visitor gets a qualified orientation and can decide himself which offer fulfills to his needs.
Big Chances for Bali
At least among Europeans the Wellness-vacation is an active trend, and already accounts for a fifth of the earnings in tourism. This trend is continuing to grow. Christian Werner, head of the Vienna-based publishing house: „We were very surprised, to discover what Bali has to offer in this field.“ „Anyway“, continues Werner, „neither the tourism industry in Bali nor the vacationist from Europe are aware of the fact that Bali is a true spa destination. We make here an important contribution to promote Bali as the unique spa-island of Asia.“
By the way, the team of reviewers for RELAX Guide 2003 is already on its way!
RELAX Guide 2002 Bali & Lombok (in German, 88 p., 10 color photos)
RELAX Guide & Magazin Verlag Christian Werner
ISBN 3-902115-01-7, Euro 15,90, USD 15.50
Distribution throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Holland
For further information please contact Mrs. Andrea Scheibenpflug at our Vienna office, business hours from 4 pm to 11 pm Bali time.
Phone: 001-43-1-403 2565, Fax: 001-43-1-403 2566
Email: redaktion@relax-guide.com
Downloads: www.relax-guide.com/presse
