Aston Sunset Beach Resort - Gili Trawangan

Don't choose the pool view rooms; they look nothing like the pictures on the homepage, which are actually of the villas. The pool view is more expensive than the regular room view, but it's way too noisy as it's right by the entrance. The pool itself isn't great either; it's in an open area, closed at night, and during the day, staff are always chatting there, or parents with kids are constantly by the poolside. The pool is quite small, so if swimming is a priority for you, avoid it. Everything else was fine. Just go for the cheaper option. Also, the soundproofing isn't great. During the New Year period, I could clearly hear the kids upstairs and next door running around at night.

The hotel is located on Gili T. From the pier, you'll need to take a horse-drawn 'taxi' or, like us, drag your luggage across the entire island, which is a bit tiring but the village scenery along the way is quite interesting and completely different from the coastal road around the island. The hotel staff were very enthusiastic and helped us find a scooter rental owner at the hotel entrance. The hotel lobby is semi-open and right by the island's main road. Across the main road are the beach and the hotel's restaurant. Every evening, they show a movie on the outdoor beach at the restaurant. Guests can relax on bean bags on the sand, order drinks and popcorn. We received three complimentary non-alcoholic cocktails upon check-in, which we enjoyed while watching the movie – very relaxing. The hotel isn't small; it's more of a resort. However, the public swimming pool is not very big, as some room types come with private plunge pools. Our room was on the second floor of a cabin further inside, and it was quite spacious, especially the bathroom, which was huge! The toiletries provided by the hotel are very good and safe for kids. Breakfast was just okay, but enough to fill you up. Overall, it's a hotel with excellent value for money.