Dear Padma Hotels Corporate Management Team,
I am writing to formally express my profound disappointment and distress following our recent stay at Padma Resort Legian from 23 October to 2 November 2026, in Pool Access Room 129.
What was meant to be an incredibly special holiday celebrating my fiancé Brad's 50th birthday became an upsetting and distressing experience, made significantly worse by what I consider to be a complete lack of genuine care, accountability and compassion from the resort's management team.
I have taken the time to write this complaint because I believe senior management needs to understand not only what happened to us, but also how deeply disappointed we are in a resort we have trusted, recommended and returned to over many years.
A Special Holiday We Saved for Over a Year
Following a wonderful stay at Padma Resort Legian in 2025, my fiancé and I made the decision to return to celebrate his milestone 50th birthday.
We began saving almost a year in advance to ensure we could enjoy a beautiful, relaxing holiday at a resort we believed offered exceptional standards of hospitality, service and guest care.
At approximately $700 per night, this was a significant financial commitment for us. However, we were more than happy to pay a premium because of our previous positive experiences and the confidence we had in Padma.
My extended family and I have stayed at Padma on four occasions, including visits with my parents before I became a registered Padma customer last year. My fiancé's extended family have also been guests of the resort.
Our loyalty to Padma has been built over many years, which makes this experience all the more disappointing.
26 October 2026 – Serious Illness Following a Meal at the Resort
On 26 October, Brad and I enjoyed breakfast together at the resort before spending the day relaxing by the pool.
At approximately 12 pm, Brad ordered some skewers for lunch, which I did not eat.
At approximately 2:30 pm, he asked whether I was hungry and suggested we share something. We were seated at the Barong Pool, where Brad asked a staff member whether we could view the menus from the other pool areas. The staff member was very accommodating and happily assisted us.
Brad selected a burger from another pool menu. We were advised it might take a little longer to arrive, which was absolutely fine. He also specifically requested that the burger be cut in half, as we intended to share the meal.
Within approximately two hours of eating the burger, Brad began feeling unwell. Within another ten minutes, I started experiencing the same symptoms.
Both of us developed sudden, severe diarrhoea and were repeatedly rushing to the bathroom. Because we were experiencing these symptoms simultaneously, one of us was frequently forced to use the pool bathroom.
My condition then deteriorated further. I began vomiting while simultaneously suffering from severe diarrhoea. It was an extremely frightening, distressing and physically exhausting experience.
Brad contacted the front desk because we urgently required medical assistance.
Following medical assessment, we were advised that our symptoms were consistent with food poisoning or what is commonly referred to as Bali belly. We explained that the only meal we had shared that afternoon was the burger from the resort's pool service, and the medical staff indicated that this could likely have been the cause.
We were provided with medication, including antibiotics and anti-diarrhoeal treatment. My condition was so severe that I required an intravenous drip to assist with dehydration and my ongoing symptoms.
I appreciate that determining the precise cause of a gastrointestinal illness can require medical testing. However, the timing of our symptoms, the fact that we became ill almost simultaneously, and our shared meal warranted genuine concern and investigation by the resort.
A Complete Lack of Guest Care and Follow-Up
What I find particularly unacceptable is that, despite two guests becoming seriously unwell and requiring medical assistance during their stay, not one member of the front office or hotel management team contacted us to check on our wellbeing.
Only one quick call while we were so out of it the following day
Not one visit to our room.
Not one enquiry as to whether we were recovering or required additional assistance.
We were confined to our room for approximately 40 hours, unable to enjoy the facilities, leave the resort or participate in the holiday we had spent so long looking forward to.
We had effectively lost almost two days of a very special birthday celebration.
The following evening, we attempted to order something light to eat and requested poached eggs. We could barely manage to eat them, yet these were still charged to our room.
While the cost of the eggs is relatively insignificant, it is the principle that concerns me. At no stage did we feel that anyone at the resort recognised the seriousness of what had occurred or made even the smallest gesture of goodwill.
Even the burger we believed may have caused our illness remained on our bill until I personally raised the issue when settling our account.
For a resort that promotes premium hospitality, I find this lack of compassion and basic guest care extremely difficult to understand.
An Unacceptable Response from Hotel Management
On the evening before our departure, I approached the front desk to raise my concerns regarding the medical expenses incurred as a result of our illness.
I explained that we believed our illness was connected to the burger we had shared at the resort and that, as a matter of principle, I did not believe it was reasonable for us to be expected to cover these expenses without the matter being properly investigated.
The manager on duty advised that the situation would be looked into.
Unfortunately, I received no further communication or resolution that evening.
The following morning, 2 November, we were scheduled to depart for the airport at 11:15 am.
When I approached reception to finalise our account, I was shocked to discover that the medical charges remained on our bill and that no one had followed up with us.
I subsequently spoke with Surya Wibawa, Assistant Hotel Manager, who informed me that, without a stool sample, the resort would not agree to cover our medical expenses.
I was absolutely stunned by this response.
At no stage during our illness had anyone advised us that a stool sample would be required to investigate the incident or support a claim for medical expenses.
We had been extremely unwell, required medical assistance, and were focused entirely on recovering.
How could we reasonably have been expected to provide a stool sample when nobody had informed us of this requirement?
Furthermore, if the resort considered such testing essential, why was this not explained to us when medical assistance was arranged, or during any subsequent follow-up?
There was no follow-up.
Instead, this requirement was raised for the first time as we were preparing to leave the country.
I was also told that no one else would be able to assist me with the matter.
When I requested to speak with a more senior manager, I was initially informed that she was unavailable to meet with me.
After spending thousands of dollars at the resort, having been seriously unwell, and receiving no meaningful follow-up, I found this response incredibly dismissive.
It was only after I expressed my intention to escalate the matter formally that the senior manager eventually came to speak with me, approximately five minutes before our scheduled airport transfer.
By this point, there was effectively no time for a meaningful discussion or resolution.
I was left with no practical option but to settle the outstanding account, including the disputed medical expenses, and leave.
The final bill and medical expenses amounted to $524, and I would appreciate a full review of the charges and the circumstances in which they were incurred.
The Emotional Impact of This Experience
I want to emphasise that this complaint is about far more than the cost of medical treatment.
It is about how we were made to feel as guests.
We are hardworking people who saved throughout the year to celebrate a significant milestone together. We chose Padma because we believed we were investing in a memorable experience at a resort with high standards of service and care.
Instead, we spent a significant portion of our holiday seriously unwell, received no genuine follow-up from management, and were left feeling that our concerns were an inconvenience rather than something deserving of attention.
I was so overwhelmed and upset by the way the situation was handled that I was in tears before leaving the resort.
That is certainly not how I ever imagined leaving Padma, particularly after so many wonderful previous experiences.
When I shared what had happened with our extended families, many of whom have also stayed at Padma, they were equally shocked and disappointed.
I have worked in customer-facing leadership roles for many years and understand that things can occasionally go wrong, even within highly regarded businesses.
What truly defines an organisation is how it responds when they do.
I was not expecting special treatment. I was expecting empathy, communication, accountability and a genuine willingness to investigate what had happened.
Unfortunately, I felt we received none of these.
I Was Not Asking for a Refund of Our Accommodation
I want to make one point particularly clear, as I believe it demonstrates just how reasonable my expectations were.
At no stage did I request a refund for the accommodation we lost while being unwell, despite paying approximately $700 per night and being confined to our room for almost two days.
That represents approximately $1,400 worth of accommodation during which we were unable to enjoy the resort or the holiday we had worked so hard to afford.
I did not demand reimbursement for those nights. I did not ask to be compensated for the birthday celebrations we missed, the activities we could not enjoy, or the emotional distress of watching our long-awaited holiday slip away.
All I asked was that Padma take responsibility for the medical expenses we incurred following our illness, which we genuinely believed was connected to food served at the resort.
I believed this was an entirely fair and reasonable request, particularly given the circumstances, our loyalty to Padma and the complete absence of follow-up or support from management.
It was never about trying to obtain something for free. It was about fairness, accountability and being treated with the respect and compassion that any guest should reasonably expect.
The fact that even this relatively modest request was dismissed, without what I considered to be a meaningful investigation or any genuine attempt to find a resolution, was incredibly disappointing.
For a resort charging premium accommodation rates and promoting exceptional hospitality, I would have expected a far more understanding and guest-focused response.
My Request for Corporate Review and Resolution
I am requesting that this complaint be reviewed by Padma Hotels' senior corporate management team, rather than simply being referred back to the same resort management team with whom I have already attempted to resolve the matter.
Specifically, I am seeking:
A full review of the food safety incident on 26 October, including the preparation and handling of the burger served to us through the Barong Pool service, and any investigation undertaken following our illness.
Reimbursement of our medical expenses, given the circumstances surrounding our illness and the fact that we were never advised that a stool sample would be required.
An explanation of the complete lack of welfare checks or follow-up from the resort's front office and management team, despite our serious illness and need for medical treatment.
A review of how our complaint was handled by management, particularly the response at checkout and the failure to communicate the resort's requirements or provide a timely resolution.
Consideration of an appropriate gesture of goodwill, recognising the disruption to our milestone birthday holiday and the distress caused by the way the situation was handled.
I believe these requests are reasonable given the circumstances, the cost of our stay and our long-standing loyalty to the Padma brand.
A Disappointing End to Our Relationship with a Resort We Once Loved
Until this experience, Padma Resort Legian was somewhere we genuinely loved returning to. It was a resort we trusted, recommended to others and associated with wonderful family memories.
I never imagined I would be writing a complaint of this nature.
What has disappointed me most is not simply that we became ill, but that when we needed support, understanding and reassurance, we felt completely let down.
I sincerely hope Padma's corporate leadership recognises the seriousness of this experience and the opportunity to demonstrate the values and hospitality standards that originally made us loyal guests.
I would appreciate a personal written response from a senior member of the corporate management team, together with an explanation of how this matter will be investigated and what resolution is proposed.
I look forward to receiving a substantive response within 14 days.
Yours sincerely,
Kirsten Paterson
