The Jimbaran area doesn’t have quite as many beach clubs as the main beach towns of Bali. So, Locca Sea House has the potential to shine without being overwhelmed by competition, but does it?
Well, to find out our adventurous reviewers sallied forth and to relax and have fun and explore the soul of this beach club on the Indian Ocean and this is what they learned.
Introduction – Getting To Locca Sea House
Locca Sea House is in the Jimbaran area and it’s reasonably easy to get to from most of the popular spots on the island.
Of course, you will still have Bali traffic to deal with (even on a weekend) so set off earlier than you think you need to, but we don’t think you will struggle to get here.
There is parking nearby and Grab and Gojek may drop you off at the entrance.
Where Is Locca Sea House? Jl. Jimbaran Hijau Segara, Jl. Tegal Wangi, Jimbaran, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Website: Locca Sea House
Opening Hours: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily except for Neypi, Note: there appears to be a Google glitch as we go to press that suggests that Locca Sea House is only open on Thursdays, this is not the case.
What’s Inside Locca Sea House?
Locca Sea House has a pool area as well as several seating hours and you can enjoy foods and beverages from the bar and restaurant throughout the venue.
Our Review Breakdown For Locca Sea House
We reviewed Locca Sea House in the same way that we approach reviewing every beach club in Bali.
Our team visit the venue (not necessarily all at once or on the same day) and everybody scores the Locca Sea House against the 20 criteria listed below.
Then, they get together after their visits and vote on the final score between 1 (which is the worst) and 5 (which is the best) in each area.
Finally, based on the discussions around the voting, a team member creates our final review and it’s posted on our website.
Once the review is up, it will be, at least, 12 months before we revisit a place and amend any scores as needed.
Pre-Club Advertising
We have seen a little online advertising for Locca Sea House but we haven’t seen a lot of it.
We think it’s important for businesses in Bali to start creating a strategy to bring in more guests to ensure that everyone has a good time in a beach club environment.
There is a lot of competition in this space and making a splash means investing in marketing.
Location
Locca Sea House is in the Jimbaran area which means it’;s relatively easy to get to from most of the island, though it’s not in the most popular locations (Canggu and Seminyak).
The beach here is attractive though and you can save some beautiful views and take a few photos while you do.
There isn’t that much within walking distance of Locca Sea House but there are enough bars and restaurants nearby that you don’t necessarily need to call a cab as soon as you leave.
Booking Process & Seating Options
It’s 2024 and we don’t understand why Locca Sea House thinks it’s OK to use Whatsapp rather than a proper booking system on their website.
Apart from the obvious truth that not everybody uses WhatsApp (though it is super popular in Indonesia), you can’t choose seating easily and you have to go back and forth with a staff member to get things done.
More annoyingly, you won’t be able to relax until you’re in your seats as reservations are only held for a few minutes as the venue is incentivized to fill space rather than honor bookings for latecomers.
Entry Fee
Locca Sea House does not charge an entrance fee except on days when it hosts special events.
On the days where an entrance fee is applicable, it will include your first drink.
We think this is the right policy and we encourage all beach clubs in Bali to allow visitors to come inside and savor the atmosphere without committing to spending a fortune.
The good news is that they also have no minimum spend seating areas, so there’s no “entrance fee by the back door” either.
Minimum Spend
There are 5 different seating areas at Locca Sea House and they each have different conditions attached to them.
The main hall and what they call the “Terrasering” require no minimum spend to sit at them. These are bench/restaurant seating areas.
However, if you want to hit the Sunset Bar, you will have a minimum spend of 500,000 IDR per person from Monday to Wednesday and 750,000 IDR per person from Thursday to Sunday.
If you want a Day Bed, it’s 1,500,000 for up to 6 people from Monday to Wednesday and 2,000,000 for Thursday to Sunday.
With a discount of 50% on the minimum spend if you arrive before 4 p.m.
Finally, if you’re trying to find a place to cater to a large group, you can rent their Penthouse with its own private pool but this requires a minimum of 15 guests and you must commit to spend at least 20,000,000 IDR between you.
Welcome And Security
The welcome at Locca Sea House is pleasant and friendly and we were pleased to note that they do carry out a basic bag check.
We’re big fans of security checks as this helps to ensure that everyone in the venue is safe and protected.
Inclusions
You will be offered a free towel rental at Locca Sea House as long as you have purchased food and beverages.
However, there are no additional tiers of service and no other inclusions available.
So, make sure to bring your sun cream as it’s expensive enough in Bali without paying for it at Locca Sea House.
Service
The service at Locca Sea House is very good and the staff are attentive and helpful.
They understand you’re there to have fun and they will make sure that your food and beverages are delivered promptly after ordering.
It’s not the best service we’ve ever had, but the staff at Locca Sea House are professionals and a credit to the business.
Entertainment
There are DJs at Locca Sea House on a fairly regular basis in the evenings.
They also host special events, but before you book a ticket for one of these events, we recommend you finish reading this review and understand what happens when the entertainment you have paid for, doesn’t show up at Locca Sea House.
Pool Quality
The pools at Locca Sea House are very pleasant and the water is clean, as is the surrounding area.
There is also a private pool area with the VIP seating, which is only accessible to guests who’ve rented the penthouse for the day.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
We felt that the food was quite expensive at Locca Sea House when compared to places in the surrounding area.
It’s also definitely in the premium pricing tier of beach clubs in Bali.
The drinks were similarly expensive, particularly the local Arak cocktails which ought to be far cheaper than they are.
Food And Drink Quality
We found the food and beverages to be quite average at Locca Sea House, the portions weren’t huge and they weren’t as tasty as we thought they’d be.
However, we have to admit that the plating is very attractive and you will get some nice photos for your Instagram feed.
Sunset View
Jimbaran Bay is on the right side of the island to enjoy one of Bali’s spectacular sunsets and the sunset view from Loccas Sea House is very good.
However, you can’t see the sunset properly from every part of Locca Sea House and you may need to move around inside the place to get your view.
Music And Ambiance
There are live DJs in the evenings at Locca Sea House and during the day they play piped music.
We didn’t feel that the music particularly stood out during our time there, but it wasn’t annoying or unpleasant.
Payment Options
You can pay by card or cash at Locca Sea House but we didn’t see any option to use QRIS or e-wallets.
Exit Process
This is a fairly big club but leaving Locca Sea House is quite straightforward, you just head back out the way you came in.
You will be wished a warm farewell by the staff too.
Transportation
You won’t have any problem getting to Locca Sea House and you can park nearby or have Grab or Gojek drop you off at the entrance.
However, Jimbaran doesn’t have as many Grab or Gojek riders as the busier beach towns and you may have to wait a while for a ride at busier times of day.
If you leave Locca Sea House to wait outside, you may have to go back in to ask them to book you a taxi as there’s no mobile reception in this area and no Wi-Fi either.
Social Media Presence
Locca Sea House has an Instagram presence that is full of photos but it’s not updated particularly regularly and for some reason, they’ve fallen into the trap of thinking we want to see an empty venue.
Thus, it’s pretty hard to tell what this place is about from its social media presence.
Other/General Comments
We should warn people that Locca Sea House was recently scheduled to host an event with Ice Cube as a headliner.
They sold tickets to this event but when the headliner didn’t show, they did not refund the ticket holders.
We’d be very cautious about paying for entertainment at Locc Sea House in advance. We love supporting the arts in Bali, but we expect to get what we paid for or a refund.
Note: Locca says this isn’t their fault, they say the promoter was selling tickets and that they were only providing the venue. The fact remains that nobody got a refund or to see Ice Cube.
Our Overall Opinion Of Locca Sea House
We are in two minds regarding Locca Sea House. Firstly, it’s a place where you can relax and have fun by the Indian Ocean and we have spent a day there and enjoyed it.
However, we also feel that a place that fails to refund ticket holders for events that don’t take place is hard to trust and we’d be reluctant to recommend that you buy tickets for any of the events it offers except if you buy them on the door.
We will revisit the issue in the future if Locca Sea House makes amends to the customers that it let down, but for now, we would approach a day at Locca Sea House with a little caution.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Locca Sea House?
Yes, there are several pools at Locca Sea House including a private pool in the VIP area and a pair of pools in the main venue.
On our visit, the pool areas were kept clean and well-maintained.
What Can You Do At Locca Sea House?
Locca Sea House is a place for food and drink by the Indian Ocean, you can lounge around in the sun or swim in their pools.
Locca Sea House offers restaurant and bar services and occasional entertainment.
Is Locca Sea House A Family-Friendly Venue?
Yes, Locca Sea House is a family-friendly place and not only are children of all ages welcome, but they also have the “Seahouse Playland” for kids to enjoy.
Who Owns Locca Sea House?
Locca Sea House appears to be under Indonesian ownership but we couldn’t determine exactly who owns the business.
Final Thoughts On Locca Sea House
Locca Sea House is a place that looks good in photos and if you bring friends to enjoy the food and beverages, you will have fun.
However, as we said in the summary of our review, we wouldn’t ever book event tickets in advance for Locca Sea House. Taking your customers’ money and then failing to produce the artist or a refund? That’s pretty scammy. Caveat emptor at Locca Sea House.
