These days it's very hard to tell where Kuta ends and Legian begins but to simplify things a bit for all intents and purposes once you pass Jalan Melasti heading north you enter into Legian and Seminyak and a little further up the road takes you to Kerobokan.
Not too long ago this area was fertile rice paddy, now it is a bustling area dotted with chic designer shops that can hold their own against any competition. The hotels in this area are usually small to mid size, locally owned and managed properties. That said hotels in this area tend to be a bit more expensive than their counter parts in Kuta and refer to themselves as "Boutique Hotels" (unfortunately, officially there is no such category and therefore all properties are listed as Melati type). FYI, in order to remain objective, hotels are listed in alphabetical order. We don't favor any hotel for any reason.