Guest Reviews

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "I’d give it six stars if I could!"

Stayed for seven nights in January 2017 after a mammoth ‘Golden Triangle’ tour in the north. In summary, I’d have to say that it’s a beautiful, relaxing hotel made extra special by the staff, who were unfailingly happy, welcoming and helpful. The resort itself would best be described as barefoot luxury - this isn’t a place to come and dress up for dinner, and all the better for it. If you want to truly relax in beautiful surroundings with attentive staff, this is the place for you. As we’ve moved to another so-called 5-star resort not 45 minutes away, we’ve begun to appreciate the Neeleshwar’s unique brand of laid-back, relaxing luxury even more. The rooms themselves are lovely - spacious, full of natural materials (including a coconut palm in your open-air bathroom!). I agree with other reviews that suggest tea-making facilities in the room would be beneficial, but the verandah service also meant that you could phone for tea/coffee and it was delivered to your verandah in minutes - at a cost of around 400 rupees/£4.50 for two people, often accompanied by cake or cookies, so the hotel is certainly not over-charging for the service. The grounds are beautiful - it truly is like walking through a tropical jungle to get to the pool/beach. The pool is stunning - large, quiet, plenty of loungers, no noise! Food in the two restaurants was faultless. Try the aloo gobi, if available - it certainly shames the mush we get served in Indian restaurants in the UK. The spa and treatments were both excellent, and reasonably priced. Again, the spa is not one of these with annoying chill-out music on a perpetual loop, but total silence - so peaceful! There are some local attractions, but we found it hard to pull ourselves away from the place - the furthest we ventured was an hour on the complimentary bikes to visit the fishermen hauling in their catch. Please also visit the shop early on in your visit - it’s not one of those typical hotel gift shops selling tat, but it actually has some really nice, reasonably priced items that you’d actually want to buy. Not to mention a tailor sitting there amongst bolts of material, happy to run up anything from a pattern or your measurements as you choose the fabric. Go visit - you won’t be sorry, and we usually avoid this type of thing like the plague. My final comments are reserved for the staff - I don’t know how they select them, or what training goes into making them what they become, or whether they’re all just naturally lovely people (probably), but they’re probably the nicest staff we have ever come across, and you can see by my reviews that we’ve stayed in some world-class hotels (I offer this just as a comparison, not a boast!) - these are the nicest people we’ve ever met in a hotel situation, and they go out of their way to ensure you have a peaceful, happy break.

Tandjung Sari: "Feeling like a movie star in a book of Hemmingway"

The design, location and the architecture of Tandjung Sari is breathtaking, indulging you in to a mystical atmosphere and a feeling of being a movie star in another world. Each room has a sensual romantic air which captures you immediately. The wonderful staff and delicate food is just do make your stay un forgettable and a urging feeling to come back.

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Wonderful experience"

Stayed here for two nights at the end of a hectic 3 week tour. The charm of the old buildings is apparent as soon as you arrive. Courteous staff ensure you settle into your accommodation [ in our case a bungalow in the grounds ]. The food is excellent and we managed to go on two accompanied walks which were great. The walk to the river was down hill all the way. On arrival, out of nowhere it seemed, a barbeque lunch with cold beer appeared ! Thankfully a 4x4 took us back up the hill to Glenburn.

Satri House: "Wonderful hotel"

Satri House is simply a very special place. My husband and I stayed there three nights right before Christmas and couldn't have been happier. The hotel staff is very welcoming and warm; the property is gorgeous with amazing antique furniture, two pools and a very special design. The food in the restaurant is also excellent served in a patio like setting overlooking lush vegetation. Of all hotels we stayed at during our two week trip, Satri House was our favorite. Thank you!!

Locavore: "amazing restaurant"

"e went for a lunch 7 courses menu. food was delicious. every plate presented was a big wow and then hmmmmm! service is courteous and efficient. sometimes hard to understand the ingredients and feel waiters are just reciting the names without putting too much passion into it. but they get things done. the cocktail pairing is left a bit to be desired.. some are a bit too strong compared to the food. suggest to order wine/cocktails a la carte worth every cent and every minute of your time. if you happen to be in ubud and some budget to spare, go to locavore."

Muang La Resort: "Doesn’t get any better than this"

This is a beautiful small resort that has everything from hot springs, saunas, massage, trips, etc. It is located on the river with natural hot springs where the villagers come at 5:00 to bathe. Besides these public springs there are two large hot tubs on the property. There is great attention to detail here from the citronella candles, to infusion teas, to well appointed rooms. It is really a magical place to sit and relax. Try to spend 3 nights so you can enjoy the facility as well as go on some excursions to the temple and villages in the surrounding area. The food is a set menu ( 5 courses for dinner) and excellent. Home made yogurts and sorbet and local Lao dishes with locally sourced ingredients. If in Laos, come here!

Reverie Siam: "Great place to relax and amazing food"

"We stayed for 3 nights in this charming resort, we came in from chiang mai by car, an interesting 2,5 h drive through a curvy landscape... We got a villa, as requested, with very good privacy (no11), everything in the villa is exactly as you see it on the internet.. The resort itself has a colonial style, very well done, we had all our dinners over here, their staff will do everything to accomodate you, food was outstanding (although more western style), but really delicious. We asked one night to be seated with view on the river, again no problem at all ! Breakfast is another great moment, nothing to fault on it. The resort itself has free transport to Pai, which itself is a small laidback town, nice nightmarket, you can very easily rent a (cheap) vespa style bike, driving around is easy, the main attraction points will not overwhelm you but because of the laidback nature it stays charming. Overall we loved our stay overhere, great place to stay, excellent staff, excellent food, we for sure would recommend this to anyone visiting Pai."

Villa Song Saigon: "Perfection"

"This hotel is wonderful. You may hesitate to stay somewhere a bit outside of the main HCMC hustle and bustle, but once you're here you won't regret the decision. I didn't care much for HCMC, so after a few hours down there, it was nice to escape across the river (like fleeing back to the CT suburbs after an afternoon in NYC). Breakfast is fabulous and served to you riverside - full menu of choices. There are pretty regular boat shuttles into HCMC but if you don't want to wait for one or miss one, a cab ride is like $7 USD (which, if you can afford to stay here...shouldn't really be an issue). Beds are comfortable. Turndown service included yummy pastry - cream puffs, madeleines. Because it's a small hotel, the pool is quiet and never crowded. They also exchange cash at spot! Would return. Stayed March 2017, traveled with friends"

Maison Polanka: "Of excellence and sincerity"

A place to renew your mind, body and soul. The team at Maison Polanka have taken hospitality to the level of perfection. This place showcases excellence in every aspect. Above all, the team at Maison Polanka exude sincere warmth, friendliness and passion for what they do. Thank you "Team Maison Polanka!"

Arumdalu: "Resort with an awesome beach front"

An amazing private Resort with wonderful personalized service where you can have a peaceful and quiet time. The beach was really clean with fine white sand and not forgetting the many instagrammable spots. Op for the private dome at Sahang Beachfront Resto for a wonderful dining experience where you will definitely get serenaded by the waves.