Guest Reviews

Villa Mathis: "Our new Balinese secret hideaway"

We arrived in the middle of the night and what a pleasure it was after the long flight to see our driver patiently awaiting our arrival. It took about 20 minutes from the airport and when we entered our room we knew this was a special place! I immediately regretted booking for such a short stay. Our room (I think it was called The Bintan) was super spacious with an outdoor rainfall shower, soaking bath tub and a GIGANTIC wooden carved bed that is probably one of the sexiest I've ever seen. My 6 foot 4 husband said it was his "dream bed" LOL! We woke to a beautifully designed outdoor area filled with Balinese art and luxurious drapery and made us so happy to be away from the European winter! The breakfast was great with made to order eggs/omlettes and fresh pastries. My travel motto is "you get what you pay for" but Mathis Villas is in my travel experiences a rare exception because the cost was fantastic for what we received. In fact, I am writing this review from a highly rated and more expensive hotel in Ubud and mentioned to my husbsnd (on more than one occasion) that I wished we had stayed at Mathis...I'm aware there is also a Mathis Villa here in Ubud so the next time we're in Ubud we hope to give it a try. Keep up the good work and Im certain we will return!

Sandat Glamping Tents: "Incredible"

I can't recommend Sandat Glamping enough. The atmosphere was relaxing, the hotel was gorgeous, and the service was unparalleled. Absolutely perfect place to stay in Ubud. The hotel staff was very accommodating when helping us plan day-trips and transportation, which was an added bonus.

David’s Kitchen: "A great restaurant with excellent service"

My husband and I wanted to have a break from the wonderful Thai dishes we’ve been enjoying throughout our trip, so we decided to book a table at David’s Kitchen. We ordered drinks and the set menu. Everything was on point. The cocktails were great, the pumpkin soup was silky and delicious, the beef bourguignon with the mashed potatoes was wonderful and the sticky toffee pudding was a sweet ending to our meal. The one thing that truly made the dinner excellent, however, was the fact that David and his wife were there to chat with their guests and really engage with all of us. This made my husband and me feel truly welcome at the restaurant. Thank you, David and the team. We surely will come back whenever we’re in Chiang Mai.

Jing’s Residence: "Wonderful, feel like at home"

"We stay 3 nights in the hotel, in a courtyard room (the romantic one) and everything was wonderfull. Rooms are so beautiful, well-equiped, clean and very quiet ! All the staff speak english and can easily help you. The breakfast is so big, with chinese meal and also european meal (try their pancakes !!!). The restaurant is amazing like all the plates. The chief is very good and you can practice with him during a cooking class ! We really appreaciate our stay and will be happy to come back again in Jing's Residence !"

David’s Kitchen: "A Highlight of Our Trip"

Food: Delicious! I ordered an Asian dish (seared tuna with lemon grass) and my friend ordered a European dish (braised meat on potato mash with heavenly gravy), and both were SCRUMMY! We also got the flight of soups -- YUM! The squash soup and the pea soup were especially bright and flavorful -- I say this as someone who usually won't order either on a normal night. The lobster bisque was full of lobster (which is oddly not a given in my experience). David is an expat Brit and a charmer. Lovely man! He stopped by our table throughout the night, extolling stories about the family recipes behind his signature dishes, as well as his own mind-blowing travel experiences. The reservation page is a breeze, and best of all it asks if you'd like transportation to take you to and from the restaurant, which in a click brought a car to our hotel lobby at reservation time and made travel to the restaurant effortless. (We all agree the travel option on the reservation page is brilliant.) We will be back!!

Tugu Bali: "Boutique hotel with fine food"

"We dined at the Hotel Tugu twice within one week while we were staying at a nearby villa with friends. The first meal was lunch on Valentines Day which also coincided with our friend's anniversary. The hotel is stunning, with many historic artifacts scattered throughout the public areas of the hotel. Cocktails in the bar before lunch were delicious, I particularly enjoyed the Tugu Gin Tea! We were seated in a private dining room for four (just off the main seating area) overlooking the pool and gardens. We all enjoyed a delicious lunch of Indonesian and other Asian dishes which were fresh, tasty and beautifully presented. Desserts were also spectacular, in particular Black sticky rice pudding with Mango. A complimentary dessert was presented to our friends to celebrate their anniversary, a lovely touch. We were all so impressed we rebooked for dinner later in the week! Before dinner we had cocktails again but this time on the rooftop of of the hotel while overlooking the beach and a spectacular sunset and then again dined in the small private dining room. We preordered Babi Guling, the Indonesian roast pork specialty which was plated beautifully and was absolutely mouth watering. We indulged in an Italian Pino Griggo which was good value for money and a terrific wine. Special mention must be made of the incredible staff at Hotel Tugu, friendly, knowledgeable - just delightful really! We also requested to inspect the rooms at the hotel and were shown two different types of rooms, both very Balinese and very well appointed. We would love to return to the Hotel Tugu to experience staying at this boutique hotel and also to feast upon the fine food available there. Stayed February 2017, traveled as a couple"

Mrauk U Princess Resort: "a remote gem of Myanmar"

"This little secret retreat is not easy to find... but the the cruise to access, the service at the property and the discovery around Mrauk U are exceptional. A truly unique destination. I recommend to take the cruise on Mrauk Oo Princess boat, as it is an experience in itself. The lunch on board and the views all the were surprising. The hotel has also a floating swimming pool in the middle of a lotus pond and about 20 bungalows in a vast garden. one suggestion: develop the river side, with a deck (maybe a lounge) to enjoy the river even more"

Villa Song Saigon: "Highly recommended"

"We arrived at Villa Song after two weeks of non-stop sight-seeing in Laos and Vietnam and we were dirty and knackered by the time we got here. Saigon is a bit of a strange place as there really isn't much to see in the centre and the one trip we did down to the Mekong Delta in the car (5 hour round trip) to a floating market (and strange tourist trap village) was not worth it. I think at the time I would have marked more harshly but the benefit of a bit of hindsight and comparing the hotel to all the other 9 stops we did, has given me a chance to mark it more favorably! Location: I really cannot see why anyone would want to stay in the centre of Saigon. This hotel is in the expat district on the banks of the Mekong in a much nicer area - usually there is a shuttle boat into the centre (which I would have liked to take from their pier) however it's not running at the moment as the city authorities are re-furbing the main pier in the city centre. There is a shuttle bus but we didn't bother taking it. As someone else has said, there is a noisy bar (with terrible food - don't eat there) across the way. It was only noisy on the final morning we were there, but the hotel could do with sorting this out so guests are not disturbed. Room: We arrived about 11am and our designated room wasn't ready. The receptionist asked if we would like to see a different room (they're all different which is a really nice touch) so she showed us room 6 at the back, which has a secret staircase up to it and also the room we were supposed to have which they were in the process of cleaning. That room had a larger balcony but in the end I picked the room at the back by the pool and I didn't regret it. F&B: Breakfast is a la carte - TBH I personally prefer a buffet as I find the food is cold (especially eggs) by the time it arrived with us, and the staff had some difficulties understanding our order. We also ate lunch and we had a top pho - the menu isn't that extensive but the food was highly quality. The hotel provides a list of recommended restaurants in the expat area, which we ate at and I agree, they are good! There is a supermarket up the road (about 15 mins walk away) so if you want to bring back some additional beers to put in the fridge, they didn't seem to mind. On the road towards the supermarket we also found a great French deli with cheese & meats and an Italian pop-up place run by two Italians. These are on the right as you walk towards the British high-school. There is also a craft beer place with a really good local restaurant in the same street - about 20 minutes away (you should be able to find it on the TA map of the area). Facilities: the pool area was lovely. We had one full day round the pool and it was super quiet - if only the weather had been better (but that's not the hotel's fault). I had been intending to book something in the spa but in the end I just didn't have the energy for it, so can't comment on anything else. Finally a couple of points for improvement: - It would be great if the room came with a proper guest book - there were bits of info scattered about the hotel room. Surely a guest book can be sorted with very little organisation? - Please use less packaging on your laundry items. We were two weeks in when we stayed and needed to wash a lot of clothes - everything came back individually wrapped in cardboard and plastic - there was mountains of waste. Not eco and very expensive! It took us ages to put all the laundry away and the bin was over-flowing all over the place with all the packaging. Overall - great hotel, great location. I would stay again..."

Inle Heritage Stilt Houses: "Beautiful and ever so nice"

"We stayed five nights in this beautiful and small hotel. The staff was worried that we wouldn't have enough things to do and they organized wonderful and rewarding tours around the lake, temples and stores. The staff couldn't be nicer. The rooms (6 in all), face the river. The bed and bathroom are very comfortable. This hotel runs a school for future hotel managers and all the students are very eaget to learn and help. In addition, there is a cat sanctuary. Its purpose is the re-introduction of the Burmese cat which had disappeared from Myanmar but was still found in the UK and Australia. There are 39 cats that have a lot of space to play, eat and sleep. Check the sleeping quarters of the cats.. they are made to simulate pagodas. the hotel also has an aquarium with the history and challenges the lake faces. The food is excellent given that they grow their own vegetables. Try the tomato salad and their vegetable and tofu curry. You won't be disappointed! Stayed January 2016, traveled as a couple"

Chakrabongse Villas: "Beautiful stay! Highly recommend"

My friend and I stayed here for a few nights at the beginning of March. The villas are absolutely stunning with a beautiful pool and lovely dining area on the river. All the staff are polite, friendly and super helpful. Mr Ohm and Ms Atom were always there when we needed them, we especially appreciated the late check in and taxi from the airport organised for us. Room was gorgeous and very clean too! The hotel is right in the heart of old BKK so you can escape the hustle and bustle whilst also being able to see all the temples on your doorstep. This place is a hidden gem, highly recommend for anyone wanting a chilled space in BKK or for couples wanting a romantic getaway!