Guest Reviews

Satri House: "Absolutely wonderful"

"This is a truly amazing gem of a boutique hotel. The manager introduced himself on our arrival and the staff were exceptionally helpful. There are 2 pools, a spa and lovely grounds to relax in. Breakfast is either continental with a range of cooked eggs or local. The basket of pastries was fresh and they melted in your mouth. The tomato jam is excellent as is the tamarind. If you ask the recipes are available. The room was beautiful with local antique furniture and if you ask they will provide a kettle and tea making facilities. You can also request a tv but with the balcony and gardens who needs a tv! Look forward to returning some day. Congratulations on your property and staff."

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "and RELAX"

"My wife and I stayed for 5 nights in Dec 2017. The location is beautiful and the atmosphere very relaxing. ACCOMMODATION - 5 stars. Very large comfortable beds. Natural products used in the furnishings/floor. BOSE sound dock a nice touch. Tea facilities would have been nice. Large airy rooms. Wi-Fi worked well, but could only get it in the room/veranda. I would have liked to have received it by the pool (not a big deal). POOL - The pool is the best we have ever been too (great sunset view). RESTAURANTS - We ate in both the main restaurant and seafood restaurant. The main restaurant is a beautiful large wooden structure, local in design. The food here was very good; however it did lack some atmosphere/ambience. Some soft chill out Indian lounge/retreat music would have been perfect, but no music at all, made the room feel quite big and empty. The seafood restaurant was in our opinion overpriced for what we received. My Tiger prawns (£16) were served rather bland and accompanied with broccoli and carrots (hardly the Indian cuisine experience I was hoping for). Beers/Wine prices are NOT shown on the menu and are EXPENSIVE so be warned. Not sure why there is no transparency with this (maybe it's a Kerala law). SERVICE/STAFF - Outstanding FACILITIES - We had the pleasure of going on a half day Spice Hill Plantation/Nature tour. We highly recommend doing this tour. Indian nature at its very best......A MUST DO !!! My wife committed herself to yoga every morning which she thoroughly enjoyed and also completed a TA meditation course, which she also thoroughly enjoyed, given by the founder of the establishment Alistair (very nice genuine man). GROUNDS - The gardens, pool and beach are all very well maintained and the location is perfect for unadulterated relaxation. The sea was warm and perfect to swim in. Don't miss the sunset !!! SUMMARY - In short the only thing we would change, would be to add some suitable music/ambience into the main restaurant, a bit more imagination with the cuisine in the fish restaurant and some transparency with the alcohol. Apart from that we thought the place was outstanding and we will have no hesitation in returning. It's a perfect place to unwind; but if you do decide to stay here, do yourself a favour and make the effort to venture out to experience the real India/Kerala."

Villa Song Saigon: "Excellent service & quality"

We were very happy with our stay at Villa Song starting from check-in, room, bed, view, spa, service, staff, dinner, sleep to breakfast an check-out. We will be back for sure! It's like an oasis in HCMC/Thao Dien.

Satri House: "Wonderfully peaceful boutique hotel"

"Had a wonderful time at Satri house in late August for the first few days of our honeymoon. The whole hotel is full of the most fascinating antiques and curios, and is really beautifully designed. We stayed up in the Satri House suite, in the building where the prince of Laos used to sleep! The suite was so beautiful, and had a view over the serene swimming pool. If you are a fan of vintage and mid-century antiques, you will love it! Whilst staying at Satri House (due to it being the raining season) there were no other guests, so we were treated to the experience of staying in our 'own private mansion' with all of the fabulous and incredibly helpful staff there to cater for our every need. Just perfect! No matter the time of day or how late we had been out, we always returned to the hotel to find 4 people at the front desk ready to help us, and two behind the pool side bar, just in case we fancied ordering a drink! The food deserves special mention too. Dinner on the first night was delicious - lots of carefully crafted local specialities with 5* presentation. Although the hotel is set away from the main part of town, it's still within walking distance or a very easy 2 minute tuk tuk ride. We preferred being slightly further out as the peace and quiet was exactly what we wanted at the end of the day. "

David’s Kitchen: "Can I find some original words to express our satisfaction for dinner at David’s Kitchen?"

"Arrived in Chang Mai just 4 hours prior to walking into David's Kitchen, no reservation nor any idea of how popular and fully booked the place always is....never mind, David and his staff welcomed us very kindly and did the miracle: few minutes later a table with personalized welcome card was waiting for us :) The environment is very pleasant, dinner at DK is more than just food: lights, music, smells, all senses are pleased at David's. Menu is very interesting and variated. DIshes are elegantly presented, I recommend the pomelo salad and the duck breast with orange sauce, both excellent, but I would say that every dish we chose has been very good. The wine list is very complete and desserts suggestions are very inviting. Finally the staff has been very professional and kind all the way through, including the lift back they gave us in the restaurant's car at the end of dinner. So, maybe I did not manage to say many new things on David's place and I will finish with another obvious one: we are going to go back there before we leave from Chang Mai!"

Samanea Beach Resort: "Samanea. Lovelier the Second Time"

"I fell in love with Samanea two years ago. So many improvements have been made since. The villa, service, staff, food are delightfully better. Still, the best part is the serenity Samanea offers. The view is as breathtaking as I remember it. The sunset is simply spectacular. It’s family-friendly,too. A family brought their infant with them, and another had a toddler. Seeing them added to the natural beauty of the place. It says a lot how amazing this place is. Over-all, Samanea is a must-see, must- experience destination. When you leave, you’ll find yourself promising to come back. And you will. I did."

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!!

Jing’s Residence: "Exceptional charm and luxury In an ancient city"

After staying in wonderful luxury hotels in three cities in China, our arrival at Jing's residence was a delightful and very satisfying change. From the moment we stepped inside this lovingly restored boutique hotel we knew we were in for a treat. And what a treat it was! From the a decor that featured beautiful objects everywhere we looked and the rooms that provided every comfort to the charming dining room and terrace and well stocked bar, we felt well cared for and well fed. There was always a special surprise - such as the bag of honey dates waiting in the room to appease traveller's fatigue or the lovely handmade object left on the turned down bed at night. And the staff was incredibly cheerful and helpful. Our only regret was that we could not stay longer.

Tugu Bali: "Authentic atmosphere & impeccable service"

Hotel Tugu in Canggu, was by far the best hotel experience I've had in Bali. Its location, property (rooms, pool, seaside, etc), details, in room features, everything was exceptionally good. Not quite like the modern-designed contemporary hotels, more than that it has a unique authentic atmosphere but a world-class and warm service.

Tugu Bali: "Wow hidden Jem in Canggu"

A must check out for excellent service & food combined with traditional architecture “As good as it gets !” . We found this hotel in Canggu Bali 18mths ago and returned to re visit this fabulous hotel. Sumptuous decor of the traditional Balinese type. Idyllic garden pool area just by the beach . A haven of tranquility and delight in the hustle & bustle on Canggu. Nothing is too much trouble. Check out their Balinese Dance Evening Thursday’s .... will be back !