Guest Reviews

Jing’s Residence: "Wonderful and charming period style property"

We love this old style mansion with its many courtyards and beautiful staff. Centrally located in a fantastic preserved walled city, this property and city were a real highlight of our trip to China. The room we had was slightly small around the bed but had everything we needed

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Brilliant"

Great place, great staff, great food. The naturalist guides were extremely competent and went way beyond just finding Leopards - though they were great at that too. The tents are comfortable. A really great place to stay.

THE SAMAR: "A gem in Bustling Siem Reap"

"OVERVIEW Coming here for the Angkor Empire Marathon was my main aim for this trip. Siem Reap has changed alot over the years since I came in 2006. From the only big establishment of Le Meridian Resort, they have many more to offer and also hospitality competition is getting tight. As this time I was travelling with older folks and all ladies, I had to make sure that the hotel is really comfy, especially my own mother is a very very stringent person when it comes to hotel selection. After consultation with her, we finally land on Samar. Just from the pictures, she said she felt that this little resort will be good. I must say I was a bit taken aback from the Poor reviews put forth here, but we nevertheless went ahead. BOOKING I originally booked on Agoda and Booking. com for two rooms as I needed 2 rooms, agoda.com could only provide me one. After the booking, I got in touch with manager Mr Bertrand, he was patient in replying and gave me clear directions on the amount to prepare for the trip. Throughout the e mails, he was patient and assured me that the rooms are well prepared for our trip. I like this French professional way of dealing things. So there we are prepared and packed ready to go. LOCATION To speak the truth, this hotel is not only the usual Pub st or Main National road, so it is of course not easy to find. But this is also its advantage, you can be sure you are out from the tourists infested area ( esp these days there are so many Korean and Chinese big tour buses and groups). If you are however going for those cliche big tours, then do not bother to come here because this place is all about style and niche. The establishment is smaller in real life than in the pictures, but it is definitely tastefully designed. It gives you the feel of a big home rather than a hotel. If I am not wrong there are not more than 10 rooms and one big villa in the whole ground. It is very well kept, very clean, tidy and a lot of plants around. Already we felt relaxed. STAFF and MANAGMENT We were greeted by the staff who was expecting us. The lady in the counter are more conversant in English, so they were the ones to serve us. But generally all the staff can actually speak English, but I guess the Cambodians are shy people, so they hardly speak. We were given a refreshing welcome drink, while I settle the bill with the staff. We had to pay upfront the stay. There is, however, no need to leave a deposit for safeguard. So do prepare cash in hand ready or a valid credit card or hotel voucher for your stay. ROOM We all stayed on the second floor, the first room nearer the lobby is the one with 2 beds ( single) while the last room is one big bed. Both rooms are big and spacious and tastefully furnished with a European Colonial style design, I loved the black and white tiled toilets with nice bath tub. Definitely enough space. We were also given robes and slippers. Umbrellas and Hats were also provided for us as the weather is really hot. All these were free of charge. I must say the bed is really comfy, I had not problem at all snoozing like a pig for the 4 nights, even the aunties in the other room, who are light sleepers mentioned to me the beds are nice. There were choices of hard and soft pillows on the bed. Really comfy comforter and strong working aircon with fan to cool you down after a day in Angkor Wat is good enough a tourist can ask for ! The TV also provided many channels of entertainment in various languages. At the balcony, you can see the swimming pool and afar the vicinity. This is also a place good for chilling out and talking to friends. Although the water pump was not working well at night, we mentioned it to the hotel staff and they quickly got the engineering plumber to get it fixed. So we could get hot soaks after visiting the Angkor Wat. There is no hot water making facilities but you can always get hot water from the kitchen from the staff who are more than willing to serve you. The fridge is cold and the hotel provides 2 bottles of drinking 500ml water. FOOD The food is really good. Although pricey, but hey in Siem Reap everything is in USD, comparatively to Singapore, it is worth it. To begin, first night we had a selection of Khmer Asian Western fusion gourmet with an Italian red. The meats are really tasty paired with the unique Khmer cooking style, the first night was already a plus for us. We could not finish everything but it was really good. For the breakfast, there are no buffet spreads, but we get our daily fruits and fruit juice with coffee and tea. Bread baskets were also given to us with Baguettes, crossaints, choco rolls and toast. Homemade jam was also served. There was even home made yoghurt for us. Daily the residents gets a choice of egg with either bacon or sausage. I really love the sausage, it is home made and good meat, no unhealthy transfat here! We only tried their lunch on the last day and of course, the quality is really not compromised! Very tasty kway teow chicken noodles, Asian yellow noodles with pork bits. Yummay! I think the sweet treats here in the hotel is really good. We absolutely adore the French pastries here, like the pana cotta. SWIMMING POOL One good mention is that the pool is not infested with chlorine like most big establishment does, it does not hurt and dry your skin. The area around the swimming pool is nice to chill and relax. I absolutely love to laze around whole afternoon. WIFI I really hate the WIFI here, cos it was too efficient !! haha and I keep getting messages from work which I had to shut the phone down so that I can really enjoy the rest by the pool. TRANSPORTATION As the hotel is way out from the main road, there is no way to get out unless you walk out pretty far just to get the tuk tuk. I suggest you either get your own transportation and make arrangements with them to ferry you to and fro, or you can get the tuk tuk to come into the hotel via main road. From the pub st to the hotel is about USD4-5 per tuk tuk trip. Although the hotel also provide transportation at a higher price, the quality of the tuk tuk is better too. The hotel staff will not force you to take their tuk tuk, but if you need the service just let them know. SPA Free facial for the ladies ( one time) was good and refreshing, for the guys , they have shaving service which none of us used. But the spa was rather relaxing, we did the massage, although we cancelled last minute for 2 people, the staff also never forced us to pay for any late cancellation. They just smiled. OVERALL I must say the Samar is a place I would go back and also recommend. I was still worried that the staff will be like slow and cannot be bothered. But they are all generically very kind and quiet. They might appear non chalent but actually they are just shy, if you step out and talk to them, they will be more than happy to smile and talk to you, there is no hard selling in this hotel. Staff just let you take your time relax do your things. I love that factor, the last thing for a holiday is to handle hustlers! Thank you Samar team for the wonderful five days four night!! Merci Beaucoup.."

Manda De Laos: "Delicious food in romantic setting"

This is a rather special place with a unique atmosphere. Where else would you find yourself sitting by a moonlit lotus pond listening to frogs croaking while enjoying a superb meal? The service was excellent and the food delicious. It's not the cheapest meal you will have in Laos, but an experience definitely well worth paying for and you would pay a great deal more for this quality of food and ambience in the UK.

MesaStila: "Amazing MesaStila"

Just spent an amazing weekend here for our wedding anniversary. Lovely and peaceful, with views of Mt Merapi, in the middle of a coffee plantation. Beautiful Dutch colonial buildings and traditional Indonesian houses, fantastic food and wonderful staff. Tour of the coffee plantation was fascinating. Only 1 hr drive from Semarang airport (or 2 hrs from Yogya), so great for a weekend away from Jakarta!

Tugu Malang: "I didn’t stay here but had 1 lunch, 1 dinner, and the hotel tour with Ibu Poppy"

"If there's one regret I had in my Malang trip is NOT booking this hotel. It is Super amazing. You see, I've travelled in Indonesia extensively for work and play and one of my woes is the lack of seamless service beyond Bali. Well, Hotel Tugu Malang meets superb global standards and more. The minute I stepped in (flabbergasted from the icky Rumah Makn Inggil) I was warmly welcomed by Ibu Poppy. Even if I wasn't staying she warmly invited me in to the lunch area. I took photos around the beautiful hotel and she volunteered to give me a tour of the hotel and tea after! Everyone speaks impeccable English. Food arrives fast. Yes this is a big deal in Indonesia!!!! If you have been here Long enough you'll understand my delight. Thank you so much for everyone's warm hospitality, the reasonably priced yummy meals, the free tour and tea. Malang is not easy to get to from where I live, but if I go back to Malang - it's Tugu Malang or nothing!"

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Walk into amazing history! Most excelent"

"Most amazing history and architecture; a truly east meets west in a unique blend that worked in C19th and is a place which has a feeling that has to be experienced to be believed. The current owners restored this place with meticulous detail to the most miniscule of reproduced effects, having to seek out craftsmen to work with a lost art. External feature details are fashioned from broken and shaped especially fired porcelain bowls. Colourfast beauty that will last potentially for centuries. The world should thank people with this level of vision to preserve such magnificent history. The history of the original owner, Cheong Fatt Tze is as fascinating as the building itself. We had the great privilege to meet and talk with owner, architect and one of the visionaries behind the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion renovation which won the UNESCO Most Excellent Project, Lin Lee Loh-Lim. Passion personified! Check when Lin Lee Loh-Lim is conducting tours. Having stayed for several nights I can say the place and the staff are the most amazing I have ever encountered. Oh that we should all take so much pride in our work and enjoy it so much. The Restaurant with French fusion dishes is great value for money and excellent quality. This one liner is a total understatement. Yes I'm besotted with the Blue Mansion, its has been one of those experiences I will treasure and talk about for the rest of my life! Something I must say is that some of the surrounding property owners appear to have little respect for what the Blue Mansion represents and the leadership that properties of this calibre offer the future of Georgetown and Penang as a world class destination. I can only hope that the Penang City Council and Chamber of Commerce can work with all accommodation providers and landowners in the area to put sustainable noise abatement in place to enhance the experience and vision that has been so delightfully preserved in the Blue Mansion and the surrounding area. I'll be back to experience the charming ambiance of the Blue Mansion in the future. I wish the owners and staff every continuing success."

Reverie Siam: "Honeymoon"

"My wife and I stayed at this hotel when visiting Pai for 2 nights. The service was brilliant as were the rooms. The facilities were great. 2 nice pool areas and the resteraunt alone is well worth a visit. We ate dinner there one night which was reasonably priced. We went for the tapas which was delicious however on the second night we sampled street food on walking street where there are many food vendors and nice little hippie bars where we sampled drinks and cocktails which were good too. The Main Street in Pai is in walking distance from hotel around 10 mins however the hotel offer free transport in a tuk tuk too and from the hotel. We wouldn't hesitate to use the hotel again if we returned to Pai However there are many stray dogs around Pai but don't be alarmed. They barked a bit but seemed to stay away and let you be "

Samanea Beach Resort: "Great Resort"

"Loved staying here and the rooms were amazing. The staff were very friendly and were always there to help when needed. I traveled with my 2 daughters aged 3 and 6 and the staff were very accomodating to their needs and made sure they were well looked after as well. The rooms were spotless and the outdoor shower / bath was amazing. Would recommend to stay here and we will be going back for sure."

Satri House: "Super stay at Luang Prabang"

"We were delighted to be at Satru house in Luang Prabang .. Very old style historical villa which was earlier used by a communist head of Laos after Frenchs left.. Excellent rooms.. Superb services.. Good breakfast.. Efficient services.. On our request they also made Vegetarian Lao cuisine for dinner. It was really a pleasure to be in Satri house for 2 nights.. We wished we were here for one more night.... We highly recommend travelers to stay in this marvelous hotel..."