Guest Reviews

The Cabochon Hotel: "Stylish Boutique hotel"

In the middle of Bangkok we found this stylish Hotel in an old Colonial style Building. The staff was very friendly and after running around in Bangkok the Swimmingpool on the rooftop was a blessing. The room was huge and the furniture very stylish like the Hotel. A must stay for people who like to be in the middle of this city and want to enjoy the amenities of a quite Boutique Hotel. A lot of good Bars and Restaurants are just around the corner.

Satri House: "The ONLY place to stay in Luang Prabang"

Well best kept secrets are probably best kept as otherwise next time you go the place is full! BUT I cannot let my recent stay go un-reviewed, the team at Satri deserve praise. Thank-you to Gianni, Keo and the team for a perfect stay and a wonderfully managed event. We had 40people with us, most staying at Satri but all attending dinner on the last night of our stay and despite the potential hassles from indecisive weather Gianni put together a magical evening, with impeccable service from his team. The hotel is truly a beautiful house, a once royal residence it oozes class, elegance and a sense of history. Travel for me must provide a sense of place and Satri provides it in spades, from the delightful Madame Mem (a lovely local lady who shares her stories of Luang Prabang) to the décor, location and kind attention from the staff sharing their local secrets on what to see, do and where to dine...I felt like I was sharing a home rather than staying in a hotel. The epitome of boutique hotel experience, book now before it becomes unbookable!!!

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Wonderful safari"

"My husband and I had the most magical 2 nights here and absolutely loved everything about it! We had been warned that the Sri Lankan safaris were very different to African ones and so had tempered our expectations, but there was no need as we had the most amazing time and saw so much wildlife. Sajeet, Praneeth and the whole team were exceptionally knowledgeable and a font of fascinating information and we learnt so much. My husband is the bird enthusiast but after 4 drives spotting the most beautiful birds, I felt the start of a new passion! We were incredibly lucky to see some wonderful leopard sitings, made more special and exciting by the fact that we had two drives without seeing any. However those two drives were just as thrilling because of all the other wildlife that we saw - elephants, land monitors, crocodiles, star tortoise, mongoose, monkeys and the most stunning kingfishers, wood peckers, fish owl, fly catchers to name but a few. The tents were surprisingly comfortable and an evening open shower by moonlight was very special. The food was absolutely delicious with good wines and very atmospheric drinks before dinner and the most charming and friendly staff. Couldn't fault it and highly recommend this camp! Huge thanks as well for the wonderful photos taken by Praneeth that Sophie forwarded! Such great photos and so thrilled to have them as iPhones really don't cut with wildlife photography.... Stayed February 2017, traveled as a couple"

Heritage Suites: "Perfect Place to Spend the Rest of My Life… If only I could"

My sister and I shared a bungalow suite and felt very much like queens. She's used to 5-star service, but I'm still a little awe-struck. The room was large with a sitting room, private outside area, and a large king sized bed, with a sturdy mattress and high quality bedding. The service was wonderful. While all of the staff were friendly and helpful, stand-outs for our stay were Sim and Sippa. They were both very attentive to our needs, and suggested things when we asked questions, and Sippa was able to find several options when we told her we wanted to see an Apsara dance. Breakfast is included and is delicious. The coffee was wonderful, the fruit ripe and tasty and the mini croissants and pain-au-chocolats crafted the French way. We ate at the restaurant for dinner once, and we all loved the food. I'm a vegetarian and the chef made sure I could eat eggs and added one to my rice and veggie dish. Tip- get the passion fruit sorbet. To Die For. The pool was lovely and we had drinks two afternoons in a row sitting by the pool. We also got massages while there- they are excellent for relaxing massages but if you're going in for some kind of sports, technical, injury related massage, my advice is to wait for your regular masseuse and enjoy their relaxing massages, which are very good. We had a wonderful time and hope to return one day. The return flight about killed me, but this place is worth another visit.

Sanak Retreat Bali: "Loved it!"

"We couldn't fault this place, the location, staff, food, rooms, pool, spa - all fantastic. If we could have extended our stay we would have. We had a 1 bedroom bungalow which overlooked the rice paddies. Doors opened on 3 sides to allow the breeze to flow through and the planting around the bungalow ensured privacy. We ate in their restaurant which overlooks the pools and rice paddies. The food was good, the beef tenderloin was very tender and my other half couldn't go past the chocolate mousse each night. We were highly impressed by the breakfast, the food just kept on coming and was served with espresso coffee if you so desired. My non-coffee drinking husband enjoying a pot of freshly brewed lemongrass tea each morning, which he hasn't been able to find anywhere else. The pool was beautiful, the tiling a work of art and the temperature perfect. Comfy sun beds and plenty of sun umbrellas. The location in the hills is very nice, cooler than in the coast and less crowded, with the smell of drying cloves permeating the air."

Blackitch Artisan Kitchen: "Thai Degustation"

"We stumbled across this diamond in the rough after dodging a restaurant with a sick (coughing/sneezing) waitress and another with no fan or a/c working. After dodging these first world problems we wandered past the nightlife at the surrounding bars and noticed Blackitch. Artisan kitchens can be rather hit and miss but this location is quaint coupled with enticing reviews welcomed us in. Obviously we didn't reserve a spot prior to dining and after a brief discussion with the kitchen hands the sous chef encouraged us to dine. We were unsure what to expect with no menu or information about the experience other than a drinks list. The house made plum wine was superb over ice and my partner enjoyed the root beer (sarsparilla for those playing in Aus). We were delighted from the first dish of the degustation through to the dessert. The chef showed pride and pleasure with our dining experience adding to the evening. Yes the price is significantly more than what you may pay elsewhere however the quality and personalised service for both of us including drinks for circa 4,500BHT is reasonable in comparison to other degustation dinings. Our favourite dish was the duck blood sausage followed by the banana fritter dessert. Unfortunately the only pic I managed was that of an empty bowl as I devoured the bouquet of flavours shortly after each serving. Recommended for a couples night of fine dining."

Manda De Laos: "Idyllic setting and sublime food, with price tag to match"

"A beautiful evening meal at Manda, on our first night in Luang. Didn't have a booking but we were early so they found a space for us. Lovely cocktails, and a delicious meal with very attentive service. A table overlooking the lily ponds is just beautiful...but do take yr insect repellent and spray up before you arrive, to make life pleasant. This is a pricey establishment, by Laos standards, but you get what you pay for in terms of really memorable setting and top-drawer food."

Slow Villas and Spa: "A little piece of heaven on earth"

"Slow Villas is simply stunning! We stayed here for 4 nights and had an amazing experience. The rooms are spacious and equipped with all we needed, the bed is super comfortable (we loved the blanket!) and the kitchenette a nice little extra. We also enjoyed, that the water in the open-air bathroom is not only hot - it is also absolutely not salty (rare on the Gili islands). The staff is nice, the breakfast choice stunning and the private pool and garden are true gems. We loved it - we will be back! Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Tugu Malang: "One of the World’s Great Hotels"

"It is rare to find a hotel where service is flawless in every detail: The Tugu Malang, one of the world's few truly great hotels, is such a place: The hotel is of such astonishing beauty and the staff are such nice hard-working people, anxious to please in every way, that the Tugu is in fact a destination in itself. If you have no other reason to stop in Malang, then do so to enjoy the extraordinary pleasures of the Tugu. The rooms are ravishing, each one with some element of art and designed thoughtfully for maximum comfort. Exotic fruits await you; the bed is turned down with a friendly note before you go to sleep. Want your shoes cleaned? They come back polished better than when they were new. Breakfast includes almost unlimited pleasures: the menu is vast and you can combine local and Western dishes. Everything is both artful and delicious and the restaurant setting is a work of art in itself. Afternoon tea is included, with an array of local delicacies, served with the ever-present Tugu charm. The hotel owner has built a world-class museum into the hotel. Seemingly endless antiques and art are fabulously displayed; and the best part is that the hotel supplies a brilliant and knowledgeable tour guide to take you round. My guide was Wahyu, who clearly loves the hotel and told me he takes considerable amounts of time to research the objects on display so as to give the best presentation. His tour was completely involving because of his intelligence and enthusiasm -- it felt like being a celebrity receiving a highly-privileged personal presentation from the head curator of a national museum! I do hope that management will recognize Wahyu's excellence and ensure his career development in both museum curating and management! Reception also has the best people: kind, knowledgeable, helpful. They can get you wherever you want in town and make any needed arrangements for you. If you'd like to visit Bromo I'd highly recommend taking the cross-desert route from Malang: it is highly scenic and also quite surreal in places. I did the trip the other way round by ojek (motorbike taxi), but you can also do it by jeep and the Tugu can make arrangements. The ability to take this mindbending route is reason enough to stay in Malang. But you don't even need that reason. The rare graciousness, fragrant beauty, opulence, detailed service and pure delight that exemplifies everything the Tugu stands for means that you should head for the Tugu if you are anywhere in the region for no other reason than to stay in one of the most fabulous five-star hotels in the world at a price for which you would get something only very ordinary in the USA or Europe. This is a best of the best, a treasure, a complete delight: don't miss the opportunity to stay there!"

Heritage Suites: "Excellent service in a beautiful setting"

"We were truly impressed by the quality of the service and amenities at Heritage Suites. Extreme attention has been given to every detail of the hospitality here, and it makes for a truly enjoyable stay. The staff are accommodating and personable, and made every aspect of our visit enjoyable. It is a lovely (and romantic) place to stay. We had dinner and cocktails at the hotel, and were impressed by the quality of both. We ordered breakfast in our suite the next morning, and because it arrived ten minutes late, it was removed from our bill at checkout--a good example of how attentive the staff is to making sure the hospitality is top-notch. Based on what people living in Siem Reap have told us, the staff at the hotel are paid and treated fairly (not the case everywhere) and it shows in the service they offer."