Guest Reviews

muang la: "Unexpectedly delightful"

The management is superb, each meal delicious, serene location in the countryside and wonderful staff. Also, the massages are special and the hot springs a surprise. We heartily recommend Muang La Resort to all.

RACHAMANKHA: "Zen oasis in the old town: fine Asian antiques, great service, sublime food!"

"We stayed for six nights. What a treat. This hotel is a ""Secret Retreat"" property, one of three that we stayed at in Thailand and Laos. They are owner occupied properties, with amazing attention to decor and service. The architect and designer of this property live here and use the hotel as their home and office, and as a display space for their fine collection of Asian antiquities, a mix of Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian. Just walking in the gate caused a feeling of calm. I asked for a yoga mat, no problem, and found that the second floor balcony of the spa, situated over the swimming pool, was a perfect place for doing my yoga routine, with several Buddhas looking on. The setting, the pool, the room, the service, the food were all wonderful. Paul, the manager, sat with us to plan out our day to day itinerary, and all of his suggestions were spot on, for temples and outings, and especially his recommendation for a tailor, from whom we got five shirts and a sport coat. The location is ideal with Wat Prah Singh just around the corner (we called it ""our"" temple), making it easy to drop in for monk chats, or to hear the chanting at 5 PM. The hotel is within the walls of old Chiang Mai and very close to the Sunday walking market. There is a discount for persons staying 3 nights or longer, not something we realized, but were happily surprised when they gave it to us without our asking. Having modified our original reservation at the last minute, we were scheduled to move rooms over our 6 night stay, but the management spent some time juggling the room schedule, so that we could stay in the same room, which we very much appreciated. We were in Room 19, in one of the main courtyards, and these courtyard rooms are quite lovely. One assumes these were equally as nice. The whole hotel is quiet and quiet. "

Satri House: "Oasis in Luang Prabang"

"The Satri House was a welcome relief from airplanes, heat, crowds and all the travails of international travel. Greeted by friendly and efficient staff, stunning and immaculate grounds, the sweet smell of lemongrass and air conditioned room, I felt ready to relax before heading out for 5 days of discovery in Luang Prabang area. If you have time, enjoy a massage in the spa and be sure to look around at all the grounds...a treat for body, mind and spirit. The staff does all they can to make your stay very pleasant! Breakfast was good but a little more variation would have been nice since we were there for several days. This hotel was selected for us by our travel company, so I have not looked into details of price, value, etc. I can only say we did not select the very top hotel package and we're not disappointed at Satri House! Room Tip: I would suggest an upper level room, as the wooden floors seem to be noisey."

Samanea Beach Resort: "One of our best stays at Cambodia"

Out of the seven properties we sampled in our eight nights in Cambodia, this was one of the best! And I really wish we could've stayed longer. We rented a junior villa for the night and was extremely pleased with our choice because the room was beautiful and spacious and the washroom came with an outdoor shower and bath. [See pictures] The resort has lush lawns and its own strip of beach with a pier - overall an extremely picturesque property. So much so that we ended up spending most of the day chilling at the property in stead of exploring Kep. Service at the restaurant and the bar is good - food is pretty good but the cocktails are average. Overall, a very comfortable stay and would definitely visit the property again if I am going back to Cambodia.

The Cabochon Hotel and Residence: "Very nice place, beautiful salons, friendly staff"

Very nice place, beautiful salons, friendly staff. Only 10-15 minutes walk from the BTS (Bangkok Sky Train), but still very quiet as it is located in a small dead end street, away from traffic. -------

The River Resort: "Great hotel"

This is a great place and we really enjoy our stay here. The hotel is very nice with amazing river view from all rooms. breakfast is included with many options. Staff is very professional and attentive with very good English

Mie Cafe: "Excellent restaurant – Probably one of the best in Siem Reap!"

Restaurant located at the bottom of a beautiful and well manicured garden. Both service and food were excellent, comparable to certain gastronomic restaurants that can be found in Paris. We particularly liked the creativity of the Chef who subtly and successfully mixed Cambodian and Western food. We highly recommend this place to people who want a change from the classic Khmer food.

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Pearl surrounded by tea bushes"

This hotel doesn't only welcome you at their doorstep, but already at the airport of Bagdogra: the driver offers you a cold drink and wet towels to get you set for the three and a half hours drive to the estate. On the way, you are offered real Glenburn tea, sandwiches (which we really liked) and cake. How English. The trip to the hotel is a long one and the last 45 minutes are like sitting in a blender. But it is all more than worth it: the setting of this hotel is absolutely gorgeous: the tea plantation surrounds the beautiful house and the view on the Himalaya is stunning. We were warmly welcomed by the English couple who manage the hotel on behalf of the Calcutta-based owners and they do an excellent job in making certain the guests are comfortable. We stayed in the old property in a spectacular room with a huge bed, fireplace and small garden room (it was, indeed, the room we requested. In advance they would not confirm the room to us, and to be hones, considering the price this hotel charges, we find it incorrect that they should not accept reservations for specific rooms). All service you could think of is included in the price. We love the 'bed tea': a serving of tea in your room just after you wake up. Also, it was quite a treat that you could ask for tea and cake at all times of the day. The (western) breakfast is good, but the homemade jam was more like a mash than a jam. The specials were delicious and also the homemade muesli (with home made yoghurt). The dinner was served on a large table with all guests (you can opt out, and have a private dinner). Although this sometimes takes a bit getting used to, we enjoyed talking with the various guests. The food was mostly delicious, but there were some misses here and there. The hotel is quite a distance from Darjeeling and Kalimpong, but the hotel can arrange your visit there, too (driver is included in the price). Having said that, the trip is quite long and we were content with visiting only Darjeeling on one day, and we spend the rest of our time reading, touring the tea factory (including tasting: amazing how different all the teas taste), making walks through the tea plantation and to the river (where the hotel organized a pleasant BBQ. Heed their warning to put DEET on. I forgot a spot on my arm and the small flies got me good; it itched for days after!) They have wifi in the hotel, but the connection is terrible. It is typically a location to relax after an exhausting trip through Nepal, Bhutan or India, so we would recommend staying at least three nights; a shorter stay doesn't seem worth the trouble. We would not be surprised if we found ourselves staying here again!

Tugu Lombok: "Amazing relaxing resort"

"We stayed here for five nights and I would gladly have stayed longer. The resort itself is well spaced out and feels very private even when almost full to capacity. The rooms are excellent and well tended to by room service. All the staff are friendly and helpful especially the manager of the restaurant and Elly (I hope I have that right) who I think was a general manager. They were all very helpful and went out of their way to make sure that we were happy with everything. The food was always great and well presented. I would recommend dining on the beach at least once as it was lovely. The house reef was we'll worth a snorkel and the pool was lovely and quiet. This was a perfect start to our holiday and the perfect place to recover from hectic lives and jet lag! My only minor gripe would be that sometimes the music at the restaurant could be a little too energetic, especially in the mornings. Only once or twice from the five days. Overall this hotel was just what we wanted and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a quite place to escape for a few days!"

VILLA SONG SAIGON: "French colonial Boutique Hotel"

"Wonderful view over The Saigon River, quiet & away from the Ho Chi Min bustle, 15 minutes away from the town centre in the complementary hotel shuttle boat available both way until 7pm. the rooms are very elegant, depending on choice & wallet, The service is amazing. the Restaurant serve French fusion, very good but a bit dear. This is a very classy place we loved it. "