Guest Reviews

Villa Mathis: "Very good value for money in a high-end boutique hotel"

Tasteful hotel displayed along 5 "villas" (sort of open-air living rooms), each of them with its own swimming pool. Around each villa, there are about 5 independent rooms, mostly with open-air bathrooms (Bali style). Beautiful gardens.

Sukoon Houseboat: "Perfect choice for Dal Lake"

We planned to spend 4 nights on a houseboat on Lake Dal and spent much time reading TA reviews and reviews from other sites. We selected the Sukoon based on these reviews and the new construction as we feared older boats may have a musty and damp smell. After looking at so many other boats during our 5 days on Lake Dal we are sure we made the correct decision. The service was professional, the rooms as described -- new. clean and well appointed. The food was good and the meal service superb. Customer service was a high point. A real plus for the Sukoon was the location at the far end of the lake away from almost all houseboats. This is important as most boats are located in a chock-a-block fashion with little if any privacy. They arranged our tours and other needs. We would definitely choose the Sukoon when we return and return we will as Srinagar is a fabulous destination that deserves more the 5 days. Our only regret was not having arranged airport pick up ahead of time. The airport arrival area is chaotic to say the least due to security procedures and most taxi drivers had no idea where the Sukoon was located --- there are well over 500 houseboats on the lake so this would be expected.

CABOCHON: "A Special Spot in Bangkok"

"I hope as my first post that a rather gushing review does not come off as unauthentic. I'd be happy for anyone to message me with questions as I really do think the Cabochon is a special place with kind and attentive staff. My wife and I arranged a 50th birthday weekend for a friend and chose the Cabochon as both our hotel and the restaurant for the birthday dinner. We had 9 rooms at the hotel, with 18 adults and 4 children joining. We first discovered the hotel a few years back when some friends living close by in Bangkok took us to dinner at the hotel restaurant, Thai Lao Yeh. Late last year (2015) we went back for dinner on our own and were so impressed we asked to tour some rooms with the intention of possibly selecting this as the venue for the 50th birthday weekend trip. Once the staff showed us a selection of rooms we were hooked. In hindsight I made many mistakes in coordinating such a large group. Rin, who had coincidentally been our waiter on our second Thai Lao Yeh dinner, wound up being our primary contact. Honestly I did not make it easy for Rin, yet he was able to handle request after request and never once let us down. In the end the weekend went perfectly, and everyone in our party commented how much they loved the hotel and restaurant. Let me give some targeted commentary that I hope others will find useful. Restaurant - See my (future) Thai Lao Yeh review. Atmosphere - Historic luxury, so you would think... You absolutely won't believe the hotel was relatively recently built from the ground up. The owner, architect, and builders have done an amazing job not only decorating the entire hotel with vintage pieces, but the actual structure itself (walls, door frames, etc) has been made to look aged. Multiple people in our party commented on this. It has to be seen to be believed. Staff - I have stayed at multiple top tier properties in Sukhumvit and wider Bangkok. The service was 5 star quality, with boutique friendliness. Rin was really a standout for us, but all staff were great. Rooms - The vintage look and feel does not result in any compromises on practicality. The bed was comfortable, as was the lounge furniture in our large balcony suite. The bathroom was spacious, well equipped, and worked as expected. Ground Floor Lounges - Do yourself a favor and have a drink in the lounge. Calling it a ""lounge"" may give the wrong impression. There are actually multiple sitting rooms. Choose your spot, sit back, relax, and soak in the vibe. Breakfast - If you're used to a large hotel's buffet your first impression might be negative, but the selection of fruits, breads, and a main never became boring over the 4 meals we enjoyed on this visit. Pool - It does not compare to the resort luxury of the SGS, but let's be honest the Cabochon just doesn't have the space or army of staff to compete in this area. The pool was practical, well maintained, and proved to be a nice place to hang out with friends and cool down. I can imagine during the hotter summer months it could be a bit too hot to spend extended hours poolside, so if this is your thing then look for another hotel. Location - This is the only area I have not given them 5 points. They are a little further away from both shopping and transportation than some of the hotels centered around Asok or Nana on the Sky Train. You will need to walk 7 minutes to get to Phrom Phong for the closest mall and concentration of shops and restaurants. That said, the peace and quiet of being setback about 200 meters from the street noise of Sukhumvit should be appealing to some. Without a doubt the Cabochon is now my go to Bangkok hotel. The cost performance is top class, the hotel restaurant is honestly one of the best restaurants (if not the best) in all of Bangkok, and the staff are extremely helpful. You can't go wrong if all of my commentary above resonates with you -- really. "

Les Maisons Wat Ko: "Distinguished by excellent staff; Best if you want quiet away from center"

"This property is very lovely, with a beautiful, peaceful, jungle-like setting. If you want a quiet restful time away from the hustle of the town center, this is your place. Rooms are rustic, but comfortable and gorgeous in the traditional Cambodian style. The pool and grounds have a wonderful spa-like feel and are particularly sumptuous at night. But the physical appeal of this property is completely surpassed by the excellence of the staff. Every single staff member was cheerful, solicitous and kind, greeting us with a welcoming smile every time we returned from an outing. They excel even by Cambodian standards of hospitality, which are very high. The food, although beautifully presented, was not particularly distinguished and rather expensive for Cambodia. We've actually had very nice dinners in France for less. The prix fixe dinner is a good choice if you want to stay at the property and relax in the fabulous setting. But if you want to get around and explore, you can find better food in town for much less. For those who do want to spend a bit of time in town, this might not be the best choice. It is a very long walk (we only did it once and that was enough). The tuk tuk arrangement was also sub-optimal. You can't just walk out the door here and grab a tuk tuk -- there aren't any around. The hotel has to call one for you. We also had a little confusion over this arrangement: the hotel actually pays the driver (charging you a markup). So don't make the mistake of paying the driver again, as we did. And as far as we could tell, you pay for a round trip whether or not the driver returns you. So, on our first trip, the hotel billed us $7 for what was only a one way trip. We paid a different driver $2 to get back (note the unmarked-up price). None of this is a big deal or a serious criticism of the hotel. It's just a heads-up that you should clarify with the hotel exactly what you are paying for when you get a tuk-tuk, so there will be no surprises. Stayed March 2017, traveled with family"

Les Maisons Wat Kor: "Beautiful old world feel"

What a serene and peaceful place just minutes away from town. Have a massage or eat lovely local food overlooking a lotus pond. Loved it and didn't want to leave. Staff were very attentive and friendly as well as helpful. Wish we had stayed longer.

Talabgaon Castle: "Lovely secluded heritage hotel"

"Stayed for a night at the Talabgaon Castle with my husband. It was intended to be a night stop-over to break our road trip from Ranthambore to Delhi. But, to our surprise, it turned out to be so much more than comfortable beds and clean sheets. Although a little ways off the main highway (a few miles on a narrow village road), it was certainly worth the detour. A beautifully and functionally restored Rajasthani heritage property, the Talabgaon castle has comfortable and well appointed rooms and bathrooms. Large gardens with intimate seating areas (and, the main garden/lawn has a resident emu.....along with a few peacocks passing through), a nice swimming pool with ample sunbeds and a seating area, and a restaurant, offering both indoor and al fresco courtyard dining. Dinner was good with plenty of variety on the menu. The only two letdowns were the very limited choice and and taste of breakfast, and the TV (it was a small box TV with no channels). But, given the location and alternative ways to spend our time, we did not really miss the TV too much. And, are happy to give this property a 5 star rating and a recommendation of ""do visit""."

Satri House: "Une splendide adresse, une très belle maison"

"Grandes chambres, belles piscines, restaurant délicieux, service plein de bonne volonté, jardin et spa très agréable, beaucoup de goût dans la décoration. Prêt de vélos.Quartier calme. Probablement l'un des pus beaux hôtels du Laos. Stayed December 2016, traveled as a couple"

Supanniga Eating Room: "Great food with a unique dish"

Ate with a group of work colleagues and was Super impressed. There is deep fried catfish which comes out like popcorn. To die for. Also all the usual great Thai dishes. Well worth it for great local food

CABOCHON HOTEL & RESIDENCE: "Bangkok’s Finest Boutique Hotel"

Every time I visit Bangkok, Cabochon is my accommodation choice. In fact, I've stayed there five times. And each time, the experience was better than the last. I love the old world charm, chic colonial decor, delicious breakfast, and warm and sincere service. Its restaurant Thai Lao Yeh serves good Isan inspired cuisine. The shaved ice desserts are to diet for. The location is convenient, just 10 mins walk to Bangkok's newest mall EMQuartier. The very hip Sing Sing Theatre is a stone's throw away. Cabochon is a must stay if you love original non-cookie cutter hotels. I'll definitely be back!

Samanea Beach Resort: "Perfect chill out place"

We loved it here, our favourite hotel in Cambodia. We stayed in a Junior Suite only for two nights but it was bliss. So quiet and relaxing. Our room was huge and I loved the outside bathroom. We were given many options for breakfast and all were excellent. We only ate one night at the restaurant on site and it was the best meal we had on our trip. The pool was divine and for a lot of the time we were the only ones in it. There were only two things I would suggest to the hotel. One is newer thicker bath towels, another is a top sheet for the bed as the duvet was a little warm. We had no mosquito issues in our room at all. Staying here ticked all the boxes for a wonderful restful break in touring and I would happily return, next time for longer.