Guest Reviews

MesaStila: "A Mountainous Trip to Paradise"

"MesaStila is a hidden gem, the grounds are incredible and exceeded all our exceptions, The staff were willing to help us at every turn. This is a must of those looking to get away from it all, explore the grounds, enjoy many activities available, relax by the pool. Hire a guide and head to a waterfall where you will walk thru villages and experience central java at its best. This property is a must - its perfect for stopping and remembering how calm life can be without the hassle and bustle. I urge everyone to go here. Just note if you are travelling in a large group as we were (8A 9C) pre order lunches and dinners as it can take a while to get your meal. "

Maduzi Hotel: "Refreshed, rejuvenated, renewed"

"Was supposed to stay in another hotel w friend but through a last min change of plans, I made an impromptu booking for Maduzi as it fits my criteria of budget, proximity and also safety. The best things abt Maduzi: 1. Flexible check in timing allowed me so much more time to explore the city upon arrival. I'm impressed that at 7am, my room was ready and boy, the next point is the surprise I received. 2. Huge rooms are apparently something which Maduzi rewards her guests with as I had such a huge disappointment w another hotel the night before. Below are some photos to justify my claims. No kidding. Not only does the hotel set up instruction manuals for the various hotel amenities in the most interesting way through the form of comic strips, the management is set to impress and pamper the guest w: a. A huge walk in wardrobe B. A personal jacuzzi tub C. An impressive powder room beside the wash area D. Thoughtful mini bar in room refreshed on a daily basis E. A huge (I mean humongous!) deluxe bed that swallows you up F. Boss sound system. No kidding ok! G. Your personal coffee making machine in the room.... *hey management, you are just so into spoiling your guests are u?? I'm soooo loving it! 3. Location wise, how could the management have understood a girl's heart so well???? Besides being right opposite TERMINAL 21 (and that means you are near BOTH BTS AND MRT), Maduzi is also very well situated near the sukhumvit area. The strategic tie in w Oasis spa which provided 2 way transportation certainly made a girl's day shine brighter than a diamond. 4. Breakfast options are far from the same old same old boring buffet spread. Call me a bore, i was really expecting the normal fare such as toast, cereals, porridge blahx3. Imagine my surprise when a full selection of different cuisines presented as a full meal was offered. Not wanting to disappoint the usual crowd expecting a buffet spread, Maduzi offers a petite line of fresh fruits, yoghurt, mini croissants, cheese and salami platter tucked in a corner elegantly waiting for guests to help themselves in a delicate manner. What is this you call? Superb fine dining to help kickstart your day without the unnecessary extravagance. 5. As a solo travelled, safety is my top priority and while many other accommodation choices were presented which could be more convenient eg, on top of shopping malls et al, a girl just needs a safe haven for a personal quiet retreat yah? Enters Maduzi whose outlook appears to be a normal apartment along the road but is securely gated to ensure guests privacy and security at all times. I like it that the gates are well maintained by the diligent guards and it's not a flashy entrance for the guests but more reflective of a place which embraces personal retreat. The already-superb but can be better areas which I hope Maduzi can improve on is as follows: 1. May I have a swimming pool pls? It's impt that one can chill both body and mind at the same time and it's a pity I can't swim in such a nice place to enjoy the view and clear my head. 2. Blame it on myself for gg back late (~9pm) on a Saturday night. The road outside Maduzi may be a tad quiet and there was a guy behind me who splashed water on me as a prank. Thkfully it was a short walk and I was able to reach the hotel v quickly. May I suggest that a tuk tuk svc or pick up svc be made available for lady guests as a value added svc? The ladies will truly appreciate the kind thoughts of having their interests at heart. Last but not least, I just want to shout out in desperation, 'Why aren't there enough time for me to retreat in my room despite the late check out at 8pm?' My sincere thanks to the hotel management once again for allowing me to have this little enclave to chill, relax and refresh my mind. I truly wish I had more time to spend in the hotel just to enjoy its facilities which I didn't have time to explore eg the TV room, my welcome drink which I didn't cater enough time to claim and oh yes, time for another unwind session in the jacuzzi. Till the next time we meet again, you shall always be the best destination in BKK and I'm sure to come back again for more."

Chakrabongse Villas: "Off the Scale !"

We arrived in Bangkok with a few hours to discover the city and enjoy the hotel. Wow - there are not enough words except to say Thank you Paul Walker at Secret - Retreats - what a place and what an amazing hotel. This is not a hotel its an experience and without doubt the best place to stay in Bangkok ! A royal palace with a difference, ooozing style, charm and service you cannot ask for anything better ! Thank you xxx

Jing’s Residence: "A Very Special Hotel"

We had a wonderful night at Jing’s Residence. Our room was lovely, very clean, with special attention to detail. We had an excellent dinner there and a very nice breakfast the next morning. We only wish we were able to stay one more night to take advantage of everything they offered.

MesaStila: "Another wonderful stay at Mesa Stila"

Another wonderful stay at Mesa Stila this Easter. We cannot rate this place highly enough. The staff go out of their way to take care of you, the setting is stunning, delicious food, beautiful villas, an amazing spa. This time we made the effort to do some exercise in the stretch and aquafit classes and were very grateful to Agus and Anam for pulling us into shape! Our thanks to the chefs for giving us the recipes to our favourite dishes, for Rosy and Slamet our lovely drivers, for Erni and her wonderful team in the spa and to Lily for answering all questions Indonesian. If you have a bucket list Mesa Stila should be on it!

Locavore: "Another amazing culinary experience in the best restaurant in Bali"

I had another amazing meal, 7 courses, with loads and loads of surprising, creative, interesting and very tasty morsels both at the beginning of the meal and around the dessert course. Presentation is a marvel. As usual I had the "carnivore option," but my two friends opted for the "plant-based option." All of us were pleased beyond expectations. I love oak-otak and Locavore's version, with the duck egg aioli (I guess that is what I would call it) was perhaps the star of my meal, though the old favorite--Into the Sawah--of course was delicious. The special Locavore tomato "soup" was, as always, spectacular. And i love the "freebie" cassava roti too. All seven courses were. My friends raved about their veg tasting menu. And I must admit I was a bit disappointed that I did not choice to have the Banana Blossom. This must become, like Into the Sawah, a main stay of the Locavore team. Service was super friendly and professional. Cannot recommend Locavore highly enough.

David’s Kitchen: "棒棒的餐厅，令人放松、舒适的用餐体验"

从猫途鹰搜到DK是清迈排名第一的餐厅后，就抱着一定要来打卡的念头。餐厅食物还不错，环境优雅，最最重要的是老板和服务员都很礼貌、友善。正如很多评论中说的一样，老板David会跟每一位顾客聊天，当然不是简单粗暴的打断顾客的用餐，而是会观察顾客的用餐情况，找合适的时机与顾客聊聊。大概是因为当天中国游客很少，很开心被邀请进入厨房，与主厨O及员工们合影，很棒的用餐体验哦！

Sea Dance Resort: "Great staff, great food at a relaxing boutique resort."

"We searched very carefully for our Koh Samui stay. Coming off of 2 weeks of hard touring around Laos and Cambodia our goal was peace, quiet and relaxation, preferably in a villa on the beach rather than a hotel room. We found Sea Dance and, despite a few mixed reviews here, decided to give it a go. We ended up thrilled that we did. Things did get off to a rocky start: despite a confirmed airport greeting and pickup there was no one to meet us at the airport meeting point. After 15 minutes and a phone call we hopped in a taxi expecting the worst. Instead we were met by the Managing Director/owner Poy with a heartfelt apology. Everyone makes mistakes, and rather than shifting blame or making excuses Poy simply took the fault, apologized and promised to make it up to us. Which he and his staff did do. Perfect service recovery. As for the property itself, we stayed in Villa 1 and cannot recommend it more highly. It’s mostly a glass room but with blackout shades and AC that must be on steroids. During the day we lounged in the private pool or on the very private lounging platform staring at the ocean. At night we opened the glass doors and listened to the sea sipping one of the many wine selections from the restaurant’s wine room. The restaurant serves excellent eclectic food including Thai, other Asian and western food. My favorite was the duck Red curry. My wife loved the steak sandwich for lunch. The beach is ‘meh’. Pebbly and rocky. Gorgeous to look at though. But let’s be clear: what made this place special for us were the people. The staff are just awesome. They call guests by name here (nice Ritz touch!) Beyond Poy, Faith the ex-Pat American manager gave us pro tips on our plans to go digital nomad next year during the included breakfast. Ex-pat English Helen provided excellent service with a healthy dash of wit and a wry smile at dinner. And ex-pat Myanmar ‘John’ serves great drinks and fascinating stories of his life. And those are just the ones we got to know by name. All of the staff were excellent - although it would have helped a bit if the eggs station staff at breakfast spoke at least a little English since we like our omelette well done. We kept thinking that the place ought to go all over-13. The bungalows and social atmosphere at breakfast, happy hour and dinner are really conducive to grown-uping. And we met and made some new Facebook friends there. But, alas, it’s not all-adult so there were babies, toddlers and kids about. That’s where the private pool came in super-handy. This little resort isn’t a highly polished gem. It’s a boutique resort. That’s part of its charm, but too, it means there are minor service gaps and gaffes. Bring bring a relaxed attitude and good nature and you’ll have a great time, no worries and even make new friends. To us, it was just what we wanted just when we wanted it."

Villa Song Saigon: "Superb Hotel"

"We spent a couple of nights here at the end of our trip and it really was excellent. The staff were first class and extremely helpful at all times. The free boat rides into central Saigon are really useful and allow you to explore the sites. Rooms are really well designed and very comfortable. Pool is lovely. Food was good but on the expensive side but all the restaurants in the area are quite dear as the hotel is in the expat area of town. Would highly recommend it though"

Satri House: "Perfection in Luang Prabang"

"We recently stayed three nights at the beautiful Satri House and loved every bit of our stay. The hotel seems straight out of a travel magazine as it is decorated very stylishly but simply, without skimping on luxury. It's a quiet oasis to return to after a day of sightseeing - have a beer Lao and a relaxing swim at the beautiful pool! The location is ideal - just a few minutes bike ride to town, and on a quiet street away from the main drag. The staff is wonderful: kind, attentive, and one of the best parts of the stay. They easily made dinner reservations and arranged private excursions; they even went out of their way to get us bubble wrap for things we had bought. No complaints at all about this gem of a hotel in beautiful Luang Prabang - can't wait to return one day!"