Guest Reviews

Jing’s Residence: "Superb accommodation, sensational food and Imam is the best!"

"Jing's Residence is sensational in every respect. Imam who is the resident manager is a wonderful fellow who greets you in a personal and intimate manner every time you see him.....he makes you think that you are the only person/people staying there and he is there just for you.....and yes he also possesses a great sense of humour. Upon check in you are provided with all the information that you need and are served a cool ginger tea with dates.....what a great way to be welcomed. Nothing is too much for him or his team! Breakfast was scrumptious with their cappuccino nice and hot. Dinner was 1st class, we chose two dishes with rice and the duck with seasonal fruit (duck is my favourite) was actually bettered by the chicken with preserved ginger. We finished up with their handmade apple turnover which is a house delicacy and was outrageously good! The afternoon tea ceremony is not to be missed, it's served upstairs in the lounge area and the little tray of delicacies that are served with your choice of tea were yummy. Dates, bananas, apricots, a free mini bar with chocolate, soft drinks, beer, orange juice that was replenished everyday and the toiletries provided are a nice touch. The little gift left the night before was a surprise and then the addition of red Chinese tags on your luggage is a good reminder of your visit to this beautiful restored courtyard property. We had Imam and three of the team come out and wave us goodbye.....sigh I will miss staying there, it's a long way from Australia to China for a long weekend! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g325575-d1536016-r376919666-Jing_s_Residence-Pingyao_County_Shanxi.html#"

Villa Mathis: "Wonderful stay"

Our stay at La Villa Mathis was simply the best we did in Bali! The team is lovely, the room classy and cosy, the food is exquisite, the Spa is lovely and of course the four pools are just amazing !! The whole place is magical and so peaceful ! Thank you Sam for your great welcoming and your kindness :) We definitely recommend this hotel !

Discover Muang La | Visit Laos | Luxury & Boutique Hotel: "A very special place"

I would echo Meredith, Dan and others who have given this a rating of five - or more. We enjoyed every minute of our time at Muang La Lodge and would have stayed longer if we could have. From the moment we walked through the gates, we felt well cared for and knew we were in good hands at a very special location. The care they take, not only with their guests but with the local villagers, is palpable. We had a room overlooking the river - and the "public" hot springs used the the villagers (which the hotel built for them in exchange for the villagers allowing the hotel to use water from the hot springs). While I was initially concerned upon hearing this, it ended up being a great thing to watch villagers young and old come and use it in the later afternoon. Staff was incredible and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and well cared for. Both breakfast and dinner were fabulous. The grounds were beautiful and well cared for. Our room was well appointed and very comfortable. The quality of sleep was wonderful: the bed was great with high-quality pillows, and the room was quiet with only a hint of sound from the river outside, which made it even easier to sleep. What are you waiting for - book now!

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Luxury on a remote jungle river"

"A four hour drive from Phnom Penh then a 25 minute boat journey brings you to a beautiful floating hotel on the Tatai River. Our first glimpse made us all go ""ahhhhh!"" The 5 star tents on pontoons are anchored on pristine waters alongside palm fringed jungle and it was everything we hoped it would be. Evenings on our private deck were stunning, diving into clean cool water from our own spot and even a visit from a few fireflies one night as we sat outside was a magical experience! The staff are fantastic as are the tour guides. We had a sunset cruise, jungle trekking (with an ex-poacher who now uses his skills guiding tourists) and a visit to the small village on the island across the river with one of the staff who lives there, to see village life up close. Beautiful meals, attentive service by every member of staff. Definitely worth the trip to unwind in tropical luxury"

Maison Polanka: "Refined, authentic, peaceful boutique hotel"

"Amazing stay at Maison Polanka. You step into a luxurious garden and a heaven of tranquility here. Everything is done to make you feel welcome; from the unpretentious French owners and their insights on the local life to the kind and attentive staff. The room (actually a fully detached house with a private outdoor living room) is decorated with incredible style. The food is worthy of any great restaurant in town. They helped us book experienced guides to visit the temples and had a Tuk tuk on stand-by for all our trips. A must stay place to visit the area! Stayed April 2017, traveled with family"

Heritage Suites Hotel: "Incredible genuineness, a real gem!"

The Heritage came up in almost list of top boutique hotels to stay at in Cambodia, so I knew it would be a good choice. Getting picked up at the airport in a vintage Mercedes was amazing, such a great way to start off the experience. Having the adventure company in the hotel helped a lot, they organised 3 customised tours for me which were all equally amazing. All three were well worth it. I stayed in the Orchid suite, which I could of hid in during my entire stay and would of been really happy, the steam room was a pleasant surprise. Had breakfast and two dinners at the hotel which was also very good. The thing that left such an impression on me was the staff. There was this incredible genuineness to everyone I met. The hotel supports Sala Baï, a hospitality school for young underprivileged Cambodians, which they also helped organise a visit to. Heritage helps train and hire students from the school and offers them placement at the hotel, with everyone I met there, especially the students coming from Sala Bai, there was this genuine pride in working in hospitality and at the Heritage. As a guest you felt not only very welcomed, but that you also contributed to giving back to the community and not just taking from it. Kudos to the entire team at Heritage. I work in travel and hospitality and can honestly say this is one of the most unique and best offerings I’ve come across. I can’t wait to visit again.

The Island Lodge: "Absolute gem only 2 hours from Saigon airport"

"We just spent 3 fantastic nights at this hotel, relaxing, exploring the island, and eating fresh, delicious food. Can't rate this highly enough, and it's easily accessible from Saigon and the airport. Having said that, we were a bit disappointed as we passed over the huge bridge to Thoi Son island. In my mind, we were heading to a rural idyll, and I didn't see how the island could be rural when it has a motorway passing through one end of it! But 10kms later, after driving through the fruit trees down the one road suitable for cars, we arrived at the Lodge. And the setting is beautiful and quiet, surrounded by lanes through the fruit plantations and houses, and with a view of the ever-changing Mekong. Everybody we interacted with at the Lodge was friendly and helpful, and service was always with a smile. Some of the staff didn't have great English, but there was always someone around who did. The staff make the place, and we were really charmed by them! A special thank you to Giao, one of the waitresses, who remembered our orders from previous days and was always kind and friendly. The Lodge itself is wonderfully designed, with a huge open communal area which is subtly divided into bar and dining areas. The whole place is beautifully furnished and oozes style - I would like to transplant everything from the bar area into my house! We loved that there were so many different seating areas around the grounds, including a couple of pagodas, sofas, riverfront tables and a table right out on the pier for watching the sunset. The pool is warm, long, and spotlessly clean, with plenty of loungers and huge fresh towels. Bedrooms are clean and comfortable, and as stylish as the downstairs area. There were so many other places to sit and enjoy the view that we didn't really use the balcony, but it is a relaxing place to be. The food was unexpectedly good. There is a French and a Vietnamese menu, and food is fresh and well presented. They bake their own bread and croissants on site, and the smell of it in the morning and before dinner was a treat. It's an odd thing to recommend when you're in Vietnam, but the quiche lorraine was one of the most delicious things we ate on the whole trip! It's on the starter menu, but is big enough and rich enough to enjoy for lunch with some of the fresh bread. We also enjoyed the duck, and the tuna. And breakfasts were sublime, with everything made to order. There is a comprehensive wine list, and we also appreciated the fact that the house wine was very reasonably priced and very drinkable - thanks Michel! The Lodge offers tours, which we didn't do, but instead we took bikes out on two afternoons and explored the lanes and bridges of the island on our own. It's hard to believe that the big city of My Tho is only a few kms away when you're cycling around under the shade of the trees, over bridges that are 2 feet wide. At the very far end of the island, as far as the road goes, we stopped and had a drink at Mr Thanh's little waterfront bar and chatted to him about tourism on the island. He was an interesting man with superb English, and his wife makes a delicious cold lemon juice on a hot day. The only negatives: At a Lodge with eco credentials, I would have liked to see drinking water available as refills, rather than endless 500ml plastic bottles. And just be aware that the Mekong view is of a busy waterway full of commercial and industrial traffic, with industrial buildings across the water. In actual fact we really enjoyed watching the traffic and the change of the tides so this wasn't a problem at all, but we hadn't realised it wasn't looking out on to countryside. Thanks to all the staff at the Island Lodge. This really is a gem, and we were so pleased that we stayed for 3 nights rather than rushing through."

Villa Song Saigon: "Charming old French Colonial property"

"We loved staying here despite the lack of a lift! Our room at the top was large and comfortable with views over the Saigon river and of the dining courtyard below where we loved to eat. The service was impeccable and then we found the pool! It was so pretty and tranquil and just the place after a hectic morning's sightseeing. Altogether a delightful and peaceful place to stay. Room Tip: Lovely rooms at the top but quite a climb!"

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "Quaint Sojourn"

"I visited this hidden gem along the strip of Arabian Sea with my husband, upon a friend’s recommendation. True to its word, Neeleshwar Hermitage is everything what it claims and beyond! We were marveled at how the property have merged itself into the locality but still takes your breath away. (...) We enjoyed each and every moment spent at Neeleshwar Hermitage. The selection of the songs played in the room is one of the best that I have heard. So are the books in the library. The authentic food served was deliciously prepared. The beach was so clean and pristine that the walk along the coastline was refreshing. If not the beach, one could also spend all their time by the infinity pool. We spent quite a lot of time lounging by the pool, enjoying the beautiful sea beyond. The rooms are spacious and the traditional architecture adds charm to it. The simple yet luxurious room was the icing on the cake for us! We would like to give our special thanks to the wonderful staff of Neeleshwar– each and every one who seamlessly provides the finest service."

Tugu Lombok: "Spiritual bliss"

The lanscape was beautiful. The interior designs of each building as well as the gardens area were levely. The building and grounds transported me back in time. I felt as if I was sitting on the grounds of an old temple that had been uncoverd after years of nature at work covering the sacred site. It was a wonderfully spiritual experience