Guest Reviews

Labyrinth: "Deserving of the Michelin Star"

Use to eat at the restaurant regularly before they received their Michelin Star. Was a bit apprehensive when I made the booking recently as the restaurant was heavily booked most days and I fear that that their standards might be compromised with the high popularity. My fear was unfounded as the food and service standards was certainly up to expectations . My guest was impressed as well and I certainly look forward to eating there in the near future. Keep up the good work and they truly deserved their star.

Tugu Bali: "Everything, every little detail was impeccable"

Hotel Tugu Bali cannot be faulted. A week there, and it can be stated that every little detail is of the highest quality. From Sri's glowing customer service, to Melissa's eye for detail, and 'magic pixies' who ensured that the room was flawless each and every time. The food - just magical. The service - incredible. You know why this place is so highly ranked because it should. Impeccable and closest to perfect you will find. (plus as a surfer - surfers dream with the beach just out the door.) Thank you Hotel Tugu

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. "

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.

Tandjung Sari: "Wonderful old style Bali hotel"

We loved our week at the Tandjung Sari - barefoot luxury - that we didn't leave the hotel all week - except for a quick shop up the road at Biasa. And we're going back. Beautiful craftworks, hand made pavers and pool tiles, fresco style painted outdoor pavilion.

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Amazig"

Absolute heaven on earth. Beautiful location and the staff are all wonderful. You completely relax here. It is definitely one of the most unique places I have ever stayed. The tents are really comfortable with everything you could want. The trip to the Tatai Waterfall was a particular highlight. We also did the 7.00 am trek - although we didn't see any wildlife, it was still very enjoyable and the boat ride back to the Lodge was really beautiful.

David’s Kitchen: "Great food, wonderful host, fantastic experience"

This was a gem. David greeted us when we arrived and appeared genuinely interested in where we came from. Menu offered a broad range of dishes from local Thai to European fare. If you have guests who have different tastes, this is definitely the place to go. Service was personalized and attentive. Food was tasty and absolutely delightful. Great selection of wine and the bartender was accommodating to my partner's request for a specific drink mix. Chill environment amidst the high energy of old Chiang Mai. Reservations highly recommended.

Manda De Laos: "Not to be missed"

"We were staying nearby and saw that Manda de Laos had a good rating so we decided to try it and what a pleasant surprise it was! Let me start by the service which was superb! The waiter took the time to take us through the different dishes and explaining them to us! The setting is out of this world, i don't think many restaurants can beat such a romantic setting! The food is extremely tasty triggering every single taste bud I have! All in a superb experience not to be missed"

Summertime Villa: "It’s always Summer Time, at Summertime"

"One needs to close one's eyes and transport oneself to one's summer vacations when at school, to relive the best moments in years gone by -- moments of unbridled joy and anticipation of the unknown, those of wanton freedom and excitement, a day in the pool, a trek within woods unexplored, to eat to one's heart's (and stomach's) content, moments of quiet tranquil and calm, and then the comfort of a bed and a pillow one can sink into, after a day of frolic. And it's all this and much more at Summertime Villa, Goa, where I had one of my more memorable breaks in recent memory. Summertime played host to me (and my group) earlier this August. While we make it a point to stay at a new villa each time on our yearly sojourns to Goa, something tells me Summertime will become a regular in the calendar of our activities. A beautiful oasis, tastefully done up and well adorned, Summertime boasts of 3 humungous bedrooms (one has a Koi pond right outside too) and bathrooms, a splendid drawing room, and two dining rooms (one on the outer deck, while the other inside the house). A swimming pool to boot, Summertime nestled away in the heart of nature, and away from all humanity that could bother you. With a cook (Dinesh) and caretaker (Prakash) at beck and call, and a retinue of helpers there on, one truly does seem like the master of all that he/she behold. For a bibliophile, Hans and Sucheta (who hosted us at Summertime), have books aplenty, that one could easily find a corner to snuggle into a lose oneself to the others around too. Be it a book that engrosses you, or the beautiful rains over the trees at the villa or even engaging with a small crawly thing that may have ventured out of the woods, into your space, Summertime was certainly a break away from the mundane. Located on the outskirts of Calangute, the villa is a shout away from a number of good eateries and watering holes, in and around the area. Getting to and from the place is a challenge, but the ever helpful Nora (the manager at Summertime) aided us with the number of a cab company that was a call away too. My group and I were truly pampered at Summertime, and it's in no small regard that this trip evoked as many memories of my yesteryears too. I shall certainly be coming back for more if Hans & Sucheta will have us back. Until then, I can only wish the crew at Summertime the best in creating more summer memories for more weary travellers."

jing: "Fabulous hotel"

"Jing's Residence is in the medieval part of PingYao and is beautifully restored. The staff was very gracious and attentive and the food was delicious. I had a wonderful massage that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone going to PingYao. "