Guest Reviews

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "<3"

A few days before the trip, I happened to feel insecure about the trip. Because it was my first time to go such an adventurous place without my family members. As the day came, i still joined with my friends. My first impression about the hotel was the "Security" that they gave to me. I was actually over thinking about how dangerous it was to visit a place located in the middle of the river surrounded by the forest. But I felt relieved as they did everything they could to have my trust. My second impression was the interaction between the people and the environment. It was so refreshing and beautiful. That's how the nature is supposed to be like. My third impression would be the hotel, 4 Rivers Floating Lodge itself. It was incredibly amazing how the products that were placed in the hotel were actually could be decomposed and not going to effect the environment. The facilities that we needed in our daily life were placed in the hotel too even though it's on the river. I felt so safe and secure because they provided materials that could save us in some cases. The people were so nice and polite. The foods was great in every meals and the transportation was good too. I've learned something new there. I hope to visit that place again <3

Rice & Zen Boutique Resort: "Most amazing place I’ve ever been"

"The sea dance hotel was just the most beautiful place I have ever stayed. I spent months searching for a decent hotel for our holiday and when I found this place and spoke to the manager I thought it must be too good to be true. From being greeted at the airport for our included airport transfer to the hotel I felt Instantly at ease. We were brought to the reception area and were given welcome drinks and cool towels which was just lovely after the long, hot journey we'd had. The resort is something you wouldn't expect it has a lot of growth around every bungalow. Bamboo and bushes making each bungalow private. It is all just so natural. They even grow their own vegetables! We were shown to our room, given a tour around it and then a quick tour around the important places of the resort. The room itself was just magnificent, so clean, smelled so fresh and fresh flowers on the bed, in the bathroom and on the dressing table. It was all just so breathtaking. Our bungalow looked out onto the restaurant and if laying in bed you could just see the sea. Our bungalow had a plunge pool which was perfect as the heat was unbearable for me as I'm a bit of a wimpy English lass, but the pool did really help a great deal. The restaurant. The food. The pool. The cocktails. I could go on but they were all just so amazing. We ate there a few evenings it is quite expensive, but it is worth the expense. The food is just out of this world, the owner poy recommended a few dishes for us and I have never eaten anything quite like it. The breakfast also is just lovely, we stayed for 10 nights and sure yes I was craving chocolate pancakes, I asked and they made them for me, so accommodating and will do what they can. Cocktails at happy hour are just the best and such good value for money however I would pay for them full price as they were just delicious and they always came with a lovely chat, smile and good company from the staff or people around the bar. The beach around the hotel is pretty jaggy on your feet. I found that out the hard way! But it's beautiful to sit on the loungers on the beach with a cocktail watching the waves, lightning and sunset. It's a beautiful little area with such beautiful views and very quiet. They also let you lend their kayaks which we did a few days and rowed our way out and along the sea a few times. Such fun! The resort is a little way out of town. It is about a 45 min walk to chaweng, 20 min to chongmon. Taxis are about 300/400bht. But if you catch a zongtou (I think that's it, bit like a tuktuk) you can get places pretty cheap 60/100bht for 2. However the best way to get around would be to hire a scooter from just outside the hotel. 200/250bht for 24hrs. When we go back we will hire for the week. This place is a family run place. From the moment me and my partner stepped into the car at the airport to the moment we left We felt like part of their family. We were invited to a night out with the owner, his sister and a few others on our first night which was just amazing! They are such wonderful people and it really does reflect on the experience we had because they defiantly made it the perfect holiday but in a non overpowering way. They knew the right amount of conversation to have with you and when you just wanted to have some time alone. I miss this places every day and writing this makes me sad as I want to be back so badly! If you go here you will love every minute. Me and my partner are 25/26 and it was honestly the best experience of our life to date. ❤️❤️ Stayed October 2016, traveled as a couple"

Sea Dance Resort: "Chill out in the pool"

After sailing around Samui the whole week we need to chill-out at a special location. The Sea Dance Resort allow residents to use the pool during our stay. My wife enjoyed a deep thai massage and my son and me had a healthy lunch and some drinks at the pool bar. Great afternoon.

Maison Polanka: "Our favourite place ever!"

We have never enjoyed a place to stay - anywhere we have travelled - more than Maison Polanka. This is like staying in someone's home - or the home you might dream about having one day. With large, beautiful gardens and an elegant swimming pool, but only a handful of rooms so it's very peaceful never feels crowded even with other guests around. We also had the best Cambodian food of our trip in their restaurant, which is really just a few tables outside by the pool, but outshone anywhere else we ate. Off menu, they were kind enough to make a special noodle soup (nom banh chok) one day for us for lunch - it was delicious and worth making a special request for (in advance). We stayed in the Khmer House as a treat, and it was beautiful and spacious, though I think anyone would be happy with any of the rooms they have. But the best part of Maison Polanka are the people who work there who are warm, welcoming and willing to help with everything, from tour planning, surprise afternoon cakes by the pool, and a wonderfully memorable trip to the Road 60 night market for a dinner of insects, stuffed frogs and other more familiar foods! Our thanks in particular to Cathy, Chan, and Vong! Don't bother looking anywhere else in Siem Reap, just stay here!

The Cabochon Hotel: "Urban Bangkok feel — Hit it twice this so far"

"For those seeking to experience the vibe of Bangkok as a psuedo-denizen for a couple of days -- that is, to live/to sleep amid that ordinary urban street mix of local food vendors adjacent to gleaming skyscrapers, [and, with some solid benefits such as a being near a handy supermarket, the Skytrain Phrom Phong stop, a hip juice bar, and a small city park] the Cabochon offers this kind of feel in the Thai metropolis. It's not on the famed river, and it's not super luxury. Rather, it's under-the-radar subtle. Hidden down a small alley from that urban mix, the colonial-era building is a sweet spot -- surrounded by lush foliage and filled inside with Asian collectibles. Venture out into the Bangkok chaos, and return back to the chill of the Cabochon, where the genuinely warm staff will greet you with smiles -- more smiles when you order a couple of rounds of mojitos. Relaxed without anyone in your grill. Clean, more than acceptable, not over-priced. And best, it is super understated."

Villa Song Saigon: "Lovely hotel"

"Two nights after a long flight- excellent spa- fantastic views across the river - nice breakfasts and helpful staff. Shuttle water taxi works well and it's nice to return to relative calm at Villa Song. We would choose to stay here again and will recommend it to our friends. "

Rachamankha: "A true oasis in the old city"

"A beautiful hotel, going into the hotel grounds means truly leaving the city behind, in a lot of ways it is a world of its own, so peaceful. The pool is wonderful, pictures don't do it justice. The staff are so friendly and provide excellent service. Breakfast was amazing. We had diner at the restaurant one night (we did want to experience something of the outside Chiang Mia on the other nights!) and it was wonderful and excellent value for a restaurant of this quality. I would definitely be wanting to say here again if we get back to Chiang Mia. At first we found it difficult to find our way walking to central Chiang Mia given the entrance is off what seems like a series of lanes. We found the best was to walk across one road and into what is the back entrance of the largest temple in Chiang Mia. Walking through the temple grounds and out the front entrance helped get our bearings for the location of the hotel. The hotel is a fair way from the night markets (about a 30~40 minute walk) although transport is cheap and easy to find if you don't want to walk, of course the hotel can book a taxi, or go the front of the temple or out to the cannel to find a way tuk tuk."

Manda De Laos: "Great food, stunning location"

"This place serves great food, but the view is simply out of this world. Sit by the pool if you can. The staff spoke excellent English and the management is French. Their professionalism shows. This simply is an excellent choice to eat great food and make happy memories."

Villa Song Saigon: "Fantastic boutique hotel, plus free speedboat and minibar"

"We absolutely loved this hotel. Beautiful, quaint, great staff, lovely food and wonderful rooms. It's no wonder that this is the top hotel in Saigon on Trip Advisor (at the time of writing). We stayed in a beautiful room overlooking the pool, with a deeply comfy double bed, separate shower room and washing facilities, TV, private balcony and all the usual mod cons included. Their service is second to none. There's a free minibar in all rooms (including beer, water, milk and juice). They serve breakfast at any time of the day (seriously - you could have it at 10pm if you REALLY sleep in), and it's included in the price of the room. And electricity can be left on in your suite when you leave, meaning those devices that keep dying might actually get charged. They have UK plug sockets too. Best of all, as the hotel is not right in the city centre, they put on a speedboat to ferry guests to the main bit of the city, on a first come first served basis. (Although it was never full when we stayed in May). The boat takes approximately 15-20 minutes, but you'd wish it would be longer, because it's brilliant. The last boat is at 6pm, and a taxi back to the hotel should set you back 150,000 VND. If it's more than that, they've got lost! The pool is excellent, as is their restaurant, which is overseen by Kevin the chef from Luxembourg - who will certainly seek you out to say hello, or offer some food and drink recommendations. Food and drink here, incidentally, is a few more pennies by Vietnamese standards, but very fair when compared to the rest of Saigon, and even better when compared to the likes of London. Breakfast, which I briefly mentioned, is very good. The best we had in Vietnam, in fact. And it offers up some really well done variations of Western classics like pancakes or a full English versus your traditional and excellent Pho noodle soup. (If you're really hungry, you can even have both - in fact, it was them who suggested it, which I greedily accepted). Their staff are great, too. When we wanted to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, the front desk organised a speedboat to pick us up from the hotel's own private jetty - and one of the highlights of our trip. If I was to take points off this hotel, and it is being picky, then their airport to hotel transfer service is very expensive in comparison to most hotels we stayed at in Vietnam (all of which have a comparative distance from airport to destination). It was a nice air conditioned private car, but then it was no better than every other hotel provided us. And 1,386,000 VND is a bit steep. Full disclosure: they had quoted this price to me some time before we arrived in Vietnam, and I could have shopped around for cheaper prices, so I can't really blame them for quoting a price to me and then accepting it. But it might be something they could look at in the future! The taxi they booked us for our return to the airport after our stay was much, much cheaper at 300,000 VND. So maybe shop around for your original pick-up. I know there's loads of 'taxi scams' in Vietnam, but you should be able to find a decent service for cheaper transfers if you need. None of that dented out love of Villa Song Saigon, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. I really miss their speedboat..."

MesaStila: "One of the most beautiful hotels I have every stayed at anywhere – and I do get around"

"Truly magnificent. Not fake luxury - not spa'd out (they do not threaten to ""awaken your sense"" nor to arouse your Kundalini - they are content to offer warm, attentive service, huge and well appointed rooms, with 11 acres of grounds with a beautifully landscaped coffee plantation to wander around) but a true haven of peace up in the hills, away from the heat. The MesaStila Resord is something exceedingly rare in the age of corporate hotels - totally authentic. It has a distinctly colonial feel to it - manicured grounds, a large pool and excellent facilities - a 19th century teak train station which was saved from the wrecker's ball and moved to the hotel grounds. A club-house with pool table and bar. A large infinity pool with a kids area. Hammam and sports center. Tennis. What more could you ask for? The staff could not possibly be more attentive or well-intentioned. They care deeply for the wellbeing of their guests, and do everything possible to make it comfortable. The rooms are huge and tranquil. We shall be back - soon!"