Guest Reviews

Mathis Retreat: "A disconnected enclave, perfect for unwinding"

"This is a great place to just relax, slow down and unwind. It is secluded property with a stunning rice field view and an infinity pool. The property can be hard to find, as the resort has undergone a brand change and the boards for the new MATHIS are not updated. So best to have your driver call the hotel for directions. The rooms are clean, extremely spacious and we used 3 persons in a room (with an extra bed charge) and it was still very comfortable for us. All amenities are provided as best, and the quality is excellent. The breakfast is very fresh and dinner options are quite good. The menu can be expensive for the style of resort it is - and there are few options immediately outside. But its not far from the bustling marketplace & the resort runs a ferry pickup and drop every hour during the day, which is very helpful. The wifi is very good. The TV has few channels and is very bad reception. The staff are very helpful, but sometimes find it hard to communicate easily. The property manager is very kind and does well to mingle with guests where possible. I would definitely visit again."

Mathis Retreat: "Small, classy, boutique hotel with very lovely staff"

"My husband and 20 month year old have just returned from a lovely relaxing stay at Mathis retreat. We chose to be picked up and dropped back at the airport by the Mathis team as this meant our little one could travel in a baby seat (we didn't lug one all the way to Bali). The staff were very friendly and the hotel was great - I don't think the pictures of the bungalows on this site do justice to the decor of the rooms - they were very large and tastefully decorated. The bath was so large that all three of us could fit. Karine helped coordinate a few activities from the hotel- one day we went on a hike through the jungle, lunch with locals and a stop at a more friendly monkey park (Sangeh). Another time we went to Lake Bratten and looked at the wonderful rice terraces at Jatiluwih and tasted the local coffee overlooking other lakes. Karine also organised, on our behalf, a cycling tour of the local rice paddies and villages and ensured their was a baby sized helmet provided. The huge advantage of organising all of our activities through the hotel meant that we could use the hotel's baby seat. We ate at the restaurant (Terracotta) numerous times - breakfast is amazing - overlooking the rice paddies. Dinner was also beautiful - lights in the rice paddies and lanterns floating on the pool with delicious food. So good, we ended up doing a cooking course at the hotel for lunch one day. The staff were wonderful, very helpful with our little one and friendly. Nothing seemed to be a problem. The pool has a large shallow section that is suitable for little ones and the hotel's duck's were also very popular with our child and others' children. Another tip: There is a great path through the rice paddies and small village streets from the hotel into Ubud - certainly worth doing the walk early one morning so you can catch the Udud local food markets. Room Tip: The bungalows by the pool were great as the baby monitor was in range. We were in the pool relaxing..."

Tugu Bali: "Unexpected elegance"

Surrounded by antiques from all over Asia, Tugu Canggu was a haven of casual elegance, great dining and easy access to beaches, surfing and shopping. The manager, Jenny, was especially helpful in guiding us to our surroundings and anticipating our needs. The rest of the staff were warm, thoughtful and delightfully pleasant.

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. "

THE SAMAR: "THE SAMAR"

" Siem Reap itself is something else. You can feel certain peace and tranquility immidiately after you land there. When you check in to hotel Samar Villa & Spa, this feeling of serenity and relaxation comes to it's full power. It is situated just a bit outside of the city centre limits, which is actually great. Tuk tuk is affordable so a 4,5 minute ride to the Siem Reap centre is really not a problem. On a contrary, nice way to cool down after a hot day in Angkor temples, before you step into the Samar swimming pool. Check in procedure is really smooth and relaxing, with nice welcome drinks and towels provided for all. Hotel is not big, so even if they are full, you are almost all the time alone and you feel like you have it all just for yourself. Staff are very nice and provide help but privacy in the same time, which we appreciated highly. Rooms are so nice, in french colonial style, maintained well, decorated with style. Breakfasts were so delicious, there is no buffet, but you can order your daily choice and they will prepare it for you. Very tasty. Some of the comments before were negative (eg maintainance, insect spraying,...). We found them not to be true, and as far as insects are concerned, of course they have to spray, but as the end result you can have nice relaxing evenings without bugs and mosquitos. They do it during the day, when all/most guests are out, exploring temples.... All in all, i really hope me and my family will come back to Cambodia and Siem Reap soon. Then we will stay in Samar again for sure! It is for every recommendation."

Mie Cafe: "Beautiful and serene restaurant for foodies"

"Our relative from Phnom Penh recommended this restaurant and I am so glad we got a reservation during our stay in Siem Reap. The setting is an old Khmer Villa, beautiful garden and ponds with Koi fish. We sat on the lower floor, which I think is the better choice. We started with a cocktail to give us time to study the interesting menu. The menu included several local twists on traditional foods as well as several fish dishes from the nearby Tonle Sap. We selected a combination of fish and meat dishes and they were all good. Picking a favorite is tricky, but the risotto with fish was very popular. The kids had fish fingers and chicken nuggets, all made from fresh ingredients and popular with the children. For dessert we had ice cream, fried bananas, and the popular chocolate cake. My son got most of it into his stomach, but the rest of the chocolate cake was in his face as our full and happy group left this great restaurant. Don't miss this gem of a restaurant in Siem Reap."

Samuay & Sons: "Probably the best place to eat in Udon Thani"

Amazing, creative and well-balanced food with fabulous homemade Thai dessert fusion with food lovers! The 2 brothers are so kind, Good English speaking and very creative! The place to enjoy Thai fusion -traditional food in town! Thank you for such a tasty dinning experience ! Pimali

Inle Princess Resort: "Beautiful, calm location"

We stayed in lake side room for 2 nights. As everyone has said it is a lovely hotel. The rooms are spacious and well maintained, the food good with local dishes, the swimming pool an unexpected bonus, kind staff. It is an enjoyable boat journey to teach the resort, being off the main water ways means it is very quiet. Very highly recommended.

The Apsara Rive Droite: "Tweede bezoek weer top"

"Waarom alle toeristen naarde buren gaan is ons een raadsel. Wij hebben onze vakantieregel gebroken (nooit 2x naar zelfde resto) met goede afloop. Weer heerlijk gegeten, lekkere amuse, gezellige bediening en top setting tafel aan de rivier. go !!!! Stayed February 2017, traveled as a couple"

The Island Lodge: "Delightful Oasis"

"We stayed just one night at the end of a Mekong Delta tour. Michel organised our pick up, which was a lovely trip in a long boat. We were greeted warmly on arrival and that feeling continued on during our stay. Staff were very friendly, polite and engaging. The rooms were lovely and well appointed, although a small fridge would have been a welcome addition. The food was good, a nice combination of French and Vietnamese and breakfast was delicious. Fresh bread/pastries and fruit and as much of whatever else as we wanted. We went for a walk into the village and got lost on the way back. The locals were very helpful with directions and eventually we called the lodge and they came and fetched us, we were only 300m away!!"