Guest Reviews

Talabgaon Castle: "Family owned Castle in the Indian countryside"

A group of four friends on the way from Jaipur to Ranthambore stopped at this magical place. It was like stepping back into time, when life was slower, and more elegant. The hotel is the generations old great-house of a noble family from Jaipur, who also happen to be some of the best polo players in India! The grounds include a polo field, gorgeous pool, and lots of little paths that criss-cross the gardens. The family treats you like a guest and like a member of the family — while we were there we were treated to a beautiful supper on the grass in the late afternoon sun — magical! All the rooms have been renovated and have amazing marble floors and fabulous baths, each with its own unique series of nooks and windows with amazing views of the countryside. The little village that is just outside the gates of the castle is charming too. What a delightful contrast to all the business that is India. A great place to relax and experience life at an Indian family 'home.'

Rak Ko Jae Seoul: "Traditional Exotic Hotel Perfect Location"

"My son (16) and I stayed in this traditionally styled hotel. We were seeking a 'real Korean experience' and that is what we received during our stay and didn't want to be stuck in a western hotel. We chose traditional style bedding but could have selected western style and they would have switched beds. We chose western style breakfasts and they were first class (complimentary). My son looked forward to breakfast everyday. Our washing was done everyday (complimentary), fridge in room with 4xdrinks (complimentary each day), wifi (complimentary). Aircon was fine as was the bathroom, perhaps a bit tricky for elderly to get into the bath/shower if not so nimble - we had no issues! The hotel owner Mr Kim and his staff met all our needs and requests in an instant. Only 4 or 5 groups of guests at anytime and they all received the same level of service. The hotel is just a few hundred metres from the subway, airport bus and very close to all the main tourist areas (although study map before to be sure of directions - we used iPhone maps rather than google maps as it was superior). Tourist information centres were in each tourist district and near our the subway. We ate vegetarian (and fish) and preferred to eat in Japanese styled restaurants when Korean food got a little complicated or just meat/spicy. The hotel is not far from a few 'local styled' supermarkets that are in the main tourist strip in the adjacent street/lane nearby with all the restaurants and lots of tourists. Just one of many tourist options in the vicinity. We stayed 5 nights but I think we could have achieved a great insight into Seoul in 3 or at most 4 nights max."

Maison Polanka: "Sublime. The perfect balance in every respect"

Maison Polonka blew me and my friends away. Very rarely do you walk away from a hotel stay speechless at the friendliness, the serenity, the service, and the ability to go above and beyond. From the gardens to the pool, as well as the stunning rooms, Maison Poloka has nailed it. But beyond that, the service was extraordinary, from the first pick up, through to helping get a flight delayed so we would not miss it (!!). Yes, that happened. Attentive without being smothering; friendly and absolutely genuine. I would normally keep such a place a secret, for fear of it getting swamped and me never being able to stay there again - but when it's this good the world needs to know about it and they deserve every booking they get.

Heritage Suites Hotel: "Perfect location"

Wonderful small hotel, excellent service, nice pool and very good bedrooms.Picked up at the airport in classic Mercedes which is great. Very good tour operators in hotel for trips to Angkor temples etc

Villa Song Saigon: "Attention to detail superb"

"What a fabulous hotel to stay at. I decided to treat my 12 year old girl to a night at Villa Song to celebrate her birthday. We were not disappointed. From the booking to when we left, the hotel and its staff were excellent. Their communication was first class and we felt in good hands. Upon arrival we went up to the beautiful art suite, overlooking the Saigon River, to find the most beautiful rose bouquet and a handwritten note as a birthday welcome for my girl. The room was stunning, as was the bouquet. The room has an amazing view and as it is at the top (room 308) has an incredible view of the river. We had dinner sitting outside overlooking the river too. It has an indoor and outdoor section, but sitting outside was glorious. The lights and candles add to the ambience, although the music does need to change. Some beautiful Vietnamese music would be more appropriate. Dinner itself was a delight. The flavours of the food were intriguing and inviting and we were waited on well. The last surprise was a lovely cheesecake for my girl for her birthday - a lovely thought. The pool is lovely and warm and a very good size. Lastly, we had a spa treatment which was superb as well. We had both a facial and an aromatherapy massage. Both were delightful. Without a doubt we would love to return. The staff were so accommodating and this hotel deserves its excellent ratings."

SEEDS Restaurant & Lounge: "Neues Spitzenrestaurant in Yangoon"

Wir haben ein hervorragendes Dinner in einer wunderschönen Umgebung direkt am See genossen. Der Service war sehr freundlich und kompetent.

Sanak Retreat Bali: "Un délicieux séjour"

Living in Asia, we found this hotel through SHANTI Bali who organized our stay on the island. Travel and perfect organization from beginning to end, which ended in Munduk. Frame, home, architecture, room, meals, walks in the rice fields. EVERYTHING is able to Sanak. THE next "wasted away ALL" that the wi-fi jumps and there is no activity around bcp. To do to relax and enjoy the sublime and soothing views, all complete with a hot stone massage very successful. We recommend Shanti Bali travel and hotel Sanak

Bali Jiwa Villa: "Paradise in Ubud."

Me and my wife visit Bali for the 8th time and after staying in most of the luxury hotels in Ubud that you all know I was looking for something real and special and then I found this hidden little paradise just 15 min thru rice fields and local villages away from the vibrant Ubud center. The villas are top end as it´s the service and the spot is just a magazine cover picture. Swimming in your private pool right in the rice fileds wathcing the ducks one meter away doing their job every morning. Everybody talks about sunsets near the beach but you have to watch sunset in Jiwa, wow. The food is delicious even the lunch menu is a little bit reduced but is plenty of places in Ubud. Even if it´s your first time in Bali or If you are a repeater as we are it´s a must to spend some time in Jiwa, for sure you won´t regret.It´s the perfect plae to explore Bali as base camp or just relax and do villa living for relaxing.Thanks to the staff and Barbara they made our stay in Ubud a real special one. If we go to Ubud next time for sure we will go back to our Jiwa home. Thanks and best regards.

CABOCHON: "Cute and quiet hideaway in Bangkok"

"Super friendly and helpful staff, a gorgeous old style building creaking with history in a peaceful soi just off sukhumvit, the Cabochon gives you all you need for a stay in this hectic city. From its handy location near to the BTS to its deserted rooftop pool this hotel delivers. Breakfast is good (although personally I always like to see some Bircher muesli on offer!). We slept wonderfully here, it's quiet and the beds are comfortable. "

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "a superb hotel – with great attention to detail and outstanding service"

"We have been to India many times and have been fortunate to stay in many wonderful hotels. But by any comparison, the Neeleshwar Hermitage stands out as among the best for its perfect combination of outstanding service, food, location and attention to detail. Rarely do even the best hotels in the world get all of these right, every day. Our main interest is in seeing and experiencing everyday life in India. For us, one of the attractions of Neeleshwar Hermitage is that there is a lot to see locally and it’s easy, with the help of the hotel, to get about. We found the manager immediately understood what we wanted to do, and was very helpful with the ideas and arrangements to enable us to make the most of our 6 day stay. You don’t have to go anywhere of course, and when it is hot and the skies blue (as it was when we were there) it is tempting to head to the pool and stay there. It is a beautiful pool. It’s also very well situated, overlooking a long, wide sandy beach that is also used a lot by the local villagers. The design and materials throughout contribute a lot to the feeling of a very relaxing, comfortable place to stay. And it is extremely well thought through, to maintain that special ambience. The tables in the main restaurant, for example, are fixed in position, each with their own ceiling fan directly overhead, and there is a lot of space between them. This means you feel like you have a lot of space and privacy, and makes it feel very peaceful. The tables are similarly well placed a good distance apart in the excellent seafood restaurant by the beach. Juices, beers and local wine are all readily available wherever you are but there is no formal bar, either by the pool or in the main lounge area, which again helps to keep things quieter than it can be in some places. Smoking is not allowed anywhere, indoors or out. All of these elements are important, but it’s even better: we found the service, without exception, to be outstanding. Every single person got it exactly right. They also work very well together. It may be an informal beach hotel, but there is great attention to detail. This is not a hotel that is particularly easy to get to. We flew from Mumbai to Mangalore, and from there it is about a 2 1/2 hour drive. But if you like India, and don’t mind some dusty, bumpy roads, there is always a lot to see on the way. The Neeleshwar Hermitage seems to attract people who are looking for peaceful surroundings. Only as we were leaving did we see one very demonstrative guest, who had just arrived, waving a mobile phone by the pool. The rest was a beautiful silence, in what must be one of the best hotels in southern India."