Guest Reviews

Jing’s Residence: "The best hotel we stayed in China"

"Stopped here for 2 nights during our tour of China. The hotel is in the centre of the walled town. If you arrive during the day no traffic is allowed on the street so you have to walk with your suitcases a short distance. It was the best hotel we stayed in during our China tour. From the welcome where we were met with refreshing tea and honeyed dates, to the the room off a courtyard which was sumptuous and pure luxury, to afternoon tea and the staff who were service personified. We were in room 107. A large luxurious room with separate shower room, a large bed on a raised bed to look like a futon everything was just right. Each afternoon tea was served, a choice of tea with a selection of sweet things and fruit. A chance to sit quietly away from bustle outside and relax. There was a ground floor restaurant and upstairs a bar, lounge and library. The best aspect was the service. From the resident man@ger who clearly kept a tight rein on all that happened to each member of staff it was exemplary. Don’t take the word of those of us who’ve reviewed and been here go yourself it is a brilliant hotel."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Understated splendour"

Marvellous! If you are coming to George Town, you’ve got to stay here if only for 1 night. Take the tour to understand the building. With curry followed by bread and butter pudding and creme anglaise for breakfast, heavenly.

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "Simply the BEST"

"Rarely does one find a jewel like this, where staff and owner are welcoming, friendly and nothing is too much. Marcus and his team really go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable, relaxing, rejuvenating. Then comes the view : simply breathtaking. And the cozy rooms in chalets built of local materials, all conscious of the environment and preserving it. And the delicious food : you can have just about anything you feel like, and much of it comes form their own organic garden, simply delicious! Thank you TMPL for a most relaxing holiday, without noise pollution! I will be back for sure."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "An architectural, heritage & historical delight… a ‘must-do’ in Penang"

"In my subjective view, the Blue Mansion – Cheong Fatt Tze – stands alongside the Penarakan Museum as the two premier ‘must-do’ heritage attractions in George Town. Both are situated in historical buildings and are tangible testaments to the rich history and culture of the Straits Chinese in Penang. However note that there are differences between the two establishments. The Peranakan Museum is, as the name suggests, a museum; ie a depository of Peranakan artefacts. On the other hand, the Blue Mansion is predominantly a building of heritage and architectural significance, with a tremendously rich history relating to one of Penang’s most historical and influential identities – Cheong Fatt Tze. While there are artefacts on display, the focus of the attraction is the heritage building and its history. Additionally, the mansion operates as a boutique hotel and fusion restaurant. One of our aims is to return one day to experience staying as a guest. We met some in-house guests and their comments, on accommodation experience, were extremely positive. The Blue Mansion’s website lauds that the building is ‘a quintessential legacy of Penang’ and, having experienced it, it is well-deserving of that claim. It is an architectural delight that has won numerous international and local awards, and has been featured in movies, travel documentaries and publications. The heritage project was the vision and passion of local architect Laurence Loh along with his family and friends. To say I am exceedingly impressed with their herculean effort is to make an understatement. The Lohs should be congratulated for preserving a key component of Penang’s – and to a wider extent, Straits Chinese’s - history. On our recent tour, we were privileged have as tour guide, the vivacious Lin Lee Loh-Lim, who is the author of the book “The Blue Mansion: The Story of Mandarin Splendour Reborn”. It was a tour that we would have enjoyed given the enthralling building and interesting history, but she elevated our enjoyment by her lively and animated nature. It was superb. Lin Lee was kind enough to autograph a copy of the book (available in their shop) and it now resides in a position of pride alongside my other architectural books. Tour times: 11am, 2pm & 3:30pm Duration: 45 minutes Cost: RM17 (adults). RM8.50 (child under 12) There is something I wish they would consider and that is, allowing tour visitors to experience the building’s inner (but public) spaces for a few minutes after the guided tour – just 10 to 15 minutes perhaps. This will allow visitors to absorb and appreciate the building properly, which is not always possible when visitors are concentrating on the historical narrative during a guided tour. A visit to Penang will be lacking somewhat without a tour of Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion. Highly recommended. Thanks for reading this review and my gratitude should you rate it as helpful. Life is short... go travelling and enjoy life today!"

Golden Buddha Beach Resort: "paradise found"

we as a family of 4 (kids 9 & &) spent 3 nights at Golden Buddha over Thai New Year. We were all completely blown away by the natural beauty of the island and its wildlife. It was a trek to get there but was a price well worth paying. We stayed in Tongsai which was a charming house at the beach front. It is old fashioned luxury minus air con or electricity at night! The service was excellent as you would expect from the Thai people as well as Massi from Italy. We did a jeep safari which I would definitely recommend. We had a very knowledgeable and personable American guide called Brennan. The whole experience was just magical and one we shall never forget.

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Scrumptious, eclectic mix"

Went for an 8:30pm reservation and sat upstairs outside - which I would highly recommend. Exquisite tastes, friendly staff and chef, all that I had hoped for on my trip and a definite must-visit while in Siem Reap. Don't be deterred by the dark street on the approach - this place is a jewel in a very quiet area of Siem Reap.

bali jiwa: "Coming home"

"This was our second stay in Bali Jiwa Villa and it already felt like coming home. The surrounding is breathtaking, the staff so very warm and welcoming and villa full of beauty. We enjoyed every minute. You can easily go to Ubud for shopping or dinner. Most of the time we had dinner in the villa, which was lovingly prepaired and utterly delicious. We definitely will be back."

Jing’s Residence: "Very unique experience"

This residence has much charm, rooms are scattered around courtyards. It is located in the centre of the city and his nevertheless quite calm. Restaurant is excellent. The residence has been realized from the basis of typical houses / buildings of former times, but all has been fully redesigned with great care and taste. Very well located, you can visit the city and go bac back for a nice tea in the afternoon.

Nam Bo Boutique Hotel: "Fantastic place"

"Entrance of the hotel was not attractive at all but the front desk lady was very friendly even though it was late at night. Once we stepped into the room I was impressed very elegant decoration and relaxed setting. Look like it's newly renovated. The bed is really comfortable, there are water and fruits. One suggestion is to be more environmental. So not change the soap, towel and all other things that can be reused. Another tip would be to put up a reminder for guest about the step down into the washroom to avoid people trip and fall! Breakfast btw was really really good!!! "

Satri House: "Beautiful"

"When planning a visit to Luang Prabang you can get a little blown away by the accommodation on offer, there are many beautiful properties to consider all offering their own style. After much thought we plumped for here and stayed in a Satri House Suite. The original historic house in which we stayed was delightful. A lovely bathroom, huge bedroom with a very comfortable mattress and a separate sitting room area. The rest of the little complex of rooms are well set out in the grounds and not at all crowded, everything has been very tastefully done and to a ver high standard. The location is away from the main centre a little, a normal paced walk probably not more than 30mins to the far end of the town, we enjoyed walking into the centre, traffic is not a problem at all, and to be honest we appreciated the little district where the hotel is located, very pleasant streets around. We also used the complimentary bikes to have a little venture further to edges of town. A little Lao whiskey nightcap with a quick read of the local paper became a pleasant regular evening stop. Walking around town with a keen eye on the other places we considered, Villa Santi, Busari, 3 Nagas etc amongst many more we firmly decided we had made the right choice and not once did I have a regret of our choice. We did not eat a main meal here, but breakfast was more than adequate, the home jams delicious. If I had a tiny gripe it would be that the staff, which in every other way were delightful and really attentive could pay a little more attention to used towels around the pool, thats not much as the only grumble of any kind though. Beautiful place, I understand this is pretty much the main heritage hotel in the city, I am not surprised."