Guest Reviews

satrin house: "Beautiful quiet hotel"

"Our plane arrival was two hours late and Satri House was there to pick us up on arrival. The service was kind,friendly, and gracious throughout our stay. Navi, the guest services manager was present to offer dining suggestions and answer any questions we might have. All of the staff were excellent. The hotel is arranged in beautiful gardens and pools around a Lao prince's residence. The furnishings and interiors are antiques and one of a kind art pieces. It is almost like staying in an art museum. The impressions are fantastic. The food in the dining room was excellent. We had dinner twice and breakfast every morning. It is good value for money. We used the hotel bicycles to go sight seeing which was fun. It was overall a wonderful experience.We stayed in room 622 which was large, artfully arranged,and quiet, with both air conditioning and a ceiling fan which we loved. "

Samanea Beach Resort: "Samanea. Lovelier the Second Time"

"I fell in love with Samanea two years ago. So many improvements have been made since. The villa, service, staff, food are delightfully better. Still, the best part is the serenity Samanea offers. The view is as breathtaking as I remember it. The sunset is simply spectacular. It’s family-friendly,too. A family brought their infant with them, and another had a toddler. Seeing them added to the natural beauty of the place. It says a lot how amazing this place is. Over-all, Samanea is a must-see, must- experience destination. When you leave, you’ll find yourself promising to come back. And you will. I did."

Satri House: "Lovely oasis in Luang Prabang"

"We stayed at Satri House for 3 nights at the end of our Laos trip. The hotel rooms are beautifully refurbished and full of antiques (and have modern showers & A/C!). Rooms fumigated every night too to get rid of mosquitos. Lovely pool to relax in and little poolside bar. Free bikes on offer to explore the city and the staff are very helpful in arranging / suggesting places to visit and restaurants. No TVs in the room help relax and adjust to the pace of life! Stayed December 2016, traveled as a couple"

Villa Song Saigon: "Mattie Nason"

"Wonderful hotel with excellent service. We stayed in the Art room. I could sit on my bed with open windows and listen to the river, music from the restaurant and the feel the cool breeze after the evening rain. The extra cost for the larger room was worth it. Overall a good value. The food was excellent, breakfast was included and could be had any time during the day. The pool was a high light for me. On enough for serious laps and the perfect temperature. Open 27/7! All their recommendations were great too."

MesaStila: "One night stay, beautiful srroundings, will return"

"The resort is set in beautifully landscaped grounds with views of volcanoes in every direction. They also have a small coffee plantation onsite and the coffee itself is only available in the hotel. Rooms were huge and nicely fitted out. Would loved to have stayed longer, but was following a tight itinerary through central and eastern Java. Will return for sure. "

Tugu Lombok: "Vacaciones inolvidables"

Un espacio para recordar, gente amable, atencion maxima, INOLVIDABLE. Las playas sus aguas trasparentes hacen un placer el bañarse, disfrutar de su fauna marina, corales de muchos colores, estrellas de mar, peces y sus enormes tortugas.

Inle Princess Resort: "Go on, splurge,on the lake villa!"

"Immediately, the door opened and I was speechless, the huge windows made me feel like I was floating on the lake itself...simply stunning. The complimentary mini bar was a pleasant added touch as I sat back on my private balcony to watch the sunset. The room was immaculate and spacious. The bathroom complete with outdoor shower was clean and well equipped. The resort is in a secluded corner of the lake and you really did feel like you were far away from the hustle and bustle of the jetty town. The boats themselves must switch off their engines before approaching the resort which makes for a charming introduction to the brilliant foot steering of the local boatmen. Breakfast was made to order and the food generally was of a high standard. I loved seeing the two Burmese cats making themselves at home in this little piece of paradise. Inle Lake was really one of the highlights of my trip, in fact, I could have spent a few extra days here just enjoying the lake life. Trekking on the furthest reaches of the lake would be on my to do list when I return."

Tugu Malang: "A most wonderful hotel"

I can really recommend this hotel. Although only 25 years old it is built in the dutch colonial style. The staff are very attentive and friendly and nothing is too much trouble. The food in the restaurant is excellent and cheap by english standards. The rooms are comfortable and perfectly adequate. Part of the hotel is a museum and the staff give an escorted tour. The is even the possibility of a cycle tour in the morning avoiding the traffic, This is the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at and I doubt if there is a better one in Malang. An extensive tea with indonesian delicacies is available free to all the guests.

Glenburn Tea Estate: "It is a beautifully located property on the crest of a hill giving you a 360 degree view of all the hills around."

"This boutique hotel gives you the experience of complete tranquility, as it is situated in the middle of a tea estate surrounded by luxuriant greenery. The bird life, the changing cloud patterns and occasional rain immerses you in nature and your inner self. The staff is very obliging and attentive and the cuisine is delectable. A total experience."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "A Truly Unique And Special Place To Stay"

"The Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion is an incredibly unique hotel. Built in the late 1800’s, the mansion was the family home of Chinese businessman and politician Cheong Fatt Tze. The mansion symbolized his wealth and prosperity, with extraordinary detail given to the original building and restoration. In modern terms, it’s one of the most “Instagrammable” buildings I’ve ever seen! Keep reading to find out why I highly recommend staying at the famous Blue Mansion. THE HISTORY The original version of the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion was built with 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, and 7 staircases, and is one of the largest buildings of its kind outside of China. Feng Shui played an important role in the design of the mansion, and each part of the layout had a specific a purpose. For example, the number of open air courtyards is because water is seen as wealth, so the more rain you have naturally coming into the house the better. Once that water was inside, there are winding drainage pipes to keep the water underneath the house as long as possible before flowing outside. There is so much history behind the building that the Mansion runs daily tours several times a dat so you can learn about the Mansion even if you are not staying there. However, I would still highly recommend booking a room because the tours only cover the common areas and not the guest rooms to maintain guests’ privacy. While the tour is still worth it if that’s your only option, staying in the hotel itself allows you to have the full experience and get better pictures! THE ROOMS The Blue Mansion has 18 rooms, each with its own name and backstory. I was in the Escoy room, named after an old smelting company in Penang. Located on the ground floor, the room had beautiful tall ceilings, detailed gold carvings, and plenty of space to spread out. In addition, there are little heirlooms and authentic 19th century furniture scattered throughout to give it even more personality. The rooms all have amenities that would have made Cheong Fatt Tze himself jealous, including a large HDTV, speedy wi-fi and a heavenly rainfall shower. It was truly a unique experience to stay in a place with such history, while still having full access to luxury amenities! THE FOOD Breakfast is served each day in the central courtyard, which is where the “Feng Shui” is strongest. The staff does a great job transforming the beautiful open air courtyard into a wonderful breakfast spread. There is a self-served area for pastries, toast and fruit, as well as made to order hot dishes from the waiter. You can also choose local flavors to be ready for your day! There is also a wonderful on-site restaurant called Indigo which was also great. Located upstairs above the central courtyard, Indigo fuses Eastern and Western culture in both the food and the ambiance. The in-house chef creates wonderful dishes each night, with each dish looking like a piece of artwork itself. The lamb and fish were especially good, so be sure to make a reservation during your stay! THE LOCATION Once you are well fed, you’ll see the Blue Mansion is perfectly located to many walkable sites. Given that Penang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are countless beautiful buildings and little areas to visit. These include the Clan Jetties, Little India, and Red Garden, a great night food market which is literally next door! One of my favorite parts of the location was is the short walk to many of the famous works of street art dotting the alleyways of Penang. Be sure to grab a map and ask the concierge for the locations of the art because some of them can be tricky to find but worth the effort! CONCLUSION Staying at the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion was one of the highlights of my entire trip to Malaysia. The history behind the building itself is extremely interesting and the hotel itself was beautiful. Be sure to bring a spare memory card when you visit because you will take countless pictures of both the Mansion itself and all the amazing sites nearby. The Blue Mansion is a very special experience and I highly recommend staying with them next time you are in Penang! Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"