Guest Reviews

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."

Cabochon Hotel & Residence: "Hidden Gem"

"My husband and I stayed at the Cabochon Hotel over the Easter Weekend in April 2015. We found the hotel through The Secret Retreats website, and this being our first trip to Bangkok and Thailand, we decided to try something a little different from the standard Hyatt and Four Seasons of the world. Our experience with Cabachon started before we even left home. I had a couple of questions in terms of transport from the airport and booking at a restaurant we had been told was a must. I emailed the hotel asking for advice, and had a response within a few hours, not just with advice, but a restaurant booking confirmed at an exclusive restaurant over the Easter weekend on the date/time we had wanted - WOW! (...) The location of the hotel is great, located close to the sky train and shopping area's, easy to catch taxi's and massage parlours and great restaurants within walking distance. It's definitely our hotel of choice for Bangkok, and we'll most certainly be back."

David’s Kitchen: "Sublime"

I assumed any restaurant in Thailand called David's would be french considering. I was a bit surprised when I met David as he met us at the door. I won't let my expectations ruin yours. He was so delightful on so many levels.But that was was just the meet and greet.The waiting staff were absolutely fantastic. Their english was wonderfu and the service was very very pleasantl. But the food. The food was fantastic.I would have to rate this as one of the best meals of my life. From the moment it starts to the end, everything is just little bits of perfection. I would dearly dearly love to live just down the road.

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Beautiful Place, Great Staff"

"The hotel is just beautiful. Definitely take the free tour! We stayed in ""Escoy"" and our room was amazing and very comfortable!! There were interesting snacks & drinks provided. The staff is extremely helpful and nice. The pool was the perfect afternoon break between long walks around. The breakfast was very good."

Mathis Retreat: "Small and personal, out of the way of the hustle and bustle"

This small boutique hotel is just a short car ride away for the busy Ubud area. The service is impeccable from the minute you arrive. If you are interested in seeing the sites guided the hotel manager is happy to arrange a private guide. The rooms while nothing over the top fancy are quite large and have a wonderful view of the rice paddies that surround it and are very clean and well maintained. The infinity pool while we were there was quite cool but that is to be expected for November. The restaurant on site is an open air area with a roof, with a nice of the area. The menu while not large has excellent food choices which are all quite good. We did not have a bad meal here. Prices were reasonable for the restaurant, rooms and the spa facilities. There has been a change in ownership which was happening about the time we were staying there, my hope is that it has been a seamless change as it truly is a little piece of paradise.

Tugu Malang: "Very high service hotel"

Very good hotel which gave a very high service. They asked me in person about my view on the hotel. And a very enjoying high tea moment. Thanks Anita the receptionist for the warm welcome and the help. A hotel for reply valentijn

Les Maisons Wat Ko: "Memorable stay"

We stayed in room no. 1 just above the room that Angelina Jolie used to stay during her movie production this year. The room is spacious, comfortable and very clean. We enjoyed the salt water pool but has not enough time to try the massage by the scenic lotus pond. Very helpful and friendly staff. Overall service and experience is beyond expectation.

Satri House: "Perfection in Luang Prabang"

"We recently stayed three nights at the beautiful Satri House and loved every bit of our stay. The hotel seems straight out of a travel magazine as it is decorated very stylishly but simply, without skimping on luxury. It's a quiet oasis to return to after a day of sightseeing - have a beer Lao and a relaxing swim at the beautiful pool! The location is ideal - just a few minutes bike ride to town, and on a quiet street away from the main drag. The staff is wonderful: kind, attentive, and one of the best parts of the stay. They easily made dinner reservations and arranged private excursions; they even went out of their way to get us bubble wrap for things we had bought. No complaints at all about this gem of a hotel in beautiful Luang Prabang - can't wait to return one day!"

tugu bali: "Exquisite beauty and great service"

"We were given a welcome drink and then escorted through beautiful grounds to room 209, an upper- floor Renjang Suite which was huge and featured a four-post canopy bed with carved wood, a beautiful hammered metal tub (a common Tugu Hotels feature) on an enclosed porch with views to the Indian Ocean and much more. The room was done throughout in beautiful wood and felt very cosy. The ceiling must have reached 20 feet at the top of the vault. Two Aircon units in the room kept the Bali heat in check. The bedding was very comfortable and in the serene setting with the sound of the waves out the windows we slept very well. The lighting was too dim for reading in bed, so bring your clip- to- the- book light if that matters to you! There were separate rooms for the shower and for the toilet. There was a lot of closet space and plenty of room for our luggage. Breakfast was a la carte and had a nice selection. The black rice was excellent, more or less a pudding, with coconut milk, delicious. Their omelets were tasty, too. There was delicately smoked salmon on their equivalent of soda bread, a very successful combination. The front desk, the bar, the restaurant tables and a large stage all share a big space under a vaulted roof. There was a cultural evening on our Thursday evening, no charge, and it was great. The statue of some winged beast at the back of the stage is impressive. The hotel is a showplace of various Indonesian works of art and is worth visiting just for that reason. The hotel puts chairs on the beach for guests and there’s also a lawn with beach chairs. You can order dinner and drinks on the lawn. The beach walks were great. There are lots of surfers to watch, and there are bars all along the beach in case the hot sun makes you thirsty… There were plenty of bars and restaurants all up and down the streets, too, but from what I saw between the hotel and the airport, there are restaurants and boutiques nearly everywhere in Bali, some in the least likely places. Be sure to agree taxi prices before you go anywhere as they will rip you off if you let them. Our first and only experience with this ended well because the Tugu’s porter came up to the taxi when he saw me disagreeing with the driver, and when he heard the driver’s demand he told the taxi guy to take what I offered and buzz off. After that, we were careful to agree beforehand. The location seems to be good, although this was my first trip to Bali and I do not have anything to compare it to. It takes about an hour to manage the 22km from the airport. At the end of our stay, the staff prepared a nice basket of fruit and chilled water to snack on in the car to the airport, and they all came out to wave goodbye, a very nice touch. We will certainly stay at the Tugu on our next Bali visit. "

Tugu Malang: "Excellent deco, service and spa"

"Very nice hotel located close to train station (no need taxi). Many antiques collected by owner make hotel deco look unique with many rooms to discover and nice pieces of furniture. They know how to greet guests and make business: 15mn massage offered, very good local pastries with drink offered at tea time. Nice pool for children, good restaurant and cosy colonial bar. Great location to visit the town and the region. Very good surprise to find this hotel in this small town."