Six Senses Con Dao (with comparisons to Amano’i), Vietnam
Jul 13, 2014, 11:11 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Six Senses Con Dao (with comparisons to Amano’i), Vietnam
We were recently at both resorts. Six Senses is a brand that is not often discussed here (except by those who only seem to say ‘too rustic’). I will not give a full review of Amano’i, because I think that’s already been pretty well covered, but I will make some commentary on it and will compare the two resorts.
Six Senses resorts ARE rustic (or at least they have been, up until the ownership change) and Con Dao, while not as rustic as the Ninh Van Bay property (which we stayed at years ago), still falls into this category.
I had reserved the resorts through DavidO. And of course he was fantastic, as always. After the initial reservation was made, we began communicating directly with the GM, who was always very responsive and accommodating. We even cancelled the reservation at one point and then later reinstated it after the original rate was no longer available (the new rate was higher because it was closer to the arrival date) – and the resort was kind enough to still give us the original rate (and this is also probably due to David, so thanks are appropriate there as well).
Getting to the resort is not hard. From HCMC, it’s really a 1 hour flight to Con Dao airport. And once you land, it’s a short 10 minute drive from the airport to the resort. I believe the only carrier making this flight is Vietnam Airlines and it seems like the resort has some days ‘reserved’ so that while the flights do not appear on the VA website, they are available through the resort. We actually made all of our internal Vietnam flight arrangements through the resort and were very happy with their service there as well.
The location of the resort is really fantastic. The combination of the green hills in back of you and the beach/ocean in front of you really make the location feel amazingly secluded and very ‘classic tropical beach’. Even though the main town on the island is really just next to the resort, you would never know it. And the beach – honestly, this is the reason to come here. I have to say it’s probably nicer than any other beach I’ve experienced in SE Asia – certainly nicer than anything in Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand (including the beach at Amanpuri). I’ve not been to Amanpulo, so cannot compare there. The beach here was not as nice as those in Maldives / Seychelles, but close. We normally enjoy going into the ocean, but tend to hang out more in the pool. Here, the ocean water was so nice, we found ourselves hanging out in it for hours at a time. But the private pool was also very nice (and cooler than the ocean).
We were in a 2 bedroom villa with a huge pool (and another, smaller, useless pool that we really didn’t understand). These villas are right on the beach, but raised 10-12 feet up so that those walking on the beach have a limited view into your villa. I thought everything was very well designed and the villa was huge. Yes, everything is made of wood, which does add to the ‘rustic’ feel, but the lines are clean and the villas were very open, bright and airy. Overall, it was not too rustic for us. Privacy was excellent as both of your neighbors are actually quite far away from you due to the size of the villa.
Food was OK, but not great. Breakfast (with cold items buffet style and hot items ordered off the menu) was fantastic. Lunch and dinner were less successful in the main restaurant. We stuck to Vietnamese dishes and we really only eat vegetarian and sometimes fish/seafood. While nothing was bad, nor was it really memorable. I was expecting Vietnamese dishes that were better than my local Vietnamese restaurant and this didn’t happen. Their ‘Vietnamese Kitchen’ dining venue was closed during our time there, so maybe the ‘good’ Vietnamese food comes from there. We did have the in villa BBQ one night. Normally, I find these things to be a way to charge a ridiculous sum of money to present you with too much poorly prepared food. But here it was a pleasant surprise and I’m glad we did it. Overall, we found room service food for lunch/dinner to actually be better than the food at the main restaurant. Food, overall, was very inexpensive for this category of resort.
Service across the resort was good, but somewhat reserved. English was not a problem for anyone we encountered, but at the same time, we found them very hesitant to engage in any kind of conversation. This is a resort where each villa gets a ‘butler’ and ours was very attentive (but not TOO attentive, which can sometimes be an issue). I think Six Senses generally does the butler thing pretty well. Housekeeping was wonderful, the villa was always very clean. Morning cleaning was always done while we were at breakfast.
The facilities were adequate, but not amazing. The main pool was very underwhelming and we never used it; gym was small, but well equipped (and cool!) and the spa was quite nice. Spa treatments were excellent and very well priced. For us, the ‘rustic’ feel was much more noticeable in the common areas than it was in the villa itself.
We did have one major issue with the A/C in our villa breaking during our stay. And it was handled pretty poorly, in my opinion. We ended up having to move to another villa, which was not a huge deal. What was more of an irritant was a full day of people coming into the villa, looking at the A/C and pronouncing it ‘fixed’, when it really wasn’t. But I do have to say that they tried very hard to resolve the issue. My hunch is that things got to the point that they did because they didn’t want to upset us by telling us we had to move, not knowing that having them trying to fix it (and failing) over an 8 hour time period was much more irritating to us than a move would have been (especially since we ended up having to move anyway).
We had intended to do a lot of activities while here (I understand the scuba/snorkeling is excellent), but ended up doing almost nothing, apart from a few spa treatments. Being in and around the villa area and in the ocean was just so fantastic and relaxing that it was hard to tear ourselves away from that (and so we didn’t).
Certainly, the 2 bedroom villa was not inexpensive, but I found it a very good value for the money paid. The private space and the fact that all of that space was directly on a beautiful and secluded beach was really well worth it.
One final note about the weather: Here, May (which is when we were there) is the start of the ‘calm’ season. The winds die down and the water is calm. The only rain we had was in the evening and the winds were nonexistent (almost to the point where you were wishing for a breeze). I mention it because the weather is much more windy between December – April, which I think would make the beach (and the whole resort) much less pleasant.
Six Senses resorts ARE rustic (or at least they have been, up until the ownership change) and Con Dao, while not as rustic as the Ninh Van Bay property (which we stayed at years ago), still falls into this category.
I had reserved the resorts through DavidO. And of course he was fantastic, as always. After the initial reservation was made, we began communicating directly with the GM, who was always very responsive and accommodating. We even cancelled the reservation at one point and then later reinstated it after the original rate was no longer available (the new rate was higher because it was closer to the arrival date) – and the resort was kind enough to still give us the original rate (and this is also probably due to David, so thanks are appropriate there as well).
Getting to the resort is not hard. From HCMC, it’s really a 1 hour flight to Con Dao airport. And once you land, it’s a short 10 minute drive from the airport to the resort. I believe the only carrier making this flight is Vietnam Airlines and it seems like the resort has some days ‘reserved’ so that while the flights do not appear on the VA website, they are available through the resort. We actually made all of our internal Vietnam flight arrangements through the resort and were very happy with their service there as well.
The location of the resort is really fantastic. The combination of the green hills in back of you and the beach/ocean in front of you really make the location feel amazingly secluded and very ‘classic tropical beach’. Even though the main town on the island is really just next to the resort, you would never know it. And the beach – honestly, this is the reason to come here. I have to say it’s probably nicer than any other beach I’ve experienced in SE Asia – certainly nicer than anything in Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand (including the beach at Amanpuri). I’ve not been to Amanpulo, so cannot compare there. The beach here was not as nice as those in Maldives / Seychelles, but close. We normally enjoy going into the ocean, but tend to hang out more in the pool. Here, the ocean water was so nice, we found ourselves hanging out in it for hours at a time. But the private pool was also very nice (and cooler than the ocean).
We were in a 2 bedroom villa with a huge pool (and another, smaller, useless pool that we really didn’t understand). These villas are right on the beach, but raised 10-12 feet up so that those walking on the beach have a limited view into your villa. I thought everything was very well designed and the villa was huge. Yes, everything is made of wood, which does add to the ‘rustic’ feel, but the lines are clean and the villas were very open, bright and airy. Overall, it was not too rustic for us. Privacy was excellent as both of your neighbors are actually quite far away from you due to the size of the villa.
Food was OK, but not great. Breakfast (with cold items buffet style and hot items ordered off the menu) was fantastic. Lunch and dinner were less successful in the main restaurant. We stuck to Vietnamese dishes and we really only eat vegetarian and sometimes fish/seafood. While nothing was bad, nor was it really memorable. I was expecting Vietnamese dishes that were better than my local Vietnamese restaurant and this didn’t happen. Their ‘Vietnamese Kitchen’ dining venue was closed during our time there, so maybe the ‘good’ Vietnamese food comes from there. We did have the in villa BBQ one night. Normally, I find these things to be a way to charge a ridiculous sum of money to present you with too much poorly prepared food. But here it was a pleasant surprise and I’m glad we did it. Overall, we found room service food for lunch/dinner to actually be better than the food at the main restaurant. Food, overall, was very inexpensive for this category of resort.
Service across the resort was good, but somewhat reserved. English was not a problem for anyone we encountered, but at the same time, we found them very hesitant to engage in any kind of conversation. This is a resort where each villa gets a ‘butler’ and ours was very attentive (but not TOO attentive, which can sometimes be an issue). I think Six Senses generally does the butler thing pretty well. Housekeeping was wonderful, the villa was always very clean. Morning cleaning was always done while we were at breakfast.
The facilities were adequate, but not amazing. The main pool was very underwhelming and we never used it; gym was small, but well equipped (and cool!) and the spa was quite nice. Spa treatments were excellent and very well priced. For us, the ‘rustic’ feel was much more noticeable in the common areas than it was in the villa itself.
We did have one major issue with the A/C in our villa breaking during our stay. And it was handled pretty poorly, in my opinion. We ended up having to move to another villa, which was not a huge deal. What was more of an irritant was a full day of people coming into the villa, looking at the A/C and pronouncing it ‘fixed’, when it really wasn’t. But I do have to say that they tried very hard to resolve the issue. My hunch is that things got to the point that they did because they didn’t want to upset us by telling us we had to move, not knowing that having them trying to fix it (and failing) over an 8 hour time period was much more irritating to us than a move would have been (especially since we ended up having to move anyway).
We had intended to do a lot of activities while here (I understand the scuba/snorkeling is excellent), but ended up doing almost nothing, apart from a few spa treatments. Being in and around the villa area and in the ocean was just so fantastic and relaxing that it was hard to tear ourselves away from that (and so we didn’t).
Certainly, the 2 bedroom villa was not inexpensive, but I found it a very good value for the money paid. The private space and the fact that all of that space was directly on a beautiful and secluded beach was really well worth it.
One final note about the weather: Here, May (which is when we were there) is the start of the ‘calm’ season. The winds die down and the water is calm. The only rain we had was in the evening and the winds were nonexistent (almost to the point where you were wishing for a breeze). I mention it because the weather is much more windy between December – April, which I think would make the beach (and the whole resort) much less pleasant.
Jul 13, 2014, 11:12 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Amano’i
In many ways, we found Amanoi to be the opposite of the Six Senses. Here, the service was very nearly perfect, already much better than that at the Six Senses. Unlike the Six Senses, English was still a ‘work in progress’ for many employees, but you could really see them trying to learn and still attempting to communicate with the guests. But you could tell that even though not everyone spoke perfect English, they had really gotten the Aman service vibe down. Unlike at the Six Senses, management was always present and always engaging. We felt honestly welcomed here and that the employees really loved (and were proud of) their jobs.
Housekeeping was excellent – always in when we were not and we never saw them. Given the heat and the size of the resort, we used a lot of buggies and they were always there before we were ready. Literally, we’d call and by the time we put on our shoes and walked from the villa to the main path, they were waiting.
Amanoi is not a beach resort. I know others will disagree, but in my opinion, one should not go there for the beach. We found it small and rather unpleasant to be on (although lovely to look at). The beach and (even worse) the water were both filled with trash, even though there was an employee cleaning up the beach constantly. I think that one of the things that makes the resort ‘special’ - seeing all of the fishing boats at night, also makes it unusable as a beach resort. Because the fishermen tend to toss their trash overboard and all of that trash washes into the Amanoi beach and floats around in the water. If I want to swim with trash, I will go to my local community pool (Ha!). Here it was just unpleasant and we avoided it after wading in and having trash bags stuck to our bodies. Plus, I found the view from the beach (of the piers that the fishermen use) to be somewhat industrial and unappealing.
It’s clear that the construction and materials here are top notch - clearly better than the Six Senses. And this place is about as far from rustic as you can get. That said, although both the common areas and the villas were very ‘wow’ and I could see that they were going for a specific look (and they certainly achieved that), I found the indoor areas of the resort (both common and villa) to be rather dark. Not a huge deal and after being out in the bright sun, sometimes it’s nice to be in a shady place. The interior space of the villas was well designed. We loved the bathroom and the indoor/outdoor shower and were not really bothered by the TV. The bed was wonderful, but the couch in the room was so uncomfortable that it was really unusable.
I do have to agree that the cliff pool here is pretty amazing. The beach pool also looks wonderful, but the water was always too hot for us, so we really didn’t use it much.
Food here was fantastic - actually, much better than at the Six Senses. And again, I thought it was very reasonably priced. Others have said the spa was mediocre, but we found it quite nice and the treatments were excellent. The spa manager was newly arrived from one of the Amans in India and was doing an excellent job.
One issue we had was with both the villa pool and the pool at the beach club - specifically, that by the afternoon, they were just too hot to use. The only pool that seems to be immune to this is the cliff pool. The resort owners need to invest some money into both heating and cooling the pools (obviously, at different times of the year).
Well, it turns out I wrote more of an Amanoi review than I originally intended. So be it, I guess.
Housekeeping was excellent – always in when we were not and we never saw them. Given the heat and the size of the resort, we used a lot of buggies and they were always there before we were ready. Literally, we’d call and by the time we put on our shoes and walked from the villa to the main path, they were waiting.
Amanoi is not a beach resort. I know others will disagree, but in my opinion, one should not go there for the beach. We found it small and rather unpleasant to be on (although lovely to look at). The beach and (even worse) the water were both filled with trash, even though there was an employee cleaning up the beach constantly. I think that one of the things that makes the resort ‘special’ - seeing all of the fishing boats at night, also makes it unusable as a beach resort. Because the fishermen tend to toss their trash overboard and all of that trash washes into the Amanoi beach and floats around in the water. If I want to swim with trash, I will go to my local community pool (Ha!). Here it was just unpleasant and we avoided it after wading in and having trash bags stuck to our bodies. Plus, I found the view from the beach (of the piers that the fishermen use) to be somewhat industrial and unappealing.
It’s clear that the construction and materials here are top notch - clearly better than the Six Senses. And this place is about as far from rustic as you can get. That said, although both the common areas and the villas were very ‘wow’ and I could see that they were going for a specific look (and they certainly achieved that), I found the indoor areas of the resort (both common and villa) to be rather dark. Not a huge deal and after being out in the bright sun, sometimes it’s nice to be in a shady place. The interior space of the villas was well designed. We loved the bathroom and the indoor/outdoor shower and were not really bothered by the TV. The bed was wonderful, but the couch in the room was so uncomfortable that it was really unusable.
I do have to agree that the cliff pool here is pretty amazing. The beach pool also looks wonderful, but the water was always too hot for us, so we really didn’t use it much.
Food here was fantastic - actually, much better than at the Six Senses. And again, I thought it was very reasonably priced. Others have said the spa was mediocre, but we found it quite nice and the treatments were excellent. The spa manager was newly arrived from one of the Amans in India and was doing an excellent job.
One issue we had was with both the villa pool and the pool at the beach club - specifically, that by the afternoon, they were just too hot to use. The only pool that seems to be immune to this is the cliff pool. The resort owners need to invest some money into both heating and cooling the pools (obviously, at different times of the year).
Well, it turns out I wrote more of an Amanoi review than I originally intended. So be it, I guess.
Last edited by xracer; Jul 13, 2014 at 11:21 am
Jul 13, 2014, 11:12 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
The Big Question
I always ask myself if I would take a trip just to go back to a resort. And in this case, the answer is that I would not make a special trip to go back to either.
That said, if I was in the area at the right time of the year and in need of some beach time, I would certainly go back to the Six Senses. While not perfect, it was a fantastic beach and I could easily spend 5 days just hanging around the 2 bedroom beach villa. I’m actually eager to see what the new Six Senses resorts are going to be like since I think this chain is one that has a lot of potential.
For Amanoi, I would have to say that even if I was in the area, I don’t think I’d go back. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time and thought the resort was lovely. It was one of those places that you are glad to visit just to have seen it. But I don’t know what it is. It’s not a beach resort - or at least not a very successful one (in my opinion). It’s not a cultural resort since there is very little local culture to experience in the immediate area. And finally, I think it’s overpriced. Especially for Vietnam and especially because one can get a 2 bedroom villa at the Six Senses for 2/3 the cost (and that villa is 5 times the size and is directly on a wonderful beach). I would actually sooner go back to either Amanzoe or Amanruya if I was looking for a ‘kind of’ beach resort. Both of these entail less travel (for me) and are in areas that I think are more interesting.
For those of you who loved Amanoi, please be kind. This is just my opinion. And I’m not saying one should not visit the resort, just that one should adjust one’s expectations accordingly, especially if one is expecting a beach resort. Because I am not 100% sold on the place does not mean others will not find it fantastic.
That said, if I was in the area at the right time of the year and in need of some beach time, I would certainly go back to the Six Senses. While not perfect, it was a fantastic beach and I could easily spend 5 days just hanging around the 2 bedroom beach villa. I’m actually eager to see what the new Six Senses resorts are going to be like since I think this chain is one that has a lot of potential.
For Amanoi, I would have to say that even if I was in the area, I don’t think I’d go back. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time and thought the resort was lovely. It was one of those places that you are glad to visit just to have seen it. But I don’t know what it is. It’s not a beach resort - or at least not a very successful one (in my opinion). It’s not a cultural resort since there is very little local culture to experience in the immediate area. And finally, I think it’s overpriced. Especially for Vietnam and especially because one can get a 2 bedroom villa at the Six Senses for 2/3 the cost (and that villa is 5 times the size and is directly on a wonderful beach). I would actually sooner go back to either Amanzoe or Amanruya if I was looking for a ‘kind of’ beach resort. Both of these entail less travel (for me) and are in areas that I think are more interesting.
For those of you who loved Amanoi, please be kind. This is just my opinion. And I’m not saying one should not visit the resort, just that one should adjust one’s expectations accordingly, especially if one is expecting a beach resort. Because I am not 100% sold on the place does not mean others will not find it fantastic.
Last edited by xracer; Jul 13, 2014 at 11:26 am
Jul 13, 2014, 11:44 am
#4
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
From HCMC, it’s really a 1 hour flight to Con Dao airport...I believe the only carrier making this flight is Vietnam Airlines and it seems like the resort has some days ‘reserved’ so that while the flights do not appear on the VA website, they are available through the resort...made all of our internal Vietnam flight arrangements through the resort and were very happy with their service
villas are right on the beach, but raised 10-12 feet up so that those walking on the beach have a limited view into your villa
villas are right on the beach, but raised 10-12 feet up so that those walking on the beach have a limited view into your villa
were all beachfront villas raised about the same height?
service was very nearly perfect, already much better than that at the Six Senses...Aman service vibe...management was always present and always engaging. We felt honestly welcomed...employees really loved (and were proud of) their jobs.
Housekeeping was excellent – always in when we were not and we never saw them...we used a lot of buggies and they were always there before we were ready. Literally, we’d call and by the time we put on our shoes and walked from the villa to the main path, they were waiting.
[spa] quite nice and the treatments were excellent. The spa manager was newly arrived from one of the Amans in India and was doing an excellent job.
villa pool and the pool at the beach club...too hot to use. The only pool that seems to be immune to this is the cliff pool.
Housekeeping was excellent – always in when we were not and we never saw them...we used a lot of buggies and they were always there before we were ready. Literally, we’d call and by the time we put on our shoes and walked from the villa to the main path, they were waiting.
[spa] quite nice and the treatments were excellent. The spa manager was newly arrived from one of the Amans in India and was doing an excellent job.
villa pool and the pool at the beach club...too hot to use. The only pool that seems to be immune to this is the cliff pool.
as always, fantastic details. really appreciated. thanks for replies including a photo reply!
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 14, 2014 at 11:38 am
Jul 13, 2014, 2:01 pm
#6
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Regarding the height of the beachfront villas. They were all around the same height. Here is a picture of our villa from the beach, where you can see the height.
The weather at Amanoi was hotter and dryer than at Con Dao. At the latter we had some clouds and rain in the evening. At the former, we had neither.
I also like a warm pool, but at Amanoi they were HOT. At around 35 outside with full sun, you jumped in the pool and it felt hotter. So, any sense of refreshment was lost. Clearly the hot weather and sun were factors, but so was the fact that all of the pools are dark grey/black in color, which really draws in the heat. Pools were OK until around noon, but then were really too hot to use comfortably (again, except for the cliff pool which was somewhat shaded).
For veggie dishes, main courses were probably around $12USD. Fish dishes slightly more (maybe $18-20). Portions were large. There were other, more elaborate dishes on the menu which were more expensive. But we don't go there on vacation. A couple of nights we both had an order of the fresh rolls and then split an order of pan fried noodles. Total cost, probably < $25 for both of us. Of course the same dishes in HCMC cost a fraction of that.
The weather at Amanoi was hotter and dryer than at Con Dao. At the latter we had some clouds and rain in the evening. At the former, we had neither.
I also like a warm pool, but at Amanoi they were HOT. At around 35 outside with full sun, you jumped in the pool and it felt hotter. So, any sense of refreshment was lost. Clearly the hot weather and sun were factors, but so was the fact that all of the pools are dark grey/black in color, which really draws in the heat. Pools were OK until around noon, but then were really too hot to use comfortably (again, except for the cliff pool which was somewhat shaded).
For veggie dishes, main courses were probably around $12USD. Fish dishes slightly more (maybe $18-20). Portions were large. There were other, more elaborate dishes on the menu which were more expensive. But we don't go there on vacation. A couple of nights we both had an order of the fresh rolls and then split an order of pan fried noodles. Total cost, probably < $25 for both of us. Of course the same dishes in HCMC cost a fraction of that.
Jul 13, 2014, 2:56 pm
#7
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,503
For veggie dishes, main courses were probably around $12USD. Fish dishes slightly more (maybe $18-20). Portions were large. There were other, more elaborate dishes on the menu which were more expensive. But we don't go there on vacation. A couple of nights we both had an order of the fresh rolls and then split an order of pan fried noodles. Total cost, probably < $25 for both of us. Of course the same dishes in HCMC cost a fraction of that.
Jul 14, 2014, 9:47 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: London
Posts: 62
Thanks for your report xracer - very useful, objective view which I appreciate.
Although I haven't stayed at a Six Senses property before, I have stayed at the Soneva property in Thailand at the time when they were both part of the same group. Whilst there I found the standard of the F&B offering amongst the best I had experienced and they also got most other things right. As you say, the "rustic" feel which I think that they overplay themselves if I'm honest, is probably not entirely accurate because it is rustic with clean lines and a modern twist as you suggest. I think a lot of people don't like the open air bathroom concept which is understandable but that we didn't find to be that bad during our stay.
Given that Soneva is/was meant to be the premium brand of the group prior to their splitting and you liked some of the qualities at the six senses, I would suggest you keep an eye on Soneva developments as they may suit your tastes.
Although I haven't stayed at a Six Senses property before, I have stayed at the Soneva property in Thailand at the time when they were both part of the same group. Whilst there I found the standard of the F&B offering amongst the best I had experienced and they also got most other things right. As you say, the "rustic" feel which I think that they overplay themselves if I'm honest, is probably not entirely accurate because it is rustic with clean lines and a modern twist as you suggest. I think a lot of people don't like the open air bathroom concept which is understandable but that we didn't find to be that bad during our stay.
Given that Soneva is/was meant to be the premium brand of the group prior to their splitting and you liked some of the qualities at the six senses, I would suggest you keep an eye on Soneva developments as they may suit your tastes.
Jul 14, 2014, 10:06 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Jul 14, 2014, 10:11 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Thanks for your report xracer - very useful, objective view which I appreciate.
Although I haven't stayed at a Six Senses property before, I have stayed at the Soneva property in Thailand at the time when they were both part of the same group. Whilst there I found the standard of the F&B offering amongst the best I had experienced and they also got most other things right. As you say, the "rustic" feel which I think that they overplay themselves if I'm honest, is probably not entirely accurate because it is rustic with clean lines and a modern twist as you suggest. I think a lot of people don't like the open air bathroom concept which is understandable but that we didn't find to be that bad during our stay.
Given that Soneva is/was meant to be the premium brand of the group prior to their splitting and you liked some of the qualities at the six senses, I would suggest you keep an eye on Soneva developments as they may suit your tastes.
Although I haven't stayed at a Six Senses property before, I have stayed at the Soneva property in Thailand at the time when they were both part of the same group. Whilst there I found the standard of the F&B offering amongst the best I had experienced and they also got most other things right. As you say, the "rustic" feel which I think that they overplay themselves if I'm honest, is probably not entirely accurate because it is rustic with clean lines and a modern twist as you suggest. I think a lot of people don't like the open air bathroom concept which is understandable but that we didn't find to be that bad during our stay.
Given that Soneva is/was meant to be the premium brand of the group prior to their splitting and you liked some of the qualities at the six senses, I would suggest you keep an eye on Soneva developments as they may suit your tastes.
I think Soneva is an interesting brand, but I have no idea what their development pipeline is, other than that yacht that they are building (which just seems to be an extension of Soneva Fushi). The existing Soneva properties are too rustic for me.
Last edited by xracer; Jul 15, 2014 at 7:46 am
Jul 14, 2014, 10:37 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,503
) IC Saigon, Six Senses NvB, Amanoi, Nam Hai, Paradise Peak, Sofitel Metropole. Hope it will figure out and I have time for the journey (not save this time).
Jul 14, 2014, 10:56 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,145
Thanks a lot for your report. I think it is great to read a comparison, but cannot comment on that since I have only visited Amanoi. I can agree with you when you say that Amanoi is not really a typical beach resort (like Amanpulo/Amanpuri or Maldives/Seychelles resorts) as the beach is not as nice as the beaches there. However, the beach is in my view as nice as for example the Amankila beach, but lacking the bales, so maybe adding some bales would be a way to improve the beach experience. For me at least that would do the trick. That is if the garbage problem can be solved - it sounds as if it is now worse than when we were there.
Jul 14, 2014, 11:39 am
#14
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
$5,375 > $13,500 per night depending on season
2BR, full board, 2 dives/day, 4 hours fuel per day
(low season prices are comparable to amanikan)
earlier in 2013 > http://cdn.johnhenry.net/soneva/webs...ua%20final.pdf >
Guests booking a Soneva In Aqua experience before 21st September 2013, will benefit from complimentary full board [normally part of $1,000/day fee] and a 35% discount on published rates.
nam hai beachfront villas (the only beachfront with pool are 3/5BR) are elevated in somewhat similar fashion
i think legian bali beachfront villa is a little elevated as well, i think not to the same degree (legian is GHM like nam hai)
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 16, 2014 at 9:15 pm
Jul 14, 2014, 11:52 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Having stayed at the various options, Amano'i stands out as by far the best.
Nam Hai is a series of endless steps and water hazards, and what nobody tells you is that the Villa interiors are raised and have the beds, tubs and desks all sunk into this bizarre platform of a sleeping-emailing-bathing experience. Accidents are so common that staff laughs about them.
Con Dao is seriously rustic, with the buggy outdoor bathroom style so loved by its creators, but not by me.
Amano'i is a stunningly designed resort with great food, great spa and service and a real sense of place. No buggy bathrooms, no hazardous steps. It's an easy choice. The Villa homes are especially stunning.
Would I return to Vietnam, though? Only if there was something else of an equal standard to Amano'i, because it is not a hugely welcoming country - more like China than Laos or Cambodia. You have to respect Aman for being able to find staff that care.
Nam Hai is a series of endless steps and water hazards, and what nobody tells you is that the Villa interiors are raised and have the beds, tubs and desks all sunk into this bizarre platform of a sleeping-emailing-bathing experience. Accidents are so common that staff laughs about them.
Con Dao is seriously rustic, with the buggy outdoor bathroom style so loved by its creators, but not by me.
Amano'i is a stunningly designed resort with great food, great spa and service and a real sense of place. No buggy bathrooms, no hazardous steps. It's an easy choice. The Villa homes are especially stunning.
Would I return to Vietnam, though? Only if there was something else of an equal standard to Amano'i, because it is not a hugely welcoming country - more like China than Laos or Cambodia. You have to respect Aman for being able to find staff that care.
