Originally Posted by
trojanman
JW is higher rated than both Aman and Trisara on both Travel+Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler. Never been to JW, so it's hard for me to support or refute that ranking. I will say, however, that I tend to find those rankings fairly accurate when I travel.
http://www.concierge.com/tools/trave...ailand/phuket/
http://www.travelandleisure.com/tl500/2009/region/asia
And since you mention it, yes, Tripadvisor ranks the resorts as follows (percentage of 5 star reviews vs. total reviews):
1. JW Marriott - 72.2%
2. Trisara - 71.8%
3. Amanpuri - 70.7%
4. Banyan Tree (does not rank DP Villas independently) - 65.6%
Banyan Tree has the new Double Pool Villas, which are actually quite spectacular. I would agree their other "older" offerings are inferior to Aman/Trisara, however the DP Villas are every bit as nice. Again, the only issue is lack of ocean view, and potentially a step down in service.
I understand where you are coming from. I use various publications (including CN traveller) to guide me on my travels. However I find reports on Flyertalk and some of the other highly regarded publications more accurate for top end luxury resorts and hotels.
I havent stayed at the new double pool villas at The Banyan Tree Phuket. I just dont like the location, the service (quite poor) and the older villas do not seem to have been maintained well.