Originally Posted by
traveluxe
I’m flying to Phuket in May for a week and trying to decide between Amanpuri and Six Senses Yao Noi. I don’t want to split my stay, so I’d love to get recommendations.
We’ve previously stayed at Amanwella, which we loved. We’ve not stayed at a Six Senses yet, but love the look of them.
We would be staying in leading rooms for both, so a Pavilion at Amanpuri or a Hideaway Pool Villa at SS.
My reservations are that after staying at Amanwella, being such a large resort with so few rooms, I’d fear Amanpuri may seem crowded and the service less personal if there is high occupancy. Meanwhile, with Six Senses I am aware the beach is not as nice as Amanpuri’s, and we do enjoy using the beach.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Stayed at Six Senses - review/pics etc for Six Senses is here:
https://www.thesuitelife.com.hk/six-...-hotel-review/
Visited Amanpuri multiple times (more than mentioned here but I didn't have pics from then):
https://www.thesuitelife.com.hk/aman...-site-visit-2/
If you're looking for a resort with a great beach, Six Senses isn't it. It did have other issues (food, partly service) during my stay there but those are easily fixable and general reviews from clients say that they have worked on those. The other issue that can't be fixed is how small the main pool (which is actually an epic presidential villa turned into a main pool) actually is, and if the resort is operating at a high enough occupancy, given Six Senses' love for plunge pool styled pools in its villas meaning everyone will go to the main pool anyway, and given the operating hours of the main pool (11am-5pm or something really short - which are sometimes shortened further if someone has booked a breakfast or overnight experience at that area), the main pool WILL feel full.
With that said, the main pool itself is quite stunning and unique. Unrivalled views - if it isn't crowded out by people trying to take IG style pics.
My only other point to make would be that if you're staying at an entry level, then Six Senses is definitely not the right place. The difference in experience from staying in an Ocean Villa vs the hideaway pool villa is enormous.
Amanpuri also doesn't have the best entry level pavilions, but the overall resort and its' surroundings (main pool, beach etc) are so good that it feels less of an issue there.
Other than that, Yao Noi's a fantastic spot really and a very different experience on the whole from Amanpuri - for starters obviously easier to access the Phang Nga Bay region. WIth that said, with a yacht charter you can still do Phang Nga Bay easily from Amanpuri as well.
They're two vastly different experiences in the end - and although not on this trip due to your time constraints, worth doing both at some stage.