Unbound Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam REVIEW - MASTER THREAD - left Hyatt 3/31/2020
Dec 22, 2019, 12:51 am
#31
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Just arrived at the property, availing ourselves of the complementary transport from the airport. I would highly advise you not do this and that you arrange private transportation. The shuttle bus came an hour after we landed, leaving us to sit with three kids bouncing off the walls of the outdoor cafe. The bus is sooooo slow, adding insult to injury. A car could make it in half the time. Also quite unimpressed by the reaction of the staff, 2 calls from the airport asking where the driver was with just a response “oh they will be there in 5 minutes” only to wait another 30 minutes. Nobody with a sign or anything, even much less properties had a meet and greet agent present. We were the last people from our flight to be picked up!! Similarly nonplused when i complained about it at check in.
We found a local car service for $100 per day for a 7 seat 4x4, i think we’re holding on to them for the last day and a transfer back to the airport.
A decidedly 3 star way to start a stay, hoping things get better.
We found a local car service for $100 per day for a 7 seat 4x4, i think we’re holding on to them for the last day and a transfer back to the airport.
A decidedly 3 star way to start a stay, hoping things get better.
Dec 22, 2019, 1:17 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
Just arrived at the property, availing ourselves of the complementary transport from the airport. I would highly advise you not do this and that you arrange private transportation. The shuttle bus came an hour after we landed, leaving us to sit with three kids bouncing off the walls of the outdoor cafe. The bus is sooooo slow, adding insult to injury. A car could make it in half the time. Also quite unimpressed by the reaction of the staff, 2 calls from the airport asking where the driver was with just a response “oh they will be there in 5 minutes” only to wait another 30 minutes. Nobody with a sign or anything, even much less properties had a meet and greet agent present. We were the last people from our flight to be picked up!! Similarly nonplused when i complained about it at check in.
We found a local car service for $100 per day for a 7 seat 4x4, i think we’re holding on to them for the last day and a transfer back to the airport.
A decidedly 3 star way to start a stay, hoping things get better.
We found a local car service for $100 per day for a 7 seat 4x4, i think we’re holding on to them for the last day and a transfer back to the airport.
A decidedly 3 star way to start a stay, hoping things get better.
Dec 22, 2019, 6:26 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
I hate to say it, but I think we made a mistake. This place should not be associated with the Hyatt brand.
After the airport pickup delay, they didnt even have both of our rooms available (after 3pm by that point) and so it took a while for us to get situated, changed and to the beach. There was no urgency in anything, kind of a bummer when you have been waiting with three kids who can literally smell the salt water!
Finally got out to Rock Island and the kids loved exploring in the tidal pools at low tide. Then we went up to grab a seat for sunset drinks and there is one area where we apparently needed a reservation (!) so we sat in nearer to the bar. Then some DJ started pumping out terrible music, I mean it transported me to a club party in Dresden in 1995. It destroyed the peaceful spot that is there. Really?!? ... part of any marketing material says “enjoy a rave-like environment as you watch the sun set over the Gulf of Thailand.”
There are other things, I think the food is just ok, We have been to Vietnam many times over the last 16 years and the food is part of the draw. If you aren't passionate about Vietnamese cuisine this may matter less to you.
The place is not new even if newly flagged as Unbound collection. One of my kids leaned against the railing on the dock as we were posing for picture and almost went for a 10 foot fall onto the coral. I tested a few other posts and most are so wobbly they only give the illusion of safety. Better to have no railing, but you can tell they had recently replaced parts of the railing, a totally insufficient repair though. There are lots of signs of wear, the climate in the region is brutal and its clear the pre-Unbound days were full of “deferred maintenance” all around as they say. It’s not terrible, but having a relative who owns Marriott and Hilton properties, I’m surprised Hyatt flagged this place. Or maybe it’s a sign the Unbound Collection wont be my thing. I give the place 3.5 to 4 stars at best and wouldn’t ever think of coming this far for what’s here.
My wife wants to leave. Thankfully we know the region and our next stop was Bangkok anyway, so we can spend a couple extra days at the PH or GH there and mend her up with some spa treatments ;-) Giving it until around 3pm today to make the decision, we have been on a plane the last two days and nobody wants to repack by we have a rule that we only try a place out for 24 hours if we are having grave doubts and then just move on.
Edited to add: We have stayed in dozens of Hyatt properties in Asia and generally been very happy. So I looked up the Unbound Collection on the Hyatt website to see if I just made a mistake not researching the sub-brand more. It says “The Unbound Collection by Hyatt gives guests the freedom to be extraordinary at unique properties around the world.” I don’t think so...
After the airport pickup delay, they didnt even have both of our rooms available (after 3pm by that point) and so it took a while for us to get situated, changed and to the beach. There was no urgency in anything, kind of a bummer when you have been waiting with three kids who can literally smell the salt water!
Finally got out to Rock Island and the kids loved exploring in the tidal pools at low tide. Then we went up to grab a seat for sunset drinks and there is one area where we apparently needed a reservation (!) so we sat in nearer to the bar. Then some DJ started pumping out terrible music, I mean it transported me to a club party in Dresden in 1995. It destroyed the peaceful spot that is there. Really?!? ... part of any marketing material says “enjoy a rave-like environment as you watch the sun set over the Gulf of Thailand.”
There are other things, I think the food is just ok, We have been to Vietnam many times over the last 16 years and the food is part of the draw. If you aren't passionate about Vietnamese cuisine this may matter less to you.
The place is not new even if newly flagged as Unbound collection. One of my kids leaned against the railing on the dock as we were posing for picture and almost went for a 10 foot fall onto the coral. I tested a few other posts and most are so wobbly they only give the illusion of safety. Better to have no railing, but you can tell they had recently replaced parts of the railing, a totally insufficient repair though. There are lots of signs of wear, the climate in the region is brutal and its clear the pre-Unbound days were full of “deferred maintenance” all around as they say. It’s not terrible, but having a relative who owns Marriott and Hilton properties, I’m surprised Hyatt flagged this place. Or maybe it’s a sign the Unbound Collection wont be my thing. I give the place 3.5 to 4 stars at best and wouldn’t ever think of coming this far for what’s here.
My wife wants to leave. Thankfully we know the region and our next stop was Bangkok anyway, so we can spend a couple extra days at the PH or GH there and mend her up with some spa treatments ;-) Giving it until around 3pm today to make the decision, we have been on a plane the last two days and nobody wants to repack by we have a rule that we only try a place out for 24 hours if we are having grave doubts and then just move on.
Edited to add: We have stayed in dozens of Hyatt properties in Asia and generally been very happy. So I looked up the Unbound Collection on the Hyatt website to see if I just made a mistake not researching the sub-brand more. It says “The Unbound Collection by Hyatt gives guests the freedom to be extraordinary at unique properties around the world.” I don’t think so...
Last edited by stephem; Dec 22, 2019 at 6:59 pm
Dec 22, 2019, 9:14 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
I hate to say it, but I think we made a mistake. This place should not be associated with the Hyatt brand.
After the airport pickup delay, they didnt even have both of our rooms available (after 3pm by that point) and so it took a while for us to get situated, changed and to the beach. There was no urgency in anything, kind of a bummer when you have been waiting with three kids who can literally smell the salt water!
Finally got out to Rock Island and the kids loved exploring in the tidal pools at low tide. Then we went up to grab a seat for sunset drinks and there is one area where we apparently needed a reservation (!) so we sat in nearer to the bar. Then some DJ started pumping out terrible music, I mean it transported me to a club party in Dresden in 1995. It destroyed the peaceful spot that is there. Really?!? ... part of any marketing material says “enjoy a rave-like environment as you watch the sun set over the Gulf of Thailand.”
There are other things, I think the food is just ok, We have been to Vietnam many times over the last 16 years and the food is part of the draw. If you aren't passionate about Vietnamese cuisine this may matter less to you.
The place is not new even if newly flagged as Unbound collection. One of my kids leaned against the railing on the dock as we were posing for picture and almost went for a 10 foot fall onto the coral. I tested a few other posts and most are so wobbly they only give the illusion of safety. Better to have no railing, but you can tell they had recently replaced parts of the railing, a totally insufficient repair though. There are lots of signs of wear, the climate in the region is brutal and its clear the pre-Unbound days were full of “deferred maintenance” all around as they say. It’s not terrible, but having a relative who owns Marriott and Hilton properties, I’m surprised Hyatt flagged this place. Or maybe it’s a sign the Unbound Collection wont be my thing. I give the place 3.5 to 4 stars at best and wouldn’t ever think of coming this far for what’s here.
My wife wants to leave. Thankfully we know the region and our next stop was Bangkok anyway, so we can spend a couple extra days at the PH or GH there and mend her up with some spa treatments ;-) Giving it until around 3pm today to make the decision, we have been on a plane the last two days and nobody wants to repack by we have a rule that we only try a place out for 24 hours if we are having grave doubts and then just move on.
Edited to add: We have stayed in dozens of Hyatt properties in Asia and generally been very happy. So I looked up the Unbound Collection on the Hyatt website to see if I just made a mistake not researching the sub-brand more. It says “The Unbound Collection by Hyatt gives guests the freedom to be extraordinary at unique properties around the world.” I don’t think so...
After the airport pickup delay, they didnt even have both of our rooms available (after 3pm by that point) and so it took a while for us to get situated, changed and to the beach. There was no urgency in anything, kind of a bummer when you have been waiting with three kids who can literally smell the salt water!
Finally got out to Rock Island and the kids loved exploring in the tidal pools at low tide. Then we went up to grab a seat for sunset drinks and there is one area where we apparently needed a reservation (!) so we sat in nearer to the bar. Then some DJ started pumping out terrible music, I mean it transported me to a club party in Dresden in 1995. It destroyed the peaceful spot that is there. Really?!? ... part of any marketing material says “enjoy a rave-like environment as you watch the sun set over the Gulf of Thailand.”
There are other things, I think the food is just ok, We have been to Vietnam many times over the last 16 years and the food is part of the draw. If you aren't passionate about Vietnamese cuisine this may matter less to you.
The place is not new even if newly flagged as Unbound collection. One of my kids leaned against the railing on the dock as we were posing for picture and almost went for a 10 foot fall onto the coral. I tested a few other posts and most are so wobbly they only give the illusion of safety. Better to have no railing, but you can tell they had recently replaced parts of the railing, a totally insufficient repair though. There are lots of signs of wear, the climate in the region is brutal and its clear the pre-Unbound days were full of “deferred maintenance” all around as they say. It’s not terrible, but having a relative who owns Marriott and Hilton properties, I’m surprised Hyatt flagged this place. Or maybe it’s a sign the Unbound Collection wont be my thing. I give the place 3.5 to 4 stars at best and wouldn’t ever think of coming this far for what’s here.
My wife wants to leave. Thankfully we know the region and our next stop was Bangkok anyway, so we can spend a couple extra days at the PH or GH there and mend her up with some spa treatments ;-) Giving it until around 3pm today to make the decision, we have been on a plane the last two days and nobody wants to repack by we have a rule that we only try a place out for 24 hours if we are having grave doubts and then just move on.
Edited to add: We have stayed in dozens of Hyatt properties in Asia and generally been very happy. So I looked up the Unbound Collection on the Hyatt website to see if I just made a mistake not researching the sub-brand more. It says “The Unbound Collection by Hyatt gives guests the freedom to be extraordinary at unique properties around the world.” I don’t think so...
Dec 22, 2019, 11:41 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
Eek - I’m heading here for a few nights in three days, and based on the feedback above and other reviews I’ve come across I’m starting to get nervous about selecting this place.
khabah
khabah
Dec 23, 2019, 12:20 am
#36
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Ok, I’ll live blog the last few hours here. We luckily had Bangkok Airways flights to BKK and they have 2 flights a day with plenty of seats open. So we are leaving tomorrow on the earlier of the two flights. Would have left today at 7pm but my wife couldnt bear to get back on a plane today. Instead she is burning our $200 in prive credits at the spa while I hang with our kids.
Lunch today, and i will preface this by saying the place is isolated so you are totally at the mercy of the F&B outlets. My daughter and I went to order lunch at the pool and were told no to about four things we tried to order including all the pizzas. No explanation at all though so i went up to the dining room and asked. First was told “yes pizza is available” then suddenly “no” then then when i pushed for an explanation they ultimately caved and said they would make a pizza. Same issue at Rock Island yesterday when we were told “only burgers today.”
I went to the front desk and got the GMs email. These are management issues not staff issues, so I sent him an email giving him some candid but constructive feedback. Will report back what i hear.
Lunch today, and i will preface this by saying the place is isolated so you are totally at the mercy of the F&B outlets. My daughter and I went to order lunch at the pool and were told no to about four things we tried to order including all the pizzas. No explanation at all though so i went up to the dining room and asked. First was told “yes pizza is available” then suddenly “no” then then when i pushed for an explanation they ultimately caved and said they would make a pizza. Same issue at Rock Island yesterday when we were told “only burgers today.”
I went to the front desk and got the GMs email. These are management issues not staff issues, so I sent him an email giving him some candid but constructive feedback. Will report back what i hear.
Dec 23, 2019, 1:49 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
Ok, I’ll live blog the last few hours here. We luckily had Bangkok Airways flights to BKK and they have 2 flights a day with plenty of seats open. So we are leaving tomorrow on the earlier of the two flights. Would have left today at 7pm but my wife couldnt bear to get back on a plane today. Instead she is burning our $200 in prive credits at the spa while I hang with our kids.
Lunch today, and i will preface this by saying the place is isolated so you are totally at the mercy of the F&B outlets. My daughter and I went to order lunch at the pool and were told no to about four things we tried to order including all the pizzas. No explanation at all though so i went up to the dining room and asked. First was told “yes pizza is available” then suddenly “no” then then when i pushed for an explanation they ultimately caved and said they would make a pizza. Same issue at Rock Island yesterday when we were told “only burgers today.”
I went to the front desk and got the GMs email. These are management issues not staff issues, so I sent him an email giving him some candid but constructive feedback. Will report back what i hear.
Lunch today, and i will preface this by saying the place is isolated so you are totally at the mercy of the F&B outlets. My daughter and I went to order lunch at the pool and were told no to about four things we tried to order including all the pizzas. No explanation at all though so i went up to the dining room and asked. First was told “yes pizza is available” then suddenly “no” then then when i pushed for an explanation they ultimately caved and said they would make a pizza. Same issue at Rock Island yesterday when we were told “only burgers today.”
I went to the front desk and got the GMs email. These are management issues not staff issues, so I sent him an email giving him some candid but constructive feedback. Will report back what i hear.
Dec 23, 2019, 5:57 am
#38
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
They also don't appear to have the capability at the resort to feed everyone dinner, or at least our experience so far tonight suggests that. Sitting in the main restaurant on couches now waiting for a table for dinner. Again, no mention at any point we would need a reservation so we headed to our rooms for showers after the pool. When we arrived here at the main restaurant off the lobby for dinner a while ago, they looked at us like we were aliens when we said we didn't have a reservation. I guess we didn't get the memo! But again, in a place where you are captive, I generally expect them to do a good job in terms of capacity to feed all guests.
Dec 23, 2019, 6:15 am
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
They also don't appear to have the capability at the resort to feed everyone dinner, or at least our experience so far tonight suggests that. Sitting in the main restaurant on couches now waiting for a table for dinner. Again, no mention at any point we would need a reservation so we headed to our rooms for showers after the pool. When we arrived here at the main restaurant off the lobby for dinner a while ago, they looked at us like we were aliens when we said we didn't have a reservation. I guess we didn't get the memo! But again, in a place where you are captive, I generally expect them to do a good job in terms of capacity to feed all guests.
Dec 23, 2019, 6:25 am
#40
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
Dang, you guys, this train wreck seems to be getting uglier yet. stephem Do you recommend giving this place a shot or dodging it altogether and booking elsewhere? Coming into PQC for five nights in a villa, and really not in the mood to deal with a sh*t show.
khabah
khabah
Dec 23, 2019, 7:18 am
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
Dang, you guys, this train wreck seems to be getting uglier yet. stephem Do you recommend giving this place a shot or dodging it altogether and booking elsewhere? Coming into PQC for five nights in a villa, and really not in the mood to deal with a sh*t show.
khabah
khabah
What a four letter word show.
Dec 23, 2019, 7:28 pm
#43
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Last morning here, enjoying the consistency of the breakfast, the only thing I have found where the property does a decent job. At least if you get in at 7am when it first opens. The solution to the dinner fiasco is probably to open a buffet at dinner until they can scale up and fix whatever is broken in their F&B operation.
We had a quick interaction with what I believe is the GM last night after we gave up on waiting for a table at Ocean reflection and moved over to Treehouse (a smaller and more upscale outlet serving Mediterranean food). We didnt want Mediterranean food, but it seemed like the way to get a meal in before all 3 kids passed out. We lost 2 kids to their beds on the way to Treehouse. The remaining 3 of us had a passable meal, maybe a bit too much effort goes into the food here. Nothing bad but who wants lamb tagine in Vietnam? There really isnt a big menu at Treehouse so it’s not much of a relief valve for the problems at Ocean reflection, and all the food is prepared in the main kitchen at ocean reflection so there is still a bandwidth problem with preparation speed.
Guy who i believe is the GM sent a note ahead when he saw us leave waiting area at Ocean Reflection and comped us a round of cocktails at Treehouse. Too little to late but an effort i guess. He stopped by in the middle of our meal and was respectful enough to quickly read that we just wanted to eat and had no interest in sharing more about our disappointment. The only thing I said was related to dinner and it was just that there should be a communication (not more but just some) about the need for dinner reservations. He responded that he hoped we had gotten ourselves set for the next night and I just responded “no, we are leaving in the morning.” Without missing a beat he said “ok, enjoy your meal.”
I feel for him, he’s got a herculean task here and as best I can tell he is a one man team. But this will be a 12-18 month effort at least from here and for sure they aren’t ready for a holiday season. Because you can’t easily move off property for meals, these problems will impact you.
But on the positive side, the beach and pool area is nice, the sandy beach doesn't drop off fast and is about 7 feet deep at high tide at the swim barrier that is a couple hundred feet off shore. It’s quite good for kids, i was even able to sit up at the pool and watch them while i had a cocktail and watched the sunset.
The overall location cuts both ways, you are isolated in a nice canopied area and that’s nice but it also means even a trip to a pharmacy or grocery is a challenge. I don’t know how others feel, but when I am at such a captive location, I tend to need things to all work out really really well. I’m just not sure this place is intended to be that caliber of a property and for that reason alone I wouldn’t come back.
Some other cons to add to the list: The rooms are very dark, with all lights on it is still very dark. It’s dated spot light (hands are in light when under sink faucet but the water controls 8 inches away are in the dark!) and lots of dark wood trim. Dark, did i say dark? I can’t quite put my finger on the age of the property, but I think based on things like new decking, how trees have grown up around the villas and some out of date fixtures and lighting that the place had been open for sometime before being flagged as an unbound collection. The environment here, especially right up against the sea, takes it’s toll on physical infrastructure. It’s not overly worn, but it’s not brand spanking new by any means.
I’m going to sign off with regards to my reviews of the property, but please feel free to send me a PM if you’ve got further questions.
We had a quick interaction with what I believe is the GM last night after we gave up on waiting for a table at Ocean reflection and moved over to Treehouse (a smaller and more upscale outlet serving Mediterranean food). We didnt want Mediterranean food, but it seemed like the way to get a meal in before all 3 kids passed out. We lost 2 kids to their beds on the way to Treehouse. The remaining 3 of us had a passable meal, maybe a bit too much effort goes into the food here. Nothing bad but who wants lamb tagine in Vietnam? There really isnt a big menu at Treehouse so it’s not much of a relief valve for the problems at Ocean reflection, and all the food is prepared in the main kitchen at ocean reflection so there is still a bandwidth problem with preparation speed.
Guy who i believe is the GM sent a note ahead when he saw us leave waiting area at Ocean Reflection and comped us a round of cocktails at Treehouse. Too little to late but an effort i guess. He stopped by in the middle of our meal and was respectful enough to quickly read that we just wanted to eat and had no interest in sharing more about our disappointment. The only thing I said was related to dinner and it was just that there should be a communication (not more but just some) about the need for dinner reservations. He responded that he hoped we had gotten ourselves set for the next night and I just responded “no, we are leaving in the morning.” Without missing a beat he said “ok, enjoy your meal.”
I feel for him, he’s got a herculean task here and as best I can tell he is a one man team. But this will be a 12-18 month effort at least from here and for sure they aren’t ready for a holiday season. Because you can’t easily move off property for meals, these problems will impact you.
But on the positive side, the beach and pool area is nice, the sandy beach doesn't drop off fast and is about 7 feet deep at high tide at the swim barrier that is a couple hundred feet off shore. It’s quite good for kids, i was even able to sit up at the pool and watch them while i had a cocktail and watched the sunset.
The overall location cuts both ways, you are isolated in a nice canopied area and that’s nice but it also means even a trip to a pharmacy or grocery is a challenge. I don’t know how others feel, but when I am at such a captive location, I tend to need things to all work out really really well. I’m just not sure this place is intended to be that caliber of a property and for that reason alone I wouldn’t come back.
Some other cons to add to the list: The rooms are very dark, with all lights on it is still very dark. It’s dated spot light (hands are in light when under sink faucet but the water controls 8 inches away are in the dark!) and lots of dark wood trim. Dark, did i say dark? I can’t quite put my finger on the age of the property, but I think based on things like new decking, how trees have grown up around the villas and some out of date fixtures and lighting that the place had been open for sometime before being flagged as an unbound collection. The environment here, especially right up against the sea, takes it’s toll on physical infrastructure. It’s not overly worn, but it’s not brand spanking new by any means.
I’m going to sign off with regards to my reviews of the property, but please feel free to send me a PM if you’ve got further questions.
Dec 27, 2019, 4:50 am
#44
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
Between the rock of being inside my reservation cancellation window and the hard place of other hotels on the island booked up or insanely expensive, I couldn't wiggle out of my reservation and write this post from within my villa.
Took @stephem's advice of taking a private cab from the airport, though we ran into the shuttle on the way. I followed Google Maps on our route and once we got to the main perpendicular road that heads south to the resort, a cordon and cop revealed that the road was closed and we were guided to an unpaved nightmare of a road that even our 4x4 cab struggled with for the final fifteen minutes to the resort. Luckily, our driver had good spirits about him and only told us after we'd arrived that he really didn't want to handle that crappy road.
Check-in was... odd. The shuttle arrived halfway into my check-in and as the arriving family got into queue behind me, the agent asked if I could have a seat while she checked the other guest in. Wha? I politely and confusedly mentioned that we were in the middle of checking me in, and then she just went back to finishing my procedures. She mentioned that breakfast wasn't included in my rate; as I am on a Privé rate, I pulled my reservation confirmation up on my phone to show her that it should in fact be. A few clicks later and what do you know, I have breakfast and the F&B credit. Oy - this should have been a portent of other service interactions to come.
I booked and received a garden villa as the hotel is full and therefore no one-category upgrades were available. The room itself is just fine, but only just - the décor is Asian minimalist and in good shape but is kind of squeeze, and there is definitely a priority of form over function: no bedside tables, no outlets immediately accessible and a shower that doesn't drain but splashes in a way that will inevitably drown your bathroom floor each and every time.
Breakfast was relatively good. In the back of my mind, I wondered if the hotel's secluded location would result in the hotel charging a shiny premium for F&B - and based on gleaning the menu at the Tree House, I see that they do. We didn't have issues with being told 'no' off the pool bar's menu today, but being vegetarians, I suppose it isn't that hard to meet requirements for a vegetarian pizza. Or maybe it can be, as per stephem's case.
The biggest issue thus far has been the service. The staff mean well, but between some of the worst language barriers I've encountered in my travels to staff just freezing in silent shock when asking about the shuttle boat to Rock Island, that's just not good enough. I get it, the manager - who I'm sure I met today at breakfast, but it was hard to ascertain as he held a plate in one hand and dressed casually - is and has been up against a mountain, but guys - it's been almost a year: shape up or get off the pot.
Have a couple more nights to go. I think the best advice with this hotel is to just be patient and temper your expectations - it may look good, but that doesn't mean it works.
khabah
Took @stephem's advice of taking a private cab from the airport, though we ran into the shuttle on the way. I followed Google Maps on our route and once we got to the main perpendicular road that heads south to the resort, a cordon and cop revealed that the road was closed and we were guided to an unpaved nightmare of a road that even our 4x4 cab struggled with for the final fifteen minutes to the resort. Luckily, our driver had good spirits about him and only told us after we'd arrived that he really didn't want to handle that crappy road.
Check-in was... odd. The shuttle arrived halfway into my check-in and as the arriving family got into queue behind me, the agent asked if I could have a seat while she checked the other guest in. Wha? I politely and confusedly mentioned that we were in the middle of checking me in, and then she just went back to finishing my procedures. She mentioned that breakfast wasn't included in my rate; as I am on a Privé rate, I pulled my reservation confirmation up on my phone to show her that it should in fact be. A few clicks later and what do you know, I have breakfast and the F&B credit. Oy - this should have been a portent of other service interactions to come.
I booked and received a garden villa as the hotel is full and therefore no one-category upgrades were available. The room itself is just fine, but only just - the décor is Asian minimalist and in good shape but is kind of squeeze, and there is definitely a priority of form over function: no bedside tables, no outlets immediately accessible and a shower that doesn't drain but splashes in a way that will inevitably drown your bathroom floor each and every time.
Breakfast was relatively good. In the back of my mind, I wondered if the hotel's secluded location would result in the hotel charging a shiny premium for F&B - and based on gleaning the menu at the Tree House, I see that they do. We didn't have issues with being told 'no' off the pool bar's menu today, but being vegetarians, I suppose it isn't that hard to meet requirements for a vegetarian pizza. Or maybe it can be, as per stephem's case.
The biggest issue thus far has been the service. The staff mean well, but between some of the worst language barriers I've encountered in my travels to staff just freezing in silent shock when asking about the shuttle boat to Rock Island, that's just not good enough. I get it, the manager - who I'm sure I met today at breakfast, but it was hard to ascertain as he held a plate in one hand and dressed casually - is and has been up against a mountain, but guys - it's been almost a year: shape up or get off the pot.
Have a couple more nights to go. I think the best advice with this hotel is to just be patient and temper your expectations - it may look good, but that doesn't mean it works.
khabah
Dec 27, 2019, 7:17 pm
#45
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
One more important detail. Our kids got devoured by something, while we were in Bangkok we had to go to a doctor and she said it was sand fleas or something. But it seems to have been from the main beach right at the water line where they were building sand castles. My wife and i were out deeper swimming and had no problems. My son’s ear swelled up from 5-6 bites and it took a couple days of medicine to get it to go back to normal. This place was the gift that kept on giving ;-)