Trip report: Amanpuri and Trisara, Phuket, Thalland
Dec 12, 2015, 6:59 pm
#92
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Dec 12, 2015, 11:18 pm
#93
Join Date: Dec 2006
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You are very welcome
The last phase villas are very " Trisara " like in a sense that it ' s blocks of granite for the exteriors . Very modern Amanpuri inside with multi levels served by stairs & elevators ! Lovely infinity pools of varying sizes in each , all from what I have seen larger than Trisara ' s villas . Actually , the villas all have at least 4 bed rooms & many various other rooms from personal spa , media , etc
The last phase villas are very " Trisara " like in a sense that it ' s blocks of granite for the exteriors . Very modern Amanpuri inside with multi levels served by stairs & elevators ! Lovely infinity pools of varying sizes in each , all from what I have seen larger than Trisara ' s villas . Actually , the villas all have at least 4 bed rooms & many various other rooms from personal spa , media , etc
Agree with this but because of the lie of the land , these later Puri had to be built in the fortress like style which makes it rather " hard " architecturally . Different from earlier phases . Just different , not necessarily bad .
Dec 20, 2016, 6:44 am
#94
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: England
Posts: 1,361
This seems to be the thread for Trisara, so I'll chip in here with some thoughts from my stay. I departed yesterday after 3 nights in an Ocean Front Pool Villa, having kindly been upgraded prior to arrival from an Ocean View Pool Villa.
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with Trisara, there is just nothing that at any stage wowed me. Perhaps this is because Trisara is the lowest end beach resort I've been to in the last 12 months. I don't say that as an insult, just a matter of fact statement, as it is not in the same league as Iniala, North Island, Fregate or Laucala. It costs between 2-5x less per night, so expectations have to be set that it is not going to match them. But Ballyfin, a £500/n resort in Ireland, proved that money is not everything in terms of a luxury experience. So it's hard for me to not compare it to the other resorts, particularly Iniala, and as a result it does pull into question for me as to what is exactly luxury and what is worth paying for. Trisara ticks all the boxes that you would want in a luxury resort, but it falls short of delivering on anything that feels luxurious.
I do want to make it clear that I did enjoy myself and had a good time, but I do leave knowing that I will not be going back. I previously mentioned the difference between Ashford Castle vs Ballyfin: "There is a big difference between employees who could not be more helpful and react to the guests vs the top-end resorts who have already thought of it well in advance". Trisara's staff were immensely friendly, helpful and caring, but they are not either trained or prepared enough to deliver a luxurious experience. Occupancy was around 50%, yet they cannot remember any preferences, any food allergies, any notes between the villa and outside, nor can they even remember our room number (on the last day I was still asked), and they were also under this strange impression we were repeat guests, as we kept being welcomed back. It may have gone some way to explaining the weird intro we had, whereby we were taken straight to our villa and not given any information at all on the rest of the property. There is no proactivity in place, to the point that on check in they promised us a surprise on checkout, only for nothing to happen. If receiving a bill is a surprise, then colour me surprised. There must be some hoteliers guide to not promising to surprise guests and if not I will write one. I'll even call it "Do not offer to surprise guests" and the first chapter will be "especially if you don't actually do anything". Hopefully it will become the next Harry Potter.
Previous luxury experiences are so often down to a few individual staff. The butlers at Aman-i-Khas, North Island and Iniala; the GM and Sales Director at Laucala; multiple staff and GMs at Aman's and almost every department at The Connaught, which is only understandable due to the longevity of my stay. I cannot recall anyone at Trisara, as I do not feel they did anything beyond what they were asked to do. If not making me feel loved was a crime, than all the prisons would be fulll, but Ballyfin could do it, so could Amanzoe. Heck, even The Goring on a 1 night stay went someway to doing it. The staff at Trisara were so friendly, but at the same time it felt very robotic. The only real interaction I had with anyone was the FOM who spoke to me on departure, but due needing to catch a flight it had to be restricted to 15 minutes. Most of what Ive written here I said to him.
Trisara ticks the boxes of what luxury should be, but I could not help feel it was a box ticking exercise for them:
Yet if I dig deeper into each of these points, they all have their flaws. So what would I say constitutes luxury? Hard question, but a few things would be:
The villa did not work at all. It had the feeling of a junior suite, as the living area was to the left of the bed and in the same room, so if one of you wakes up before the other and you don't want to disturb them, your only option is to go outside - the place where the mosquitos were in demon mode. Deciding not to get mauled to death, your only other option is to go into the bathroom, but the bathroom is only divided between the main bedroom by a wooden cover that cannot even keep the light out, let alone any sound.
The living area in the corner is too small to lay together, so your only real options to just lounge around are outside, but even without the mosquitos it's not that comfortable due to heat or the chairs. Inside was too dark and lifeless, yet outside was too warm and uncomfortable, which then started making us feel like we didn't want to spend anytime in the room. The pool does look fantastic and offers beautiful views - and I never thought I'd write this, but it wasn't actually that cold, so I went in it for at least 15 seconds.
This review may sound negative, but they actually did nothing that would constitute any failings; they simply failed to live up to the price tag; they did not wow. For a resort to offer something exceptional, having amazing food is not enough. For me, it has to be either an incredible room or amazing service. Nowadays, and for this price range, I would expect both in abundance. In a world of Inialas, what is its purpose? Everyone tells me Trisara is a luxury resort, and if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its rarely a swan in drag. But given the choice, I would rather budget and spend 5 days in Iniala instead of 2 weeks in Trisara.
Trisara will likely fit the needs of 99% of the people who go there. Its likely good enough for most people. Just not for me. And thats me, Snobby McSnobFace, signing off this review, from Amanpulo.....which is also better than Trisara.
Artsy shot of the ocean at night
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with Trisara, there is just nothing that at any stage wowed me. Perhaps this is because Trisara is the lowest end beach resort I've been to in the last 12 months. I don't say that as an insult, just a matter of fact statement, as it is not in the same league as Iniala, North Island, Fregate or Laucala. It costs between 2-5x less per night, so expectations have to be set that it is not going to match them. But Ballyfin, a £500/n resort in Ireland, proved that money is not everything in terms of a luxury experience. So it's hard for me to not compare it to the other resorts, particularly Iniala, and as a result it does pull into question for me as to what is exactly luxury and what is worth paying for. Trisara ticks all the boxes that you would want in a luxury resort, but it falls short of delivering on anything that feels luxurious.
I do want to make it clear that I did enjoy myself and had a good time, but I do leave knowing that I will not be going back. I previously mentioned the difference between Ashford Castle vs Ballyfin: "There is a big difference between employees who could not be more helpful and react to the guests vs the top-end resorts who have already thought of it well in advance". Trisara's staff were immensely friendly, helpful and caring, but they are not either trained or prepared enough to deliver a luxurious experience. Occupancy was around 50%, yet they cannot remember any preferences, any food allergies, any notes between the villa and outside, nor can they even remember our room number (on the last day I was still asked), and they were also under this strange impression we were repeat guests, as we kept being welcomed back. It may have gone some way to explaining the weird intro we had, whereby we were taken straight to our villa and not given any information at all on the rest of the property. There is no proactivity in place, to the point that on check in they promised us a surprise on checkout, only for nothing to happen. If receiving a bill is a surprise, then colour me surprised. There must be some hoteliers guide to not promising to surprise guests and if not I will write one. I'll even call it "Do not offer to surprise guests" and the first chapter will be "especially if you don't actually do anything". Hopefully it will become the next Harry Potter.
Previous luxury experiences are so often down to a few individual staff. The butlers at Aman-i-Khas, North Island and Iniala; the GM and Sales Director at Laucala; multiple staff and GMs at Aman's and almost every department at The Connaught, which is only understandable due to the longevity of my stay. I cannot recall anyone at Trisara, as I do not feel they did anything beyond what they were asked to do. If not making me feel loved was a crime, than all the prisons would be fulll, but Ballyfin could do it, so could Amanzoe. Heck, even The Goring on a 1 night stay went someway to doing it. The staff at Trisara were so friendly, but at the same time it felt very robotic. The only real interaction I had with anyone was the FOM who spoke to me on departure, but due needing to catch a flight it had to be restricted to 15 minutes. Most of what Ive written here I said to him.
Trisara ticks the boxes of what luxury should be, but I could not help feel it was a box ticking exercise for them:
- Large, private room
- Plenty of staff
- Significant choice with food
- Spa with chemical free treatments
- Housekeeping always leaving everything immaculate and even coming on the last day
- Daily refilled snacks
- Private beach
Yet if I dig deeper into each of these points, they all have their flaws. So what would I say constitutes luxury? Hard question, but a few things would be:
- Privacy and exclusivity. Trisara does not feel that way, even with a small occupancy. This is because the resort is focused around the beach and main pool, but they are small areas so quickly get busy.
- The room. The room was one of the biggest disappointments, as it is like so many things where it looks great to begin with, but quickly the facades fades away. More on that below.
- The food. I will give them points here, as overall the food was very good.
- The facilities. I cannot comment on this, as I never tried the spa or gym. I rarely go for a massage, but prefer to use the spa facilities.
- The setting. The beach may be the worst Ive seen in a resort. Only Amanruya could come close to being called a beach resort and having something equally as bad.
- Architecture. The main area is very well done and maintained, but is solely focused on a single area, so doesnt feel private or provide an area to relax in, without feeling the requirement to order something to eat.
- The service. As noted above, there is nothing of note here. It is professional and what I would expect in a larger resort, but not one of this size where personalised service is what is being paid for.
The villa did not work at all. It had the feeling of a junior suite, as the living area was to the left of the bed and in the same room, so if one of you wakes up before the other and you don't want to disturb them, your only option is to go outside - the place where the mosquitos were in demon mode. Deciding not to get mauled to death, your only other option is to go into the bathroom, but the bathroom is only divided between the main bedroom by a wooden cover that cannot even keep the light out, let alone any sound.
The living area in the corner is too small to lay together, so your only real options to just lounge around are outside, but even without the mosquitos it's not that comfortable due to heat or the chairs. Inside was too dark and lifeless, yet outside was too warm and uncomfortable, which then started making us feel like we didn't want to spend anytime in the room. The pool does look fantastic and offers beautiful views - and I never thought I'd write this, but it wasn't actually that cold, so I went in it for at least 15 seconds.
This review may sound negative, but they actually did nothing that would constitute any failings; they simply failed to live up to the price tag; they did not wow. For a resort to offer something exceptional, having amazing food is not enough. For me, it has to be either an incredible room or amazing service. Nowadays, and for this price range, I would expect both in abundance. In a world of Inialas, what is its purpose? Everyone tells me Trisara is a luxury resort, and if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its rarely a swan in drag. But given the choice, I would rather budget and spend 5 days in Iniala instead of 2 weeks in Trisara.
Trisara will likely fit the needs of 99% of the people who go there. Its likely good enough for most people. Just not for me. And thats me, Snobby McSnobFace, signing off this review, from Amanpulo.....which is also better than Trisara.
Artsy shot of the ocean at night
Dec 20, 2016, 8:05 am
#95
formerly declinespecificinformatiom
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 1,140
Great pictures. Fortunately I didn't go to Trisara, and instead elected to listen to you on going to Iniala. Iniala becomes even better if you avail them of the activities, like renting a yacht, using their car service to go zip lining, and even more so if you have children. That was despite my concerns about the decor. Initially it wasn't my style but it ended up being so much fun.
Dec 20, 2016, 2:27 pm
#98
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: England
Posts: 1,361
That's just what the price was on their website for a Deluxe Room, and then we got an upgrade to a Junior Suite. I believe it was 540/n without full-board and about 890/n with it.
Dec 21, 2016, 1:03 am
#99
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
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I had the EXACT same stay at Trisara over a year ago, and I've been to far less luxurious properties (and certainly at that stage) than you have.
On top of that, the food to me seemed to range wildly depending on what I ordered. The fine dining seafood place was pretty good, but felt a bit too stuffy at a beach resort (having said that it IS Phuket so maybe it works). Liquid nitrogen is the last thing I want to see at a beach resort.
Whenever we ordered Western off the menu, it was pretty poor - the pizza was incredibly doughy for instance and I had trouble eating it.
The Thai was good, but nothing that leaves a mark, like Amanpuri/Andara do.
Most importantly, it was the service that really irked me there. We had a bit worse (low season) but it felt very robotic and certainly not "Thai hospitality".
Just realised I don't think I wrote a review on it? Time to get to it and maybe write a proper report.
On top of that, the food to me seemed to range wildly depending on what I ordered. The fine dining seafood place was pretty good, but felt a bit too stuffy at a beach resort (having said that it IS Phuket so maybe it works). Liquid nitrogen is the last thing I want to see at a beach resort.
Whenever we ordered Western off the menu, it was pretty poor - the pizza was incredibly doughy for instance and I had trouble eating it.
The Thai was good, but nothing that leaves a mark, like Amanpuri/Andara do.
Most importantly, it was the service that really irked me there. We had a bit worse (low season) but it felt very robotic and certainly not "Thai hospitality".
Just realised I don't think I wrote a review on it? Time to get to it and maybe write a proper report.
Dec 21, 2016, 2:19 am
#100
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,605
I still think Puri has some of the best resort F&B on earth... haven't had a bad meal there, ever. I've mentioned this in the past and I believe it still holds true.
It is interesting to see this perspective of Trisara. It was a bit problematic when Anthony Lark had left for a while to oversee the development, but I thought after his return service was back warm and caring.
I know these stays where you miss that certain staff member who can turn things around. Always comes down to the human factor at the end of the day. Trisara is ahead of things I believe, think the great new spa and even chemical-free laundry, but judging your report it sometimes lacks what we cherish the most, the care and kindness of its people.
Did Anthony drop by? I assume not, since you mention you were in touch with the FOM towards the end. Sometimes things don't go very well when the stay lacks a gracious host.
I hope someone from the Trisara team reads this forum and your review, as it would certainly help them grow. With so many hospitality groups reading this forum these days, who knows! Even 'Russia' keeps an eye out for certain threads...
PS: If anything, your report and remarks re Iniala really make me book a stay there - a place, judging their interior design choices, I would have never considered. Most grateful for that!
It is interesting to see this perspective of Trisara. It was a bit problematic when Anthony Lark had left for a while to oversee the development, but I thought after his return service was back warm and caring.
I know these stays where you miss that certain staff member who can turn things around. Always comes down to the human factor at the end of the day. Trisara is ahead of things I believe, think the great new spa and even chemical-free laundry, but judging your report it sometimes lacks what we cherish the most, the care and kindness of its people.
Did Anthony drop by? I assume not, since you mention you were in touch with the FOM towards the end. Sometimes things don't go very well when the stay lacks a gracious host.
I hope someone from the Trisara team reads this forum and your review, as it would certainly help them grow. With so many hospitality groups reading this forum these days, who knows! Even 'Russia' keeps an eye out for certain threads...
PS: If anything, your report and remarks re Iniala really make me book a stay there - a place, judging their interior design choices, I would have never considered. Most grateful for that!
Dec 21, 2016, 4:05 am
#101
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: England
Posts: 1,361
I've recently changed my tune regarding hotel interiors. It's always nice to stay somewhere that feels beautiful (Amanzoe), but at the same time I'm able to ignore something that I don't love, as long as it's functional and well maintained above anything else. Dark colours and a lack of light are the main design elements that I really hate as they change how I feel, which both The Beaumont and The Peninsula Paris suffer from. I really liked the penthouse design of Iniala, so that helped, but whilst I have no desire for my house to look like an episode of Retirement Homes Gone Wrong (I hope they make that show), I can appreciate somewhere with more traditional design, like The Goring or Ballyfin, without loving it. Do hope you get a chance to go.
Dec 21, 2016, 4:14 am
#102
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Virtuoso | Four Seasons Preferred Partner | Rosewood Elite | Hyatt Prive - and more
Posts: 2,096
I think the Russia comment was about a certain Russian owner who now owns a very prestigious hotel group?
Jan 21, 2017, 9:00 am
#104
formerly htang333
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Wi-Fi
Programs: Virtuoso, Top Ranked: Four Seasons (Top 25 Advisor), AMAN (Top 50), Rosewood, Hyatt Prive, etc.
Posts: 1,455
Will have 3 nights in Phuket in July and faced with the toughest decision known to mankind...Aman or Iniala.
Nightly rates:
Iniala = $2,150 Full Board inclusive of taxes
Puri = $650 Standard Rate with breakfast, exclusive of taxes
If money was no object, then Iniala for sure.
I can swing it, but want to assure myself it's worth the premium...as an extra ~$1,000/night (assuming $1,150 at Puri after taxes and all meals/snacks) is certainly no chump change to me as it may be for some folks in here...A situation I aspire to arise to. I love you, capitalism!...oh yeah, resorts...
Would love to hear some objective thoughts.
Nightly rates:
Iniala = $2,150 Full Board inclusive of taxes
Puri = $650 Standard Rate with breakfast, exclusive of taxes
If money was no object, then Iniala for sure.
I can swing it, but want to assure myself it's worth the premium...as an extra ~$1,000/night (assuming $1,150 at Puri after taxes and all meals/snacks) is certainly no chump change to me as it may be for some folks in here...A situation I aspire to arise to. I love you, capitalism!...oh yeah, resorts...
Would love to hear some objective thoughts.