THEPUMA

I'm planning a Thailand holiday for next Easter for myself, my wife and 2 boys (8 and 10).

Provisionally, my plan was to do two days at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 3 days at the Four Seasons Chiang Mai, then 5 nights at Amanpuri, 5 nights at the Four Seasons Koh Samui and finally one night at the Peninsula Bangkok.

The main reason for my post, other than to ask for general thoughts on the above, is that I've just done a Tripadvisor search on Amanpuri and it ranks 42 out of 92, so I am having second thoughts.

Should I switch to Trisara or anywhere else or is there some reason why I should take the Tripadvisor reviews with a pinch of salt?

I've never stayed at an Aman resort before although am thinking of doing one of the European ones next Summer, so was quite excited at the prospect, having read so much about them generally on here.

chinmoylad

Trisara will generally offer far better value - the 2-bedroom suites with pool are stunning.

scented

Don't read anything into the rankings on TripAdvisor. It means nothing, especially at this level. I personally like TripAdvisor for their pictures and the way management deals with complaints, it says a lot. Other than that, I wouldn't care too much about it.

Amanpuri is great after all these years, but the way you describe your situation I would consider Trisara, especially with the kids. Accommodation is a bit better if you travel en famille. You can always do Puri on a following visit.

Love your choice of hotels, will be a wonderful journey.

You could consider The Siam instead of the Pen on your last night, depending how much time you can spend there. It would give you an idea of the typical Aman experience, in fact I would say it's even a notch above the 'average' Aman! Their pool villas would be great or a corner suite if you don't like steps around the bed. Would be more memorable than the Pen. If you're only in transit though, I agree that the Pen might fit the bill.

Have fun!

5khours

Trisara and Puri are by far and away the best two resorts on Phuket. TA rankings are meaningless. With kids I would definitely stay at Puri. It has a much better beach.

FlyerEC

+ 1

Only 2 places to seriously consider staying in Phuket .
Much better beach at Puri , beach / water activities too .

But is OP going to be in one " suite " with the boys ?
If not , in separate rooms then Trisara maybe better .

What an experience for the boys to go on this wonderful trip

Kagehitokiri

surin shares puri beach

one thing re puri (rooms) is #105 which is bookable >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...l#post21830048
aman.com/resorts/amanpuri/pavilions/premium-ocean-pavilion

if trisara, might request 'horizontal' pool where it runs length of villa
(instead of perpendicular, which they've referred to as 'vertical' IIRC)

nice that trisara now allows one to book/guarantee the exact residence one wants
trisara residence dining seems to work best, only charging groceries plus small fee

ABG

Please spend more time in Chiang Mai and less time at beach resorts....Take in a little more of the Thai history & culture. i didn't look up when easter is for 2017, but I think you'd be fine doing one beach resort both weather wise and experience wise.

chinmoylad

Yea agree with ABG. Think Phuket + Samui might be overkill, and none of the resorts in Koh Samui are as good as the best of Phuket. On the other hand, if you're in Chiang Mai, worth doing the Golden Triangle as well.

BlackHappy

I was in Room 105 a couple weeks ago. A/C was broken the first night, which was a pain given the humidity. They came in at 1am and 5am to try to fix it but couldn't. They replaced it the next morning. According to the GM, they're in the process of replacing all of the units, so hopefully this won't happen to anyone else.

Other than that, it was a great stay!

travelling.tim

I would agree with several of the comments already made... great little itinerary and nice mix of city, culture and beach.

Depending on where you are coming from you might like to extend a day in Bangkok at the start. I personally love the city and find it such a vibrant city. As as kid I spent many holidays there tagging along with my mother on her work trips. If you are losing a day to travel or jet lag you might miss out, but you will have to plan your days well as getting around can be a bit of a nightmare with traffic, so you usually pick one or two areas per day. There are some people doing really interesting stuff on the ground that you might like to take advantage of. If you only do cultural (read tourist) attractions you could leave disappointed. The food is exceptional, and you can have a lot of fun with kids!

I would personally opt for the MO and The Siam. At the MO be careful with room choices as I find some far better than others. I like the Garden Wing as its new and feels a bit more exclusive given its size, but the rooms are a tad smaller. I also was shown around the new suites in this wing where I was there in May and loved them all! Being in the historic building is very special and great value (when compared to top suites around the world). Service at the MO is always exceptional, and my clients are always looked after very well.

The Siam is a very special place, but it's location it the biggest challenge for most people. Again I think with smart planning of your itinerary in Bangkok this shouldn't be an issue... and the property is very unique for an urban setting. If you have come from some of the smaller resorts you will appreciate its size and personalised attention whereas you might be shocked heading back to a larger property like The Pen. If you are wanting to try Aman style properties then this is another good intro. Highly recommended.

I'll be totally honest that Phuket is not my favourite place as I find it attracts some rather average travellers and has become incredibly touristy... but I keep finding myself going back! With the right property choice you should have a great family holiday. I stayed at Amanpuri earlier this year and was excited to go to 'the birthplace' of Aman resorts. It is incredible to think it is as old as it is as the quality is still top notch. It is a wonderful example of how far ahead of their time Aman was at the time they opened. In saying that if you compare the villas to some of the more recent Amans you will be disappointed as they were designed 30 years ago, and the layout of the resort is a little old school. I think the question will be around private pools and if that is important to you. The location is simply stunning, with one of the most beautiful beaches I have been to in Thailand... seriously beautiful. The location is much more convenient that Trisara I feel, but that is another resort hard to fault. Amanpuri oozes sophistication and elegance, and little things like afternoon tea make all the difference. Paul the GM is really great and moved from Como Shambhala Estate in Bali about a year ago and is quite hands on.

I love Aman's and some of the most exceptional hotel experiences I have had have been with this group... but I do feel that Amanpuri wasn't quite as special as some of the others (I had been at Amankora a few months before... and that is in it's own league so a very tough act to follow!). As a first time Aman visitor it would be a great place to start your 'addiction', but just remember you are not staying at the most contemporary or shiny resort in Phuket, but I don't actually think you would want to...

It has been a few years since I have been up north, but many of my industry friends think that 4S tented camp and 137 Pillars is the best combo to go for up there. Will give you a mix of nature and also the culture of Chiang Mai. Must eat Khao Soi noodle soup when you are up north! Just means a bit more moving around in an already busy itinerary...

I am not sure of your exact dates but I think Easter coincides with Songkran next year... so that is definitely worth looking into. You could create some really fun activities around this, and sure your kids would have a ball!

I absolutely love Thailand and keep going back again and again...

mike_la_jolla

Why the Pen BKK on the way back?

MikeFromTokyo

Pen BKK is a great hotel.

But, if it is an option, I would suggest staying three nights at MO at the beginning, and then eliminating the one nights stay at the end. One day is not enough time to do anything anyway.

If a one night stay is necessary due to an early morning departure from BKK, I would choose Anantara Siam or Grand Hyatt Erawan for the final night for their convenient location.

Finally, I would do either Phuket or Samui, depending on the season. A 7+ night stay at one resort is much more relaxing than having to move. Then, you could redistribute other nights for a longer stay in Chiang Mai, or to include FS or Anantara Golden Triangle, for example.

If Phuket, try to take advantage of the direct flights TG operates from CNX to HKT on certain days.

mike_la_jolla

Hmmm. I didn't like it. It seemed to me the MO BKK across the river was much better. But going to the Siam for my next stopover.

MikeFromTokyo

I won't argue with that. My opinion is biased because Pen BKK has long been a favorite hotel of mine. It used to be exceptional.

Service quality has unfortunately declined in recent years, while at the same time MO has improved significantly.

vuittonsofstyle

The Pen used to be my favourite, too, but not for many years now, as standards have really declined. These days, it's MO or The Siam - nothing else.