"Reserve" Phulay Bay
Jan 30, 2011, 10:57 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist (formerly Courtesy Card sadly), Amanjunkie, CLEAR
Posts: 3,713
Another data point...
I stayed here a few months back.
Positives:
- Incredible entry way / lobby with the thousands of candles, really impressive when you arrive in the early evening.
- Impeccable service. My personal, private butler was amazing. She refused to go home each day until I was asleep. She was always at the resort when I woke up, even when we went to the local market at 5am.
- Private cooking class, market tour with the head chef. Great experience!
- I found the food to be fantastic. Breakfast was excellent as well. Always a huge buffet laid out which was amazing because I rarely saw anyone dining except me.
- I dined literally as the sole table in both restaurants at dinner, I felt like I had the entire place to myself - amazing.
- Not crowded at the MASSIVE pool. Friendly pool bar staff, always up for a chat. Pool itself was nice and great views.
- Rooms - amazing. Palatial. Tub is truly spectacular. Private plunge pool, private 2nd story terrace, great bathrooms, the bed is just unbelievable in sheer size and comfort.
- Most items in the mini bar are included in your rate, including some alcohol.
- Private dining in the room was excellent.
- Daily amenities left in the room after service, usually some sort of excellent dessert or sweet.
- Transit to/from Krabi airport was nice. They stopped for me at a local market on the way back and literally walked me around and shopped with me for a couple hours, helping to negotiate, etc.
Negatives:
- Beach in front of the hotel is basically not usable. There is a decent beach in walking distance, but it isn't overly impressive. I've seen much better in Hawaii, the Philippines, etc. Water color can be nice given the right weather though. Views of the large rocks in the water though are quite beautiful. I also found this beach to be a little dirty as well.
- Ceiling leaked in my room. They had to come and fix it literally five times. On the plus side, the GM comped me one night which saved over a grand.
- Weather when I was there was very so-so, but that was because I was pretty much there in off season.
- Almost TOO QUIET at this resort. I literally went for hours, sometimes even an entire day without seeing another guest.
- Staff service was great, but often timid, clearly they are still being trained to the RC Reserve's 'emerging standards'.
- Krabi was unimpressive. Local town around the resort unimpressive.
Overall, I'd liken the Reserve collection from RC to be MUCH closer to Aman than a normal RC. Where an RC feels like a hotel, often with great service/etc, the Reserve at Phulay Bay feels really like an Aman. The villas are really over the top, the service is top notch, the food and experiences are great.
Would I go back? Maybe not. Not because I didn't love the property, but because life is short and there are so many more to explore...
I stayed here a few months back.
Positives:
- Incredible entry way / lobby with the thousands of candles, really impressive when you arrive in the early evening.
- Impeccable service. My personal, private butler was amazing. She refused to go home each day until I was asleep. She was always at the resort when I woke up, even when we went to the local market at 5am.
- Private cooking class, market tour with the head chef. Great experience!
- I found the food to be fantastic. Breakfast was excellent as well. Always a huge buffet laid out which was amazing because I rarely saw anyone dining except me.
- I dined literally as the sole table in both restaurants at dinner, I felt like I had the entire place to myself - amazing.
- Not crowded at the MASSIVE pool. Friendly pool bar staff, always up for a chat. Pool itself was nice and great views.
- Rooms - amazing. Palatial. Tub is truly spectacular. Private plunge pool, private 2nd story terrace, great bathrooms, the bed is just unbelievable in sheer size and comfort.
- Most items in the mini bar are included in your rate, including some alcohol.
- Private dining in the room was excellent.
- Daily amenities left in the room after service, usually some sort of excellent dessert or sweet.
- Transit to/from Krabi airport was nice. They stopped for me at a local market on the way back and literally walked me around and shopped with me for a couple hours, helping to negotiate, etc.
Negatives:
- Beach in front of the hotel is basically not usable. There is a decent beach in walking distance, but it isn't overly impressive. I've seen much better in Hawaii, the Philippines, etc. Water color can be nice given the right weather though. Views of the large rocks in the water though are quite beautiful. I also found this beach to be a little dirty as well.
- Ceiling leaked in my room. They had to come and fix it literally five times. On the plus side, the GM comped me one night which saved over a grand.
- Weather when I was there was very so-so, but that was because I was pretty much there in off season.
- Almost TOO QUIET at this resort. I literally went for hours, sometimes even an entire day without seeing another guest.
- Staff service was great, but often timid, clearly they are still being trained to the RC Reserve's 'emerging standards'.
- Krabi was unimpressive. Local town around the resort unimpressive.
Overall, I'd liken the Reserve collection from RC to be MUCH closer to Aman than a normal RC. Where an RC feels like a hotel, often with great service/etc, the Reserve at Phulay Bay feels really like an Aman. The villas are really over the top, the service is top notch, the food and experiences are great.
Would I go back? Maybe not. Not because I didn't love the property, but because life is short and there are so many more to explore...
Jan 31, 2011, 1:19 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
Re comparison to Rayavadee- I feel that it would be a mistake to compare the two properties, since their locations are so different. In my opinion Rayavadee is the only resort that offers a prime location in Krabi, but if one has time to spend a few days elsewhere in addition to a stay at Rayavadee, Phulay Bay is an excellent choice.
Time permitting, I think the best way to experience Krabi is to spend the bulk of one's time at Rayavadee, and then three nights or so at Phulay Bay.
Jan 31, 2011, 1:21 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist (formerly Courtesy Card sadly), Amanjunkie, CLEAR
Posts: 3,713
I agree that the local area around Phulay Bay is not impressive, but find Krabi to be beautiful. This is a major downside about Phulay Bay's location- if one stays there, but does not take day trips to the beautiful parts of Krabi, one has not fully experienced Krabi.
Jan 31, 2011, 7:21 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
someone did a comparison, and said they actually thought phulay was better than rayavadee in some areas. service/food?? but the location is a huge negative. i just dont remember exactly, and cant seem to find it.
May 29, 2011, 6:41 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Depends on the day!
Programs: Marriott/Lifetime Titanium Hyatt/Explorist, Hilton/Silver, IHG Spire,UA Gold
Posts: 17,832
For those of you who are unlucky enough to see Hangover 2 like I was...most of the resort shots take place at Phulay Bay...looks pretty nice!^
why is the location a huge negative? It looks amazing?
why is the location a huge negative? It looks amazing?
May 31, 2011, 2:12 am
#21
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
I wouldn't call the location a "huge negative" by any means, but it is true that its location cannot be compared to Rayavadee's, which is the most beautiful in Krabi.
On my next trip I plan to spend about a week at Rayavadee and then three or four days at Phulay Bay. I find the two resorts to be a perfect pairing.
On my next trip I plan to spend about a week at Rayavadee and then three or four days at Phulay Bay. I find the two resorts to be a perfect pairing.
Jul 3, 2011, 8:50 am
#22
Join Date: May 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: US Chairman, Marriott Platinum, PCR Platinum, and SPG Gold
Posts: 1,244
Fabulous Hotel - Super Expensive F&B - Location Neg/ Pos
My wife and I just finished up a 5 night stay for our honeymoon. I made the reservation 10-11 months ago. At that point in time this property was still eligible for MR points redemption (unfortunately it is no longer).
The 5 night stay required 200K MR points for a Resort Pavillion (the cheapest room). I had negotiated with the hotel a 10K/ night upgrade to a Beach Villa. When we arrived, our butler told us that they would upgrade us to the Beach Villa without charging the additional points which was quite nice.
As others have mentioned, the arrival pavillion is stunning. Our villa was awesome. Our villa, like all the beach villas are right in front of the beach. The villa had a front patio area with a table, lounge chairs, and a great little pool with jets in it (like a large hot tub but it had no heat). Inside the room was spacious and well appointed. The AC worked very well. The bathroom was very nice with a large walk-in shower, his and her sinks, and a toilet with a another door. Out back was a really big tub that took forever to fill up with water but my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were a couple small maintenance issues with the room: 1) a chunk of plaster in the shower room needed to be repaired. 2) the toilet seat cover and seat were a little stained 3) the awning above the outdoor tub needed to be cleaned.
The whole resort is beautiful and since it was low season, we felt like we had the entire resort to ourselves. We were the only people at the pool for 2 hours one day during the middle of the day. All of the staff were incredibly nice and the service was top notch. The food was good although the Thai food in Ao Nang was better and about 10% of the cost of the resort food. On that note, Ao Nang is a 25 minute cab ride (an expensive one though - $45-50 RT). The town is lovely and has a great Thai restaurant on the beach called Wan Sei (sp?). The soft shell crab is absolutely amazing.
I'll follow up with more when I have a chance...
The 5 night stay required 200K MR points for a Resort Pavillion (the cheapest room). I had negotiated with the hotel a 10K/ night upgrade to a Beach Villa. When we arrived, our butler told us that they would upgrade us to the Beach Villa without charging the additional points which was quite nice.
As others have mentioned, the arrival pavillion is stunning. Our villa was awesome. Our villa, like all the beach villas are right in front of the beach. The villa had a front patio area with a table, lounge chairs, and a great little pool with jets in it (like a large hot tub but it had no heat). Inside the room was spacious and well appointed. The AC worked very well. The bathroom was very nice with a large walk-in shower, his and her sinks, and a toilet with a another door. Out back was a really big tub that took forever to fill up with water but my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were a couple small maintenance issues with the room: 1) a chunk of plaster in the shower room needed to be repaired. 2) the toilet seat cover and seat were a little stained 3) the awning above the outdoor tub needed to be cleaned.
The whole resort is beautiful and since it was low season, we felt like we had the entire resort to ourselves. We were the only people at the pool for 2 hours one day during the middle of the day. All of the staff were incredibly nice and the service was top notch. The food was good although the Thai food in Ao Nang was better and about 10% of the cost of the resort food. On that note, Ao Nang is a 25 minute cab ride (an expensive one though - $45-50 RT). The town is lovely and has a great Thai restaurant on the beach called Wan Sei (sp?). The soft shell crab is absolutely amazing.
I'll follow up with more when I have a chance...