Sketho

Hi there,

Someone can share an email address to get in contact with the hotel directly? Looking for info on what is offered for Titanium Elites as well if I can get points for my stay.

Marriott Bonvoy Lurker

Hi Sketho,

You can reach the hotel by email at [email protected]

Thanks,

Robert V.
Social Media Specialist

edsh

I just watched this disturbing review for this property that should be shared.
This is done by a well traveled, experienced hotelier. If you travel to Asia, especially Thailand or Vietnam, his reviews are a great resource; very detailed and well presented.

EuropeanPete

That property looked in prime shape to require greater than category 8 points from next month

Kacee

Wow the garbage on the beach is a disgrace. As is the (lack of) landscape maintenance.

chuck1

I stayed here for 2 nights in an Ultimate Pool Villa.
I found the video review pretty much spot on.
I did enjoy my spa treatments.

The villa had a lovely view with nice amenities. The weather wasn't too great so you really couldn't stay at the beach. It rained and was windy. I thought the beach was kind of small.
Even getting in the villa pool was too cool.
The restaurant at the pool I thought had pretty good food though the little rooms were kind of weird.
I did thing the walkways around the area were a little dingy with peeling paint and that sort of thing.

The breakfast restaurant, I felt, was just too big and bustling. I did not find it relaxing.

VSLover

do you think it was in this state due to covid, lack of staff, getting things back to proper shape? or would you write it off entirely as a place to stay in say 10 months from now?

chuck1

That's a tough call. I might try someplace else.

Europeanexplorer

I just stayed here for two days and I would definitely not write it off in 10 months’ time.

The hotel is actively closing blocks of rooms/villas to get them back into better shape and they have clearly already done so with some rooms. Our Ultimate Pool Villa was spotless and was recently “touched up”.

The hotel has also gone through a number of recent management changes which should improve things further, particularly in the F&B department where they were rudderless for more than a year. The breakfast was the first area to get a makeover and I found this to be seriously good.

I’m now at the Vana Belle and wish I had stayed at the RC longer. For the same price as a Grande Ocean Suite at the Vana Belle I had an Ultimate Pool Villa at the RC and I would pick the Ultimate Pool Villa any day of the week if I had to choose between the two!

greendx

Currently staying here on a points breaker (45K/night) as a gold. I didn't research this property in advance, didn't even read this thread but so far I'm very happy with my stay, first RC for me. There are some steps to climb here and there i.e. to the second floor of my room. Breakfast restaurant from the buggy drop-off, etc. Restaurants (thai & breakfast) are open air outdoor but there are ceiling fans so it's not too bad.

Since this is an award stay I booked the base room. Didn't know what room I was actually in until I checked the Marriott app a few minutes ago. I am in a Select Terrace Suite King, Resort view Balcony so i guess i was upgraded. It's a very spacious room with a nice Ocean view. Only one small issue in the room. Hand held shower holder is loose and needs maintenance which reminds me I need to let someone know. Otherwise I really like this room. I would have loved a private pool but wasn't expecting an upgrade to a room with a pool.

Service is very friendly and attentive. Food so far has been excellent. I had fried calamari by the pool yesterday and it was one of the best fried calamari I've ever had. Price wise along with a beer and the 15% gold discount I believe I paid just under $30. Of course that's not cheap for Thailand but it's not unexpected for a luxury resort anywhere and I'm okay with it. Just got back from breakfast. I really enjoyed it. Food quality was top notch in my opinion. I don't know what the cost was as I was told I didn't need to sign for it. Dinner last night at the thai restaurant was also very good. Massaman curry, dessert, sparkling water and tea after tax and gold discount ran me about 1800THB.

Kacee

You realize those prices are an absolute screaming rip-off? Even for a Thai "luxury" resort.

You can get one of the best country style Thai meals you'll ever have for under 300 THB a couple miles away at Ma-Yom in Maenam

greendx

I can also get a case of Pepsi at the 7/11 for the price of a can in the minibar. What’s your point?

If you’re saying that this hotel’s food prices are much more expensive than other hotels of the same class on the island, that would be an interesting and informative comment.

Kacee

The resort is price-gouging.

They are. Vana Belle F&B costs were less than half that last time I stayed (right before pandemic).

greendx

All resorts price gouge. No one is forcing you to stay or pay their prices.

Regarding your ninja edit about me missing out on key Thailand experience, I appreciate your concern but I can assure you I’m not missing out. I just decided to post a recent data point in a thread specific to a particular hotel.

Regarding F&B at Vana Belle being less than half, that’s good to know for future as I like to stay at different hotels unless I have a specific reason to do a repeat stay. As I mentioned in my original post I booked RC via points. I don’t recall what the price in points was for Vana Belle or other hotels. My goal was to burn the 90K points I had for the “best” available property on my dates. In this particular case my definition of best was a combination of guest review rating + my available points balance. I don’t remember of the top of my head whether Vana Belle needed more points than I had or had a lower review score on google/Marriott versus RC but RC is what I ended up booking.

A bit more granular breakdown of the lunch restaurant by the pool, food cost base prices on average 500THB i.e. pizza or burger. Comparing this to price of same items off of the resort is silly and in fact I’d say they are actually very reasonable all things considered. Calamari dish was more expensive at 780THB but in my opinion given how good it was I would gladly pay this price for this specific dish anywhere. Beer and mixed drinks pricing is the real killer with a bottle of beer being ~350THB++ and drinks 450THB++ but then again what does a mixed drink cost at any high end hotel/bar/restaurant anywhere in the world? I genuinely don’t know anymore because I don’t drink much but I’m pretty sure it’s at least this much.

Overall I’m happy with this stay at the RC but I doubt I’ll be back. This is nothing to do with F&B costs or due to any issues with the resort but mainly because there are too many hotels that I’d like to try including another new one to me tomorrow.

Kacee

No. You will always pay for the convenience of eating on property. But not all resorts price gouge, especially not in Thailand. I get that you don't want to admit you're being cheated, but the prices charged by this resort are far outside the Thai resort norm.

Those prices are insane, and have previously been called out as such - see video link in post 183 above describing restaurant prices as "absurdly expensive."