Because of your video we booked Banyan Tree for three nights, which was amazing. I was still excited to see the Ritz-Carlton so booked three nights here. I'm writing this comment from the room which is shown in the first segment of the video. I have to say that this is an amazing resort, well taken care of, well-staffed and just so wonderful. It's very clean and very welcoming. I think they listened, and shaped up. Now, I wished i stayed all nights here.
This is such a helpful update! I’m currently planning my honeymoon and was trying to decide if we should steer clear of the Ritz and head to Banyan or one of the other 5 Stars. Glad to hear you had a wonderful stay!
Solid review I was actually planning on making a reservation here for July but I’m definitely not going to do that. Thanks for saving me thousands of dollars for what would’ve been a negative experience.
Ich wär im März 2022 in diesem Hotel und ich muss sagen es war grandios. Der Service, das Essen, Sauberkeit und die Massagen alle eine 10/10. Das Zimmer ist so sauber gewesen und wurde zweimal am Tag gereinigt. Übrigens haben sie die Shampoos in Plastikflaschen bereits durch Shampoospender ersetzt! Alles, was du in deinem Video als negativ bewertet hast, ist mir nicht aufgefallen bzw. Ich habe positive Erfahrungen gemacht. Der einzige negative Punkt ist tatsächlich die Sauberkeit des Strandes. Trotzdem ist das Hotel mein Highlight in meinem Urlaub gewesen, alleine weil die Mitarbeiter so lieb und hilfsbereit waren und alles sehr sauber war.
I'm Thai and a big fan of The Ritz Carlton. Koh Samui is a regular place to spend my vacation. Every time when I planned my trip, here is always one of my many hotel choices. After seeing your review, I promise I will never look at this hotel again. Lucky me that I never stayed here. Thank you.
I know this property is very popular for redemptions among Bonvoy Elite members which makes me think of two cases: many of those members will simply think Marriott can do no wrong- but the others, the ones that spend 60-100+ nights with Marriott a year just for a weeks holiday at a property like this- well those are the ones I hope will get to see a quickly improved property. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Hey, I have been binge watching your videos. I just wanted to know which place is that from the "trip reports" intro part of the video? I'm sure I'll find it in one of the videos, but it might take some time.
The in flight shot? That was landing at JFK on Singapore Airlines and was the first ever Trip Report I made on the channel, way back in November 2021. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Hi. Interesting review. But that was 2 years ago though. The most recent reviews are rather excellent. I must say that the grounds and location are just stunning. I am a big walker so i welcomed the huge space of the premises. Maybe your review helped them "adjust" a few things :) Cheers
Wow, that was more in a sorry state than when I visited. Also you made my eyes opened with how subpar this Ritz was. Maybe I was too excited to visit at that time. Great Review!!
The Slate was actually on my final short list but just narrowly got knocked out by the Melia (review coming 10 March, the beach is spectacular, the resort leaves a bit to be desired…). Perhaps the next trip! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Wow! Thank you so much for such a great honest review. My partner and I are hoping to visit Thailand later this year (in September as unfortunately that’s the only time we can get off work). The cost of staying here for a week is really not cheap and we would be spending a good chunk of our money for the trip so it’s really important it’s perfect and we get good value for money. We were disappointed that we might not be able to go here because it’s just out of our budget but after seeing this review I feel so comforted and relieved we can’t afford it hahaha. We’re strongly considering the Conrad at the moment, though. So I’m hoping it’s worth it and is okay. We don’t have the benefits a lot of American tourists have such as AMEX points or Hilton Silver/Gold status so we’re currently looking at £3,000 for the week. (Of course excluding food, drinks and activities and flights). So ANY advice and tips would be greatly appreciated!! 😅
I haven’t been to the Conrad but it was on my final short list- I excluded it simply because it’s so far from everything else on the island (which might be a benefit depending how you look at it…). I’ll give you a small list of what I’d suggest- I haven’t been to all of them but I research a lot before traveling so I’m fairly confident in the suggestions I’ll make: -Six Senses Samui: if you’re willing to spend Conrad ££, I would choose SS instead any day of the week. Great location, recently reopened. I’m seeing sea view villas around $400+ -Hyatt Regency Samui (review on my channel): Great if you’d like to significantly reduce your budget but still have an upscale and modern resort. Ocean view rooms from around $140+ -Napasai Belmond: Old school refined luxury for a great price. Ocean villas from around $230+ -Kimpton Kitalay: I’m a huge fan of Kimpton- opened around a month ago (I would have stayed here if it was open in December) from around $250+ -Vana Belle: (review on my channel) Small intimate and refined resort on a beautiful stretch of beach. Rooms a bit dated but in impeccable shape, from around $350+ As for flights, I’d recommend looking into Scoot. I’m assuming you’re in the UK? You can get return fares LGW to BKK for under $500. All my prices are in USD. Hope you have a great trip and thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Thanks for this amazing review as usual, the bar floor fake cheap grass made my day lol I'd say unfortunately on Phuket and Samui quite a few 5 stars are like that and are just money grabbing scams for wealthy tourists that come once to Thailand indeed and think that's how it is.
Great review and once again appreciate your honesty and clarity. My wife and I stayed at Ritz Carlton in Bali (right next door to the new Kempinski you reviewed). As a long time Starwood SPG Platinum member (now sadly Bonvoy) we always expected the Ritz brand to be on par with St. Regis at the minimum. Not this time......The Bali property was a massive disappointment and it really hurt to pay the price. The resort was on par with a Marriot. There was nothing "Ritzy" about it and the brand is misleading people. If that property is owned by the same Malaysian conglomerate you mention, then they are doing the franchise a massive disservice and Marriot should reconsider their agreements with them. There is a very interesting back story on that Ritz in Bali and the opening of the Bulgari resort there and how the franchise owners fought each other over it.....
I just stayed at a Fairfield Inn & Suites and the pics on the website were of a nice new looking hotel. I got there at 12:05 am and thought I was in the Twilight zone. It looked about 15 years old.
thank you for another detail review. I being a pool villa addict, is dismay that the villa here does not have privacy which is a major fail ! once again, thanks for the review.
Even when I was a staff member for a tourism company in 2019. I found that these south beaches hotels in Thailand have some really big problem with their garbage. Many 5 star "luxurious" hotels has these same problem when they decided to have a big pile of garbage right in the vicinity of the compound.
Lets hope the management of Ritz Carlton takes a look on your review. This truly does not build any brand preference, but vice versa. Hopefully is an exception to what their famous brand has presented to many.
I was waiting for this review video because this resort is quite popular among Marriott properties in Thailand and I thought of coming there after the Pandemics. But it's quite a disappointment, isn't it?
Beyond a disappointment specifically because of two things: 1. It COULD and SHOULD be amazing. The setting is spectacular, but from the beach to the rusty furniture to the poor landscaping- there clearly wasn’t enough investment in the original development and certainly not enough in its maintenance. 2. They misrepresent themselves. Their photos are a complete sham. Even after showing them how their photos/videos misrepresent their rooms they’ve never changed it. This is one of the few times I’ve actually felt angry (instead of disappointed) for spending money here. It’s hard for me to believe the positive reviews this place consistently gets. I’m not saying they’re not real, but I do think they fall into the category of “Bonvoy elite redemption booking, never been to Thailand, assume this is how paradise is supposed to look…” They should be ashamed of the product they put forth. Hopefully management (at whatever level is responsible) will be replaced and the resort can return to what it SHOULD be. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
I was there right before c vid in a villa (had we known it were our last holidays before this forced long break...). It was a fantastic property and the employees were amazing (especially at the pool and breakfast). Hope it will recover, because it looks really abandoned and/or unmanaged... Only down-side was the beach next to the pool, the sand is actually imported. The other beach was way better.
Like your videos, good critics about the hotels. I work in the hotel industry and I am surprise by the lack of quality sometimes when you pay couple of hundred of dollars the night in South East Asia.
Thanks very much and welcome to the channel. It is disappointing at times but on a whole I’d say hotels in SE Asia are surely more consistent than other parts of the (more developed) world. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Of the resorts I've published so far, I'd have to go for the Hyatt Regency pool villas or Vana Belle, but I have a few new Samui videos coming up in a couple months that blow them all out of the water! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
The GM did see the photos of the garbage pile on the beach as I was checking out, but no, there’s been no response from the property based on this video (and I wouldn’t expect there to be one either). Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Great video. Honestly, I'm not sure is it due to covid or just because it's one of the YTL property. Most YTL properties I been to are great at one glance, but fine details are terrible. Properties are not well maintained for instance, Pangkor laut resort, tanjung jara resort, even RC Kuala Lumpur and few others. Not to mentioned the much overpriced F&B and spa compared to other high end resorts.
This is my first YTL property but I have also not heard the greatest things about the RC in KL. Hopefully (weird to say) at the very least it's at least part due to COVID, that way there's a bit of hope it'll get better! Thanks for watching
Man can’t thank you enough as a Marriott ambassador member I was contemplating whether it’s wise to take ritz or Conrad/ Hyatt sumai property. I guess I’m gonna drop the ritz even though I have no proper status with Hyatt. Saw your review of Hyatt koh sumai , I think the best one out of the bunch of sumai hotels.
If I were you’d I’d also consider the new Kimpton. I’m planning to go in the spring (it opened a few weeks after my previous trip to Samui). I’ve heard and seen many promising things about it. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Do you have any up coming countries after this Thailand trip or would you rather make more vids on VN's hotels now? Also, during your trip to Thailand, did you visit the northern area, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai?
For sure lots more to come. Have travel for all of 2022 planned already- around 20 countries in queue. Just arrived in Mexico from Colombia. Will be in the US for some time before heading to Brazil and then Europe. I’ll be doing more VN hotels this year as deals present themselves in between my bigger trips. Specifically trying to get some content form Da Nang/Hue after having to cancel that trip 3 times already ☺️
@@tfft This sounds great! 😃 If you don't mind, I find that some shorter vids with the length around the same of your flight review about some activities or tourist attractions that you visit during your stay in those countries, could be a great addition for the chanel. Also, you're my new fav after mr. "the LTE", as your vids are more compact and I like your voice tho. 😅
In April/May I’m launching 2 additional ‘slow tv’ style channels that will feature content from the same places I film for this channel. They won’t be specifically tourist guide videos though (that niche is a bit saturated…). More to come…
Even if they cleaned up the landscaping, the design makes me uncomfortable. All the restaurants feature "isolation" booths - I like privacy but not to the point of confined dining where I can't see the dining room. It seems claustrophobic. That rock garden around the spa villas was utterly depressing. I don't see how that design would inspire inner peace and harmony. How long would it take to walk from your original room to the restaurant and beach?
Yes I agree about the individual dining concept. I can see how some would like Pak Tai at night as it’s at least open air, but Sea Salt felt more like a concept for a family restaurant in a very socially conservative country. The walk to the beach would be around 15-20 minutes, going back to the room though I’d say you might need to almost double that as it would be all up hill. Note that my first room was one of the furthest buildings. If I’m remembering correctly, 1 of the suites buildings was further away and 6 were closer. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
I’m personally of the opinion that most travelers expect too much from their hotel (or airline) loyalty program. That’s not to say that I won’t sometimes spend days/weeks searching for an itinerary that is chock full of deals and added perks, but I’m not at all surprised that Bonvoy is moving to dynamic and frankly I’m surprised more programs haven’t already. Just to be clear I’m not saying anything against loyalists- if the program fits, it’s great- just that like every other industry, we need to expect shareholder value to take precedent over perks. This is why I’m loyal to hotels.com for around 70% of my bookings. The rewards are tangible and even if they change the program tomorrow, the value of the awards I have now won’t change. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
"a bridge that you might just be interested in"? I don't get it. Why did the Staff even bother arguing with you about the table and chairs on the balcony as advertised, a much simpler solution would be "we completely understand Sir that you need a work space and we will bring over some outdoor furniture for you" why argue that you are wrong? It's easy fixed!! Oh l hate that when a Hotel or resort locks off doors/windows and paint over them to create an upgrade or modification especially when it is so obvious that this is what has happened. Not a Ritz Carlton experience at all, your points are valid and there are plenty of resorts on the Island so the consumer has a choice👍
Now that I’m reading your comment I’m realizing my bridge comment is a very American reference I suppose haha. It refers to a man in the early 1900s who made a living illegally “selling” properties that he didn’t own. He was also able to “sell” the Brooklyn Bridge multiple times and collect at least part of his asking price. So the phrase is used to indicate someone might be gullible.
OMG... I've booked this hotel from the 14th of August until the 28th and to be honest your review really scared me a lot... I hope they've done some improvements especially to the beach area
*every* YTL hotel i've stayed at in malaysia has been disappointing in many ways. cheap construction, poor maintenance, staff with limited training, cost-cutting measures abound, etc. too bad, but unsurprising i guess, that this extends to their properties in thailand as well...
I think the fact that many commenters on this video know who YTL is says a lot about the company. In my experience at least, it’s rare for most guests to know the developer or owner of a branded hotel, but I suppose YTL’s reputation precedes them. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
This proprety is for a good architect/ designer’s nightmare : it does not integrate form AND function. Worst it neither integrate form OR function. You can still feel that desastruous soft opening reality check. The GM totally overwheld using the four letter word😂. Nooooo it does not start with an F. 😉. I mean HELP 😀. Btw that pizza box looked like Air Canada economy menu Ouch !
Hope you don't mind me making a second comment, next time can you do something like feeding the "thousands" of Fish for $30 just to show how overpriced/ridiculous the activity is👍
Not worse than Banyan Tree in Phuket, but still a disappointment. To me you're right, the devil is in the detail. Superficially it's a very beautiful and comfy hotel. But for the high prise and also the name Ritz Carlton, you should expect more from them. @Flip Flop: are you also doing reviews from less expensive hotels? Such like the Eastin in Bangkok?
True, not worse than Banyan Tree, but more of a disappointment as when I booked the Banyan Tree I knew it was going to be a bit dated- just not nearly as bad as it was. The RC on the other hand, the issues I found were completely unexpected. For Bangkok, in this round of reviews I just have the Kimpton Maa Lai remaining which I’ll release next week. I’ll be in Bangkok two more times this year and will most likely be showing hotels in the $75-$175 range. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
It has a very poor reputation amongst the locals here. I think it was built on the cheap and furnished likewise. Not uncommon to wait 30 minutes for a buggy. Best avoided.
My two favorite are the Hyatt Regency and the Vana Belle. The HR is fresh, modern and brand new but the beach is small. The Vana Belle has an incredible beach and setting but now that everything has opened up the prices have risen there more than other properties I’ve seen. I haven’t stayed there yet but I also had Anantara Lawana and Belmond Napasai on my final short list. If I was going back to Samui tomorrow I’d probably go for a pool villa at the HR if I could get it for $400 or less.
When visiting a poor country, it’s usually a reliable choice to choose a ritz. But seems not so much here. Found out that a lot it brands in South America were pretty dreary too. But, they are countries that are difficult to be in compared to Hawaii for example (much more expensive but the overall experience is pleasant even outside of the hotel) adore these videos!! So much attention to detail. A joy ti watch
Hmmm… your comment makes me think you haven’t been to Thailand (?), which is by no means a ‘poor’ country. Are they Switzerland? No. Do they have many resorts and hotels that would blow their equivalent in Hawaii out of the water? Yes.
@@neonomad1939 oh, I have! Was even stuck there for an extra day 😆 garbage on a beach doesn’t add to the experience…and Hawaii has me spoiled, let’s be honest
Stay during 7 - 10 April at Ultimate Pool Villa with my wife and two small kids. I feel very satisfied. I book the hotel before I found this review and I expected that I will disappoint with this trip. However, I am very satisfy with my stay and I feel sad to the hotel that they got very negative reviews. Here are good and bad thing I found 1. Room : Very good atmostphere, private, good view, room is very comfortable. 2. Breakfast : Yes they dont have many varieties but quality e.g. Fresh coconut juice unlimited, Fresh fruit juice, the food taste is good compared to those offer variety, Bakery is good. 3. Beach : The period I come the beach is in good condition, No trash found on the beach around hotel (I havnt walk very far so I dont know If they have gabage like in this video far away). And I think due to negative review, the beach is very private with only small no. Of people. Service : Excellent, except the day I check in, I have to wait so long due to period of my stay is high season and they are ramping up their staff after COVID19 affect. Facilities : (e.g. fitness, boxing, etc) I did not use, so I have no comment. Only kids club is not good, its a conference room with toys ane one staff to take care (I think the club may be under renovation). However, the staff at the room provide very good service to us and our kids. I also see the tennis court and Basket Ball court, they are in good condition. Food : Yes expensive for me too, but there are food delivery such as Grab, Food Panda around. And the hotel provide in room service (plate, fork, spoon) without charging. Location : Excellent, close to many favourite restaurant e.g. Coco Tams, Jungle Club, Cocoon, and Fisherman Village, etc. Oveall hotel area: Very big space qnd this make me feel very private and comfortable.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Because of your video we booked Banyan Tree for three nights, which was amazing. I was still excited to see the Ritz-Carlton so booked three nights here. I'm writing this comment from the room which is shown in the first segment of the video. I have to say that this is an amazing resort, well taken care of, well-staffed and just so wonderful. It's very clean and very welcoming. I think they listened, and shaped up. Now, I wished i stayed all nights here.
Glad that they've cleaned up their act. Enjoy your trip 🗺️
This is such a helpful update! I’m currently planning my honeymoon and was trying to decide if we should steer clear of the Ritz and head to Banyan or one of the other 5 Stars. Glad to hear you had a wonderful stay!
Solid review I was actually planning on making a reservation here for July but I’m definitely not going to do that. Thanks for saving me thousands of dollars for what would’ve been a negative experience.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this amazing review! Hope u can visit Krabi in the future !
I hope so too! Haha
Ich wär im März 2022 in diesem Hotel und ich muss sagen es war grandios. Der Service, das Essen, Sauberkeit und die Massagen alle eine 10/10.
Das Zimmer ist so sauber gewesen und wurde zweimal am Tag gereinigt. Übrigens haben sie die Shampoos in Plastikflaschen bereits durch Shampoospender ersetzt!
Alles, was du in deinem Video als negativ bewertet hast, ist mir nicht aufgefallen bzw. Ich habe positive Erfahrungen gemacht.
Der einzige negative Punkt ist tatsächlich die Sauberkeit des Strandes.
Trotzdem ist das Hotel mein Highlight in meinem Urlaub gewesen, alleine weil die Mitarbeiter so lieb und hilfsbereit waren und alles sehr sauber war.
Ich bin froh zu hören, dass sie die Einrichtungen verbessert und die Renovierungsarbeiten abgeschlossen haben.
I'm Thai and a big fan of The Ritz Carlton. Koh Samui is a regular place to spend my vacation. Every time when I planned my trip, here is always one of my many hotel choices. After seeing your review, I promise I will never look at this hotel again. Lucky me that I never stayed here. Thank you.
Hopefully they’ve taken notice and brought the property back up to standards. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Very eye opening! Thanks for the heads up!
Hopefully this review instigates someone at Ritz Carlton to get the beach cleaned up. Disgraceful. Good job bringing it to attention FF
I know this property is very popular for redemptions among Bonvoy Elite members which makes me think of two cases: many of those members will simply think Marriott can do no wrong- but the others, the ones that spend 60-100+ nights with Marriott a year just for a weeks holiday at a property like this- well those are the ones I hope will get to see a quickly improved property. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
I had been debating where to stay between the ritz and conrad. After watching your review, its crystal clear where to choose. Thanks a million!
I have heard things have improved at the RC- but yes I’d probably go for the Conrad as well. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Hey, I have been binge watching your videos. I just wanted to know which place is that from the "trip reports" intro part of the video? I'm sure I'll find it in one of the videos, but it might take some time.
The in flight shot? That was landing at JFK on Singapore Airlines and was the first ever Trip Report I made on the channel, way back in November 2021. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Hi. Interesting review. But that was 2 years ago though. The most recent reviews are rather excellent. I must say that the grounds and location are just stunning. I am a big walker so i welcomed the huge space of the premises. Maybe your review helped them "adjust" a few things :) Cheers
Thanks for watching 🩴
Wow, that was more in a sorry state than when I visited. Also you made my eyes opened with how subpar this Ritz was. Maybe I was too excited to visit at that time. Great Review!!
Thanks for watching & Happy New Year 🎉
Thanks for the review.
Thanks for watching 🩴
Thank you so much for this review. Thanks to you I’ve dodged a bullet with our honeymoon with this one!
Thanks for watching 🩴
Your fair, helpful reviews are great. Would LOVE to see a review of The Slate from you! Considering a trip there vs Intercontinental.
The Slate was actually on my final short list but just narrowly got knocked out by the Melia (review coming 10 March, the beach is spectacular, the resort leaves a bit to be desired…). Perhaps the next trip! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
@@tfft : Stayed at the Melia previously, l know how this review is going to go already🤭
So honest, thanks, subscribed
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Thank you for your honest feedback on this property!! Shocking to say the least!!
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Wow! Thank you so much for such a great honest review. My partner and I are hoping to visit Thailand later this year (in September as unfortunately that’s the only time we can get off work). The cost of staying here for a week is really not cheap and we would be spending a good chunk of our money for the trip so it’s really important it’s perfect and we get good value for money. We were disappointed that we might not be able to go here because it’s just out of our budget but after seeing this review I feel so comforted and relieved we can’t afford it hahaha. We’re strongly considering the Conrad at the moment, though. So I’m hoping it’s worth it and is okay. We don’t have the benefits a lot of American tourists have such as AMEX points or Hilton Silver/Gold status so we’re currently looking at £3,000 for the week. (Of course excluding food, drinks and activities and flights). So ANY advice and tips would be greatly appreciated!! 😅
I haven’t been to the Conrad but it was on my final short list- I excluded it simply because it’s so far from everything else on the island (which might be a benefit depending how you look at it…). I’ll give you a small list of what I’d suggest- I haven’t been to all of them but I research a lot before traveling so I’m fairly confident in the suggestions I’ll make:
-Six Senses Samui: if you’re willing to spend Conrad ££, I would choose SS instead any day of the week. Great location, recently reopened. I’m seeing sea view villas around $400+
-Hyatt Regency Samui (review on my channel): Great if you’d like to significantly reduce your budget but still have an upscale and modern resort. Ocean view rooms from around $140+
-Napasai Belmond: Old school refined luxury for a great price. Ocean villas from around $230+
-Kimpton Kitalay: I’m a huge fan of Kimpton- opened around a month ago (I would have stayed here if it was open in December) from around $250+
-Vana Belle: (review on my channel) Small intimate and refined resort on a beautiful stretch of beach. Rooms a bit dated but in impeccable shape, from around $350+
As for flights, I’d recommend looking into Scoot. I’m assuming you’re in the UK? You can get return fares LGW to BKK for under $500.
All my prices are in USD. Hope you have a great trip and thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Thanks for genuine review. I just also cancelled my reservation right away!
Thanks for watching 🩴
Great Reviews. Keep it going. TG
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Thanks for this amazing review as usual, the bar floor fake cheap grass made my day lol I'd say unfortunately on Phuket and Samui quite a few 5 stars are like that and are just money grabbing scams for wealthy tourists that come once to Thailand indeed and think that's how it is.
Thanks for watching 🙏
The rooms looked good that’s it ! Thank you for the post I love the ritz Carlton but this is a joke disgusting was going to book but not now !
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Great review and once again appreciate your honesty and clarity. My wife and I stayed at Ritz Carlton in Bali (right next door to the new Kempinski you reviewed). As a long time Starwood SPG Platinum member (now sadly Bonvoy) we always expected the Ritz brand to be on par with St. Regis at the minimum. Not this time......The Bali property was a massive disappointment and it really hurt to pay the price. The resort was on par with a Marriot. There was nothing "Ritzy" about it and the brand is misleading people. If that property is owned by the same Malaysian conglomerate you mention, then they are doing the franchise a massive disservice and Marriot should reconsider their agreements with them. There is a very interesting back story on that Ritz in Bali and the opening of the Bulgari resort there and how the franchise owners fought each other over it.....
Thanks very much for watching 🙏🏻
Agreed .Im malaysian, YTL managed hotel are soulless.. they treat their staff badly too.. will avoid if i can.
I just stayed at a Fairfield Inn & Suites and the pics on the website were of a nice new looking hotel. I got there at 12:05 am and thought I was in the Twilight zone. It looked about 15 years old.
Perhaps, you were! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
thank you for another detail review. I being a pool villa addict, is dismay that the villa here does not have privacy which is a major fail ! once again, thanks for the review.
Thanks very much for watching 🙏🏻
Thank you so much. I instantly cancelled my booking. You saved me from spending way to much money on an overpriced not well kept resort. Thank's again
It’s a shame because the setting is incredible. Hopefully things improve there soon! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Certainly not deceived by me. While I’m glad if they’ve improved, everything I mention- good and bad- is well documented in the video. Thanks!
Right now i cant find this hotel on their website anymore
www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/usmrz-the-ritz-carlton-koh-samui/overview/
This was my experience too around the same time. Accurate review
Thanks for watching 🩴
Even when I was a staff member for a tourism company in 2019. I found that these south beaches hotels in Thailand have some really big problem with their garbage. Many 5 star "luxurious" hotels has these same problem when they decided to have a big pile of garbage right in the vicinity of the compound.
Thanks for watching 🙏
HI! Any lizards in sight at night especially near the pool in and especially outside the villa pls? I m super scared of lizzies 😓
It's southeast Asia, there are geckos and tokays and such all around. Thanks for watching 🩴
Lets hope the management of Ritz Carlton takes a look on your review. This truly does not build any brand preference, but vice versa. Hopefully is an exception to what their famous brand has presented to many.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
I stayed here at 2019, and I totally agree with your review.
Thanks for sharing ✈️
I was waiting for this review video because this resort is quite popular among Marriott properties in Thailand and I thought of coming there after the Pandemics. But it's quite a disappointment, isn't it?
Beyond a disappointment specifically because of two things:
1. It COULD and SHOULD be amazing. The setting is spectacular, but from the beach to the rusty furniture to the poor landscaping- there clearly wasn’t enough investment in the original development and certainly not enough in its maintenance.
2. They misrepresent themselves. Their photos are a complete sham. Even after showing them how their photos/videos misrepresent their rooms they’ve never changed it. This is one of the few times I’ve actually felt angry (instead of disappointed) for spending money here.
It’s hard for me to believe the positive reviews this place consistently gets. I’m not saying they’re not real, but I do think they fall into the category of “Bonvoy elite redemption booking, never been to Thailand, assume this is how paradise is supposed to look…”
They should be ashamed of the product they put forth. Hopefully management (at whatever level is responsible) will be replaced and the resort can return to what it SHOULD be.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
I was there right before c vid in a villa (had we known it were our last holidays before this forced long break...). It was a fantastic property and the employees were amazing (especially at the pool and breakfast). Hope it will recover, because it looks really abandoned and/or unmanaged... Only down-side was the beach next to the pool, the sand is actually imported. The other beach was way better.
Thanks for sharing ✈️
Like your videos, good critics about the hotels. I work in the hotel industry and I am surprise by the lack of quality sometimes when you pay couple of hundred of dollars the night in South East Asia.
Thanks very much and welcome to the channel. It is disappointing at times but on a whole I’d say hotels in SE Asia are surely more consistent than other parts of the (more developed) world. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Hey - so where do you recommend to stay in Koh Sumai, if one has the same budget as Ritz?
Of the resorts I've published so far, I'd have to go for the Hyatt Regency pool villas or Vana Belle, but I have a few new Samui videos coming up in a couple months that blow them all out of the water! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
I wonder, did the hotel General Manager saw this or did the hotel reach-out to you?
The GM did see the photos of the garbage pile on the beach as I was checking out, but no, there’s been no response from the property based on this video (and I wouldn’t expect there to be one either). Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
@@tfft that’s disappointing coming from such a prestigious Ritz Carlton.
Yikes, I was actually considering this but I will go for W instead.
Ouch😮. Booked Centara Reserve. 😅
Wow! Headed there in a few weeks. Super disappointed to see this. Hopefully it’s not too late to change resorts.
To be fair, from what I've seen in more recent comment, they have cleaned their act (and beach) up. Enjoy your trip 🗺️
Great video. Honestly, I'm not sure is it due to covid or just because it's one of the YTL property. Most YTL properties I been to are great at one glance, but fine details are terrible. Properties are not well maintained for instance, Pangkor laut resort, tanjung jara resort, even RC Kuala Lumpur and few others. Not to mentioned the much overpriced F&B and spa compared to other high end resorts.
This is my first YTL property but I have also not heard the greatest things about the RC in KL. Hopefully (weird to say) at the very least it's at least part due to COVID, that way there's a bit of hope it'll get better! Thanks for watching
Man can’t thank you enough as a Marriott ambassador member I was contemplating whether it’s wise to take ritz or Conrad/ Hyatt sumai property. I guess I’m gonna drop the ritz even though I have no proper status with Hyatt. Saw your review of Hyatt koh sumai , I think the best one out of the bunch of sumai hotels.
If I were you’d I’d also consider the new Kimpton. I’m planning to go in the spring (it opened a few weeks after my previous trip to Samui). I’ve heard and seen many promising things about it. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Do you have any up coming countries after this Thailand trip or would you rather make more vids on VN's hotels now?
Also, during your trip to Thailand, did you visit the northern area, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai?
For sure lots more to come. Have travel for all of 2022 planned already- around 20 countries in queue. Just arrived in Mexico from Colombia. Will be in the US for some time before heading to Brazil and then Europe. I’ll be doing more VN hotels this year as deals present themselves in between my bigger trips. Specifically trying to get some content form Da Nang/Hue after having to cancel that trip 3 times already ☺️
@@tfft This sounds great! 😃
If you don't mind, I find that some shorter vids with the length around the same of your flight review about some activities or tourist attractions that you visit during your stay in those countries, could be a great addition for the chanel.
Also, you're my new fav after mr. "the LTE", as your vids are more compact and I like your voice tho. 😅
In April/May I’m launching 2 additional ‘slow tv’ style channels that will feature content from the same places I film for this channel. They won’t be specifically tourist guide videos though (that niche is a bit saturated…). More to come…
Thank you for your sacrifice 😑. I really hate it when vacation is ruined by PAID frustration 😑.
Haha it was my pleasure :) Thanks for watching
My wife just told me 24 cans coke zero is 320 baht
Sounds about right.
I guessed a score of 60 also. I must be watching too many of your videos lol
Never too many!
Even if they cleaned up the landscaping, the design makes me uncomfortable. All the restaurants feature "isolation" booths - I like privacy but not to the point of confined dining where I can't see the dining room. It seems claustrophobic. That rock garden around the spa villas was utterly depressing. I don't see how that design would inspire inner peace and harmony. How long would it take to walk from your original room to the restaurant and beach?
Yes I agree about the individual dining concept. I can see how some would like Pak Tai at night as it’s at least open air, but Sea Salt felt more like a concept for a family restaurant in a very socially conservative country.
The walk to the beach would be around 15-20 minutes, going back to the room though I’d say you might need to almost double that as it would be all up hill. Note that my first room was one of the furthest buildings. If I’m remembering correctly, 1 of the suites buildings was further away and 6 were closer.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
And they want to change 30,000 points more for redemption after dynamic pricing introduced. Crazy.
I’m personally of the opinion that most travelers expect too much from their hotel (or airline) loyalty program. That’s not to say that I won’t sometimes spend days/weeks searching for an itinerary that is chock full of deals and added perks, but I’m not at all surprised that Bonvoy is moving to dynamic and frankly I’m surprised more programs haven’t already.
Just to be clear I’m not saying anything against loyalists- if the program fits, it’s great- just that like every other industry, we need to expect shareholder value to take precedent over perks. This is why I’m loyal to hotels.com for around 70% of my bookings. The rewards are tangible and even if they change the program tomorrow, the value of the awards I have now won’t change.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Id be happy with that Villa
Thanks for sharing ✈️
good catch of the plastic bag
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
"a bridge that you might just be interested in"? I don't get it. Why did the Staff even bother arguing with you about the table and chairs on the balcony as advertised, a much simpler solution would be "we completely understand Sir that you need a work space and we will bring over some outdoor furniture for you" why argue that you are wrong? It's easy fixed!! Oh l hate that when a Hotel or resort locks off doors/windows and paint over them to create an upgrade or modification especially when it is so obvious that this is what has happened. Not a Ritz Carlton experience at all, your points are valid and there are plenty of resorts on the Island so the consumer has a choice👍
Now that I’m reading your comment I’m realizing my bridge comment is a very American reference I suppose haha. It refers to a man in the early 1900s who made a living illegally “selling” properties that he didn’t own. He was also able to “sell” the Brooklyn Bridge multiple times and collect at least part of his asking price.
So the phrase is used to indicate someone might be gullible.
@@tfft ; That is too funny! Thanks for explaining it, makes sense now, l thought am l just blonde? 😁. I think you know by now lm in Australia 🇦🇺 👍
Yes, hopefully not stuck in Melbourne for too much longer!
OMG... I've booked this hotel from the 14th of August until the 28th and to be honest your review really scared me a lot... I hope they've done some improvements especially to the beach area
I'd surely hope it has improved by now. Would be absolutely wild if it hadn't. Thanks for watching 🩴
🙏🙏🙏
Based on a 16 baht coke costing 250 baht shows me its a rip off
Thanks for watching 🩴
*every* YTL hotel i've stayed at in malaysia has been disappointing in many ways. cheap construction, poor maintenance, staff with limited training, cost-cutting measures abound, etc. too bad, but unsurprising i guess, that this extends to their properties in thailand as well...
I think the fact that many commenters on this video know who YTL is says a lot about the company. In my experience at least, it’s rare for most guests to know the developer or owner of a branded hotel, but I suppose YTL’s reputation precedes them. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
This proprety is for a good architect/ designer’s nightmare : it does not integrate form AND function. Worst it neither integrate form OR function.
You can still feel that desastruous soft opening reality check. The GM totally overwheld using the four letter word😂. Nooooo it does not start with an F. 😉. I mean HELP 😀.
Btw that pizza box looked like Air Canada economy menu Ouch !
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Thank you for warning us about this horrible resort . The management should hang their heads in shame
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Hope you don't mind me making a second comment, next time can you do something like feeding the "thousands" of Fish for $30 just to show how overpriced/ridiculous the activity is👍
Haha there are few things in life that are a certainty- but one of them is that there will be no next time for me at this property ☺️
@@tfft : Yeah but you know something else will come up one day😉
Not worse than Banyan Tree in Phuket, but still a disappointment. To me you're right, the devil is in the detail. Superficially it's a very beautiful and comfy hotel. But for the high prise and also the name Ritz Carlton, you should expect more from them. @Flip Flop: are you also doing reviews from less expensive hotels? Such like the Eastin in Bangkok?
True, not worse than Banyan Tree, but more of a disappointment as when I booked the Banyan Tree I knew it was going to be a bit dated- just not nearly as bad as it was. The RC on the other hand, the issues I found were completely unexpected.
For Bangkok, in this round of reviews I just have the Kimpton Maa Lai remaining which I’ll release next week. I’ll be in Bangkok two more times this year and will most likely be showing hotels in the $75-$175 range. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
It has a very poor reputation amongst the locals here. I think it was built on the cheap and furnished likewise.
Not uncommon to wait 30 minutes for a buggy. Best avoided.
Seems about right.
The general manager should be sacked with just an hour notice
or send him/her for training at the 4 seasons or amanpuri
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
The horrible beach condition is huge turn-off. Just imagine paying premium prices and that's what you get, I would've asked for a refund.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
@The Flip Flop Traveller you're welcome. Your videos are informative and enjoyable, keep it up!!
This looks like a 4-star hotel with 2-star service. 😬
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Well I guess the Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui is out of my bucket list for now…
Sorry! There are plenty of other beautiful options on Samui for you to enjoy though ☺️ Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
@@tfft Haha yes, I’ve been wanting to go to Samui for ages but couldn’t because of Covid-19. May I ask what is your favourite property on Samui?
My two favorite are the Hyatt Regency and the Vana Belle. The HR is fresh, modern and brand new but the beach is small. The Vana Belle has an incredible beach and setting but now that everything has opened up the prices have risen there more than other properties I’ve seen.
I haven’t stayed there yet but I also had Anantara Lawana and Belmond Napasai on my final short list.
If I was going back to Samui tomorrow I’d probably go for a pool villa at the HR if I could get it for $400 or less.
Too much concrete...
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
When visiting a poor country, it’s usually a reliable choice to choose a ritz. But seems not so much here. Found out that a lot it brands in South America were pretty dreary too. But, they are countries that are difficult to be in compared to Hawaii for example (much more expensive but the overall experience is pleasant even outside of the hotel) adore these videos!! So much attention to detail. A joy ti watch
Hmmm… your comment makes me think you haven’t been to Thailand (?), which is by no means a ‘poor’ country. Are they Switzerland? No. Do they have many resorts and hotels that would blow their equivalent in Hawaii out of the water? Yes.
You definitely haven't been to Thailand.
@@neonomad1939 oh, I have! Was even stuck there for an extra day 😆 garbage on a beach doesn’t add to the experience…and Hawaii has me spoiled, let’s be honest
Omg the garbage in the 5 star hotels is unacceptable, sorry
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Looks like RC resort leadership sees nothing and does nothing. Unacceptable…
Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes are all that’s needed. Hopefully they get some soon! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Garden looks so bad!
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
wow that's horrible
And it could be so much more! Fantastic location left to fend for itself. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Stay during 7 - 10 April at Ultimate Pool Villa with my wife and two small kids. I feel very satisfied.
I book the hotel before I found this review and I expected that I will disappoint with this trip. However, I am very satisfy with my stay and I feel sad to the hotel that they got very negative reviews. Here are good and bad thing I found
1. Room : Very good atmostphere, private, good view, room is very comfortable.
2. Breakfast : Yes they dont have many varieties but quality e.g. Fresh coconut juice unlimited, Fresh fruit juice, the food taste is good compared to those offer variety, Bakery is good.
3. Beach : The period I come the beach is in good condition, No trash found on the beach around hotel (I havnt walk very far so I dont know If they have gabage like in this video far away). And I think due to negative review, the beach is very private with only small no. Of people.
Service : Excellent, except the day I check in, I have to wait so long due to period of my stay is high season and they are ramping up their staff after COVID19 affect.
Facilities : (e.g. fitness, boxing, etc) I did not use, so I have no comment. Only kids club is not good, its a conference room with toys ane one staff to take care (I think the club may be under renovation). However, the staff at the room provide very good service to us and our kids. I also see the tennis court and Basket Ball court, they are in good condition.
Food : Yes expensive for me too, but there are food delivery such as Grab, Food Panda around. And the hotel provide in room service (plate, fork, spoon) without charging.
Location : Excellent, close to many favourite restaurant e.g. Coco Tams, Jungle Club, Cocoon, and Fisherman Village, etc.
Oveall hotel area: Very big space qnd this make me feel very private and comfortable.
Glad you enjoyed your stay. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
upgrade to Villa was sound good )))
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻