Staying here right now and purely only because we watched this video!! The best hotel resort we have ever stayed in. Breathtaking is the best way to describe the place and you need to see it with your own eyes to believe how special the place is. Thank you for possibly the best tip off of a place to visit I’ve ever had
The Phulay Bay property is owned by the Singha Beer family and reflects their long history with a serious nod to heritage and culture while remaining modern. I suspect that the overall design and nature of the property has more to do with them than the Ritz Carlton. The actual ownership of a hotel property and their involvement in maintenance and upgrades often has as much impact on the quality of the experience as does the operating/management company. This complicated relationship is often key to the success of a particular property; thus, perhaps the difference between Koh Samui and Krabi resorts. (The Ritz-Carlton in Koh Samui is owned by YTL Hotels, a large Malaysian hotel organization.)
Love the channel and follow it religiously! One ask - for future videos it would be great, and I think strategic for you and channel, to include thorough reviews of the fitness and spa facilities. This is actually often times the deciding factor for me in choosing a property. Other than that keep up the great work and keep 'em coming!
Thank you Kevin, I always enjoy your videos a lot. So relaxing just to watch, and also the music you chose is always perfect and in accordance with the place and country.
Love your review format! I stayed here twice about 10 years ago. Overall it seems the property is the same but they've done a great job of keeping things looking fresh. That area between the beach and grassy area in front is in new since we were there and looks to be a great addition. There's definitely a lot of local fauna milling around- we had a monitor lizard try and come into our room at one point! Only negative was the pool is a bit out of the way from the villa and had lots of debris, wasn't cleaned every day.
Great video Kevin - I fell asleep ..thankyou .. for the first part as the background music put me into unconsciousness ( in a good way)so part 2 was this morning , I’ve never stayed here but certainly would based on the review - food looked good and the place very serene and comfortable
Great video. I love your reviews of resorts throughout South East Asia. Often times, I find them meditative with your choice of background music. I also learn something watching your videos.
Lovely resort and I I agree, it’s not about something not being right but about how hotel staff deal with a situation. . I do like a good swimmable beach though. Looking forward to a review of the slate. I was there earlier this year.
Kevin, beautiful property and that room... you said it all. Thanks for publishing what season you are there and Thailand, especially in the rainy season, can suffer from airborne and ground insects. I guess you would note if something was imposing on your experience but if, especially for tropical locals, note that issue it would helpful. Thanks again.
When I do have issues with things like that I mention them, but they are exceedingly rare. I've had more insect related incursions in my apartment than at any resort. It's one of those things that get far blown out of proportion after someone gets stung by 6 mosquitos and then cries the end of the world.
But we want you to visit luxe properties too like Aman. So we can contemplate if its worth visting a amanpuri or a soneva for the service sometimes. We hope you do that too someday. Love your videos. Keep going!
Glad you enjoyed this Ritz Carlton property! Ritz Carlton has always been my fav hotel brand! Since you mentioned that you are adding more Ritz hotles to your travel list, just a gentle warning that Ritz Carlton Reserve Niseko is also under YTL, same owner as Ritz Carlton Koh Samui. There are pretty tons of negative comments online on that property too, especially critizing its room size not justifying the name 'Reserve' and poor furnish quality..
Потрясающий отель, нет слов. Отлично сочетает в себе природный ландшафт и архитектуру. Каждой деталью хочется любоваться. Жаль, что произошло с простынью.. 😮 спасибо за демонстрацию отеля
Hi. Probably the best reviews on youtube. We are about to book our family vacation in Thailand and i remembered a review on The Racha which is no longer there. something happened ?
My Mac’s having a service so I’m watching this on my TV. Kevin, I have to apologise as in the hundreds of episodes I’ve watched, I’ve been missing out on your glorious 4K footage!
I’ve stayed at this property 2 years ago and it was excellent. Fully agree with the rating :) While there are officially no upgrades for Marriott Elites, they’ve upgraded me with my Titanium status and offered free breakfast which is rare even at ordinary Ritz.
Asian properties on the whole are good with upgrades even if they aren't official. Suspect a lot less high level guests given the lack of the cc programs common in the US
First 7 min I thought you were reviewing Willy Wonka's south east asia retreat... :) Totally agree on the net positive experience, the way I would have taken it as well
Awesome video. You can also visit Mandapa, Ritz Carlton Reserve in Bali which in my experience was awe-worthy-some. The best RC Reserve with most exclusive interiors (& accessories) is I believe Nujuma, a Ritz Carlton Reserve in Saudi Arabia at the newly developed Red Sea destination. Higashiyama is also nice but surprisingly listed as 4 star hotel on Google. Dorado Beach & Zadum seem little similar. Rissai Valey is another beautiful resort with spectacular views. My list would be 1. Nujuma 2. Phulay Bay 3. Rissai Valey
@@guptavipul15s It's all so poorly thought out and careless. The materials used are not of high quality and there are scratches and damage everywhere, even though the hotel is practically brand new. The taps on the washbasins and bathtubs don't fit together. The outdoor showers at the villas and main pools look super cheap and are not hidden, they spoil the ambience. There are also no Toto toilets, although this has been obligatory in a hotel in this price range for years. I really hope the hotels that open in the next few years are built to a better quality. I am particularly looking forward to the Four Seasons Amaala, the Aman Wadi Safar and the Janu Alula.
@HOBBYTONY600 thanks for your review. Yes, Shura island also has many hotels like Four Seasons, Raffles, Fairmont, Edition, Rosewood, etc. Hope they'll come out to be better. Ritz Carlton Amaala is set out to be biggest hotel in NEOM project. For your own purposes, you can also try recently opened Shebara Island resort, looks good.
@@guptavipul15s Make up your own mind, if you want to go there, do it. That's always best. Yes, there's a lot to come. There are 8-10 Four Seasons in the pipeline across the country. Riyadh alone will get two Waldorf Astorias. Pretty awesome. But I really hope these hotels are built better.
Looking back 3 decades ago when I was involved with export of raw gypsum ex. Krabi, there were no ‘Hotels’ in this area…often settled with local ‘hotels’, during the duration of loading cargo, usually took 3 days😢
Does the camera accurately represent the purple vibe? I've been to a number of properties that cameras and words can't describe...you have to see to believe category. The "portal of purple" just seems an odd choice.
right after thailand reopend from pandemic, I had the opportunity to book here, but in the end I decided against it because from the google map, it looked rather isolated. I prefer to have many small food stalls and shops to walk to. never much of the inclusive resort type. although from your video, the place does looked really nice. it is too bad that higher tiered marriott members doesn't get their normal perks at ritz....
@@tfft No no, Because on your Air India 787 Flight you showed us your plans that contained many flights so I was just wondering.. btw Could you link the flight reviews for your routes and hub series, because I'm having trouble finding the videos since your in Pakistan posting a flight reviews and the next day your somehow in Bangkok? Anyways I'm soz for calling you flop Kevin.😶
Ritz Carlton Reserve is strange. On the one hand you have one of the most beautiful resorts in the world in Bali and then this completely awful hotel in Niseko that would be totally inappropriate even as a normal Ritz Carlton. I would like to see more consistency and care from Marriott in their selection. But I'm looking forward to the Reserve in Bangkok.
I’m still waiting on hotels due to open in 2019 to open in Vietnam… deals are never quite done in VN- similar to the Six Senses and Mandarin meant to be on Phu Quoc.
@@tfft I think it's hard to compare pre covid deals that were were lost/delayed by the effects of the pandemic with newly signed deals. The owner is the same as the JW and they've also committed to opening a luxury collection resort next to the reserve. In my experience Marriott does not commit like they have done to these two resorts 5 years in advance unless they absolutely confident they will open.
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Staying here right now and purely only because we watched this video!! The best hotel resort we have ever stayed in. Breathtaking is the best way to describe the place and you need to see it with your own eyes to believe how special the place is. Thank you for possibly the best tip off of a place to visit I’ve ever had
The Phulay Bay property is owned by the Singha Beer family and reflects their long history with a serious nod to heritage and culture while remaining modern. I suspect that the overall design and nature of the property has more to do with them than the Ritz Carlton. The actual ownership of a hotel property and their involvement in maintenance and upgrades often has as much impact on the quality of the experience as does the operating/management company. This complicated relationship is often key to the success of a particular property; thus, perhaps the difference between Koh Samui and Krabi resorts. (The Ritz-Carlton in Koh Samui is owned by YTL Hotels, a large Malaysian hotel organization.)
Love the channel and follow it religiously! One ask - for future videos it would be great, and I think strategic for you and channel, to include thorough reviews of the fitness and spa facilities. This is actually often times the deciding factor for me in choosing a property. Other than that keep up the great work and keep 'em coming!
Kevin, you’ve done it again .. a fair critique .. stunning photography and continually evolving .. thank you 🙏🏽
Thank you!
Felt like a short vacation in viewing the video 😊
This was ultra tropical fantasy resort video. Loved it! ❤
Thank you Kevin, I always enjoy your videos a lot. So relaxing just to watch, and also the music you chose is always perfect and in accordance with the place and country.
Love your review format! I stayed here twice about 10 years ago. Overall it seems the property is the same but they've done a great job of keeping things looking fresh. That area between the beach and grassy area in front is in new since we were there and looks to be a great addition. There's definitely a lot of local fauna milling around- we had a monitor lizard try and come into our room at one point! Only negative was the pool is a bit out of the way from the villa and had lots of debris, wasn't cleaned every day.
So much precious amazing information.
Great video Kevin - I fell asleep ..thankyou .. for the first part as the background music put me into unconsciousness ( in a good way)so part 2 was this morning , I’ve never stayed here but certainly would based on the review - food looked good and the place very serene and comfortable
Great video. I love your reviews of resorts throughout South East Asia. Often times, I find them meditative with your choice of background music. I also learn something watching your videos.
Really enjoyed your report, Kevin. Another superb piece of coverage from you. Only those purple walls hit me wrong.
What a contrast to the IKEA resort….very nice and spacious layout ❤️ Thank you for the extensive review 🙏🏼
Lovely resort and I I agree, it’s not about something not being right but about how hotel staff deal with a situation. . I do like a good swimmable beach though. Looking forward to a review of the slate. I was there earlier this year.
Very chill resort, excellent review thanks again Mr flip flop ❤
Thanks very much 🙏🏻
Always until the end, including the ads!
Great review. Adding this to my must visit list!
Definitely worth it!
Also recommend you try mandapa ubud. The best experience I ever had in the high touch category 😊
Simply stunning! But it has to be at that price range. I will never afford this, so thank you Kevin for bringing us along!
As always looking forward to this video!
Thanks for watching
Kevin, beautiful property and that room... you said it all. Thanks for publishing what season you are there and Thailand, especially in the rainy season, can suffer from airborne and ground insects. I guess you would note if something was imposing on your experience but if, especially for tropical locals, note that issue it would helpful. Thanks again.
When I do have issues with things like that I mention them, but they are exceedingly rare. I've had more insect related incursions in my apartment than at any resort. It's one of those things that get far blown out of proportion after someone gets stung by 6 mosquitos and then cries the end of the world.
Pretty sweet resort 🎉, nice review 😊
Thanks for watching
But we want you to visit luxe properties too like Aman. So we can contemplate if its worth visting a amanpuri or a soneva for the service sometimes. We hope you do that too someday. Love your videos. Keep going!
Excellent service recovery. This is what we need more of. Very impressive.
Glad you enjoyed this Ritz Carlton property! Ritz Carlton has always been my fav hotel brand! Since you mentioned that you are adding more Ritz hotles to your travel list, just a gentle warning that Ritz Carlton Reserve Niseko is also under YTL, same owner as Ritz Carlton Koh Samui. There are pretty tons of negative comments online on that property too, especially critizing its room size not justifying the name 'Reserve' and poor furnish quality..
Потрясающий отель, нет слов. Отлично сочетает в себе природный ландшафт и архитектуру. Каждой деталью хочется любоваться. Жаль, что произошло с простынью.. 😮 спасибо за демонстрацию отеля
Superb recovery by the staff and management for rectifying the sheet issue, sadly a rarity these days. Awesome review as always Kevin 👌🏽
Thanks very much 🙏🏻
Hi. Probably the best reviews on youtube. We are about to book our family vacation in Thailand and i remembered a review on The Racha which is no longer there. something happened ?
Thank You ✈️
Happy Thanksgiving🦃🦃🦃
Same to you!
I think they’re opening a RCR next to the JW Masai Mara too. Crazy prices for off-season in Thailand but very exclusive and lux!
Thanks for watching
My Mac’s having a service so I’m watching this on my TV. Kevin, I have to apologise as in the hundreds of episodes I’ve watched, I’ve been missing out on your glorious 4K footage!
Lol do you not watch in 4K on your Mac? 😆
@@tfft It's an old 2018 MacBook Pro so only been watching 1440p and definitely not HDR like the TV.
I’ve stayed at this property 2 years ago and it was excellent. Fully agree with the rating :) While there are officially no upgrades for Marriott Elites, they’ve upgraded me with my Titanium status and offered free breakfast which is rare even at ordinary Ritz.
Asian properties on the whole are good with upgrades even if they aren't official. Suspect a lot less high level guests given the lack of the cc programs common in the US
Skipped staying here in favour of Point Yamu + Sarojin and feeling a bit of fomo :) or maybe not since you left a glowing review for Point Yamu too!
Hey Kevin, did you ever talk about your packing secrets? Bet that could be enlightening.
Forget about the kangaroo route, I want the Hangover parts 1, 2, and 3 tour! Straight to Vegas baby!
the 10k points and personal email was such a cherry on top on how well they handled the sandy situation.
maybe you can say 1 point per grain of sand?
First 7 min I thought you were reviewing Willy Wonka's south east asia retreat... :) Totally agree on the net positive experience, the way I would have taken it as well
Restored my faith in service recovery humanity a bit lol
Beautiful video as alwaus kev! Quick question, do you still use iPhone + Gimbal for your videos? Thanks!
iPhone yes, gimbal only for around 1/3 of what you see.
Awesome video. You can also visit Mandapa, Ritz Carlton Reserve in Bali which in my experience was awe-worthy-some.
The best RC Reserve with most exclusive interiors (& accessories) is I believe Nujuma, a Ritz Carlton Reserve in Saudi Arabia at the newly developed Red Sea destination. Higashiyama is also nice but surprisingly listed as 4 star hotel on Google. Dorado Beach & Zadum seem little similar. Rissai Valey is another beautiful resort with spectacular views. My list would be
1. Nujuma
2. Phulay Bay
3. Rissai Valey
The Nujuma is terrible. Absolutely carelessly cobbled together. Another one of those properties that shouldn't be a Reserve.
@HOBBYTONY600 is it? Can I pls ask you to share your experience as I was planning for it.
@@guptavipul15s It's all so poorly thought out and careless. The materials used are not of high quality and there are scratches and damage everywhere, even though the hotel is practically brand new. The taps on the washbasins and bathtubs don't fit together. The outdoor showers at the villas and main pools look super cheap and are not hidden, they spoil the ambience. There are also no Toto toilets, although this has been obligatory in a hotel in this price range for years.
I really hope the hotels that open in the next few years are built to a better quality. I am particularly looking forward to the Four Seasons Amaala, the Aman Wadi Safar and the Janu Alula.
@HOBBYTONY600 thanks for your review. Yes, Shura island also has many hotels like Four Seasons, Raffles, Fairmont, Edition, Rosewood, etc. Hope they'll come out to be better. Ritz Carlton Amaala is set out to be biggest hotel in NEOM project. For your own purposes, you can also try recently opened Shebara Island resort, looks good.
@@guptavipul15s Make up your own mind, if you want to go there, do it. That's always best. Yes, there's a lot to come. There are 8-10 Four Seasons in the pipeline across the country. Riyadh alone will get two Waldorf Astorias. Pretty awesome. But I really hope these hotels are built better.
I’ve booked for end of May 25, anyone able to say what the weather may be? I know its the start of the rainy season but hoping for no rain :)
Looking back 3 decades ago when I was involved with export of raw gypsum ex. Krabi, there were no ‘Hotels’ in this area…often settled with local ‘hotels’, during the duration of loading cargo, usually took 3 days😢
Even Phuket didn’t get its first real resort until ‘86, so not surprised Krabi was lacking back then too!
@ True🙏
We got married here in 2022, it was incredible!
Pure pleasure.
Wow noted this Resort! I think I wanna go here in Autumn of 2025!
Nice informative video but a dive from Phuket airport is a big 2 hours drive, certainly not 4 hours,
Well then I must have driven through an alternative universe since mine was 3h 20m with zero traffic lol
Does the camera accurately represent the purple vibe? I've been to a number of properties that cameras and words can't describe...you have to see to believe category. The "portal of purple" just seems an odd choice.
right after thailand reopend from pandemic, I had the opportunity to book here, but in the end I decided against it because from the google map, it looked rather isolated. I prefer to have many small food stalls and shops to walk to. never much of the inclusive resort type. although from your video, the place does looked really nice. it is too bad that higher tiered marriott members doesn't get their normal perks at ritz....
Hey Flop! Any Flight reviews coming soon? As always Keep the quality up!
Like... in addition to the 60 or so flight reviews I've published this year...?
@@tfft No no, Because on your Air India 787 Flight you showed us your plans that contained many flights so I was just wondering.. btw Could you link the flight reviews for your routes and hub series, because I'm having trouble finding the videos since your in Pakistan posting a flight reviews and the next day your somehow in Bangkok? Anyways I'm soz for calling you flop Kevin.😶
Great review, BUT in February next year they're askng over $1,000 a night, mental money.
Peak season has peak pricing lol
Your favourite hotel you’ve ever stayed in?
Haunted 😂
Damn. Wish I was willing to drop $750 a night. Haha😅
Ritz Carlton Reserve is strange. On the one hand you have one of the most beautiful resorts in the world in Bali and then this completely awful hotel in Niseko that would be totally inappropriate even as a normal Ritz Carlton. I would like to see more consistency and care from Marriott in their selection. But I'm looking forward to the Reserve in Bangkok.
If that's the only entryway into the hotel, anyone with a disability is stuffed. No handrail on the stairs.
The location in Phu Quoc is a done deal, it's signed and sealed. Opens in 2029.
I’m still waiting on hotels due to open in 2019 to open in Vietnam… deals are never quite done in VN- similar to the Six Senses and Mandarin meant to be on Phu Quoc.
@@tfft I think it's hard to compare pre covid deals that were were lost/delayed by the effects of the pandemic with newly signed deals. The owner is the same as the JW and they've also committed to opening a luxury collection resort next to the reserve. In my experience Marriott does not commit like they have done to these two resorts 5 years in advance unless they absolutely confident they will open.