Shangri-la Reviews

We really enjoyed staying at this hotel. It was lovely in the evenings watching the boats up and down the river away from all the bustle and hustle of the big city. Food was excellent and staff very helpful. Recommend the place with a private guide as she took her time and as well as showing the palace she also shown us around the city using different modes of transport and given excellent advice. We also did the thai villiage tour - excellent trip.

Shangri-La Bangkok

A superb luxurious base for exploring the city of angels. On the river with fantastic views of Bangkok: Ask for a high floor with a river view.

Everything you would expect from a 5 star hotel with an added bonus of being adjacent to a Sky Train station for easy access to the the city.

Tongsai Bay: Koh Samui

Stayed for 5 nights in a Cottage suite and can only compliment the Management and staff for a wonnderful freindly run hotel in a beatiful location. The only downside is that the rooms/suites and even the Tongsai Grand Villas are in desperate need of refurbishment and modernisation. Don't be put off because the rooms (I talk of the cottage suites) are very spacious with an outside garden bathroom and massage area at the rear, a large glass shower cubicle in the garden with the entrance inside the room. An inside bathroom and a wonderful bath on your balcony. Inside the rooms are on three levels with your bedroom leading downstairs to a stting room with TV, DVD and mini bar, outside and down some more stairs to your outside balcony. Room 215 is the best of the Cottage suites being detached and a superb uninterupted sea view, most of the others have a sea view but some are restricted. The interior of the rooms are very dark and the furniture dated with very little lighting and it is the one thing that lets the hotel down.

The food in all the restaurants is really first class and not particularly expensive for this type of hotel, of course some of the people who travel to Thailand will tell you that they can eat out for a week on what it will cost you for one meal in Floyds Restaurant. You get what you pay for and in my humble opinion this hotel provides good value for money. Of course wine (being a luxury in Thailand and taxed accordingley) is exceptionally expensive.

The grounds are well maintained and the staff we found to be very helpful and pleasant and we cannot fault the service, especially at the beach and poolside where they looked after you with complimentary cold drinks, cold towels etc.

The beach is rough coral and not very pleasant to walk on and during our stay the sea was quite rough and on two days the red flag was out. Completely different to the next week at Le Royal Meridien where the sea was perfect.

Tongsai is within easy reach of Chaweng (if that is what you want) 200 B's by hotel taxi. Chong Mon and Bo-Phut.

Overall a good place for a holiday but if I was totally honest it does not warrant a 5 star rating, but some people will prefer the less stuffy environment and charm of the place to say Le Royal Meridien where we spent the rest of our time on Samui.

Le Royal Meridien: Koh Samui

5 Stars for everything except the limited menu in the restaurants:Having said that the head chef introduced himself to us one evening and when he heard that we loved Indian food he said that he would prepare a special meal (starters and main course) especially for us the next evening. He was true to his word and he really made us feel special and cooked an amazing chicken dish with fresh garlic,ginger and lots of fresh vegetables. This combined with the fact that it was my birthday and we were serenaded by a lovely Thai family trio on the terrace of a beatiful location brought a tear to both our eyes! The girl singer has a wonderful voice and an amazing range of old, new and traditional songs: Ask and she will sing.

We stayed in a cliffe villa with a fantastic view of the 5 islands and the coast line. What can I say about the villa? Absolute luxury, the upstairs living/dining/TV area was 300 sq YARDS this is before you take into account you also have a fully fitted kitchen and third bathroom (to use when you return from the beach) in a separate building off your balcony. Downstairs you have two bedrooms each en-suite with TV etc.

Room service is first class and they come and set out dinner for you on the balcony or inside on your six seater dining table! Or if you prefer the chef will come and prepare dinner for you in your own kitchen or prepare a barbeque.

The grounds, pool areas and beach are superbly maintained with freindly and attentive staff who do make you feel special.

The hotel is in a remote secluded location but it is easy to reach Nathon, Chaweng (if that is what you want!) etc but why leave when you can live like celebrities and pretend for a few days.

Not the cheapest hotel you will stay in but worth every penny.

This was a three centre holiday over 14 nights in varying levels of accommodation. Flights were taken with Quantas, BA and Bangkok Airways. Quantas were excellent and I wouldn't hestitate to fly with them again. BA were also good but Quantas has the edge for me. Bangkok Airways were efficent - no problems.

First stop was Bangkok at the Shangri-La hotel for 4 nights. We upgraded to the Krungthep wing which is worthwhile if you can get a good price as each room has a river view, balcony, complimentary beer and soft drinks from the mini-bar (although limited each day!) and breakfast is also included. Plus, after talking to other guests, the rooms are nicer. The hotel has an excellent Thai restaurant and the Italian offers good quality food and entertainment. The spa was wonderful if on the expensive side. Overall, an excellent hotel.

Bangkok itself is a mad place. Traffic, pollution and noise but its a very interesting city and easy to see past all the noise etc. I would highly recommend staying on the river as its an escape at the end of a busy day. Jim Thompsons house has an excellent restaurant and very reasonable. A dinner river cruise is also good. The main sights are listed in every guide book, but a good way to access them is via the Sky train and the water taxis. Going by road is time consuming. Take care with the Tuk Tuk drivers - be very clear on where you want to go.

We then took a 2 day trip to the River Kwai. This involved the famous Bridge, a trip on the death railway, museums, accommodation, bat cave trip, elephant ride, all meals and transport for about £95 - a bargain. The accommodation was good, the rooms on the basic side but the swimming pools were excellent. Overall this was the highlight of my trip and if you want to experience the jungle, wildlife and the infamous railway then this is a must. Do the 2 day trip rather than the 1 day.

Hotel White House in Koh Samui is a four star and I would agree with that in terms of standards but the facilities weren't extensive. On the plus side its reasonably priced. It is a small hotel in a traditional Thai style with good sized bedrooms. THe restaurant is excellent, but don't bother with breakfast as there are plenty of restaurants on the beach serving much cheaper food.

The staff are friendly and helpful, but the hotel was having problems with the swimming pool throughout the whole week which was disappointing and it was unusable for a few days. Although the beach is excellent. I prefer the beach at Choeng Mon to Chaweng as its quieter, but still has adequate restaurants and bars and its only 5 mins by taxi from Chaweng. Chaweng is noisy and we visited some of the hotels there which were in the heart of everything and fairly noisy, so ask for a room nearer the beach rather than the road if you stay in Chaweng. Its good for a night out though. We tried to go to Koh Tao snorkelling but the boat had to turn back due to bad weather but I've heard its beautiful.

Overall, I prefer Malaysia for a beach holiday as its more unspoilt, has more wildlife, and after a week of sightseeing I like to relax. The food in Thailand however is amazing and so cheap and the people are so friendly.