Holiday Asia

January/February 2003

Hotel Watch: Asia's favorite resorts, p. 76

The brochures are alluring. Turquoise waters, palm trees, deserted sandy beaches and those smiling, welcoming staff. But do any resorts manage to match the hype of the brochure? asia-hotels.com recently conducted an online survey to rank hotels by customer opinion. Over 42,000 voted for their favorites. Here are the top nominees, all five-star resorts.

The Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay Overall rating 8.92 (5 thumbs) Value: 7.66 Staff: 9.15 Facilities: 8.96 Cleanliness: 9.13 Restaurants: 8.60 Location: 8.83 Child-friendliness: 7.02	In just about every poll, the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay is rated either 1st or thereabouts. Quite simply, it is among the most beautiful resorts in the world. The Four Seasons is at the forefront of resort architecture, harmoniously blending into its surrounding environment. Some parts are sunken into the ground, other buildings topped with beautiful Balinese gardens, and walls are constructed from natural loose rocks rather than traditional well-cut bricks and mortar. Graceful terraced landscaping and touches like paddy fields and water buffalo illustrates the resort concept taken one step further. 147 fantastic walled villas each have their own plunge pools and outdoor Balinese showers. The stylish seclusion and privacy is such that many cocoon themselves in their rooms, a big salute to the designers. Facilities include the invigorating Balinese spa and the infinity-edge pool, which appears to blend into the panorama of the sea whilst cascading gently over a 7 metre drop. Restaurants however are limited and not up to the same cutting edge standards. But the romantic mood makes this brilliant spot a top pick for couples and absolutely ideal for honeymooners.
Grand Hyatt Bali Overall rating 8.88 (5 thumbs) Value: 8.28 Staff: 8.95 Facilities: 9.04 Cleanliness: 8.91 Restaurants: 8.57 Location: 8.72 Child-friendliness: 7.72	It’s very easy to get lost in the vast Grand Hyatt Bali, one of the biggest hotels in Asia which justifiably calls itself a ‘village’. The chief pull is the superb scope of extended facilities, which few others in Asia that can match. Being almost a theme park The Grand Hyatt has something for everyone and is a hit with families. It borders the golden sands of Nusa Dua’s beach but many never get that far, taking their pick from any one of the 6 pools. The lagoon and flowing river pools are especially impressive, and the varied restaurants offer international class cuisine albeit at international prices. Kids have a whale of a time – fun club activities and games keeping them happy if they’ve had enough of splashing around. Well designed and presented, it successfully pulls off a tropical feel despite its scale. It is tall and broad but not ugly, the designers steering away from a housing estate feel by capping each building with red tiled roofs and introducing appealing landscaping. Bali’s all round entertainer, though not strictly Balinese.
Datai, Langkawi Overall rating 8.81 Value: 7.60 Staff: 8.89 Facilities: 8.71 Cleanliness: 9.07 Restaurants: 8.55 Location: 8.89 Child-friendliness: 6.42	The Datai is a resort of charm and quality - everything about it is beautifully done. The deluxe rooms, situated in two wings next to the main pool are spacious with stunning balconied rainforest views. Stand-alone villas, sprinkled in the rainforest on route to the beach are romantic with sundecks, albeit somewhat oddly off the bathroom. The hotel is set up for couples, however children are welcome and the rooms are large enough to cope with a family. If however your children are raucous this is not a good choice of hotel. The food outlets are first class, the spa massages a dream, Irshad’s witty nature walks a mine of information, oh and the beach is spotless……. Many top hotels exude an irritating arrogance that permeates the staff – not so the Datai. Jamie Case and his team have been together since the hotel opened 9 years ago and it shows, the charm with which everything is handled makes this hotel special. There is no doubt it is expensive – however given the quality of the experience no one can begrudge the price.
Banyan Tree Phuket Overall rating 8.75 (5 thumbs) Value: 7.58 Staff: 9.00 Facilities: 8.89 Cleanliness: 9.05 Restaurants: 8.36 Location: 8.48 Child-friendliness: 7.06	There is no such thing as perfection, but Asia’s most popular resort takes a good shot at it. The Banyan Tree Phuket has fashioned a soothing back-to-nature ambience. Apart from the lobby everything is palm-tree height and sprinkled liberally around the exclusive beach of Laguna Phuket. There are no hotel rooms, only tasteful private 1 or 2 bedroom villas with either garden jacuzzis or pools. Extensive facilities provide plenty of relaxation and include access to the other Laguna complex hotels. The trickling waters and pebbles of the world-class Spa work wonders before any oils are applied. Treatments are very professional, if a tad overrated. Unfortunately the Spa admits clients from outside so can get frustratingly overbooked. Adjacent is a stunning 18-hole golf course, and the restaurants are good although some of the buffets can be disappointing for the price, especially for Thailand. Well-drilled staff do a fine job, although exuberant cackles do intermittently and somewhat annoyingly drift out from behind the scenes. The overall package however is a success, and the ideal romantic nest for couples or escape for families albeit a very expensive one.