Hong Kong Towncrier Magazine

October 2002

Asia's favourite resorts - p. 16

The brochures are alluring. Turquoise waters, palm trees, deserted sandy beaches and smiling, welcoming staff selflessly devoted to your service. You are deluged with clichés and marketing waffle: "paradise on earth", "fit for a king", "sumptuous palace"…

Promises, promises. Let's face it, when you get there, it's not always like the brochure. Unless you've heard by word of mouth, and from a discerning source, it's often a case of hit or miss. But are there any rare resorts which manage to match the hype of the brochure? Which ones really deliver the goods?

Hotel specialists asia-hotels.com recently conducted an online survey to rank hotels by the measuring stick that really counts - customer opinion. Over 42,000 people responded to vote for their favourite hotels across Asia, giving them a 1-to-10 rating in specified areas. JOHN CHAN sifts through the resorts that won most nominations.

1. Banyan Tree Resort - Phuket, Thailand

Overall rating: 8.75
Value for money: 7.58
Staff attitude: 9.00
Restaurants: 8.36
Facilities: 8.89
Child-friendliness: 7.06
Cleanliness: 9.05
Location: 8.48

Topping the poll was Phuket's idyllic Banyan Tree Resort. Guests raved at the romantic ambience of the individual villas and the absolutely top-notch pampering spa. Relaxation was the key to the Banyan Tree's success, with seclusion and tranquility highlighted by countless respondents. This winner had all the essential ingredients for a blissful tropical escape.

2. Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay - Bali, Indonesia

Overall rating: 8.92
Value for money: 7.66
Staff attitude: 9.15
Restaurants: 8.60
Facilities: 8.96
Child-friendliness: 7.02
Cleanliness: 9.13
Location: 8.83

Bali is famed for its tourist friendliness and has many alluring resorts. There is some pretty stiff competition on the island, but the Four Seasons came out ahead. The meticulous Balinese villas with panoramic sea views and graceful, terraced landscaping won rave reviews. Private plunge pools, exquisite cuisine and total privacy brought out the romantic in most guests.

3. Banyan Tree Bintan - Bintan, Indonesia

Overall rating: 8.54
Value for money: 7.37
Staff attitude: 8.85
Restaurants: 8.04
Facilities: 8.44
Child-friendliness: 6.01
Cleanliness: 8.79
Location: 8.48

Only a 45-minute ferry ride from Singapore, the Banyan Tree Bintan is an ideally situated beach escape. It was incredibly popular and not just with Singaporeans. Once again the quiet, romantic Banyan Tree magic was a hit. The luxurious rooms and the privacy of the resort definitely hit the spot with guests.

4. Grand Hyatt Bali - Bali, Indonesia

Overall rating: 8.88
Value for money: 8.28
Staff attitude: 8.95
Restaurants: 8.57
Facilities: 9.04
Child-friendliness: 7.72
Cleanliness: 8.91
Location: 8.72

The facilities were the deciding factor for many, with its range of restaurants and leisure facilities which include 6 pools. Despite the scale of the property, the design, layout and landscaping creates the ambience guests are seeking. In this case, big is beautiful.

5. Datai - Langkawi, Malaysia

Overall rating: 8.81
Value for money: 7.60
Staff attitude: 8.89
Restaurants: 8.55
Facilities: 8.71
Child-friendliness: 6.42
Cleanliness: 9.07
Location: 8.89

The superb rainforest setting, relaxing beach and the luxurious but unobtrusively designed rooms caused many to return again and again to this relaxing retreat. Guests did find the prices a bit steep but, all in all, they thought it was worth it, singling out the staff for the particular praise.

6. Shangri-La Mactan Island - Cebu, Philippines

Overall rating: 8.96
Value for money: 8.41
Staff attitude: 9.00
Restaurants: 8.74
Facilities: 9.11
Child-friendliness: 8.43
Cleanliness: 9.09
Location: 8.81

The Philippines is blessed with fantastic beaches. The Mactan Island Resort takes full advantage of being an hour from Manila and yet a world away. It is immensely popular with local residents as a weekend escape from the mayhem of the capital. Besides great views, guests particularly enjoyed the seafood. The superior diving options were also highly rated.

7. Westin Resort - Macau

Overall rating: 8.43
Value for money: 7.79
Staff attitude: 8.36
Restaurants: 8.09
Facilities: 8.51
Child-friendliness: 7.49
Cleanliness: 8.71
Location: 7.95

Tropical paradise it is not, but the Westin emerged as the resort to escape to from Hong Kong, or from Macau for that matter. The selection of facilities, in particular the pool and adjacent golf course, were very popular with city folk wanting to let off steam. Service in the South China region can be patchy, but most felt that the Westin was doing a fine job, albeit at a price.

8. Sheraton Grande Laguna - Phuket, Thailand

Overall rating: 8.63
Value for money: 7.89
Staff attitude: 8.83
Restaurants: 8.43
Facilities: 8.83
Child-friendliness: 7.52
Cleanliness: 8.80
Location: 8.52

Another attractively designed large hotel with top facilities, the Sheraton Grande Laguna was popular all round, especially with families. It had plenty to do to keep everyone happy, and the vast 323 sq m lagoon pool which is wrapped around the rooms drew lots of credit. Many guests preferred the more casual, fun feel of the Sheraton to other quieter 'couply' resorts in the Laguna complex.

9. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Overall rating: 8.72
Value for money: 8.32
Staff attitude: 8.80
Restaurants: 8.41
Facilities: 8.71
Child-friendliness: 7.43
Cleanliness: 8.75
Location: 8.56

The exotic north of Borneo provides an awesome backdrop for any resort, but only this one made the top ten. Guests loved the green, leafy environment, spectacular sea views and glorious romantic sunsets. The resort is only a few miles from the imposing Mount Kinabalu but is really convenient for the airport, plus it has easy access to islands just offshore. The levels of service and cuisine, plus the amenities and eco-activities on offer, raked in plenty of votes.

10. Regent Resort - Chiang Mai, Thailand

Overall rating: 9.15
Value for money: 7.95
Staff attitude: 9.47
Restaurants: 8.69
Facilities: 9.08
Child-friendliness: 6.52
Cleanliness: 9.47
Location: 8.84

You don't always need sea and sand to relax - the Regent Resort is hidden amidst 20 scenic acres of lush rice paddy. By most accounts, the prices are tough to swallow these days, but the traditional northern Thai village-style layout and architecture, combined with quiet 5-star luxuries, went down very well indeed. The spa got a big thumbs up.

The top ten resorts got the most votes but not necessarily the highest scores, and it could be argued that the better resorts are quietly hidden away and only known to a lucky few. Those which pulled a good scoop of votes but got the highest scores include these lesser-visited gems: Thailand's Rayavadee (9.33), Le Royal Meridien Baan Taling (9.18) and Amanpulo (9.06); Bali's Amankila (9.38), The Four Seasons Sayan (9.09) and the Ritz-Carlton (9.08); and India's Rajvillas Jaipur (9.20). To see which resorts received the most consistent praise, visit asia-hotels.com.

asia-hotels.com inspects some 500 hotels annually and collects comments from the six million customers who use the site each year. 35,000 reviews of over 2,500 hotels help customers select a hotel or resort to meet their needs. Each year asia-hotels.com accredits hotels that consistently get good customer feedback. 2002 saw 183 hotels gain their 'Highly Recommended' accreditation while 223 received the 'Recommended' accreditation. A full list of accredited hotels is posted on the website.