mandelieu

We're planning to visit Chiang Mai in August and are deciding between the Four Seasons and the Mandarin Oriental. They both look great so I'd be interested in opinions of those who have stayed in either (or preferably, both). Thanks for your help.

dperry

I stayed at the 4 seasons when it was the Regent. It was one of the most beautiful hotels I"ve ever stayed at.
It is a bit far from town (a good half hour, I think) but the hotel offers free shuttle. Exquisite rooms, restaurant and spa - loved it. The view of the terraced rice fields at sunset and the family of water buffalo who live there are a memory i'll never forget.

shothyme77

I loved the 4 seasons. It is a bit out of town, but I think the trip from the city to the hotel is interesting as well and fun to see. I did the trip from the city to the hotel twice each day and was never bothered by the time in the van. The 4 seasons was so worth it!

Guenmai

I haven't stayed at the Four Seasons Chiangmai, but have only heard really great things from people who have. I'm a Four Seasons Bangkok fan though. Happy Travels!

glorialf

I'm in the minority in that I found the 4 Seasons to be wildly over rated. Gorgeous but lousy service and very inconvenient. Not worth the money in my book. That said, I went to the Mandarin Oriental and felt like I was at Disneyworld. I'm not a fan of staying in a stage set where they attempt to create thailand. I'd rather stay in the real place when I'm there. It is, however, better located. I wouldn't stay at either.

StanKase

We considered FS but went to the Oriental and had lunch at FS. FSis far more attractive and we peeked in the rooms and what we saw were a bit nicer. But, the price for a 4 night stay could add $500USD on room/service tax withoput food and some inconvenience to several good restaurants that cost 1/3rd of a dinner at FS and 25% less than meals at the Oriental. If you are not going to the town more than once and are going to use a driver/guide, like Poon, and travel several hours north, south, etc. then the 1 hour RT by the shuttle will not be an major issue but you will likely eat most of your breakfasts and dinners at the FS. Probabably very good but expensive. Our lunch was very good and was $42USD for 2.

shothyme77

just wanted to add that we were gone for most of our days, but the few meals we had at 4 seasons were indeed outstanding.

mandelieu

Thanks for the advice. I think we'll go with the Four Seasons since we do plan to spend some time enjoying the hotel facilities and the driving distance won't be as much of an issue. We're also looking for hotel advice in Koh Samui. Has anyone spent time at Anantara, Silas Evason Hideaway, or Napasai? Any thoughts on the location of the new Four Seasons which is set to open in January?

Lindsey

If you are spending time at the FS, be sure to make use of the spa. It has won many awards. also, take advantage of the free bicycles and ride around the neighborhood. there are a number of interesting shops that have opened and an orchid farm down the road.

StanKase

We visited Silas Evason on Koh samui but stayed at Sala Samai Resort. It looked lovely and several guests said the food was very good. The real concerns a few couples expressed was a somewhat inattentive attidude by several of the staff and the very limited comprehension and communication in English. This seemed for them to e a real problem. At Sala Samai those were not issues except with 1-2 of the staff's communication skills but they were super attentive. We had an elegant "deluxe pool villa suite" and it was lovely except like several of the up-scale resorts on the island, Evason may be the same, the bathrooms not just the showers were in a non-A/C part of your villa. With the heat it was a bit of a problem for us in our 5 night stay. The food at Sala Samui was good but not great so we eat most dinners in town but I must admit none were memorable, good but not great,eating fine dining is in Bangkok.
Also Evason is about 1/3 more expensive for comparable accomodations as I remember from our planning last Feb. We were on Koh Samui this past April.A day trip on the SMALL motor boat NOT the big boat to Koh Tao is a must if you want quality snorkeling. There is a little snorkeling on Koh Samui but it is fair at best.

mandelieu

Thanks for the feedback about Silas Evason. Overall would you recommend Koh Samui as part of an August trip? We focused on the island because of weather concerns about Phuket at that time of year and we understand that the weather in Koh Samui should be ok.

Kathie

I really depends on how important it is to you to have some beach time. Koh Samui has good weather at that time of the year, whereas Phuket does not. If you want beach time, the Koh Samui is a good choice. If you are not as interested in beach time, there are many other destinations you might consider.