Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Reviews

The pictures online looked okay when I booked, but it was so much better in person! ✨ Check-in is done in your room, and the deposit is 3000 baht. Just add the butler on WhatsApp. If you need anything or want to go anywhere, just send a message. The butler finishes at 9 PM, but you can call the hotel landline for anything urgent. On the way to the room, you'll pass by a private vegetable garden 🌿. The butler mentioned the vegetables are freshly picked for breakfast. Super healthy, organic ingredients! The full activity schedule is on P9. The butler didn't proactively introduce it during check-in; I only discovered it myself that evening. Don't miss out if you enjoy cocktail making or cooking experiences! The hotel also offers daily shuttle boats to Hong Island. I'd been before, so I didn't go again and just spent a relaxing day at the hotel. I only tried the Thai food at the hotel restaurant, and the soft-shell crab was amazing! Other dishes weren't really to my personal taste. You can refer to the bill on P7 for prices. Room type: Seawind Villa 63. I was initially assigned room 37, which had the sea view completely blocked by trees. After discussing it, I was moved to a room closer to the sea. This room type doesn't have a private pool, only a bathtub. It's also a bit smaller than the ground floor rooms. Luckily, the sea view is great! 🌊 There are four mirrors by the vanity. The maid turns them to face the wall during turn-down service – a cute little detail. The vanity is fully equipped with body lotion, aloe vera gel, and even sunscreen. The sunscreen has a lovely smooth texture and spreads easily. They provide two pairs of slippers, and the quality is fantastic: ▪️Black flip-flops: Perfect for the pool with a straw bag and hat – essential vacation vibes. ▪️Yellow soft indoor slippers: Like walking on clouds, super comfy and plush. The customized birthday brownie cake was delicious! 🍫 It had a dense, fine texture, and both its appearance and taste were top-notch (P8). Before check-in, you'll receive a link to fill out information. You can note birthdays or anniversaries in advance, and the staff will discreetly prepare a surprise – so thoughtful! The bed at the hotel is huge (P17)! It feels like a King size and a Queen size put together. The bedding is super soft, and I slept like a log. There's a lot of greenery in the complex, so you might encounter geckos and small insects. There's mosquito repellent in the closet, and remember to close the door when entering and leaving! 🥣 The mango shake at breakfast is incredibly delicious, smooth, and rich. The carrot juice and green juice had a strong ginger flavor. You can ask the staff for fish food to feed the fish in the pond. The fish food is clean and safe to feed them. The soft drinks in the mini-bar are complimentary (P12) and tasty. ✅ Overall Summary: Environment is excellent, staff attitude is great, and overall service is decent. ⚠️ Areas for improvement: 1. The check-in butler didn't proactively introduce all the hotel's activity programs. 2. Turn-down service didn't ask if I wanted bathwater drawn in advance. 3. Mosquito and insect control in the rooms needs to be improved. 💡 Personal Recommendation: Coming on a sunny day will make the experience absolutely divine, perfect for extended stays or a second visit ☀️. On cloudy days, the sea color is quite ordinary, and the overall aesthetic and experience might not meet expectations ☁️.

Krabi's Phulay Bay beach offers the most stunning sunsets and evening glows. You can enjoy exquisite dining while watching the sunset here. I highly recommend Sritrang, a Michelin-starred Thai restaurant, for its unique cooking style. The pool bar also serves excellent drinks and light meals, and Lealay Seafood Restaurant boasts incredibly fresh and refined ingredients. Breakfast is fantastic too, with a semi-buffet and delicious coffee and champagne. We booked a Sea View Pavilion on the second floor, above the Hidden Garden. Each compound typically has four villas. Our room was spacious with very high ceilings, and the bathroom ceiling had petal-shaped glass, allowing you to see the sky. The room came equipped with flip-flops, a woven bag, a straw hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and aloe vera gel. However, I'd suggest bringing your own high-SPF sunscreen. My only minor gripes were that the bed was a bit too large, making it inconvenient to get out from only one side, and there were simply too many mosquitoes – I got two swollen bites every day. Our butler, Maya, was a lovely girl – very attentive and patient. She was excellent at driving the buggy, always available on call, and communicated seamlessly via WeChat for dining reservations and activity bookings, always ready to translate. Every morning at 9 AM, a boat departs for Hong Island. You can reserve with your butler the day before, using the room's woven bag and straw hat. The boat crew provides snorkeling gear, but honestly, the snorkeling at Hong Island beach was terrible. Visibility was very poor, and I only saw five-striped damselfish. Personally, I don't think snorkeling there is worth it. However, the 360-degree viewpoint on Hong Island is absolutely fantastic – you must climb to the top for the incredible views! You can also arrange with your butler for a car to visit a nearby 7-Eleven for any small items you might need. In conclusion, despite the long journey and requiring a transfer in Bangkok, it's definitely worth the trip.

The hotel room was very comfortable and the service was attentive and warm. No complaints, highly recommend!

Every single staff member at this hotel makes you feel right at home, unlike the often superficial service you might find in European or American hotels. Just because I mentioned to my butler that I loved the local pineapples, and how sweet they were, he brought me a whole bowl of freshly cut pineapple. The breakfast and the Thai restaurant were both delicious. Plus, we got to take a longtail boat to Hong Island every day. Before we checked out, the butler even gave us a commemorative photo and a little elephant charm as a souvenir.

This is the second Banyan Tree Hideaway I've stayed at; the first was in Bali. It's undoubtedly the most luxurious experience in all of Krabi, bar none. With only 54 villas in the entire hotel, even at full occupancy, there are only about a hundred guests, ensuring peace and privacy. I stayed for three days and never left the hotel premises. The restaurant's Thai food is among the top 10% in all of Thailand, far surpassing many 'influencer' restaurants. Our butler, Sun, is Thai and has visited China. Many of the staff members have interned at hotels in China for several years. By the second day, whether it was the regular service staff or the restaurant staff, they all knew my name, addressing me as Mr. So-and-so or Ms. So-and-so. It truly felt like coming home. They were always ready to chat with you, though this might feel a bit uncomfortable for those who are socially anxious. Hong Island is a complimentary hotel excursion, departing at 9 AM daily from the private beach at the hotel's Sunset Bar, returning at 12 PM. Water and towels are provided free of charge, and you only need to pay a 300 baht island entrance fee. If you wish, you can go every day. Upon your return, your butler and the Sunset Bar staff will be lined up with drinks, iced towels, and a car, ready to welcome you back. Honestly, a room costing over ten thousand per night is truly incomparable to the Banyan Tree next door. It's not that Banyan Tree is bad; they just have completely different concepts. The Hideaway is also different from a traditional Ritz-Carlton, considering there are only 7 such properties worldwide (some say 9, I haven't confirmed). You need to show your check-in confirmation at the entrance; outsiders are not allowed into the hotel. Privacy, privacy, privacy is the main focus throughout your stay. Finally, you have a good chance of seeing small lizards, but crocodiles are much harder to spot – it's purely luck. They don't bite, but of course, don't provoke them; after all, they are wild animals. I hope this helps anyone planning a trip.

The breakfast was excellent, but the hotel beach was just so-so (thankfully, we could go to Koh Hong instead).

The hotel environment was good and the service was excellent. However, there were a lot of mosquitoes. On the second night, I found a huge cockroach in the bathroom. The day I checked out, I had to leave early, so I settled my bill the night before. The next morning, as I was leaving, the housekeeper specifically came in to check the snack cabinet, which felt a bit stingy.

The scenery is beautiful. The bed is a huge, soft mattress. Maybe it's suitable for a honeymoon? The service is okay, but I really didn't like the food at the restaurant – it was pretty bland. I came to Krabi specifically for this hotel. It's best to fly directly to Krabi Airport or take a one-hour speedboat ride to the hotel. Otherwise, it's quite a hassle; the drive from Phuket Airport takes a really long time.

It was a good experience. I'll definitely come back again.

The Hidden World's gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of lemongrass, drifting into my dreams. Everything about our stay here was absolutely impeccable. A huge thank you to Khun Sabai for their thoughtful care and attention; the concept of 'feeling right at home' was perfectly embodied here. Our room was meticulously cleaned and tidied at least twice daily. Every time we returned, we were greeted by delightful little surprises from the Hidden World staff. The intricate towel art, like the little elephants, and a hand-drawn picture of my girlfriend and me were incredibly touching and brought us so much joy. The Sritang restaurant was undergoing renovations, so we enjoyed all our meals at Jampoon restaurant. Over three days, we savored a wide variety of authentic Thai cuisine. Simply put, it was all incredibly delicious! The hotel offered a complimentary daily island excursion to Red Island every morning at 9 AM, but as a late riser, I unfortunately missed out! An absolutely wonderful experience! Highly, highly recommend!

Not every Ritz-Carlton is a 'Reserve' property, and this distinction makes all the difference. If a Michelin 3-star restaurant signifies culinary excellence worth traveling specifically for, then this trip to Thailand was my long-held dream – to experience Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi. As the world's first Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and one of only seven globally to date, it seamlessly merges luxurious heritage with breathtaking natural scenery. Here, the infinity pools seemingly merge with the ocean, their waters reflecting the dramatic karst peaks and creating a scene as picturesque as Guilin. The hotel offers boat trips to Hong Island, with a national park fee of 300 Thai Baht per person. Our butler, Angela, was charming, incredibly warm, and her service was impeccable. There's no doubt that the service here is unparalleled in Krabi.

To celebrate my birthday, I stayed for two nights with my daughter, and it was absolutely fantastic. As it was my birthday, the hotel kindly upgraded our room. Upon arrival, the hotel manager, Ian, personally welcomed us. As he is Chinese and my English isn't very strong, he thoughtfully explained the design concept of the atrium to us in Mandarin. Our personal concierge, Na, was incredibly attentive and provided excellent service. On my birthday, I was pleasantly surprised everywhere I went – the restaurant, Spa, and sunset bar all offered special birthday wishes. It was incredibly thoughtful! The daily excursion to Hong Island provided by the hotel was also superb. We only paid a 300 Baht per person island entrance fee. The hotel provided the longtail boat, towels, and water, with a dedicated staff member accompanying us. Hong Island boasts beautiful beaches and is a great spot for snorkeling, where we saw many clownfish. I absolutely loved the hotel's peaceful atmosphere and impeccable service.

The environment and service here are truly excellent. I've attached some photos my bestie took – I especially recommend taking pictures in the woods across from the pool, they turn out amazing! Highly recommend.

Upon arrival, we were delighted to receive a complimentary upgrade to a beachfront pool villa and were already very satisfied with the room's amenities. However, about two hours after checking in, a sudden strong wind blew down some tree branches right outside our villa, landing in the garden. My original intention was just to take a photo and ask the butler to have it cleared. To my surprise, the butler immediately took the matter very seriously, promptly offering us a room change and another upgrade to an even higher-tier room. The new room was incredibly spacious, with a huge 4-meter bed. Housekeeping was super efficient; they would clean the room immediately whenever we stepped out. The attention to detail was impeccable. We stayed for two days and were absolutely delighted. We also took the hotel's complimentary trip to Hong Island, which was a wonderful experience. One evening, we also had the pleasure of meeting a guest relations manager from China, who very warmly recommended dishes from the Thai restaurant menu. The dining experience was absolutely spectacular! The stir-fried spinach with egg, raw beef curry, and pomelo salad are absolute must-order dishes! Both the service and the overall experience were flawless – truly deserving of a perfect score! We would absolutely return to Krabi just for this hotel. Upon check-out, the butler even presented us with a small gift, indicating they truly took our conversations to heart.