SAii CHOENGMON RESORT Koh Samui, Thailand 🇹🇭【4K Hotel Tour & Honest Review】Just, No.

Рет қаралды 17,283

Күн бұрын

How's the SAii Choengmon Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand? Check out this honest and unsponsored 4K Tour & Review of this local '5-star resort' to find out!
🚨 All statements made in this video are of my own opinion based on my unique experience as a paying guest at a publicly accessible hotel in Thailand. Any opinions given in this video, positive or negative, are made in good faith by way of making a fair comment on any person or thing subjected to public criticism as outlined in Title XI, Chapter 3, Section 329(3) of the Royal Thai Criminal Code.
Hi there, my name is Kevin and today we are going to take a deep dive into the full SAii Resorts experience. We will check out the full property, have a few meals and tour my Pool Villa, all followed up by The Flip Flop Score.
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💰 Room Rate
Rate Paid: $217.64USD
Category: Pool Villa
Inclusions: Breakfast
📽 Next 5 Videos (🩴 = Must Watch)
⇢ 27 May: (🇹🇭Ep. 11/12) Bangkok Airways Economy Samui to Bangkok
⇢ 01 Jun: (🇹🇭Ep. 12/12) THAI Smile Economy Bangkok to Saigon
⇢ 03 Jun: Vietnam Airlines Economy Saigon to Nha Trang/Cam Ranh
⇢ 08 Jun: An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay (Nha Trang), Vietnam
⇢ 10 Jun: L'alya Resort Ninh Van Bay (Nha Trang), Vietnam Resort Revisited 🩴
⏰ Typical Posting Times:
8/9:00 (US-EST), 14:00 (UK), 18:30 (India), 20:00 (VN), 23/00:00 (AEST)
📺 My Other Channel
🛫 ROAM ABOVE (Extended Inflight Videos): www.bit.ly/tfft_RA
-- Video Chapters --
0:00 Hotel Preview
00:10 Intro
00:25 Welcome to Koh Samui
00:34 Please Read Me
00:49 Hotel Entrance
01:14 Lobby & Reception Area
01:46 Whyy Saii?
02:14 Walking to Pool
02:55 Our Location
03:17 Pool Bar
03:32 Lounging & Pool Areas
03:59 Hotel Grounds
04:45 My First Room
05:50 Pool Villa Full Tour
10:21 Miss Olive Oyl Restaurant
10:56 Dinner at Miss Olive Oyl
11:36 Sunrise & Beach
12:57 Breakfast Buffet
14:06 Fitness Center
14:17 The Flip Flop Score
Music featured in this video is licensed under an Artlist Unlimited License.
This is NOT a promotional video. I pay for all of my flights and hotels (and I always tell you how much!) so I can be as honest and impartial as possible. I do not receive any special treatment that wouldn’t otherwise be publicly accessible, in fact, the hotels and airlines have no idea about my visit and that's the way I like it!
#saii #kohsamui #hotelreview

Пікірлер: 112

@catbernstein8628 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your review. Your courage in the face of stains and random hairs is truly a service to all travelers! Nothing is a bigger turn off than a dirty hotel room.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Never quite thought about it as a courageous act 😂 Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@rjwilson73 Жыл бұрын

I could feel the struggle in pulling this one together, at least it was over relatively quickly! I for one am certainly glad to see what a poor experience looks like; it reinforces the message that the good hotels don't get that way by accident and that you shouldn't assume that you just get what you pay for. In that respect Kevin, thanks for putting out this content and being objective and professional as always. ... And, if nothing else, i now know that if i see chains on the outside of doors it's a sign to stay away (i mean, obviously!)

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Haha yes I just wrote what you said in another reply. If every hotel was spectacular then there would be no way to appreciate them for what they are. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@well-blazeredman6187 Жыл бұрын

Great review. Bonus points for coming in around the 15-minute mark, including that speeded-up-walking-on-paths action that always makes me chuckle, and reminding me to tend my garden. I can't recall ever having a room as dirty as that one. P.S. While I tend to watch all of your airline reviews, I often skip hotel reviews if I don't think I'll ever be going to the destination. But I do sometimes come back to your playlists for holiday-planning.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

For the sake of video length there’s quite a bit I didn’t even include (room wise)… figured I showed enough to illustrate my point haha. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@balaganpathy Жыл бұрын

i had stayed a week in HYATT, Samui based on your review, loved the stay! Thank you for posting genuine reviews, big fan!

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@nabhanmoideen7181 Жыл бұрын

Stumbled upon your channel and subscribed right from the first video. Top notch travel content. Keep it coming! Park Hyatt in Auckland!!

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much! (And yes 😉)

@AlanJ80 Жыл бұрын

Great videos as always. Can't wait for your upcoming nha Trang videos. My wife is from doc let beach just a few short miles away from there.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

It's a beautiful area for sure!

@roybackhouse117 Жыл бұрын

Great watch! I now know where the "walk away" bar should be set! If it ain't good enough for you. I know where I should assess my own stays. Thank you. Keep up the great work!

@tfft Жыл бұрын

The true walk away in this case is the fact that the 2nd room was "double checked" for cleanliness before I was given the room. That's a bit scary, especially since many of the issues were the same in the 2nd room. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@russellgray1426 Жыл бұрын

Is the quiz property at the end Park Hyatt in Auckland? If so do I get a prize? 😂 I reckon this hotel is a management problem, piss poor management equals what you experienced, thanks for taking one for the team 👍🏻

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Yes it is Auckland and yes you win the grand prize of my respect and admiration 😉 Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@ramachandranranganathrao9946 Жыл бұрын

Excellent coverage v minutely in every angle Useful comparison with other resorts or Hotels Kevin thanks for your crisp voice and narration Am from Bangalore 👍👍👍

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@brilliantbutblue Жыл бұрын

Oh dear 😳. If you stay at enough hotels and resorts, eventually, we all end up with a gem like this one!! Thanks for staying there so we don't have to. Interesting disclaimer at the beginning 🤔

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thailand has very (very) strict defamation laws and in the past some hotels have sued people for posting poor TripAdvisor reviews and some were charged with crimes if I remember correctly. This is more of a “hey, I know the rules and I’m playing by them…” disclaimer.

@brilliantbutblue Жыл бұрын

@The Flip Flop Traveller : So lm guessing "the land of smiles" doesn't extend to customer satisfaction then. I wonder if they have a similar law for false advertising and misrepresentation of the Hotel as in "not what it says on the box." I did have a peek at the trip advisor reviews, and your review is similar to others' experience, so l believe it to be a fair representation 👍

@jenniferrahman6960 Жыл бұрын

Oh dear, that's not too good! Great video, I enjoy watching these just as much as the perfect 95/100 hotels. What a grubby rundown place, thank you for doing this one, very brave! 😅

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Appreciate that! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@affirmationstoday Жыл бұрын

Yuk Yuk Yuk, I was just getting into an ice cream when you started showing those hairs etc. Yuk. Then i started to look around my hotel room and feeling for dust and hairs but seems all good. But all part of your job the good and the bad. Thank you for video again🙏👍

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@JorelDerrick Жыл бұрын

I have stayed here before it was very good 😊

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Lucky you haha. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@JorelDerrick Жыл бұрын

For sure! Thanks for posting amazing reviews

@robrobert2689 Жыл бұрын

I can imagine how you felt and you couldn’t leave🙈😅 Thanks for staying there for us, for your followers👏🏼

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@mm90210 Жыл бұрын

Looks like a resort with zero management on site.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Could be! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@soupdragon1 Жыл бұрын

The first impression of a resort for me is cleanliness if that's not right it sets the tone for your whole stay and its the easiest thing to get right for a resort.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@plasmaturkey48 Жыл бұрын

I would love a hair count on the rating card :)

@tfft Жыл бұрын

It was more than I showed, I’ll just leave it at that haha.

@kevin91lou Жыл бұрын

Thank for sharing

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@avecmoi157 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the comprision with Hyatt Regency and Sala. Very clear. Sorry for the experience there though

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@charliebrown5 Жыл бұрын

Thank You ✈️

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@denisesommer-roque3169 Жыл бұрын

Thanks

@tanzil88 Жыл бұрын

Maybe u just got unlucky 😅 . Im waiting for the Okura in Tokyo. When will it premiere?

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Early July

@killerqueen9298 Жыл бұрын

Hi Kevin. I'm surprised it a marking as high as you did. For a supposedly 5* hotel it was disgusting. Even a 1* or 2* should be clean and hair free. Great review and kee up the good work.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

I agree, but keep in mind I try to stick as strictly to my scoring breakdown as I can. Even if the room is a dumpster fire, at the end of the day it only accounts for 20 of the 100 total points, so I try to be as objective as possible with the other aspects of the property. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@pkurt101 Жыл бұрын

I don't mind old and a little worn, but what gets me is things not working (like your hot tub) - that drives me crazy! And there is never and excuse for dirty. Looks like they maybe struggling with getting good staff or have poor management. It does look like a resort that with the right touches could be very cozy and nice. Hope they see this and make improvements.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@ninascherini4410 Жыл бұрын

Lols that was a bit grim, never the rose without the thorn. Park Hyatt Auckland🌹

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Yupp! I certainly don’t enjoy something like THIS… but I do actually enjoy hotels that don’t meet expectations at times… really shows how much work the great hotels put in. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@shakesnbake Жыл бұрын

Those rooms made my toes curl!

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Mine are still in knots haha. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@jonnieinbangkok Жыл бұрын

I've lived in Thailand more than two decades and never heard of this hotel brand (maybe because there is only three). If I want a locally owned resort or big city hotel experience, my Thai brands of choice are Amari at the middle range and Anantara at the upper range. I find many of their properties are outstanding, and particularly good promos are often on offer (especially for Thai residents). The Amari Vogue in Krabi is especially one of my favorites. I don't think I've ever seen you stay at either of these brands...is there a reason for this or just not got to them yet?

@tfft Жыл бұрын

There are always reasons haha. Amari has made it onto my long list a couple times but never ends up making the short list for any particular location. Anantara is very different. I’ve been wanting to stay at one for years (and recently did), but Anantara (most Minor Group hotels actually) often charges an arm and three legs if you want a refundable rate, which is always what I want. Unless it’s some crazy blow out sale, I won’t pay more than 20% over the non-refundable rate for flexibility and so they have been knocked off my lists probably 10 different times bc of this.

@jonnieinbangkok Жыл бұрын

@@tfft I see...that makes sense. The Centara Hua Hin is a pretty interesting historic hotel, like E&O Penang or Raffles Phnom Penh, if you're ever traveling there.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

e&o is one of my all time favorite hotels. Was there before the channel. Made better by the fact that they thought I was someone else the entire time and gave me a huge upgrade and treated me like royalty the entire time haha.

@7catsmom959 Жыл бұрын

Oh my!😮

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@jimmyjames6492 Жыл бұрын

Those rooms were disgusting! I'll pass on this property. Thanks for the info + video!

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🩴

@David-Zen Жыл бұрын

We thank you for your valiant bravery in reviewing these rooms cause… 🤮

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Hahaha thank you for the chuckle and for watching 😅

@mayamathew-sw7qd Жыл бұрын

I'm not saying to criticize but just asking out of curiosity. The first 2 hotels you did in Koh Samui are world class hotels and then the last 2 are subpar hotels. Why not just visit the nicer ones such as Vana Belle, Banyan Tree, Anantara, The W, Conrad, FS etc?

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Vana Belle and around 8 other Samui Resorts are already on the channel. SAii we can say was a “let’s see what it’s like”, but by no means should Kimpton have been subpar. I focus on premium and occasionally luxury hotels. My Thailand price range is generally $200-$500/night.

@kamilkyzur Жыл бұрын

Park hyatt in auckland

@tfft Жыл бұрын

😉

@tobicitas Жыл бұрын

Is it your original voice? 👍

@tfft Жыл бұрын

As opposed to...? lol

@tobicitas Жыл бұрын

@@tfft sounds like a professional voice actor 😅👍

@Unazaki Жыл бұрын

This really feels like a resort that is suffering from an acute labour shortage in the housekeeping and/or maintenance department. Everything else seems fine or at least, decent. Its just this one area thats taking everything and everyone else down.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

It very well could be, hard to judge how many housekeepers there are… but overall there seemed to be plenty of staff around. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@Unazaki Жыл бұрын

@@tfft Well if there really were ample staff around, then that makes the resort incredibly disappointing. I can understand tardiness if there's a labour shortage since I've stayed in a lot of hotels due to my business travels over the years and housekeeping is frequently an area I see that they struggle with. Its not ideal, but I usually just grin and bear it since I don't want to make their already painful situation worse (unless its truly bad like shit stains on the bed). But if they have the labour strength though, then thats not really acceptable. The room might not be spotless, but it should defintely be much cleaner than what you showed here. :(

@jimhearsonwriter Ай бұрын

Urgh, the alarm bells started ringing when I saw how weathered the steps up to reception were - and it only got worse 🙁

@tfft Ай бұрын

Thanks for watching 🩴

@howardbaldwin1226 Жыл бұрын

What a disappointment Kevin. Grubby villas and a poorly maintained beachfront in what looks like a pleasant tropical setting. Thanks for sharing. Cheers from AKL, NZL.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@mryeo8176 Жыл бұрын

IMHO, Would've already been Shocking at so many levels IF the hotel charged $150 for the "pool" villa ... But they somehow thought what they delivered was worth ~$220?

@tfft Жыл бұрын

I mean, I’ve stayed in $40 rooms in Bangkok that were much much cleaner lol. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@vjayleo2142 Жыл бұрын

Uhh, that was pretty gross. In my opinion, cleanliness is one of the most important criteria for a relaxing vacation in a hotel. You can look online in advance at the pictures of the hotel, but unfortunately, you never know if the cleanliness is maintained. Perhaps the staff is not well trained or were outnumbered. Nevertheless, it is very disappointing. If the rooms were clean, there would certainly be a much better score. @Kevin: great video as always, by the way.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Totally agree. After working in the Restaurant industry for many years I have a few key items I look at for cleanliness indicators and if those aren't looking great, I'll be on edge, regardless of how amazing the property/restaurant is.

@HeRzNii 5 ай бұрын

Shit i found this video to late.. i have to go there in one week for 7nights...😢

@tfft 5 ай бұрын

Hope they've improved a bit!

@1bluensx Жыл бұрын

Room looks terrible. Looks like about $119 a night villa, $159 a night for pool villa. I used to love the Hilton in Karon beach, but this oddly reminds me of how much it needed repair before Hilton disowned the place

@tfft Жыл бұрын

$159 would be fair if it was clean and breakfast was a smidge better. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@corinthiancolumnist7057 Жыл бұрын

I live in Thailand in a beautifully maintained (older) condo, with all the facilities, including a 20m pool that is used infrequently, so that mostly I have it to myself for my regular exercise. My spacious unit is cleaned 5 times a week by my maid. I rarely visit any of the resorts in Thailand now, as the beach holiday has a path too well-worn, and the type of disgraceful product you were served up is simply not worth the bother.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@williampartogi558 Жыл бұрын

OMG sayang sekali itu resor tidak terawat

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@BeantownMrs Жыл бұрын

Yikes! Maybe I shouldn't have watched this one while eating my lunch lol

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Hahaha! Sorry :)

@user-ht7py2ib1o Жыл бұрын

Yeah( such a disappointment! Although their resort in Phuket is pretty nice!

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@ianmounstephen3403 Жыл бұрын

Reason for disclaimer understood. From what is promised, this is a disgrace. I stayed 3 years at the first condominium Singha built in Bangkok....let's just say, 'much the same standard and corners cut everywhere'.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

For reasons you understand, I’ll limit my reply to… doesn’t surprise me. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@axios101 Жыл бұрын

OMG....😅😅😅 Obvious lack of cleaning and maintenace... too many residues and stains and traces of not properly maintained materials all over!!!

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@petek5523 Жыл бұрын

Wow, your rooms were gross 🤢 and I’m talking full refund gross. 64/100 is far too generous but thanks for TOFTT 😅

@tfft Жыл бұрын

I understand your point, but at the end of the day, the room is just 20 of the 100 points so I try to stay as objective as possible about the other aspects of the resort. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@patriciafuchs5970 Жыл бұрын

Wow! I have never seen such a dirty room. Totally gross. Seems like there is very poor management. Very disappointing.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Agree! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@undisgraziato Жыл бұрын

One word to describe this place…unappealing

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Agreed ☺️

@tanletran7270 Жыл бұрын

The hotel owner should have stick to beer brewing rather than branching out to non core business. They are rarely successful

@tfft Жыл бұрын

😆

@deborahczepiel7355 Жыл бұрын

I couldn't stay in this awful place, it is gross and filthy!

@tfft Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

@TheKommiekat Жыл бұрын

You missed the most important point: prices are different drastically from peak season, high, mid, low and low peak. $300 for peak and $30 for low, same resort.

@tfft Жыл бұрын

My scores are relative to the specific price I paid as compared to its competition during that time of the year, so whether it’s high season or low season doesn’t impact my reviews. I published the price I paid and the month I was there. Every market on earth has a high season and a low season and travelers know that.

@TheKommiekat Жыл бұрын

@tfft Ah well thank God I live here and don't need to travel.