Just noticed you’ve reached 50K subs, congrats! Well deserved and I’m sure with the quality of your content that number will continue to steadily grow. Great job Kev 🎉
Love reading the comments and how everybody is really enjoying your content. Must be so satisfying to have found your niche on RU-vid and still feel you can evolve, learn and grow. Upwards and onwards Kevin, keep rising 📈💫 And yes, I definitely see a velociraptor 🦖😂
Yes, with an emphasis on evolving. I enjoy not knowing what the channel will look like in 2-3 years, while also happy to know I’ll surely still be making content then. Thanks as always for your support 🙏🏻
Took me a while to catch up with your videos. This series will help me to determine wich hotel to choose for my next trip. We have been plaing to come to Koh Samui for a while now. Last weekend we tried Conrad Bangkok and Rosewood Bangkok- both very valid options for different use cases. Amazing video again here. You have quickly become my favorite channel when it comes to travel- i feel you create just the type of video i always wanted to make myself.
Always enjoy the hotel reviews, and this one was fantastic. As always, your attention to all the little details you comment on makes your videos stand out from others. Let me add to your pet peeve because it's beginning to become mine as well. We as a family checked into a Holiday Inn (Australia) to celebrate my parents' special wedding anniversary in March, booked through IHG and used loyalty points + pay (so they knew we would be coming AND could easily contact me), mentioned prior that it was a special occasion and requested a cake to be in their room on arrival along with sparkling wine. Went to the restaurant to make a booking for the celebration dinner the following night only to be told that the restaurant was closed for dinner both nights of our stay due to a conference, no issue we would do lunch then, nope closed for lunch and dinner both days AND no room service was available, add to our misery try getting a local restaurant open on a Monday night, l was not happy!! Repeat performance at a Novotel (Australia) over Easter, the only restaurant was closed at 5pm (once again for a function) we found this out only after going down to enjoy a pre dinner drink, no big deal we would have a couple of drinks then just order room service you guessed it none of that either because of the function. At no point on booking, check-in, or pre arrival interaction, did anyone mention restaurant closures or room service unavailable. A simple email in advance (given conferences and weddings are booked months if not a year in advance) so guests can make alternative arrangements would be common sense if not just common courtesy.
Love watching your videos whilst eating breakfast on a rainy day in Auckland dreaming of a tropical holiday!! Your trip reports are the best on you tube hands down.
I love livable and walkable cities with a good food scene. Bonus for being on the water. Auckland ticks all of my boxes. Cost wise, I don’t find it any more expensive than Sydney, Sing, NY, etc. But I’ll never understand why soft drinks cost so much in AUS and NZ lol.
Great reviews - having already been lucky enough to stay at Six Senses Koh Yoi Noi - will be seriously considering Six Senses Koh Samui for this year based on great review! (and not the Ritz C Koh Samui)
Booked this because of your review (plus I always promised myself to come here at least once and your review tipped me over) . We paid a LOT more than you did ($1300 AUD a night which is around $900 USD for an ocean view pool villa) but it was a beautiful resort for sure, and no regrets at all.
Six thousand dollars!!! You make me laugh! Y was preparing to hear “a big fat zero””! Thank you Kevin, truth is that is hard for Argentine people to go to some of the hotels and resort you go, but your videos are really great, and who knows, maybe things will change some day! If flys could go to a lot of Six Senses resorts, why can t we!! Thank you again!
Congratulations on your well deserved 50k subscribers! Your content is so high in quality considering you upload quite frequently. I want to ask if you ever plan to upload trip reports or reviews for trains in the future as they would be interesting to see. Great review as always!
I enjoyed your video a lot! By the way, are you using camera for vlogging? And do you use accessories like microphone to enhance the quality of the video? Thanks.
I’m 100% iPhone. Used to travel with extra bits and bobs but it’s just not worth it. I do record some audio separately on location for background ambiance but all voiceover I record at home.
Amazing review! Your content is so peaceful and calming. I am planning a 14-night trip to Koh Samui over the new years/christmas! - Comparing Six senses to Ritz Carlton and Banyan tree Samui right now! All have their pros (without any cons) and its hard to choose 😧
Reminds me very much of Santhiya on Koh Phangan. Although the scenery is beautiful, the hills, the steps and waiting for the carts to take you around become tiresome quickly. I would recommend a few nights at best, don't make the mistake of staying a full week.
Really enjoyed this video. Would be great to see a review of the Banyan Tree, on the other side of the island! Hopefully that will be next on your list :)
After my poor Banyan Tree Phuket review, I decided to give them a few years to get back into the swing, but yes I do have Samui and Co Lang on my radar. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Nice reveiw as always! My favorite airline/hotel reviewer! I wonder how this compares to Conrad Koh Samui which is on the more secluded side of the island..
I’ve not been, buts it’s always been on my short list. That said, I’ve heard mixed reviews. I **think** it may fit into the same ‘category’ as the Ritz Carlton Samui in that, it caters quite a bit to program loyalists and redemption bookings. Properties like this I always find to be impressive from a far, but underwhelming up close. The views from Conrad are certainly stunning but even in room tours I’ve seen on RU-vid… the content creators are always gushing over how incredible it is to have a private pool villa and bc of that they don’t notice how… cookie cutter it looks.
I can only confirm what you have described. We felt the same way about this hotel. A hidden gem which feels like it's been here since forever. Still, I prefer the Koh Yao Noy location. A place you still miss on the list in order to compare. Once you are here, I think you will feel what I mean. Funny, I have ordered some rock shaped pillows 😂
Hi Kevin. Would love for you to review Six Senses Con Dao, since you have already been to Ninh Van Bay and compare. For whatever reason, that property will cost double what you paid for Samui! I would love to see if that's worth it in your opinion or not. Thanks!
Many have disagreed with me but personally I do not think there are any circumstances where $1000+/night is warranted in VN (for a 1BR villa/room). At some point, it’s just a silly money grab. When Con Dao goes on sale for around $650 or less, I’d be happy to try it out.
I was just there a week ago and also had 2 Rooms booked (Pool Villa Ocean View and Hideaway without Pool). We also got an upgrade on the Hideaway Villa with Pool. Actually also Villa 46. I've been to 4 Six Senses properties but never had a status or anything but they ALWAYS upgraded me.
This brought back some memories from my quick visit here in 2007.. of course there are some changes, but you surely captured the undeniable peace and beauty of this magical place..thanks as always.. 🙏
@@tfft I just sent it to my friend who was GM here when I visited it in 2007 .. he said your clip was very nice and brought back lots of great memories.. 🙂
A little surprised you only dinged it two points for the dining situation, but I guess it speaks of what you thought of the rest of the place. Oh, and I very much appreciate the dollar-to-local-currency conversions at the start - really helps gauge prices without having to google them.
The Caribbean is one area I’m looking at seriously for next year. I think it’s underserved on RU-vid (especially compared to the likes of SE Asia and Maldives) but my god are some of those islands expensive 😂
@@tfft I can think of a few places that are definitely pricey but worth it if you can afford it. I guess the question is, are there quality resorts or hotels for average people outside of all inclusive resorts (which I'm not interested in)?
Hi Kevin, I was wondering between Six Senses, Vana Belle or Belmond Napasai, which one would you recommend for a solo female traveler who has never been to Koh Samui? I'm planning a trip there in January to decompress and eat lots of good food --and I'm finding that prices are high at this peak travel time. I'm looking for a place where I'm not surrounded by honeymooners or drunk/annoying party-goers and really just want to walk along the beach, and enjoy stunning sunsets. I enjoyed both of your videos between Six Senses, Vana Belle and Belmond Napasai but now I can't decide between them. Anyway, I also wanted to say THANK YOU for staying anonymous since I've seen travel influencers get treated so much better than us common folks that I find it really hard to believe the reviews being posted these days. Also, I really do appreciate you being fair and enjoy all the comments you point out. It's pretty much why I love traveling around the world, so many amazing hotels and experiences to be had!
It is probably too late, but you might have considered using a different name in your videos than your real name. With the success of this channel, resorts may be upgrading anyone with the name Kevin just to be safe 🤣
Great review! Also looking forward to the review for the Kimpton. I am planning to book the Intercontinental Samui for June, have you been there or can you recommend it?
Kevin, is your background front or back of house in the F&B space? You don’t seem to have quite the pirate crew attitude of a guy who spent years in the kitchen, but you definitely know your food.
A 20 year old resort, renovated in 2015 (even if partially) good like a well kept car. Not like my experience in Anantara Bangkok, where it needed a renovation few decades ago.
@@brilliantbutblue Thanks I also usually need a lot more hints to guess lol but I was in Auckland recently so it was my first guess for the city, and the Y gave away Hyatt for me. And it could even be wrong who knows
Kevin do you almost always order eggs Benedict and French toast for our benefit or is that what you always want to have for breakfast when you're at home?
No I never have them at home. Actually, I only eat breakfast when I’m on the road lol. As far as breakfast dishes go, I feel Eggs Bene and French Toast can say A LOT about a kitchen’s skill level, technique and creativity. Eggs: Properly runny yolk? Properly emulsified Hollaindaise? (Also easy to see short cuts here since there are many ‘quick’ ways to make something that is hollaindaise-like). Also, Is it a proper English muffin? A sad ‘English muffin’ or something else totally different and creative? French Toast: It’s very easy to make, but the quality of bread is a big factor. Also, is it a tried and true recipe? Or something totally creative? Something reflective of the region? A lot of the time I only have one night at a property I’m reviewing, so I need to get as much info out of as few dishes as possible to be able to comment on the full food program- dishes like these help a lot with that. I used to often do the same with Caesar salads but too many people kept complaining about Caesar salads in every video 😅
That is one very beautiful place to recoop. I agree that the resorts need to manage the events better so as not to hinder the experience and facility availability of resort guests. As far as the strange upgrade goes, maybe you are somehow recognized by the GEM and got a partial VVIP treatment. :)
I pay close attention to paperwork when I’m arriving to see if there is a change after I give them my passport (I rotate emails and phone numbers so it wouldn’t be possible to ID me before arrival). The paperwork with the upgrades was already printed out before hand. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Still on my list (actually I've had it booked before but then cancelled...) but it always looks to be very 'standard big box Hilton' when I see reviews of it. Of course in the context of an upper scale property, but just looked very cookie cutter and dated to me- similar to how I think of the design/amenities at the Ritz Carlton Samui. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
And there in lies the beauty of the internet 😉 Though for the money, SS Samui I think has just about every other SS property beat. Thanks for watching 🩴
It honestly wouldn’t be likely. I rotate email addresses and phone numbers to make it more difficult. If anyone every upgraded me AFTER I gave them my passport, then perhaps, but this upgrade was already prepared before I arrived. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
I thought that once or twice, but then realised that he doesn't always travel alone (ordered 3 meals in a restaurant) and on another occasion had booked two rooms (he mentioned needing them being near each other) this would definitely throw Hotels off especially if his companions/friends/family booked the room or it was booked in another guests name when using points as part of a loyalty program so l think Kevin is cleverly disguised 🥸 (his names probably Jack 😉)
Kevin, I appreciate your commentary but one is not a mountain goat at the age of 75 years. I want to stay at Koh Samui & Phuket but no hills thankyou. Your suggestions would be grateful. Take Care. Regards John Mc ( Would like to be near Shops and maybe somewhere to have a Beer or 2 with my Future wife.) We are just looking around before we fly to Singapore then onto Brisbane Australia. We will then get married a settle in Australia.
They surely have buggies available 24/7. Happy to help with itinerary planning, but out of respect for those on Patreon who pay me for such advise, I'd need to limit my answers to private messages there. My Roamer level is created just for this sort of thing. Thanks!
@johnmac4843 business owner*. I could say a lot about you with your disrespectful attitude and entitled expectation that the world owes you their knowledge and skills free of charge, but I suspect it wouldn’t be worth the breath. Enjoy your wedding.
If you ask for likes,comments and subscription then aren't you asking for the very thing you are trying to avoid 😆 in the pursuit of providing genuine reviews. At some point, you're going to receive special treatment in some locations thirsting for folks like you.
It's impressive how fast you have become one of my favourite RU-vidrs to watch haha, super elegant videos. Any info on when your video on the Kimpton kimalay will be out? This video has strongly made me consider Six Senses for Koh Samui, but the only available prices atm are just shy of 800usd per night for the pool villas. For Bangkok we are also strongly considering the Kimpton per your recommendation, but are also looking at the four seasons after your video haha
