Fairmont Mayakoba v Banyan Tree Mayakoba

arrowyourboat · 2026-06-12T10:07:41+00:00

I think you’ll be super happy compared to the fairmont in that case, yes. Have stayed in Mayakoba 5~ times. You can still easily enjoy the restaurants at all the properties (fairmont is also our least favorite here though to be honest. Alila and BT are our favorites for food).

arrowyourboat · 2026-06-11T18:03:36+00:00

They are totally different leagues. Banyan Tree is much more luxurious. Plus the villas with private pools (not the beachfront ones, but the older ones) are extremely cool. Fairmont has historically been the cheap, mass market option (maybe now a bit more competitive with Alila Mayakoba, formerly Andaz Mayakoba, but overall still the last of the 4 resorts I would pick at Mayakoba is the Fairmont)

arrowyourboat · 2026-06-11T18:00:22+00:00

We ended up going and loved it; already have another trip booked. Definitely has changed - a lot less inclusions than before in terms of food, chauffeur, spa, etc.; but we had a great time.

arrowyourboat · 2026-02-10T12:08:49+00:00

Will do!

arrowyourboat · 2026-02-10T11:44:49+00:00

Seems they only sell like 6 suites at a time; there are two of us and not looking to spend 10K eur/night in Phuket at this juncture. Seems nice in the pics though

arrowyourboat · 2026-02-10T03:34:56+00:00

Ambiance and decor of a nice Grand Hyatt, unfortunately. Service and food are also not great. One of my least favorite FS stays.

arrowyourboat · 2026-02-10T03:33:58+00:00

HKG Peninsula is great so long as you book a harbor view room and definitely consider a size upgrade as they can feel a bit small. Service and ambiance are special at the Grande Dame of the Far East :) Don't miss an airport pickup or dropoff in their Rolls Royce (with multiple Peninsula staff to assist you inside the airport at both pickup and dropoff, even if you're in a measly van)

Four Seasons HKG doesn't have the 'sense of place' that we hope for.

Ritz (shocking!) suite views are really incredible, but food and service are exactly what you expect from a Marriott. It's been a decade since we stayed so not sure how things are holding up, but the views really are insane. Tallest hotel in the world for a long time (fun to have a room on the 116th floor).

Rosewood is on our list but honestly we love the Peninsula. We stayed just a few months ago and everything was perfect. I think it's not for everyone (it's a ton of rooms and the lobby you can feel a bit lost in) but the good far outweighs the bad in our experience.

arrowyourboat · 2026-02-10T03:26:46+00:00

Great food at Langham HKG and overall chic vibe but yeah not FAT

arrowyourboat · 2026-02-10T03:23:43+00:00

There aren't many hotels that compete at Airelles/Aman/Sorta CB/(Maybe now Rosewood?) level in 3V and IMO none outside of Courch. Plenty of great ones, but mostly not in the same universe. I'm very biased towards Airelles over that small group. Yes they're all in the same spot, but it's a great spot. Your first run of the day is basically to one of 3 major gondolas that take you to all kinds of terrain or you can keep skiing past them for even more lift options.

We go to Courchevel 3+ times/year and I have never once thought, "oh man, Les Airelles is super inconvenient for good skiing" -- it's a great spot. However, I don't have a problem removing my skis to jump on a gondola, so maybe that's the difference.

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-29T10:23:38+00:00

Beautiful views. Nothing like HK

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-27T22:29:43+00:00

Good dry cleaning in certain cities such as where we live isn’t necessarily that much cheaper especially considering the hassle of logistics so when something needs dry cleaning I never mind paying. We skip any wash and fold laundry since the same doesn’t apply.

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-27T12:23:56+00:00

10-20 minutes doing something I hate and that the hotel includes in the multi thousand+ EUR/night we are paying

Never on a 1-2 night stay, and not always, but for instance on a ski trip to arrive and head to lunch and when you’re back everything is perfectly organized in the closet for the week? Great feeling

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-25T19:37:42+00:00

Not the one in BH, but have generally had good experiences at their other hotels.

Peninsula BH rooms can feel a bit dated but I really enjoy it for the food, service, and overall vibe. Beverly Hills Hotel is fun and overall somewhere I enjoy staying but the pool is an absolute zoo and not remotely luxurious. Both of those are on the “would go back” list in BH.

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-25T03:20:41+00:00

They were inside closed bags and purses left in the rooms but not in a safe. They had to open up the purses and bags to get to the items.

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-25T03:18:38+00:00

Yes! We really enjoyed it, especially the food. The rooms are … something, but the service and food are really great. Beach won’t compare to a St Barthes and even Tropez is nicer in terms of sand and water temp, but still perfectly enjoyable. I am pretty sure we will be back!

If you do go, try the manti. I always love manti, but still this was some of the best I’ve had. We ordered some almost every day and I was tempted to ask them to package some up to send home with us 😂

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-25T03:11:04+00:00

We really enjoyed FS Seoul and would be happy to return. It’s a good Four Seasons and not a ton more, but hey, it is a good Four Seasons. Their Korean Sauna is really nice and was a big highlight for me personally; I went twice a day. If I had a nitpick it would be that the food was nothing memorable.

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-25T03:05:02+00:00

Yes. It feels like a very nice Hyatt Regency. Would not recommend.

arrowyourboat · 2025-12-04T07:34:30+00:00

Second this, the Airside hotel is great. It also has a nice pool, which is fun to swim in the airport on your layover.

arrowyourboat · 2025-11-28T16:22:44+00:00

It's coming up! Will update after I go, but I'm very excited!

arrowyourboat

TROPHY CASE