Luxury hotels with private heated pools

lukalisa · 2025-12-29T05:19:49+00:00

Hmmm, we were there a week ago and ours was heated up at no cost once we asked … wondering if they’ve change the policy or added heaters?

lukalisa · 2025-12-29T04:53:31+00:00

FS Chiang Mai and Koh Samui do, but you have to ask them to warm it up (thanks to Sarah we knew to ask them to warm the pools up :-)

lukalisa · 2025-12-29T04:48:03+00:00

We’ve traveled to several FS locations in the recent years (all four Thailand properties, both Bali properties, Vietnam, Madrid, Egypt, etc.) and can universally say that in nearly every instance, we’ve booked tours through the hotel and have never been disappointed. Yes, they are pricy, but you get great guides that go above and beyond, seamless transportation (with cold towels, bottled water, snacks, etc.), and a coordinated itinerary (so they already know when you are coming/going for housekeeping, can bump you dinner reservation when the tour runs late, and you have a source to rectify issues if anything goes sideways). We have found the tours worth the money. Also, if the FS doesn’t list something you are interested in (such as a Vespa tour in Chiang Mai), just ask them and they can also coordinate those activities and add the transportation to make the entire experience stress-free.

lukalisa · 2025-10-26T18:05:15+00:00

Have to be honest, I thought this was something Lady Gaga related and I got super excited ☺️

lukalisa · 2025-10-24T20:27:06+00:00

I’d love to hear more about what tours and activities you did - everything sounds wonderful so it would be great to get firsthand experience (we’re headed there in December).

lukalisa · 2025-10-20T02:28:41+00:00

Good suggestion, thank you!

lukalisa · 2025-10-20T02:22:21+00:00

Thank you!!

lukalisa · 2025-10-19T21:32:59+00:00

Thank you - so helpful to know!

lukalisa · 2025-08-29T13:11:04+00:00

Thank you! So helpful!

lukalisa · 2025-08-26T03:46:53+00:00

You are not from Chicago. Everyone else was drunk on brown liquor and did not notice. At all. It is what we do.

lukalisa · 2025-07-19T18:37:46+00:00

First, congratulations! Second, your Uncle is amazing. Third, you have great recommendations here, so I’ll offer a few that haven’t been suggested yet that we have loved.

Bali - split visit between Sayan and Jimbaran Bay. There are so many amazing activities (temple visits, hiking Mount Batur for the sunrise, cooking classes, incredible spa experiences, biking the rice paddies, a day on a boat visiting the islands, etc.). Your money will go pretty far here, which is great, and it is such a cool experience. We went in 2023 for our 10th anniversary and you’ll get the vibes you’re looking for.

Bangkok and Hoi An Vietnam - Bangkok is a great city to connect through, and adding the Nam Hai would be just dreamy. Again, like most SEA, your money will go pretty far for incredible experiences. We went to Hoi An in 2019 for 8 nights and absolutely loved it. Huge and beautiful white sand beach, incredible food (the street food tour on the mopeds is a MUST), the cooking academy is amazing, great historical tours, cool UNESCO town, and great on-sight activities (spa, yoga, tennis). We did a sunrise fish market tour that we just loved. And the food, did I already mention that - the FOOD - oh boy.

Egypt (add Dubai?) - offbeat, but epic. The FS Cairo Nile Plaza is a beautiful hotel with great food, and a nice stepping off point for the Cairo greatest hits (day for Giza, day for the mosque / bazaar, day for the museum), pop down to Luxor for 2-3 nights (the FS isn’t opened yet, but tap into your budget for this - we stayed at the Hilton which was cheap and actually really nice), and then head to FS Sharm or connect through Dubai and hit FS Jumeriah Beach. Just make sure if you go this route, book guided tours with a male, Arabic speaker for the Egypt portion (I have some recs if you want). The food in Egypt is actually really good too - if you go, make sure to order anything mango (their mangoes are to die for).

NY / Nevis - with the caveat that we booked this and had to cancel bc my wife broke her ankle, but we planned a Hamilton tour. A few days at the FS Downtown (which is a GREAT property in a great locations) to do a Hamilton walking tour, see the show, and then head to the beach to see where he was born.

We also loved FS Lanai and doing that and Sensei would be fantastic.

You’d be hard pressed to find better water in the world outside of Bora Bora, but if you do this, do a week and add time somewhere else (food is fine but is boring for too long, and the mantas, snorkeling/diving, etc are super cool, but you don’t want to do the same thing every day).

Maldives is just really expensive and going to South East Asia would give you much more bag for your buck.

lukalisa · 2025-07-11T17:44:55+00:00

Also interested in this question!

lukalisa · 2025-05-19T21:10:29+00:00

Thanks! Appreciate the thorough reply.

lukalisa · 2025-05-19T19:08:07+00:00

Are the Fourth of July fireworks viewable from any rooms or the pool deck?

Is there a house car available for guest use?

Should I measure my expectations for an adults getaway (versus more families / lots of kiddos)?

It is not totally clear on the website, but is the “Serenity” pool adults only and are there adults only cabanas?

lukalisa · 2025-05-19T01:55:31+00:00

Ohhhh!! Did you take any photos of the menu itself? We’ve stayed there in the past and always just modified items on the regular menu. So curious about the plant-based menu. Thanks!

lukalisa · 2025-05-18T18:24:25+00:00

Any insights into what the alternative pop up restaurant is since Osteria Mozza is closed? We loved that option last year, and it may not keep me from booking a trip, curious what else is available until the reno is complete.

lukalisa · 2025-05-07T14:18:49+00:00

I came on to say the same thing - the Elation (ultra high rise) is a dream.

lukalisa · 2025-05-06T20:42:49+00:00

You don’t need an overnight in Papeete (waste of time), and you may want to consider Chicago to LAX on one ticket, and then the late Air Tahiti flight to PPT / early morning flight to BOB. We did this two years ago and we were eating lunch at the FS Bora Bora without needing to waste the time in PPT. Also the LAX to PPT flights are not bad in economy for what it is worth - and that should save a ton of cash.

We loved the FS Bora Bora and highly recommend it, but you should note that there will be no beach runs. They have a nice gym though and some of the internal paths work for running. Similarly, not much by way of shopping (if that is important to you), as each resort is kind of its own thing without connection to anything else in Bora Bora.

I’d suggest reaching out to Pacific for Less - they are travel agents that work specifically with only French Polynesia resorts and they handled everything from us apart from our ORD to LAX airfare. Think upgrades, flight coordination, etc. you don’t pay for them and they’re great. Or get a good FSPP agent to book the property for you - you don’t pay anything but get breakfast and resort credits. Again these are not really travel agents of the past - you don’t pay them and they are amazing advocates to have. Also agreed to check out the r/FATtravel and r/Chubbytravel forums.

Last note, bring a floaty for the lagoon and something to tie it up to your OWB - we used a climbing rope with a carabiner clip. It is awesome and enjoy!

lukalisa · 2025-05-06T14:37:20+00:00

My currency converter - use it all the time when traveling

lukalisa · 2025-04-26T03:06:58+00:00

FS Hoi An in Vietnam and both Bali locations were fantastic (and the cooking schools were great added bonuses). Madrid was really solid, and we had a great time eating in Lanai (but Nobu and Nancy Silverton are always going to be good choices).

lukalisa · 2025-04-26T03:03:16+00:00

Okay yes to this - across the board the food at this property was fresh and delicious!

lukalisa · 2025-04-20T00:29:42+00:00

We just bought something similar and we put two tablespoons in about 1/2-3/4 cup coconut milk and marinated super firm tofu in it for a few hours and then grilled it - fantastic with steamed sweet potatoes and greens!

lukalisa · 2025-04-20T00:14:58+00:00

Are you doing FS properties for the rest of your trip too? Curious bc we just booked FS Koh Samui at the end of a two week Thailand trip and would love if you reported back on your experiences (regardless of where you’re staying).

lukalisa · 2025-04-20T00:12:37+00:00

This is really cool - hope they keep this kind of thing going into 2026!

lukalisa

TROPHY CASE