My near-perfect keep in a country Thai resort: A assessment of the Six Senses Yao Noi

Test-in

Six Senses Yao Noi supplied the next transport choices to and from the resort for my keep:

• Shared land and shared scheduled pace boat switch from/to Phuket Worldwide Airport: 1,600 Thai baht (about $43) per grownup, per manner.
• Non-public land and shared scheduled pace boat switch from/to Phuket Worldwide Airport or different resorts in Phuket: 2,250 Thai baht (about $61) per grownup, per manner.
• Non-public land and pace boat switch from/to Phuket Worldwide Airport or different resorts in Phuket: 12,500 Thai baht (about $338) for 2 individuals touring collectively.
• Non-public land and pace boat switch from/to Krabi Airport: 12,600 Thai baht (about $340) for 2 individuals touring collectively.

The choices and pricing could also be completely different to your keep. However this is the schedule of shared land and speedboat transfers that Six Senses Yao Noi used throughout my keep:

As we have been staying at a distinct lodge in Phuket earlier than heading to Six Senses Yao Noi, we went with the second switch choice for our arrival and organized for a midday pick-up to fulfill the two p.m. shared boat.

A driver with a Mercedes sedan was ready once we checked out shortly earlier than midday.

After we arrived on the marina, a Six Senses consultant was ready for us on the taxi stand. She tagged our bigger luggage and mentioned somebody would take them on to the boat.

Then she led us to the Port of Name bar and restaurant within the marina, the place 4 different Six Senses company have been already ready on the outside patio for our shared boat. She mentioned we might every order a non-alcoholic beverage from the menu whereas we waited. She additionally suggested us to make use of the restroom inside, noting the boat would not have one.

Shortly earlier than 2 p.m., the Six Senses consultant got here to inform us we would be leaving quickly. As soon as it was time to go, we walked all the way down to a 20-passenger Six Senses boat staffed by a captain and host.

The 40-minute trip from the marina to Yao Noi was easy and supplied glorious views. Earlier than we knew it, the host mentioned we have been approaching the resort.

The resort supervisor and GEMs (visitor expertise makers) for every group of company awaited our boat’s arrival. Every GEM had pushed a golf cart with their company’ names written on a chalkboard, so we discovered our cart and met our GEM.

The resort supervisor additionally spoke with every group individually; he welcomed us to the resort and thanked us for our award redemption.

Our GEM supplied a resort tour by golf cart on the best way to our villa. I am glad we accepted the tour, because it supplied an excellent overview of the property.

As soon as at our villa, our GEM launched us to the villa’s options and accomplished check-in. Throughout check-in, we chosen actions primarily based on the exercise sheet for the week.

Though we might additionally message our GEM later, we wished to make sure we booked the actions we wished whereas there was availability.

We additionally chosen two perks from the next record as a advantage of my Diamond Elite standing with IHG:

• A wellness e-book.
• Coconut oil.
• IHG cocktails for 2 (composed of strawberry puree, soda water, vodka and lime juice).
• Cookies.

And we chosen my InterContinental Ambassador perk from the next record:

• A village tour for 2.
• 60-minute Six Senses therapeutic massage for 2.
• $100 meals and beverage credit score.

We chosen the IHG cocktails, cookies and 60-minute massages. We loved our IHG cocktails throughout dinner on the Hilltop restaurant on our first evening and located the drinks refreshing and fruity. In the meantime, tender oatmeal raisin cookies arrived on our second evening throughout the turndown service.

Though the village tour would have been fascinating, getting a 60-minute Six Senses therapeutic massage as an Ambassador perk is an incredible worth.

As a 60-minute Six Senses therapeutic massage sometimes prices 5,200 Thai baht (about $141) per individual at Six Senses Yao Noi, the therapeutic massage selection alone is price greater than the $200 annual payment for Ambassador membership.

Villa

Upon arrival, our GEM mentioned we would been upgraded two classes from the base-level hideaway pool villa (sure, the base-level villa has a personal pool) to an ocean panorama pool villa.

The resort assigned us villa 30, which affords an incredible panoramic view as quickly as you open the villa gates.

After having fun with the view, stroll down the steps to your outside dwelling space. You may first see a two-person desk and your personal plunge pool. Off to the facet, there’s a big couch space with pillows and a desk with a checkerboard. This space has a fan overhead and is a superb shaded place to take a seat and benefit from the views.

In entrance of this seating space are two lounge chairs with plush cushions and towels that housekeeping removes every evening and returns every morning. I did not get pleasure from these chairs a lot throughout the day as a result of solar, however I cherished mendacity out at evening to take a look at the celebrities.

Now, for the remainder of the villa. You may see two giant umbrellas by the doorway to the indoor a part of your villa.

Strolling in, you may enter your bed room. I cherished the mattress and bedding at Six Senses Yao Noi; I slept excellently. The Naturalmat natural Emperor mattress was comfy but supportive, and the comforter was plush and tender.

There is a mosquito web over the mattress, however as we slept with the home windows closed and the air conditioner on, we by no means requested housekeeping to deploy the nets. There is a highly effective fan above the mattress which you can set to varied speeds.

Each nightstands embrace a lamp with a swap on its cable, making it straightforward for these to be the final lights to show off every evening. There is a card on one nightstand the place you possibly can choose your housekeeping preferences, together with pillow scent, further facilities and repair instances.

We left the 2 curtains that housekeeping left open at turn-down service open all evening. Doing so let the solar are available in round dawn, and we wished to get up to observe the dawn in a setting like this.

We closed the shades to return to sleep one morning, and so they did an honest job of blocking out gentle.

Behind the mattress is an extended counter that we used as our place to place issues once we returned to the room. Beneath the counter are two cupboards. The one on the proper accommodates an ice bucket and a basket for eggs (extra on this within the meals and beverage part).

The cupboard on the left accommodates audio gear, together with a cable you need to use to play music all through the villa. However I cherished the Six Senses soundtrack that was enjoying at check-in (I am nonetheless a bit hooked on a number of the songs).

Behind the counter is an extended desk. On the desk are a lamp, a glass bottle of mosquito spray, a glass bottle of hand sanitizer and three books:

• A value record for the wine fridge.
• A e-book about “the enjoyable and attractive stuff” with the in-room eating menu and actions record.
• A e-book about “the good things” detailing Six Senses sustainability initiatives and initiatives (each on the worldwide and property ranges).

The desk has two drawers — one with two postcards and the opposite with anti-mosquito gadgets and a common adaptor. The resort will stamp and mail the 2 postcards in the event you write and handle them.

Subsequent to the desk is the mini-bar and beverage station. There is a Nespresso machine, 4 espresso pods, a water kettle, a teapot, two espresso cups and an assortment of glasses.

There’s additionally ample complimentary Six Senses water (bottled on-site) in nonetheless and glowing type. You may discover a wine opener, a wine fridge with three wines (2,200 Thai baht, or about $60, every) and a mini-fridge with welcome coconuts and chilly Six Senses water.

In entrance of the mattress, alongside the home windows, is a sunken plush sofa with 4 pillows. I cherished sitting on the sofa and having fun with the ocean views contained in the air-conditioned villa.

Many company at Six Senses seemingly will not watch TV throughout their keep. However, there’s a 26-inch TV hidden behind doorways between the bed room space and the lavatory. Relying on which door you open and the way you place the TV, you would watch in mattress or the tub.

Two units of doorways separate the bed room from the lavatory: one is woven and designed to dam out gentle and supply privateness, whereas the opposite retains the air con within the bed room.

You may see two sinks on an extended counter once you stroll into the lavatory. There is a light-up magnifying mirror and Six Senses-branded liquid cleaning soap, lemongrass bar cleaning soap and physique lotion on the counter.

Beneath the counter is a tray with a 1,800-watt Panasonic hair dryer and a tray of Six Senses-branded facilities. Above the sinks are two hanging mirrors.

Behind the sinks is a big wood rack with towels. On one facet of the rack is a big walk-in closet with loads of storage, ample hangers, two robes, a secure, two yoga mats, a grimy garments basket, six drawers, an emergency flashlight and Six Senses-branded after-sun shampoo and conditioner, insect repellent and aloe vera.

Be aware that there is not an iron and ironing board, however company can get two gadgets pressed at no cost upon arrival.

On the opposite facet of the towel rack are two small rooms. The primary accommodates the indoor bathe, which feels cave-like till you shut the door and activate the sunshine.

There is a lengthy bench within the bathe with Six Senses-branded shampoo, conditioner and bathe gel. I cherished the recent lemongrass scent of all of the Six Senses toiletries (though you too can request different scents).

The indoor bathe affords an overhead bathe head and a hand-held bathe head with a wall mount.

Subsequent to the bathe room is a small bathroom room. I appreciated the small contact of peppermint scent when turning on the fan on this room. Throughout from the bathroom room is a drying rack excellent for swimsuits and different moist clothes.

On the opposite facet of the counter with the sinks is a big sofa and deep tub. Particularly contemplating our villa’s lovely panoramic ocean view, our bathtub supplied glorious views. I additionally cherished the small contact of a neck pillow, bathtub salts and natural physique scrub subsequent to the tub.

There’s additionally extra Six Senses-branded bathe gel, shampoo and conditioner stocked by the bathtub. The one draw back of the bathtub: it crammed very slowly.

Lastly, a sliding door subsequent to the bathroom room results in an outside bathe. This door was swollen from humidity, so it wasn’t straightforward to open. There are two outside showers, however I most well-liked the one on the proper with the bigger bathe head because the one on the left did not present an excellent water spray.

The lavatory has air con, however you are inspired to shut the door and solely use the bed room air con at evening. As with the bed room, there is a highly effective fan above the tub space which you can set to varied speeds.

I appreciated the ample fish-shaped hooks all through the lavatory, which have been helpful for hanging towels and clothes. There’s additionally a basket for soiled towels subsequent to the tub — housekeeping will depart towels you cling up however change towels you set within the basket.

Be aware that Six Senses Yao Noi makes use of bodily keys, so you may solely get one to your villa. You possibly can lock the doorway gate by the trail in addition to the door to the indoor part of your villa.

You possibly can point out a do-not-disturb choice by switching the fish eye outdoors your villa gate from open to closed. Even when the fish eye is open, employees members will ring the doorbell and name out earlier than getting into your villa.

Be aware about accessibility

Company with restricted mobility seemingly will not discover Six Senses Yao Noi an excellent match. There are many steps across the resort, together with some which are steep or uneven.

Most villas even have steps, and ours included some difficult-to-open doorways and cupboards. For instance, the door to our villa’s outside bathe required fairly a little bit of power to open.

However, the service at Six Senses Yao Noi is superb. So, I anticipate the resort will try and accommodate any visitor who desires to remain. The highest of the mattress’s mattress is 23 inches above the bottom, and there is a 4 3/4-inch clearance between the ground and a mattress body assist beam.

It could be troublesome to get correct data out of the resort forward of time relating to accessibility, although. As you may learn within the service part, my interactions with the resort by e mail have been probably the most disappointing a part of my Six Senses Yao Noi keep.

Facilities

Six Senses Yao Noi affords all kinds of facilities and actions, particularly contemplating it hosts simply 56 villas.

Once you first attain your villa to check-in, you may discover an actions record for the week. However you too can e-book different actions for an extra price by talking along with your GEM. For instance, you would join Thai boxing classes.

My husband and I reserved spots on the complimentary 9 a.m. kayak exercise heading to Koh Nok our first morning. We joined one different couple and a information on our roughly 90-minute outing to Koh Nok and close by mangroves.

The surroundings was glorious, however what I loved most about this exercise was chatting with our information, who had grown up on the island of Yao Noi.

We additionally reserved spots in our second morning’s complimentary 8:30 a.m. yoga class. Three different company joined the category, which a spa employees member held on the yoga platform.

I significantly appreciated how our teacher selected positions that might problem superior company whereas additionally being newbie pleasant.

Beneath the yoga platform is the health heart. I bought loads of train strolling across the resort, however I ended by the health heart for photographs.

As you may anticipate at a Six Senses resort, there’s a powerful spa full with a juice bar, Alchemy bar and 10 spa remedy rooms.

We loved a 60-minute therapeutic massage for 2 on our final day shortly earlier than trying out, as there have been no different spa slots accessible for 2 company throughout our keep.

My holistic therapeutic massage was enjoyable, and the therapist appeared expert primarily based on how she expertly manipulated my physique.

The resort affords a complimentary beach-side film with lounge chairs and popcorn a number of nights per week. However, because the film is close to the Dwelling Room, you too can seize some ice cream or sorbet in your solution to the film if you want.

You too can go swimming with glorious views on the Hilltop.

You possibly can borrow bikes from a stand close to the street entrance to the resort for complimentary use outdoors the resort between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

We borrowed bikes for about 90 minutes one afternoon, utilizing them to trip into the primary village about 4 1/2 miles away.

The trip uncovered a totally completely different facet of the island, as we noticed many homes, beach-side therapeutic massage stands and some native lodges and resorts.

Nevertheless, the standard of the bikes was disappointing. Each of our bikes solely supplied a number of well-functioning gears. And the seats weren’t comfy in any respect, leaving each my husband and me sore after our trip.

I cherished strolling across the resort. The paths have been enjoyable, and I loved listening to the frogs in a pond one evening.

Sadly, the mangrove stroll was closed throughout my go to. I believe it has been closed for some time primarily based on how the path regarded throughout my keep.

You possibly can stroll over to the resort’s farm, which has not solely hens but additionally geese and goats. On the best way, you may cross by the tennis courtroom.

In the midst of the resort, you may discover the Den (which operates as a bar at choose instances), the Library (the place you possibly can borrow books) and the Major Home (the place yow will discover GEMs as wanted).

By the pier the place company arrive and depart, you may discover the Hornbills Membership for youngsters.

And close to the Dwelling Room, you may discover a seashore in the identical space that hosts night motion pictures. There are a number of lounge chairs and a few water sports activities gear right here.

You possibly can stroll by way of the gardens and go to the Mushroom Hut.