Six Senses Yao Noi

Je voyage beaucoup et le Six Senses Yao Noi est le plus bel endroit dans lequel j’ai séjourné, c’est juste PARADISIAQUE 🤩 !

We spent 8 nights in a 2 bedroom pool villa over new year 2025/26 and had a fabulous time. It really saddens (and perplexes!) me to read such mixed reviews from recent guests so I wanted to write quite a detailed review to put anyone’s mind at rest who, like me, consults trip advisor religiously in the build up to a trip!! First, it seems the biggest point of difference between reviews is the standard of the rooms. I can only comment on our own villa, which was a pool villa. We had a beautiful view (one of the best views ever to wake up to - the hotel is on the sunrise side of the island) and some of the most comfortable beds we’ve ever slept in. The bathrooms were large with a gorgeous sunken bath in the master suite along with indoor and outdoor showers. Presumably renovation, when it comes, will upgrade things on the technology side, but sometimes high-tech rooms annoy us on holiday and everything in the room worked as it should - it just wasn’t especially modern. My ONLY gripe about the room was mentioned by a previous reviewer, and was also our experience when we stayed at the Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman last year, which is that the rooms are DARK once night falls. The lighting is just too dim and you feel like you can’t see yourself properly to get ready for the evening! But honestly, I don’t think I even mentioned this in my review of Zighy Bay as it is hardly a big issue in an otherwise idyllic setting. And what a setting it is - no one can deny the beauty of this property and the stunning views. The photos don’t even do it justice. Before we arrived, we expected “that” view to feature only from the infinity pool, but actually you experience the same outlook from numerous points around the property. Having said that, the Hilltop pool and restaurant was our favourite spot in the whole hotel. We didn’t struggle to get sun beds as long as we were up there before 11am. The staff are delightful and so many people addressed us by name, making a real effort to remember our preferences and to check with us constantly whether everything was ok. The GEM model works really well here, and we were so grateful to our GEM Nyle who was instantly responsive on WhatsApp to anything we needed. Our 12 year old daughter enjoyed all the activities at Earth Lab (eg making recycled paper, making candles, key chains and photo frames) and my husband and our 15 year old son had a Thai boxing lesson. We also chose two excursions - the guided bike tour around the island (22km including some hard work uphill!) and the boat trip to the Phi Phi islands. Both were amazing ways to see the beauty of Thailand. Our massages at the spa were fantastic. We also tried aerial yoga, a sound healing session and a crystal bracelet making workshop where we learnt about the properties of different crystals. Finally, the food. We tried all three restaurants plus the very high quality New Year’s Eve buffet and we loved all of them. However, we also left the hotel to try some local restaurants and we would recommend doing this if you’re staying here for an extended period, not least because the local restaurants are very cheap! Our favourite was Rice Paddy restaurant which is only about 5 mins drive. The hotel can organise a taxi. In short, our stay was relaxing, pampering but also full of opportunities to discover the island and Thai culture. I have to conclude that hideaway rooms must be very different and/ or the negative reviews are written by people who prefer a high level of modern technology. And yes, there is some wildlife (amazing birds, little frogs, monitor lizards and we even saw one snake!) but nothing is dangerous and this only enhances the experience for us when we’re staying in Asia. Our children spent all week hoping to see a monitor lizard and they were delighted when we finally did! Housekeeping does a stellar job twice a day and we certainly didn’t have to fear that wildlife would get into the rooms. I assume the hideaway rooms are more exposed to the elements/ jungle than we were. After two fabulous New Years in Six Senses properties, we now feel that this is our new favourite hotel brand and we look forward to returning one day.

Disappointing and Inconsistent Experience at Six Senses Yao Noi We arrived at Six Senses Yao Noi after a long journey, expecting the level of luxury and care the brand is known for. Unfortunately, our experience fell well short. We had booked a four bed-villa hideaway for our family Christmas holiday. The accommodation we were shown was dark, cramped, and hidden deep in the jungle. Rather than serene, it felt neglected—poorly lit, overrun with mosquitoes, and with frogs jumping at you as you entered. The space lacked comfort, warmth, and ANY sense of luxury. Despite booking four villas, there was no comfortable communal area for a family stay. The only shared space was a single table fully exposed to the elements, making it unusable due to mosquitoes and wildlife. The best place to hang in the evening was in our bed under the mosquito net that contained holes! That first evening was handled poorly. I asked to speak to the manager three times and was told he was “busy.” He never came. No apology, acknowledgment, or small gesture was offered to ease the situation. When we asked to move rooms, we were initially told there was no availability, only to later be told a room had been “found,” making the earlier response feel misleading. The following day, my parents were moved to a different villa that was light-filled, beautiful, and exactly what one expects from Six Senses—highlighting how much the room allocation defines the experience here. In contrast, much of the hotel feels tired and firmly on the wrong side of “shabby chic.” The staff were generally pleasant, and once settled, we were well looked after. However, the sour first impression never fully lifted, and notably, we never met the manager. The food was mixed but overall good, the Thai being the winner… The beach is underwhelming and poorly serviced, lacking the small thoughtful touches expected at this level. The main pool is visually stunning, with a sensational view, but overcrowded and insufficient for the number of guests so we could barely hang out there. If you are seeking a true jungle experience, the type you find when you are a Gap year student, the hideaway villas may suit you. Otherwise, check your room category very carefully—because at Six Senses Yao Noi, the difference between exceptional and unacceptable is significant.

Breakfast, personal, nature, private beach, free icecream, excelent butler Nubsib, free kayak, moskito net

a litlle bit overpriced SPA treatments

Everything was perfect

I can’t think of one thing

We are just coming to the end of our 4 night stay at the six senses and we’ve had the most wonderful few days and can find very few markers that do not get a 5/5 from us. This is a hotel brand we have come to love starting on our honeymoon in Portugal, to Ibiza and now Thailand. The Thai resort has a different vibe to its European counterparts but that is fitting for the location, which is Thailand 20 years ago in time and completely unspoilt, in case you were wondering. You will find few places such that can give you the experience you’ll get here. Service: I’m not sure I can recall having had much better. Every single member of staff you encounter greets you with a wonderful smile. The operation is super slick - from the on demand golf buggies to transfer you over the resort (it’s complex to navigate without a map but not dissimilar to a Maldives resort with villas spaced out from multiple restaurants). To borrowing rain jackets, mountain bikes or anything else you could want. A special mention to Nubsib who looked after us the whole time, greeting us at every single mealtime and being in contact with us daily on WhatsApp about any special dining events, happy hours or tours that were happening throughout the resort. We attended two ‘special events’ - a fish bbq where the executive chef spent time with us discussing food and all things chilli sauce, to a special drinks on the beach with all the staff where we got to chat to the general manager and sous chef at the Nithan restaurant. Many wonderful people work here and they all collectively made our stay memorable. Villa: we stayed in 14 which was a hideaway villa that had good sun into the afternoons on our pool deck. We were very happy with the condition and amenities. House keeping come in twice a day and turn down your room with the mosquito net set up in the evening. The pool, beach and restaurants are all wonderful. Food is a very high quality and every restaurant offers a unique setting in the resort. The breakfast buffet isn’t super vast - it offers good European, Chinese and Thai options - as well as 5 or 6 made to order dishes and a juice menu which is typical for the six senses resorts. The morning view over the limestone islands is beautiful. Mozzies: now let me prefix this, I am a pasty English girl who has suffered with cellulitis related hospital visits on prior trips from mosquito bites be it Kenya, Malaysia, Hong Kong… I’m married to an Asian and that is part and parcel of coming to Asia I am afraid, so come prepared is the lesson here. I come on every trip with anti histamines, anti inflammatory tabs, aloe gel, ice packs, hydrocortisone just in case… and I read the reviews here before I arrived so I was doubly prepared. I used my jungle 50 deet daily and I have not been bitten once and I haven’t needed my stash of meds. That is a good outcome for a trip to Asia! As long as you take precautions you’ll be fine. They are fumigating the resort a few times a week that not everywhere does, they have nets in the rooms (haven’t seen any in my villa tbf), the villa has blue light bug magnets and every table in every bar or restaurant has a ‘natural repellent’ provided. Not sure what more they could for their guests to be honest…

Stunning location. Loved that all the food wad organic, especially good was the breakfast buffet. Hilltop pool and the boxing ring were highlights.