Author Topic: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa  (Read 8406 times)

Offline EJB

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Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
« on: January 29, 2018, 12:26:27 AM »
Introduction
I tend to plan trips around flights - price mistakes, cheap flights, value redemptions, and aspirational redemptions. My family and I just came back from 9 days in southeast Asia thanks to cheap open jaw Y tickets. We paid 113k MR points for 6 seats on transpacific UA flights

Costs
    Airfare
    • EWR-HKG-BKK//SIN-SFO-EWR: UA/HX Y, 20k MR pp (children were 15k MR). Got bulkhead and row behind on the UA longhauls for entire party due to 1k status
    • BKK-USM: PG Y, 5k EY + $3
    • USM-SIN: MI Y, 12.5k SQ + $30

    Hotels
    • BKK: Somerset Lake Point (Soi Sukhumvit 16), 3BR deluxe apartment, $173 x 4 nights incl. tax using Citi 4th free
    • USM: Conrad Koh Samui Residences, 3BR Villa, $500 x 4 nights incl. tax using Citi 4th free
    • SIN: 30 Bencoolen, Junior Suite + Deluxe Room, ($216 + $136) x 2 nights incl. tax

    There have been countless of trip reports covering the places we went to, so I won't be writing a traditional trip report. Instead, I believe I'm the first to cover the Conrad USM 3BR villa, so I'll be covering that.

    Overall
    This was the most cash I've ever shelled out for a hotel room, but it also was the largest and nicest I've ever been to by a long shot. You could spend 5 days at the Conrad without leaving the resort. You could spend, if you wanted to, 5 days in this room without leaving and have a blast.

    How I booked the room
    Hilton had a 50% off flash sale in early September that included many southeast Asian properties, such as the Conrads in MLE and USM. This deal was stackable with Citi's 4th night free benefit on the Prestige card. I noticed that the combination brought the residences down to pretty affordable levels - IIRC the 2BR residence ended up costing just under $400 including tax for the dates I was interested in, and I was seriously considering booking it at that rate. My alternative was to Airbnb a nice multibedroom apartment/villa. Unfortunately, in the several hours I spent trying to get approvals from the household powers that be, Hilton blocked the flash rate at the 2BR room type and the only available room type was the 3br at 25% more. I tried to get the hotel to reopen the 2BR at the flash rate, but did not have success. I am very happy that I decided to splurge on the extra $100 a night.

    Room Specs

    I copied the below description from the room fact sheet that the hotel sent me. It is pretty accurate

    OCEANVIEW THREE-BEDROOM POOL VILLA
    Tropical motifs are combined with subtle Thai influences and contemporary design to create a unique décor featuring rich tones and natural textures. The upper level entrance opens to a private outdoor lawn terrace, ideal for relaxing with family and friends for pre-dinner cocktails while taking in panoramic sea views and exquisite Samui sunsets. This level also includes an open-plan living and dining area, contemporary bar, private kitchen and a spacious sun deck with an area for al-fresco dining.

    The master suite, two junior suites, private pool and outdoor deck are located on the lower level. The master suite boasts its own living area with a 42-inch plasma TV, a stylish circular bed, private study, and a walk-in closet. The adjoining bathroom is a masterpiece on its own featuring a sunken circular tub, outdoor shower, jacuzzi and plunge pool. Two junior suites, complete with king-sized beds, open directly onto the large pool terrace.

    •    766 sqm of indoor and outdoor living space
    over two levels
    •    20 m infinity edge pool
    •    Three king-sized bedrooms
    •    Living room and private outdoor lawn
    terrace
    •    Kitchen with cooking appliances,
    refrigerator, and coffee machine
    •    Fully stocked mini bar
    •    Dining table seating 6 people
    •    King-sized ensuite bathroom featuring rain
    shower, oversized bath tub and spa quality
    amenities
    •    Separate guest powder room
    •    Inflatable toys for pool
    •    Maximum occupancy of 9 people
    •    24 hour butler service
    •    Private Chef on request
    •    Grocery Shopping Service available on
    request
    •    Contemporary Thai-inspireddesign
    featuring original artwork, unique artifacts,
    and locally-sourced stone
    •    Connected with cutting-edge technology
    solutions including satellite television, iPod
    dock, high-speed internet access and secure
    virtual network

    We arranged for RT transportation from USM in a large van with Mr. Samui, stopping off at the Chabad for lunch (2500 baht for RT transfer including stop).

    When we arrived at the hotel, we were immediately greeted by the beautiful entrance, a tropical downpour, complimentary refreshments


    Lyle Lewis, the general manager at the property (and former general manager of the Conrad MLE), introduced himself to us and without us even requesting, made sure that 5 kosher breakfasts were ordered for each day of our stay. We were given 4 drink vouchers for being diamond members, and after 15 long minutes, we were driven to our room. Here is a virtual tour:

    Room entrance

    This is the only 3BR that the hotel has access to. The remaining 6 are either sold or on the market

    Upper floor - Outdoor

    I think the oceanview backyard is bigger than my home backyard...


    Outdoor dining area. We had quite a few pizza dinners, courtesy of chabad, here



    How courteous, they even included a netilas yadayim sink


    View of pool. Yes, this is a private pool. No need to go to the gym if you do laps here :)


    Outdoor staircase to lower level

    Upper floor - Indoor
    Beautiful entrance


    Indoor dining room

     
    Living room, with a very tired 3-year old


    Kitchen, with full size refrigerator/freezer, nespresso machine, microwave, stove, pantry room, and butler's entry (I strongly considered calling room service just to use the butler's entry)



    Lower level - outdoor


    The highlight of the room - the 20m pool. This pool is double the length and wider than the standard pool at the other villa's, and is similar in size to the that of the Royal villa, albeit significantly longer







    We even were provided (upon request) with a large swan. I believe they sell these by the pool for ~$100. I'm not sure who decided it would be a good idea to put a huge inflatable toy in an infinity pool of a hotel complex built on cliffs, though...


    The room even came with an outdoor shower and mikvah - They know how to cater to their frum clientele!

    Lower level - indoor


    Massive master bath. This bathroom is literally bigger than most hotel rooms I've been at. The shower is double-sized with two showerheads




    I couldn't figure out what this thing does, but it looks cool


    Master walk-in-closet. All three bedrooms have large walk in closets


    Master study, for all the studying you'll be doing in this villa




    Master bedroom couch 1 (of 2). You can get kicked to the couch without even leaving the bedroom... twice


    1. It wasn't my birthday, and my birthday is on my Honors account. 2. That's not how to spell my name, which is correctly spelled on my Honors account.




    Hallway where we kept all of our luggage


    Bedroom 2. This was the puny bedroom, with a (gasp) normal sized bathroom




    Bedroom 3















    I can get used to these views



    Overall, our stay in this room was fabulous and nearly flawless. We'd do it again and we wish we had spent more days at the property. I do have several complaints about the room, some minor, and others tongue in cheek:

    • Some of the furniture was showing signs of age (wood peeling, visible scratches, etc.)
    • I really don't get round beds
    • The master bedroom had a severe lack of outlets on the right side of the room
    • All TVs on the bottom floor seemed to not even have digital connections. The reception was circa-1990s grainy. The TVs may be plasma, but the quality was definitely not HD, aside from the TV in the living room (apple TV)
    • The staircase was designed in such a way that we stubbed our toes several times. It was pretty painful
    • A diving board would be great
    [/list]
    « Last Edit: January 29, 2018, 12:29:49 AM by EJB »

    Offline Theg

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #1 on: January 29, 2018, 12:46:31 AM »
    Amazing report! Did you have any issues with the Kosher Food? Did they open the packaging?

    Offline EJB

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    Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #2 on: January 29, 2018, 12:55:07 AM »
    Amazing report! Did you have any issues with the Kosher Food? Did they open the packaging?

    No, not for any of the meals (I also paid for lunch and dinner from chabad. 1000 baht delivery charge). I did specify to keep them sealed. The drinks did spill half of the time, but that's not the conrad's fault.

    « Last Edit: January 29, 2018, 01:48:09 AM by EJB »

    Offline Denverite

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #3 on: January 29, 2018, 08:04:55 AM »
    Amazing! I’m here now in the 2brm.  Now that you’ve been, any recommendations of must do activities with my kids on the island?

    Offline EJB

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #4 on: January 29, 2018, 08:36:41 AM »
    Amazing! I’m here now in the 2brm.  Now that you’ve been, any recommendations of must do activities with my kids on the island?
    Which room? We did jet skiing w James jetstar and had a blast (rode there on the back of a pickup truck going 60mph w no seatbelt. Jetskiid back for free to crash a wedding at the Conrad beach James Bond style). We considered renting a motor boat to the marine park but thought it would be too much for our infant.

    Offline @Yehuda

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #5 on: January 29, 2018, 01:49:35 PM »
    Thanks for putting this together! Appreciate you taking the time, Ellie.

    Offline shimino1

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #6 on: January 29, 2018, 02:20:33 PM »
    Looks insane!
    Now I need to go.....

    Offline Z56

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #7 on: January 29, 2018, 04:00:32 PM »
    Insane!

    I started writing my Thailand TR and stopped after my 4th day. I guess if you do it right away it gets done :)

    Thanks for sharing
    « Last Edit: January 29, 2018, 04:14:50 PM by Z56 »
    “I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work

    Offline Dan

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #8 on: January 29, 2018, 04:02:36 PM »
    WOW!
    Thanks Ellie! (Did you get any points for that  ;D )
    Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

    Offline Dan

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #9 on: January 29, 2018, 04:02:55 PM »
    Is that thing a steam shower unit?
    Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

    Offline mmgfarb

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #10 on: January 29, 2018, 04:04:29 PM »
    Is that thing a steam shower unit?
    Looks like it.
    "JS [is] a fetid cesspool of unvarnished linguistic manure, with lots of useless drivel and post-padding." -Moishebatchy

    Offline EJB

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #11 on: January 29, 2018, 06:32:16 PM »
    Is that thing a steam shower unit?
    I believe so. I got it to steam once but tried a second time and after 10 minutes of nothing happening gave up.

    Offline EJB

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #12 on: January 29, 2018, 06:35:31 PM »
    WOW!
    Thanks Ellie! (Did you get any points for that  ;D )
    I feel bad asking for anything given how helpful they were, above and beyond their rules (eg 5 breakfasts, let me take out $$$ to room, no charge for rollaway, brought and pumped swan). And I also got close to 60k Honors points for the stay legitimately :).

    Offline mochjas

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #13 on: January 29, 2018, 06:40:47 PM »
    I feel bad asking for anything given how helpful they were, above and beyond their rules (eg 5 breakfasts, let me take out $$$ to room, no charge for rollaway, brought and pumped swan). And I also got close to 60k Honors points for the stay legitimately :).
    3 BRs wasnt enough? You still needed a roll away?

    Offline EJB

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #14 on: January 29, 2018, 07:05:16 PM »
    3 BRs wasnt enough? You still needed a roll away?
    Made a makeshift 4th bedroom in hallway :).

    Offline EJB

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #15 on: January 29, 2018, 07:14:18 PM »
    Damn it - didn’t get bonus points for the $ I took out and for the food they charged to my room.

    Offline Denverite

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #16 on: January 30, 2018, 02:40:40 AM »
    Damn it - didn’t get bonus points for the $ I took out and for the food they charged to my room.

    No base points at all?  We went to Ang Thong today and the kids loved it (but my youngest is 5) and I specifically charged to the room via the concierge hoping to get a boatload of points (regardless I’ll get 12ppd from Amex, although I know you paid with the Citi for 4th night free) but it would be Really nice to get an extra 30ppd if it earns like a room charge... :P

    Offline EJB

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #17 on: January 30, 2018, 06:27:43 AM »
    No base points at all?  We went to Ang Thong today and the kids loved it (but my youngest is 5) and I specifically charged to the room via the concierge hoping to get a boatload of points (regardless I’ll get 12ppd from Amex, although I know you paid with the Citi for 4th night free) but it would be Really nice to get an extra 30ppd if it earns like a room charge... :P
    My guess is if its an official hotel thing you’ll be fine. The hotel paid for my meals and I took out money from the hotel - that didn’t appear on my folio with the points.

    Offline Dan

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #18 on: January 30, 2018, 07:58:46 AM »
    My guess is if its an official hotel thing you’ll be fine. The hotel paid for my meals and I took out money from the hotel - that didn’t appear on my folio with the points.
    Not surprising.
    Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

    Offline Denverite

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    Re: Room report: Conrad USM 3BR Villa
    « Reply #19 on: January 30, 2018, 09:29:53 AM »
    My guess is if its an official hotel thing you’ll be fine. The hotel paid for my meals and I took out money from the hotel - that didn’t appear on my folio with the points.

    Ok gotcha. I just made a nice donation online to Chabad KS because the I know they take a loss on these crazy cheap prices and the food is so good!  So did you order the meals from the “Conrad Kosher Menu” where Chabad and the hotel have marked the meals up to the $20-$30 range or they just let you do the cash advance thing for when you called in your orders directly to the restaurant?