This is very easy, the location is fantastic, the accommodation
is first class, the staff are excellent, the food and wine offering made it easy for us never to leave the resort
Stayed for ten days and loved every minute.

I expected something excellent and this exceeded expectations! We initially wanted to stay at the Aman but it was booked out and we are now very pleased as this is equal to or possibly better than some of the Amans we have stayed elsewhere. We wanted a quiet spot away from the noisy and unattractive areas of Phuket and in Trisara we found it. A fabulous resort with a quiet beach and bay surrounded by palm trees and beautiful bush. Our room was probably the best we have stayed in - well designed to be light and airy, lots of storage space, huge bathroom and we loved the outside shower surrounded by plants and very private. We had plenty of space to relax on lounges inside and outside and beside our private infinity pool. Mini bar was a maxi bar with everything we could possibly need. room service amazing although i find changing the towels twice a day a bit over the top! .
Food was spectacular and the booking and transport service to travel to various attractions, shopping etc good although advice was sometimes not focused at the premium level we look for - for example the Blue Elephant restaurant was recommended and while building and decor interesting it was very very average in terms of quality. Trisara staff very keen to help but sometimes do not like to say one is better than another.
The wifi is also the best we have experienced in the world which is a big call - we are tech junkies and both carry 3-4 devices all of which worked perfectly and enabled participation in two business teleconferences with perfect stable connections. Desk area excellent too with plenty of space ( although it was a holiday!!)
Altogether pure heaven

Made me laugh a bit, there is one review that says that they let you stay in your villa until you wish to leave! Well not quite, we are as many others seem to be returning guests. We are now based in the US which makes the trip a bit more involved than the short hop up from SG that we were used to. So being able to stay in your room would be a fantastic gesture... Alas, this time around they apparently had guests arriving at 10 so could we please leave the room after breakfast???? No, not going to happen. We were going to get a room in the 400 but that apparently went away and instead got to stay for the last few hours in the property of the owner. All very nice but actually not for several reasons. You know what its like, you need to pack twice, you don't get to use the whole villa because why would you need it. And I get it, really, it's just a bit, I don't know, you stay for the 4th or 5th time and they can't let you stay a bit longer in the room? On the other hand had we stayed at the Banyan Tree we would probably have been shown the showers in the SPA, that has happened to us.

So if the only problem you have is that you are told of the check out time is 12 and your flight is later I think on the whole you are in pretty good shape! This is a fantastic place. I wrote in the title that it is for now, but we have been coming almost since they first opened and they are still in good shape. Actually a few improvements have been made. The menu was quite boring if you stayed for a few days, it has now been extended and the food is better. You can not detect that this place has been going for a bit, as previously mentioned we used to go to the Banyan Tree a lot and even in the new double pool villas you feel the how tired it gets so quickly in this part of the world. Trisara is impeccable.

And hey, where else do you have an unbelievable view even from the gym???

After the crazy long haul's from the East coast of the US and an exhausted overnight in Bangkok, it was an absolute breeze to take the short flight from Bangkok to Phuket and be picked up by the Trisara folks. The small Volvo SUV wouldn't have the panache of the rides our other properties would provide, but it was a brand spanking new comfy ride. Water and scented towels were provided for the trip to the resort. We travelled in late June, and folks, the island is DEAD. Most of the shops and restaurants we passed were shuttered.

Finally, we arrived at the resort, tucked into a hillside. There was an upper level check in, but as it was occupied when we arrived, we were taken down to the another lobby area where the hotel's main amenities are located. Check in was a breeze, and the little tour of the restaurants, library, pool, etc. was a welcome way to get our bearings.

We booked the least fancy room category, the ocean view pool room, but were told upon arrival that they would upgrade us after the first night. Honestly? Did we need the upgrade? NO! The pool room was GORGEOUS and very large. Of course, the resort was no where near fully booked, but we felt the room was very private. I can believe that if you had noisy neighbors (or plan on making a ruckus yourself), you might prefer one of the private villas, but we would have been fine.

That said, we didn't turn down the upgrade to the pool suite, which had the exact same bedroom/bathroom, with an additional living area and spa bathroom and a full size pool/deck. Gorgeous.

Views from both pavilions were breathtaking and nearly identical... Not sure that I would desire one of the ocean "front" villas--not sure what kind of a gain that would be. These villas at the top of the hill seemed to have better views.

Restaurant was very good, but not excellent. Breakfast was the best part of the day. Were we to return to Phuket, I would want to go during a busier period so that there were more places to dine around the area. Service was EXTREMELY friendly but seemed ... I've struggled to put the right word to it. It's not that they were poorly trained, or poorly managed... Perhaps they have poor instincts? Or are too shy? Sometimes it seemed like they were afraid to come over and refill your water glass. This took away from the experience a bit.

We spent most days at our villa pool, but did spend a bit of time at the resort pool. It couldn't have a more gorgeous setting; however, it was much hotter down there than it was up on the hill at our villa. Also, again, the service? Severely lacking. Had to chase down our own drinks and staff to help with umbrellas, etc. It was decidedly peculiar how people acted, as if they didn't want to offend you by bringing you a drink. Made me wonder about previous guests! The beach was a bit of a disappointment. It was beautiful, certainly, but up close, oh MY was it littered with trash. The staff, in this case, was doing a phenomenal job, raking all the time, but they just couldn't keep up with the amount of litter coming in from the sea. We had NO desire to sit on the beach, much less swim.

Our favorite time was spent at the villa, and we had a number of meals there. The room service was very speedy and in some ways provided better service than the restaurant.

I highly recommend the spa--very unique experience. The spa suites are at the very top of a hill and entirely private. The views are incredible--something amazing about taking your steam and having tea on your little patio overlooking the sea. Facial, massage, and exfoliation were all well performed and left me feeling pampered and relaxed.

All in all, it was a wonderful, relaxing experience. If you are looking for luxe privacy in SE Asia, this resort should top your list. Should it be a destination in and of itself? Not from the East Coast of the US. If you just want a beach/island vacation, you can have a similarly lovely experience in the Caribbean.