My partner and I stayed here for three nights in early April. We had been looking forward to our stay and, for the most part, it was average. The positives: The guest services staff were lovely, and could not have been more helpful, even providing us with a potion to relieve the itch of numerous mosquito bites we received whilst staying in our villa. The breakfast was more than ample, with free flow prosecco and varied choices from which to select. The breakfast restaurant staff, though, were sullen and more interested in being on their phones than attending to their guests. I had to ask for coffee on one morning three times before it was served. The negatives: The jet spa villa was advertised as being a retreat from the world. Whilst the high walls at the entry provided privacy, and it was lovely to sit out there on the patio, the verandah at the back looked out onto what could only be described as a swamp – it was not the wetlands it was purported to be at all, but instead a stagnant pool of water with a refuse pipe running through it. What’s more, on our second morning, we opened the blinds onto the verandah, only to be greeted with a team filming some kind of production and, when we left the villa for breakfast, the rest of their team was milling about out the front. It would...My partner and I stayed here for three nights in early April. We had been looking forward to our stay and, for the most part, it was average.

The positives:

The guest services staff were lovely, and could not have been more helpful, even providing us with a potion to relieve the itch of numerous mosquito bites we received whilst staying in our villa.

The breakfast was more than ample, with free flow prosecco and varied choices from which to select. The breakfast restaurant staff, though, were sullen and more interested in being on their phones than attending to their guests. I had to ask for coffee on one morning three times before it was served.

The negatives:

The jet spa villa was advertised as being a retreat from the world. Whilst the high walls at the entry provided privacy, and it was lovely to sit out there on the patio, the verandah at the back looked out onto what could only be described as a swamp – it was not the wetlands it was purported to be at all, but instead a stagnant pool of water with a refuse pipe running through it. What’s more, on our second morning, we opened the blinds onto the verandah, only to be greeted with a team filming some kind of production and, when we left the villa for breakfast, the rest of their team was milling about out the front. It would have been nice for the Banyan Tree staff to have informed us of this disturbance.

When we arrived, the jet pool was dirty and it was clear it had not been cleaned since the previous guests. This was promptly remedied by the staff, and we are grateful for their prompt assistance.

The villa itself was old and tired; there was dust everywhere, stains on the carpet, couch and the curtains. The door handles were sticky, and there were handprints and smears of handprints all over the woodwork. The bathrooms were very clean, however, with plentiful soft towels and lovely products. This space was, perhaps, my favourite of the entire villa.

If you’re considering a visit to this location, a word of warning: Don’t come in Spring or Summer when it is mosquito season. We were left badly bitten (both inside the villa, and outside on the terrace) – it wouldn’t hurt for the staff to use a mosquito bomb, regular smoke or provide mosquito coils to burn like incense, to ensure that the mosquitos are eradicated from the villas, especially around areas of water.

The spa treatments were also disappointing, I had also booked a 90 min massage, but it only went for just over 60 minutes. I wish I spoke Mandarin, as I could have asked why, and a child screaming right outside the window meant that an experience I hoped would be relaxing was, instead, quite the opposite.

Considering that staying in a jet pool villa at the Banyan Tree is very expensive, I would have expected more. It definitely was not the 5-star experience as the website had proclaimed. Given the cost, I expected more. I do not recommend this Banyan Tree and, having stayed at other locations in other countries, I would say this is the poorest of them all.More