Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa

I had a frightening experience trying to extend my stay while travelling alone. I wasn’t feeling well after a massage the day before, and had already been granted a late checkout that morning. I’d also paid a deposit days earlier. I asked for 30 minutes to nap before going to reception about staying another night, but they called and woke me after just 10 minutes. Mr. Mi, the manager from Xinjiang, called me a “princess sick” and intimidated me until I cried. As a woman on my own, with my family having left earlier, I didn’t feel safe dealing with someone so aggressive. When I asked for his supervisor, he said he was the boss, though I know there is a GM. He said the GM was in Chongqing and repeatedly claimed that abroad my luggage would have been thrown out the door. It was 3:30pm. The extension was eventually cancelled by the travel agent, who moved me to another hotel. Without their help, I might have needed the police to get out of the room. My friend had left some expensive tea for me at reception. Mr. Mi asked on WeChat whether he should bring it to my room, even though “non disturb” was on and I’d said I wasn’t comfortable. When I didn’t reply immediately, he deleted me on WeChat, so I couldn’t give further instructions. At checkout he didn’t give me the tea, and told the travel agent he had brought it to me but I had refused it. The communication had started when he added me from his personal WeChat account. I assumed it was the reservation team, but it was him personally. He also sent a random QR code that didn’t lead to the right reservation page. The hotel is old and poorly maintained, and the staff overall didn’t seem professional. If you don’t speak Mandarin, forget going there. It’s not the same standard as the brand in Thailand. The terrace and balcony were broken and felt dangerous; some public areas were broken, slippery, or not functioning. The spa shower room I used wasn’t clean, with random hairs on the floor. I wouldn’t recommend this brand if someone like Mr. Mi represents this Thai hospitality group.

Their cheesecake is the best in town, and it’s especially nice to have it by the pool with the river in view. You can go to the restaurant even if you’re not staying at the hotel.

The staff were quite friendly, but the hotel itself is very old and doesn’t look like the photos. It’s a long way from the city, and the view over the river was terrible. The pool had bugs in it, and I didn’t think much of the Thai restaurant.

Good.