Villa Aye

The villa is spectacular, and we’d consider coming back. Our group of 20 stayed at Villa Aye for three days for a wedding. It’s a gorgeous venue for a wedding or any occasion, with great views, beautiful architecture, spacious rooms, and plenty of room to spread out. The location is a bit remote, and taxis are hard to get to or from there, so you’ll probably spend most of your time at the villa. That’s fine, because it’s a wonderful place to be. The staff were fabulous and very professional, always going above and beyond. When I sat by the pool to watch the sunrise, someone brought me coffee. When I went for a late-night swim, towels appeared right away. I hadn’t asked for either, they were just paying attention. The food itself was delicious, and we had no complaints about how it was prepared. But ordering meals was much too complicated for a group of 20. We had to figure out everyone’s choices for each meal and snacks in advance, and missed a couple of meals because we hadn’t got our orders together. We’d assumed some basic food would be available, but it seemed everything needed to be ordered ahead. Individual meals may suit some guests, but a simple option like a buffet would help groups that can’t spend so much time planning every meal. I’m also very upset about a US$500 charge for a scratched hardwood floor, apparently caused when one of our guests moved an ironing board. The floors scratch too easily for a place that regularly hosts guests. They should be better protected, or furniture should be fixed in place or padded where it touches the floor. Guests shouldn’t be given an ironing board that can scratch the floor. During the wedding, the floors had to be covered with an ugly protective layer taped down, which made the entry look cheap and tacky. What’s the point of having beautiful floors if you can’t see them? Our experience with TLS, which coordinates booking details, was less than impressive. They gave us the wrong price, then told us only after we’d signed the paperwork that the stay would cost considerably more because someone had made a mistake. They also booked a time for me to look around the villa and help plan the wedding, so I flew from the US to Thailand. We’d already booked the place, but wanted to see it before settling details. Just before the scheduled visit, they canceled it so another guest could check out late. We were incensed that a planned visit was canceled at the last minute for that reason. TLS also didn’t coordinate well with the villa staff. We got too many redundant emails and texts from both, which was confusing and time-consuming. Villa Aye is a wonderful place and a perfect wedding venue. We’d definitely consider returning, and if the issues above were addressed, I can’t imagine a better place to stay.