Travelfinder Reviews 

Thanks to the very high score of this travel agency, we organised our honeymoon with them (some friends also suggested us to try them). We both have specific needs:
- One of us is hyperactive and definitely needs to unload his energy with activities and tours.
- food is extremely important for both as one has a very restricted diet
- we both have high standards about food and drink

The agency then offered us a 5-star luxury resort ( Santhiya koh Yao yai in Thailand)
- High standards and structure tested and verified with really good feedback
- 7 restaurants with different cousins
- High standards
- A lot of different Activity during the day and the night
- Possibility to easier visit Phuket
- Resort English speaker

Considering the wonderful description, we trusted them and booked the property.

Upon arrival at the resort, unfortunately, the problems started immediately: it was expected a honeymoon welcoming in the room with decorations and fruit. we received a piece of cake wrapped in plastic wrap and written "happy birthday"

Below of how in reality is a “luxury 5 star hotel” for trailfinder:
- the beach is equipped with about 20 sunbeds and if you are late, you have to settle for the swimming pool. the use of the beach is also poorly maintained and very basic (thin mattress directly on the sand and kitchen towels on top).
- the bar service on the beach is present but in a "do it yourself" style with a QR code and no one nearby to ask for support in case of problems. The resort is unable to prepare drinks and you need to do by yourself. If you want ice, you need to pay
- The two swimming pools are essentially organized in the same way as the beach and to get beach towels you have to fill out a form every day for collection and return as often the staff disappears for hours
- on the beach and on the swimming pools areas there is no form of entertainment (no music, no animation, no games)
- there should have been several tours during the day to discover the local area and culture. a total fiasco: 4 tours are available and all for snorkelling. furthermore, the hotel reserves the right to cancel the tour the night before if there are not enough participants. to my question "but if you cancel it, what can I do?", they laughed on my face and replied "you can spend 10 times more and get a private tour".
- of the famous 7 restaurants sold, there are only 2 and both with Thai cuisine and the IDENTICAL poor MENU. we tried the buffet restaurant but we didn't have the courage to swallow those dishes: food hours old, dry and with the semblance of having been prepared the day before.
- connections with phuket are not guaranteed: first boat available at 10 AM and last boat to return to the hotel at 3:30 PM. therefore impossible to visit the city
- recreational activities in the multifunctional centre: present only 2 times a week 1 hour yoga course
- The general maintenance status is not really good
- At 3-4 PM the resort staff asked to all the customer to leave the beach because they need the space to prepare the tables for private dinners. So no possible to stay on a beach

At the end of the first day we called the canary wharf agency to ask for help and transfer to a structure that was in line with the amount paid and contractually agreed. After 2 days, the trailfinders customer service basically replied that it’s our business (one of the 2 duty managers). The fact they have not respected and honored the contract was not their problem seems. The solution proposed at the phone was "pay us for another hotel at your total expense and then maybe when you come back to England we'll see if we can possibly give you something".
After an official second complaint, a second duty manager of the travel agency decided to give us 500 pound (consider to have a 5 star hotel here for 9 days you need at least 3500 pound).
Desperate, I reviewed in trustpilot my experience with them. After a couple of hours they call me back asking to remove my review because they decided to involve some high managers in order to solve the problem in a couple of days (from our request of help passed now 5 days). After 2 other days the outcome from TRAILFINDERS and Santhiya koh Yao yai was to add on a menu the champagne and that it. They also told us “you decided to take this resort and not another one more expensive so the fault is yours” (probably we are really idiot to think in a 5 star luxury resort, maybe not the most expensive one in the entire world, we should expect fish at dinner, some activities during the day and night, medium level of service., staff able to understand English and just an eatable food. Yes travelfinder, we are idiot)

Please be careful when someone in travel finder is assuring you about how amazing is a place because they don’t check and you are alone, as if you book a structure by your shelf.

We were so happy and excited when booked Thai holidays. I explained travel agent our requirements that the main reason for the travel is beautiful hotel beach and turquoise water plus 5* accommodation. We are business class travellers and expect high Standart everywhere for the money we pay. Travel agent confirmed to me that he spoke to Hotel and they reconfirmed Beach is wonderful water is Christal clear. I trusted him and we happily arrived to the hotel. Hotel is being far from 5* accommodation I would rate it 3+*. Rooms are worn out not being refurbished for ages. Rundown shower plus shower sink was blocked for two days no one cares. Breakfast just basic. Swimming pool smells so strong from chlorine that you can’t come nearer. But most disappointing was that there is not Hotel beach neither hotel beds. Water is dirty and brown. I went once to the beach for a few min and left. Never went back. I was crying from that horrible scenery Motto bikes around , smelly , dirty . Place attracts cheap Russian travelers. Any way I was told by a person who lives in Phuket for a long time that Nai Harn is most basic cheap tourist part of the island. I can’t see ourself here. What a devostating disappointing experience. Second part of the holidays was
koh yao Island . I asked around and find out that water and beaches there similar to here where we are. Another disappointment! So why travel agent misled us, spoiled our holidays and wasted our time. He just care about making money not about our good experience and sutisfaction.