Chiva-Som International Health Resort

While the ocean views and food quality were truly outstanding, the overall experience fell short of the high expectations set by the steep price tag. Spending around 15k USD (minimum) should ensure exceptional treatment throughout your stay, yet the service left much to be desired. It became apparent that guests perceived as “special”—influencers, celebrities, sports players and the like—received markedly better attention, from therapists and trainers to dining service. Not to sound childish,  but we should all be treated “special” with the prices that are being paid for this luxury experience.  Unfortunately, those of us who did not fit that “special” category were often made to feel like second-class citizens, especially if you are not a repeat guest. I am certain that you are put into a category, and I would welcome the opportunity for Chiva Som to challenge me on this.  The reason this bothers me is because it means that the general guests are left with maybe not the best therapists. It’s not hard to tell when the great ones are fully booked.  I’d also like to mention that my husband paid extra to upgrade massages, but we ended up with subpar treatments from therapists we had specifically requested not to have the day before. It’s hard to understand how they could assign us the same therapist the following day. When we raised the issue, they offered us a complimentary 30-minute massage. While we appreciate the gesture, it felt insufficient and didn’t make up for the overall disappointments we experienced  Dinning Service: My husband and I were not on a special diet for our program, and it seemed that the staff were frustrated by this. It felt as though they were annoyed by having to accommodate our requests from the extensive menu that Chiva som offers. Even simple requests, like an extra cup of tea, were met with reluctance, which left us feeling overlooked, undervalued, and unappreciated.   Rooms: Additionally, the “renovated” rooms did not live up to their promise. I had specifically emailed and asked which room category were renovated and booked accordingly. Every piece of furniture had significant stains, and the king-sized bed, assembled from two separate full beds it seemed, contributed to an overall impression of neglect rather than luxury. I could go into detail about the spiders and lizards in our room, but I recognize that these things can happen from time to time. Security: The only standout was the security guard on watch at the beach, whose willingness to help with the water hose reminded us that good service can exist—even if it was the exception here. Checkout: Upon departure, two staff members approached us not in the nicest way, demanding the room keys, even though we had already handed them over to the bellhop who had come to collect our luggage, as per his request. They cornered us and repeatedly insisting on the keys despite our repeated explanations that we had already given them to the gentleman who was loading our bags into the vehicle. It wasn’t until the staff member asked him directly that he confirmed he had already taken them. This interaction completely soured our departure, and unfortunately, it was the final straw in an otherwise disappointing experience. Overall, if you expect to be treated with consistent care, respect, and an equal for a considerable investment, this experience may leave you feeling disappointed and less than appreciated. I’d also like to mention that I recently stayed at a well known competitor wellness property near Bangkok about 2 months prior to the visit in Chiva Som.  While they don’t have a beach view, I would highly recommend choosing them, and I would choose them again without hesitation.

This was our 15 th visit to this uniquely Thai health Spa . Obviously we are big Fans of Chivasom , given our repeat visits and our latest 24 night visit was no exception. From the airport pickup with assistance , and the perfectly air conditioned Limo ride , to the GM , Khun VP greeting us on arrival , it was a pretty perfect visit . (1) We book the same room each time (upper floor sea view ) and our Butler ( Vivie ) prepares the bed exactly as we want it with one side of the bed slightly firmer and warmer ( my wife’s ) and my side softer and cooler . A perfect room temperature and great pillow menu are key to a good nights sleep which is critical for your health . The oil burners have lavender as per our request. You need to have a perfectly set up room on day 1 to get the most from your visit . My advice to anyone visiting is to do this on day 1 . (2) During the first week we went through some health assessments as both my wife and i had some small issues (tendinitis for my wife and recent torn meniscus surgery for me ) . Our Health advisor Chee Wee was very professional and we had a proper plan for rehab with the best Physiotherapist in Thailand ( Khun Jeep ) . Both of us had substantial healing during the visit . (3) It’s very rare to eat delicious food that is healthy these days, but that’s what you get at Chivasom . The Chefs will make you anything you want to be honest . I requested items not on the menu for example , like a Thai Crab Omelette and it was so delicious. The waiters and serving staff are all incredibly helpful and friendly, and most have been there many years. (4) The Spa area is clean and the staff very helpful and welcoming. Overall I would say that Chivasom is obviously not for everyone as it’s a little eccentric and quirky with people strolling around in dressing gowns and pajamas , going from treatment to treatment. Management encourages guests to also have a digital detox and leave your cellphone in the room which is fantastic from our point of view but obviously some folks are desperate for their phones . If you want to make or receive phone calls you will have to do that in the privacy of your own room or on the beach out of range of guests trying to find some solitude. So Chivasom may not be for you , if you want to be shouting loudly into your phone all day . In conclusion, I would say that Chivasom is a little like MARMITE , you either gonna love it’s quirky old rules or you gonna hate it and conclude that it’s not for you . WE LOVE IT . Well done to all at Chivasom and thank you to all the staff for your kindness to make our visit so special. Special thanks to Preeda for the daily Pilates. It helped us achieve our fitness and weight loss goals . We will be back soon .

The entire Chiva Som experience exceeded our expectations. The accommodation was of the highest quality, the staff was professional and prepared customised and personalised plans based on each persons objectives. The food was healthy, yet tasty and the options were plentiful. The resort staff was extremely well trained and many of them have been with Chiva Som for a long time. Many of the guests were returning customers which itself speaks highly of their overall experience. The location is fabulous, bang on the beach with beautiful blue water. I would particularly like to complement the efforts of Japan (my consultant), Watermelon and Panda (my trainers) and Sho, who was amazing at the restaurant. The resort had plenty of activities to choose from and multiple optional programs as well. The General Manager was also always visible and interacting with guests to make sure they were well taken care of. I would like to point out that I often use Tripadvisor to see reviews before travelling. I would like to state that the review posted by Anu on 01/02/25 (a couple of reviews below mine) was totally incorrect and misleading. I don’t think she knows about what a high quality, luxury wellness retreat would include. She clearly wasn’t on a wellness retreat if she had to visit 7/11 to buy crisps and chocolates :). We will be back soon and looking forward to telling many of our friends about our positive experience too so they can visit. Thanks very much to the entire Chiva Som team.

I have known of Chiva Som’s superb reputation for a long time and have been keen to visit. I’d say that it actually surpasses all and every expectation that I had of it. I have been to a lot of wellness resorts - Vana, Kamalaya, LeFay, Mii Amo, Miraval to name a few but Chiva Som seems to capture something very special. Also it has the most outstanding staff who remember who you are and what your schedule is, all with a big smile and a lot of warmth. I understand that many of them have worked at Chiva Som for years and their pride in the place really shows. My room was very spacious well designed and comfortable and the food was delicious, creative and good quality. What I particularly liked is that there is a relaxing and comfortable vibe without it being in any way pretentious and staff attend to everything with the minimum of fuss. Will definitely be back!

As a caveat, we are quite a fussy family and not very easy to please. We arrived on Boxing Day 2024 and had 2 rooms by the pool (223/224). When we arrived, we were pretty underwhelmed with the place we had heard so much about. Nothing seemed aligned—the outdoors had a basic Thai-inspired aesthetic, but the interiors felt like an outdated cruise ship. The bedroom and bathroom were quite basic, with gold-brushed ceilings and poorly fitted furniture that lacked both style and functionality. The bathrooms were stark white, barren, and had an odd design—a combination of a bath and shower that made it uncomfortable and awkward to use. Taking a proper bath felt unnecessarily complicated. We were assigned a butler, but honestly, we barely saw him throughout our stay. For a luxury retreat, this felt like a significant oversight. The service in general though was very kind and attentive and they all genuinely tried to please. However, our real struggle was the food. Breakfast was especially disappointing—the bread options were limited to white and whole wheat which felt out of place at a wellness retreat and a few ‘healthy’ breads which were honestly inedible. The gluten-free bread was powdery and poorly made, and there wasn’t even an option for sourdough. The croissants were equally underwhelming—dense, dry, and far from the light, flaky pastries one would expect. While I understand the need for clean eating in such retreats, clean doesn’t have to mean tasteless. I’ve been to several wellness retreats where the food was both nutritious and delicious. Adding to the disappointment, sugar was served in standard cheap packets instead of natural alternatives like coconut sugar or honey. Lunch was painfully limited; the salad selection was so basic that even a Pizza Hut salad bar might outshine it. A few wilted lettuce leaves, some grated carrots, cubed cucumbers and uninspired , tasteless dressings do not constitute a proper wellness retreat meal. Dinner, being Thai cuisine, was not bad, but because lunch was so unsatisfying, we found ourselves over-ordering out of hunger. I’m certain the staff were talking behind our backs about how much we ordered in the evenings. Also we had clearly specified that my daughter has seafood allergies, yet she was served kimchi with fish sauce and later a broth containing fish sauce as well. Additionally, she does not eat red meat, and the chicken dishes she was given were consistently dry and bland. It became frustrating for her to eat the same repetitive chicken options from the dinner menu. While Chef Banita was always very kind and genuinely tried to improve the experience, the food was often disappointing and difficult to enjoy. To top it off, the New Year’s Eve party food was shockingly bad. One would expect a special evening like this to be a highlight, but instead, it was an exercise in disappointment. The buffet had variety but the dishes were very bland, and the overall spread felt uninspired. Even simple staples lacked seasoning, and the main dishes felt like cafeteria food rather than celebratory cuisine. They seemed to have spent more money in dressing up their staff in tacky costumes than thinking about a fine new years dinner. They even gave us sweet popcorn as one of the starters because it was a Hollywood theme. We were so hungry that we landed up at a 7-11 to buy crisps and chocolates. In comparison, places like Vana Retreat in Dehradun excel in food planning—every meal is balanced and fulfilling, leaving you satisfied without overeating. Chiva-Som could definitely take inspiration from them. I was never hungry in Vana and I lost 2 kilos in one week because their food was so nutritious and well balanced. Another shock was the use of plastic. At the spa, I had to remove my trainers and was given a cheap plastic bag to carry them back to my room. For a place that brands itself as a wellness sanctuary, such details feel tone-deaf and out of sync with sustainable practices. The beach, while scenic, was slippery, and my husband unfortunately had a fall. While the nurses were quick to respond and attended to his wound promptly, he still had to visit a local hospital for a tetanus shot. For a wellness retreat, it’s surprising they don’t keep tetanus shots or even EpiPens on hand. When it came to activities, I must admit I didn’t participate in many of the general offerings. However, my daughter did try a private Pilates and said it was very good—a definite positive note amidst some of our disappointments. I did try Tibetan Sound Healing, but it was a complete letdown. As we walked into the room, the therapist was still unpacking the sound bowls from a suitcase, which immediately set the wrong tone. To make matters worse, the room was located near the gym, and the background noise completely disrupted the experience. Sound healing relies heavily on creating a peaceful, immersive environment, and this session offered none of that. That said, the treatments were truly the highlight of our stay. While my daughter’s consultant wasn’t particularly insightful and gave her a generic treatment schedule, my consultant (who introduced herself as “Meaow”) was incredibly kind and attentive. She worked hard to customize a schedule that suited my needs. That said, the treatment packages felt unnecessarily complicated and leaned a bit towards being a money-making exercise. However, once in the treatment rooms, I must admit most of the therapies were fantastic and genuinely helped us unwind and relax. Our usual measure of how good a holiday is comes down to one question: “Would we come back?” Honestly, because of the food I doubt it..only if they made vast and significant improvements to their food offerings, I could see myself perhaps wanting to return and even recommending Chiva-Som to friends but not for now. For now, though, while I do feel like they performed a thorough MOT on my body, the overall experience fell short of expectations for a place with such a glowing reputation. Chiva-Som needs to take a deeper look into its ethos. While it is masked as a wellness retreat, the experience often feels superficial and disconnected from the core principles of true holistic well-being. There seems to be a focus on appearance and money making rather than a genuine commitment to delivering a seamless, nourishing, and fulfilling wellness journey. Tomorrow is our last day but we have decided to forfeit our payment for the final day in order to leave a day earlier to go and eat some nourishing and flavoursome food.