My fiancé and I have just returned to Hong Kong after spending 6 nights at The Pavilions, Phuket and we're finding it difficult to re-adjust!

We had left our Chinese New Year holiday plans until the very last minute, so the only option open to us via our travel agent was a Pool & Spa Pavilion; however, my fiancé inspected an Ocean View Pool Villa (in case we wanted to upgrade) and agreed with some of the reviewers' opinions that they were more dated than the Pool & Spa villas and were possibly not worth the additional cost.

The Pool & Spa Pavilion is incredibly private, spacious and well-appointed - inside and out! The pool is the largest we've experienced in a pool villa to date and of a reasonable depth (meaning when you get into the pool to cool off, it is a refreshing temperature, not a tepid bath). The villas are all very private, meaning you can wear as much or as little as you like without fear of being caught unawares. I loved the high ceilings and generously proportioned rooms inside the villa. The couch in the living room is really like a second bed, with enormous, comfortable cushions (which made watching the Australian Open a very enjoyable experience!) As music lovers, we also appreciated the sound system which can be connected to your iPod and has inbuilt ceiling speakers in each room. The romantic four-poster bed was very comfortable, the rainshower was heaven and we really liked the double vanity in the bathroom.

The only occasion we used the spa services (in the private spa room attached to our villa) was for the complimentary welcome foot massage - which we paid to extend from 15 minutes to 45 minutes because my fiancé loves a good foot massage! It didn't disappoint - the therapists were very talented and gave us a simultaneously firm yet relaxing massage (without causing us any discomfort or pain) which put us in a very relaxed state straight away! We were keen to try a massage during our stay but unfortunately ran out of time.

Food at Pavilions is of a high standard and made with good quality ingredients which is paramount. Breakfast at the Plantation Club each morning is a buffet whereby fresh fruit, cereals, breads, cakes and pastries are displayed for perusal while an additional menu comprising Thai and Western options is available from which you order as many items as you wish. My fiancé ordered the Thai-style stir-fried egg noodles with vegetable every day and thoroughly enjoyed it. He also tried the Thai omelette and Western-style omelette. I am usually a poached egg aficionado but didn't enjoy them at Pavilions as they were too hard and tasted strongly of vinegar. On the other hand, the scrambled eggs are literally the best I've EVER had at a hotel, and I ordered them every day with delight. They were consistently perfect. The french toast and banana pancakes are also incredible. The croissants were also delicious, and we delighted in the fresh passionfruit on the fruit platter. The staff also kindly brought my fiancé slices of avocado each morning (which he loves on toast).

We were usually so full from breakfast that lunch was unnecessary, but on the first day we ventured to the Plantation Club around 3:30pm for the complimentary afternoon tea (as we arrived after lunch). On display were some 'escargot' pastries, mini scones and the most delectable chocolate brownies I've ever had! I was hoping for something savoury but unfortunately no sandwiches were displayed that day (I'm not sure if this is de rigeur, as the in-room description mentioned tea sandwiches). Good selection of teas also.

Dinner at Plantation Club was consistently good. Admittedly, as mentioned by previous reviewers, the portion sizes are certainly not large; however we found them to be perfectly adequate. We really appreciated the quality ingredients (such as Wagyu beef or Australian beef, giant tiger prawns, etc) and thought the quality rightly trumps quantity. Our favourite dishes included a Wagyu beef stirfry dish and Pad Thai for entrée, followed by panang beef curry and prawn with cashew nut stirfry (adapted from the lunch dish with chicken) for main, all of which were the best versions of these dishes we'd had in a long time. We didn't try the mediterranean offerings because we were so thrilled by the Thai options, but I am confident they would also have been excellent.

We were at 360 Bar every evening, taking advantage of the happy hour and the beautiful sunset! The cocktails are well worth trying and the wine list is surprisingly extensive. We had dinner here one night and ordered the Spanish meatballs, Wagyu beef sliders and calamari. The sliders were outstanding, but the other dishes were also pleasant.

In terms of service, it was predominantly very good. Francois, the General Manager, was very lovely and accommodating, Ann at breakfast was so friendly and welcoming, and Jean at the bar was also great. However, the trainee staff (whom we understand are on rotation experience via a hotel school) were devoid of personality and did not do themselves (or Pavilions) any favours. We found them to be very stiff and unhelpful, and they undermined the pleasure of our dining experiences somewhat.Their English language skills were lacking and they appeared almost hostile when communicating at times. It might be worth encouraging the trainee staff to smile and appear more courteous of their guests, as luxury hotels depend upon their staff to 'cinch' the experience.

All in all, we had a lovely, romantic holiday and would stay again in a heartbeat.