Name: River Kwai Resotel
Address: 55 Moo5, Tambol Wangkrajae, A. Saiyoke, 70150 Sai Yok, Thailand, 55 Moo5, Tambol Wangkrajae, A. Saiyoke, Kanchanaburi Province, 70150, Thailand
Price range: Prices for upcoming dates start at $46 per night (We Price Match)
Rating: 8.0

Info & prices
Facilities
House Rules
The Fine Print
Guest Reviews (487)

Resort River Kwai Resotel

Airport shuttle. Airport shuttle available at an additional charge. You can request this in the next step.

55 Moo5, Tambol Wangkrajae, A. Saiyoke, 70150 Sai Yok, Thailand –

The building where the resort is located

The swimming pool at or near River Kwai Resotel

A view of the pool at River Kwai Resotel or nearby

A restaurant or other place to eat at River Kwai Resotel

A bed or beds in a room at River Kwai Resotel

A balcony or terrace at River Kwai Resotel

The lobby or reception area at River Kwai Resotel

Lock in a great price for River Kwai Resotel – rated 8 by recent guests!

to get started.

Stunning location. Outstanding food. Wonderful staff. There are 2 pools, the newer/bigger one is amazing. It's so much fun to take the long boats back and forth!

Susan

United States of America

Great staff. Great service. My motorcycle had a flat tire and they arranged for it to be fixed

Roy

Israel

Closed to the river. Also, I can wake up early for monk feeding because it closed to many forest temples. staff so friend and very helpful.

Patanasak

Thailand

the staff make this very special. Bo Bo was wonderful. My husband lost his medals over the side of the longtail boat as he was getting out at Phutakien Pier . We were on our way to the Dawn Service at Hell Fire Pass on ANZAC Day . Han Bo Htike (BoBo) asked the driver of one of the boats, Duang Dee if he could dive and see if he could find the medals. The river is very deep and fast flowing and very unpredictable . That night Bo Bo came and told us my husbands medals had been found in 45 feet of water . How can you beat this for looking after your guests.

Joan

Australia

The view and facility is so great. Its really our pleasure time staying there feeling the power of nature

Chadatorn

Thailand

Location of the resort was ideal. On the river next to Caves.

Andrew

Thailand

I like the location remote and very close to nature.

Joshua

Thailand

The location is nice, beside the river. The buffet breakfast taste pretty good

Paanvan

Thailand

Free long tail boat service from the pier to the resort. Excellent restaurant and great buffet dinner for reasonable prices. Included breakfast buffet was really good. Staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. Location was rustic and unique. Right on the river. Good location for nearby attractions (hellfire pass, lawa cave, mon village, erawan natl park).

United States of America

Very beautiful hotel with lush territory, right in the jungles, fantastic restaurant with fabulous local furniture, serving tasty food. Great lounge area on the ground - reception- floor. Swimming pool is big enough. Free parking at Resotel pier and free transfer on the boat, which is a nice trip itself.

Zanna

United Kingdom

Image of the property

8.2

Staff

What guests loved the most:
“Stunning location. Outstanding food. Wonderful staff. There are 2 pools, the newer/bigger one is amazing. It's so much fun to take the long boats back and forth!”

Susan United States of America
“Great staff. Great service. My motorcycle had a flat tire and they arranged for it to be fixed”

Roy Israel
“Closed to the river. Also, I can wake up early for monk feeding because it closed to many forest temples. staff so friend and very helpful.”

Patanasak Thailand
“the staff make this very special. Bo Bo was wonderful. My husband lost his medals over the side of the longtail boat as he was getting out at Phutakien Pier .”

Joan Australia
“The view and facility is so great. Its really our pleasure time staying there feeling the power of nature”

Chadatorn Thailand
“Location of the resort was ideal. On the river next to Caves.”

Andrew Thailand
“I like the location remote and very close to nature.”

Joshua Thailand
“The location is nice, beside the river. The buffet breakfast taste pretty good”

Paanvan Thailand
“Free long tail boat service from the pier to the resort. Excellent restaurant and great buffet dinner for reasonable prices. Included breakfast buffet was really good.”

Jc United States of America
“Very beautiful hotel with lush territory, right in the jungles, fantastic restaurant with fabulous local furniture, serving tasty food. Great lounge area on the ground - reception- floor.”

Zanna United Kingdom

River Kwai Resotel is a villa-style resort nestled on the banks of the Kwai Noi River in Kanchanaburi. It features air-conditioned rooms with an outdoor pool and a restaurant. Free WiFi is available in the lobby area.

Surrounded by tropical forests and mountains, all rooms offer a balcony, satellite TV and refrigerator. Free tea/coffee making facilities and bottled water is provided. Private bathroom is equipped with shower facility and free toiletries.

Guests can enjoy a relaxing Thai herbal massage or buy a gift from the Resotel Crafts Village. Tours and sightseeing can be arranged by the resort. Laundry services and free parking is available.

Traditional Thai and international cuisine are served at the jungle-styled restaurant. A bar offers beverages including cocktails and beers.

Located on the edge of Saiyok National Park, River Kwai Resotel is within walking distance to Lawa Cave. It is also accessible by a 9-minute boat ride from Phutakian Pier (Resotel Pier) in Kanchanaburi. Guests can rent a bike to explore the surroundings.

Overlooking the lush mountain and the River Kwai, the on-site restaurant serves a selection of authentic Thai dishes, local Mon specialties, and international delights. Club House Bar has a wide range of alcoholic drinks and refreshing beverages.

Couples in particular like the location – they rated it 8.2 for a two-person trip.

We speak your language!

River Kwai Resotel has been welcoming Booking.com guests since Mar 24, 2010

Missing some information?

Brilliant!

Most Popular Facilities

Swimming pool

Free parking

Free WiFi

Family rooms

Outdoor pool

Bar

Good for couples – they rated the facilities 8.0 for two-person stays.

Bookers love...

“stunning location”
8 related reviews

“room design”
8 related reviews

“beautiful resort”
6 related reviews

“boutique style”

Top Location: Highly rated by recent guests (8.1)

Breakfast Info

Asian, American, Buffet

Free Parking Available On Site

Activities:

Bicycle rental (additional charge)

Canoeing

Hiking

Checkin day

Checkin month

Checkout day

Checkout month

Availability

When would you like to stay at River Kwai Resotel?

Check-in Date

Check-out Date

Rooms

Adults

Children

Sleeps	Room Type
+ Max adults: 2 Max children: 1 (up to years of age)	Jungle Chalet - Double or Twin Room 1 king bed or 2 twin beds	Show prices
Start of dialog content 댴 Private bathroom Free parking This room features a balcony, satellite TV and refrigerator. Free tea/coffee-making facilities and bottled water is provided. Room Facilities: • Tea/Coffee maker • Shower • TV • Air conditioning • Balcony • Refrigerator • Desk • Sitting area • Free toiletries • Fan • Toilet • Private Bathroom • Satellite channels • Cable channels • Interconnecting room(s) available • Flat-screen TV • Sofa • View • Hardwood or parquet floors • Wake-up service • Electric kettle • Garden view • Terrace • Towels • Linens • Clothes rack • Toilet paper Parking: Free! Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed). Select everything you want to know more about (Your response helps provide better info for travelers) Beds Bathroom Kitchen Breakfast Room capacity Room view Room facilities Parking Smoking Other What do you want to know about the options you selected? Enter your feedback Submit Cancel Thanks for your time! Your feedback will help us improve so you can book more easily next time. Close Sorry – there was an error submitting your response. Please try again. Retry Missing some information? Yes / No Great! Thanks for your response. Check-in Date / / Check-in Date Check-out Date / / Check-out Date Rooms Adults Children End of dialog content
+ Max adults: 2 Max children: 1 (up to years of age)	Deluxe Double or Twin Room 2 twin beds or 1 king bed	Show prices
Start of dialog content 댴 Private bathroom Free parking This larger room has a satellite TV, a hairdryer and a terrace with a sitting area. Room Facilities: • Tea/Coffee maker • Shower • Safe • TV • Air conditioning • Hairdryer • Balcony • Refrigerator • Desk • Sitting area • Free toiletries • Fan • Toilet • Private Bathroom • Slippers • Satellite channels • Cable channels • Flat-screen TV • Sofa • View • Hardwood or parquet floors • Wake-up service • Electric kettle • Wardrobe or closet • Garden view • Terrace • Towels • Linens • Clothes rack • Toilet paper • Sofa bed Parking: Free! Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed). Select everything you want to know more about (Your response helps provide better info for travelers) Beds Bathroom Kitchen Breakfast Room capacity Room view Room facilities Parking Smoking Other What do you want to know about the options you selected? Enter your feedback Submit Cancel Thanks for your time! Your feedback will help us improve so you can book more easily next time. Close Sorry – there was an error submitting your response. Please try again. Retry Missing some information? Yes / No Great! Thanks for your response. Check-in Date / / Check-in Date Check-out Date / / Check-out Date Rooms Adults Children End of dialog content
+ Max adults: 2 Max children: 1 (up to years of age)	Deluxe Triple Room 1 twin bed and 1 king bed	Show prices
Start of dialog content 댴 Private bathroom Free parking This spacious room has a private balcony with mountain views. Room Facilities: • Tea/Coffee maker • Shower • Bathtub • Safe • TV • Air conditioning • Hairdryer • Balcony • Refrigerator • Desk • Sitting area • Free toiletries • Fan • Toilet • Private Bathroom • Satellite channels • Cable channels • Flat-screen TV • Sofa • View • Hardwood or parquet floors • Wake-up service • Electric kettle • Wardrobe or closet • Garden view • Terrace • Towels • Linens • Clothes rack • Toilet paper Parking: Free! Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed). Select everything you want to know more about (Your response helps provide better info for travelers) Beds Bathroom Kitchen Breakfast Room capacity Room view Room facilities Parking Smoking Other What do you want to know about the options you selected? Enter your feedback Submit Cancel Thanks for your time! Your feedback will help us improve so you can book more easily next time. Close Sorry – there was an error submitting your response. Please try again. Retry Missing some information? Yes / No Great! Thanks for your response. Check-in Date / / Check-in Date Check-out Date / / Check-out Date Rooms Adults Children End of dialog content
+ Max adults: 2 Max children: 1 (up to years of age)	Deluxe Double or Twin Room with River View 2 twin beds or 1 king bed	Show prices
Start of dialog content 댴 Private bathroom Free parking Room Facilities: • Tea/Coffee maker • Shower • TV • Air conditioning • Hairdryer • Balcony • Refrigerator • Desk • Sitting area • Free toiletries • Fan • Toilet • Private Bathroom • Satellite channels • Cable channels • Flat-screen TV • Sofa • View • Hardwood or parquet floors • Wake-up service • Electric kettle • Wardrobe or closet • River view • Terrace • Towels • Linens • Outdoor furniture • Clothes rack • Toilet paper • Sofa bed Parking: Free! Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed). Select everything you want to know more about (Your response helps provide better info for travelers) Beds Bathroom Kitchen Breakfast Room capacity Room view Room facilities Parking Smoking Other What do you want to know about the options you selected? Enter your feedback Submit Cancel Thanks for your time! Your feedback will help us improve so you can book more easily next time. Close Sorry – there was an error submitting your response. Please try again. Retry Missing some information? Yes / No Great! Thanks for your response. Check-in Date / / Check-in Date Check-out Date / / Check-out Date Rooms Adults Children End of dialog content

2 properties in Sai Yok like River Kwai Resotel were booked in the last 12 hours

Area Info

–

Closest Landmarks *

Lawa Cave
0.4 miles
Hellfire Pass Museum
4.3 miles
Saiyok Noi Waterfall
6.3 miles
Chong Khao Khat
6.7 miles
Erawan Waterfall
11.7 miles
Srinakarin Dam
12 miles
Daowadung Cave
15.8 miles
The Nine-Army Battle Historical Park
17.7 miles
Krasae Cave
18.1 miles

Natural Beauty *

Kwai Noi River River
0 miles

All distances are measured in straight lines. Actual travel distances may vary.

What Travelers Love About This Location

“Staff at front desk is very helpfull! Rooms are very spacious & clean (matras is hard cfr EU-standards). Nice bathroom. Very nice location in the jungle. ...”

Anthonypattijn

Belgium

7.5

“I really enjoyed location of the resort and also very well designed rooms.”

Michał

Poland

8.7

“Great location in the jungle alongside the river Kwai Noi. Friendly staff and great value for money. Well worth staying here for a few days as lots to see in th...”

Nick

United Kingdom

Are you missing any information about this area?

Brilliant!

1 Restaurant On Site

Kaesad Restaurant

Food: Asian

Menu: Buffet & À La Carte

4 reasons to choose River Kwai Resotel

Why book with us?

Manage your bookings online

The staff speaks English

Booking is safe

House Rules River Kwai Resotel takes special requests – add in the next step!

Check-in

2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Check-out

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cancellation/
prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodations type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check what conditions apply to your preferred room.

Children & Beds

Children of all ages are welcome.

Children 13 and above are considered adults at this property.

To see correct prices and occupancy info, add the number and ages of children in your group to your search.

0+ years

Can use an extra bed

THB 900 per person, per night

This property doesn't offer cribs.

The maximum number of extra beds allowed depends on the room you choose. Double-check the maximum capacity for the room you selected.

All cribs and extra beds are subject to availability.

Pets

Pets are not allowed.

River Kwai Resotel accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.

The Fine Print

The GPS coordinates for Resotel Pier are: N 14.281035, E 99.000796. The boat transfer service is available every 30 minutes from 08:00-18:00 hrs. Please kindly contact the property directly for more details.

Please note that the standard check-in and check-out time still applies, regardless of their arrival/departure time to/from the resort. Check-in is from 14:00 - 18:00 hrs, while check-out is between 08:00 - 12:00 hrs.

If arriving outside of the schedule, guests will be responsible for additional expenses for a private boat.

The property offers round-trip transfer services between Makkasan Airport Rail Link Station and Phutakian Pier at an additional charge. Please note that full prepayment is to be made upon reservation and is nonrefundable. Reservation must be made 3 days prior to the departure date. Contact details can be found on the booking confirmation.

Please see the transfer schedule below:
- From Makkasan Airport Rail Link Station (Bangkok) to Phutakian Pier (Saiyok and Kanchanaburi):
departure time is 08.00 hrs and arrival time is 12.00 hrs
- From Phutakian Pier (Saiyok and Kanchanaburi) to Makkasan Airport Rail Link Station (Bangkok): departure time is 13:30 hrs and arrival time is 18:00 hrs

“the staff make this very special. Bo Bo was wonderful. My husband lost his medals over the side of the longtail boat as he was getting out at Phutakien Pier . We were on our way to the Dawn Service at Hell Fire Pass on ANZAC Day . Han Bo Htike (BoBo) asked the driver of one of the boats, Duang Dee if he could dive and see if he could find the medals. The river is very deep and fast flowing and very unpredictable . That night Bo Bo came and told us my husbands medals had been found in 45 feet of water . How can you beat this for looking after your guests.”

“Free long tail boat service from the pier to the resort. Excellent restaurant and great buffet dinner for reasonable prices. Included breakfast buffet was really good. Staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. Location was rustic and unique. Right on the river. Good location for nearby attractions (hellfire pass, lawa cave, mon village, erawan natl park).”

“Very beautiful hotel with lush territory, right in the jungles, fantastic restaurant with fabulous local furniture, serving tasty food. Great lounge area on the ground - reception- floor. Swimming pool is big enough. Free parking at Resotel pier and free transfer on the boat, which is a nice trip itself.”

See all guest reviews for River Kwai Resotel

Newest Reviews for River Kwai Resotel

Reviewed: September 15, 2019

Susan
United States of America
10

“Simply outstanding! Beautiful location, wonderful food and excellent staff.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Family with young children
- • Stayed 2 nights
Stunning location. Outstanding food. Wonderful staff. There are 2 pools, the newer/bigger one is amazing. It's so much fun to take the long boats back and forth!

Stayed in September 2019
Reviewed: August 21, 2019

Daniel
Austria
10

Exceptional
- • Leisure trip
- • Family with young children
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
WIFI is really bad, almost not possible to use it
Very clean, very nice nice staff

Stayed in August 2019
Reviewed: August 21, 2019

Guido
Netherlands

2 helpful votes
4.2

“This is a very expensive lock-in; skip if you’re with small children, or want to save money.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Family with young children
- • Stayed 3 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Besides the pool, there is NO entertainment whatsoever. Yes, they do a 45 minute dance each night. But during the daytime, other than the massively expensive and overpriced trips you can do, there’s nothing here. There are some short, 1hr trips you can do, but that means the other 15hrs of the day you’re tied to the resort. We came here with a toddler and other than sitting in the swimming pool and hiding in our cottage from the rain, there’s nothing we can do. Then there’s the food. Quite frankly, it’s just way below average. We’ve ordered 3/4 different Thai meals, and they were WAY too spicy, even though it didn’t mention it to be spicy. Don’t get me wrong, I love spicy food, but even for me it was a bit too much which means it’s inedible for my girlfriend and daughter. They have to resort to the lumpia’s, fries or other deep fried stuff (in the description it said nothing about being spicy). This is all fine if it wouldn’t be too expensive.. but paying a minimum of $35/€30/1000Baht for a meal (2 appetizers a simple main and some drinks) is where I draw the line. The menu for lunch and dinner is the same, so if you have depleted your choices on the first 1.5 days, you’re out of luck since there’s NOTHING else you can order. If you haven’t been in Thailand/Asia yet, consider this: in Bangkok we ordered 2 appetizers, 2 mains, drinks and 1 desert for 250 baht ($8/€7.50). Oh, and there’s nothing else around here so your other option is to take the taxi for $35/€30 and go to the nearest town 10km over, or $55/€60 for Kanchanaburi (60km) Yes, I did complain about this, on the second day. But other than “I’m so glad you mentioned this” and “we’ll pass this on to HQ”, there was nothing they did. So if you want to avoid spicy food, order the $13/€11 burger or sandwich. Breakfast was also not great. It seems like they wanted to offer both a western and Asian breakfast, but took the worst of both.
Let me start off by something positive: the resort is situated in the “jungle” which gives a great view and feel of being in the nature. But that’s about it. And the staff is friendly.

Stayed in August 2019
Reviewed: August 19, 2019

Hans
Thailand

1 helpful vote
9.2

“A good introduction to the Sai Yok Park / Upper River Kwai area.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveler
- • Stayed 2 nights
The open motorbike/sidecar used to fetch arriving guests from the parking lot to the reception should have a roof over it. Better yet would be a four wheeled golf cart w/roof. It rained heavily when we arrived and to balance open umbrellas along with two passengers and luggage on the open sidecar was woefully inadequate. Also, copies of the hotel plan and immediate surroundings should be available, rather than just an invitation to take a picture of the only desk copy with one's camera.
Good Food and Beverage offerings. One of my personal favorites is spaghetti carbonara - and theirs is among the best I have had anywhere. Very extensive breakfast buffet - but they should have cheese available among the ingredients for the omelet. Without it the omelet was rather dry. Our river front bungalow was very inviting, well appointed, maintained and very comfortable, as were the club house, all other facilities and beautiful gardens. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Stayed in August 2019
Reviewed: August 1, 2019

Yaoz
Israel

1 helpful vote
10

Exceptional
- • Leisure trip
- • Family with young children
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Nothing to do after 22:00
Views. Wow...

Stayed in August 2019
Reviewed: July 8, 2019

Amira
Thailand

3 helpful votes
5.8

Okay
- • Leisure trip
- • Travelers with friends
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
No have telephone in the room when need to check out should walk quite far and get down stairs to reception. So much mosquito and bugs in breakfast time until can’t eat well
Nice resort , clean , big room , staff is nice

Stayed in July 2019
Reviewed: July 7, 2019

Colin
United Kingdom
9.6

“Excellent time, staff fantastic & very helpful”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Stayed 3 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
It didn’t both us but was quiet out the way if you wanted other entertainment.
River view room was fantastic

Stayed in July 2019
Reviewed: June 29, 2019

Peeradon
Thailand
9.2

“The overall is good, except the food is unacceptable for me.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Stayed 2 nights
The quality of the dining food is quite below the standard. I hope the resort will be improved this circumstance.
I love the room design, it's very romantic. The location provided a very good nature, it seems like you've escaped from the urban area, the chaosity.

Stayed in June 2019
Reviewed: June 29, 2019

Xuan
Thailand

1 helpful vote
10

Exceptional
- • Leisure trip
- • Family with young children
- • Stayed 2 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
None
The location and environment. Good value for money

Stayed in June 2019
Reviewed: June 28, 2019

Jothy
Malaysia

5 helpful votes
9.6

Exceptional
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Stayed 3 nights
We drove all the way to this property. Although it was challenging at night, but reaching here was so pleasant and peaceful. Great room and ambiance, welcoming bed and environment. The staff are amazingly friendly and helpful. It feels good to wake in the morning and listen to the birds and the river flows. We stayed 3 nights, wish we could have extended to a week or so. I would highly recommend this property for relaxation and self discovery.

Stayed in June 2019
Reviewed: June 13, 2019

Ms
Thailand

1 helpful vote
7.9

“Nice place to relax and stay peaceful.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
The cleanliness of the room should be improved. There is a dust in the lamp and on top of the bed. The location is quite far from city.
Good taste and variety breakfast

Stayed in June 2019
Reviewed: June 6, 2019

Roy
Israel
10

Exceptional
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveler
- • Stayed 4 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Meals a bit pricey
Great staff. Great service. My motorcycle had a flat tire and they arranged for it to be fixed

Stayed in June 2019
Reviewed: June 3, 2019

Patanasak
Thailand
5.8

Okay
- • Leisure trip
- • Family with young children
- • Stayed 2 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Food tasted quite wired. Signal of internet is very low, I can’t worked. Car park very rare.
Closed to the river. Also, I can wake up early for monk feeding because it closed to many forest temples. staff so friend and very helpful.

Stayed in June 2019
Reviewed: May 22, 2019

Jack
Australia

3 helpful votes
6.7

“Good”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Stayed 4 nights
Menu very poor.Mostly very hot/spicy food.No deserts.Alcohol very expensive.
Location

Stayed in May 2019
Reviewed: May 18, 2019

Caroline
France

3 helpful votes
8.8

“Beautiful resort, perfect for a romantic getaway”
- • Leisure trip
- • Group
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
The lack of boats after a certain hour. Stuck under a thunderstorm it was almost impossible to reach the property. Also the buffet should have a wider selection of fruit, pastries....
Lava Cave accessible by foot. Friendly staff. The deluxe room was beautiful. Two swimming pools.

Stayed in May 2019

Resort River Kwai Resotel

River Kwai Resotel

Most Popular Facilities

Bookers love...

Availability

Room Facilities:

Parking:

Room Facilities:

Parking:

Room Facilities:

Parking:

Room Facilities:

Parking:

Area Info

Closest Landmarks *

Natural Beauty *

What Travelers Love About This Location

Kaesad Restaurant

4 reasons to choose River Kwai Resotel

Why book with us?

See availability Resort Facilities at River Kwai Resotel

Most Popular Facilities

Outdoors

Pets

Activities

Food & Drink

Internet

Parking

Transportation

Pool and Spa

Front Desk Services

Cleaning Services

Business Facilities

General

Languages Spoken

See availability House Rules River Kwai Resotel takes special requests – add in the next step!

Search

What guests loved the most:

Didn't find the right property?

Newest Reviews for River Kwai Resotel

The Best of Sai Yok

Landmarks

Museums

Verified reviews from real guests.

How does it work?

It starts with a booking

Followed by a trip

And finally, a review

Save up to 50% in Sai Yok

Awesome! You're now subscribed

Resort Facilities at River Kwai Resotel

House Rules River Kwai Resotel takes special requests – add in the next step!