ML010
February 26, 2026
Located on beautiful White Sand Beach, this purported five-star resort is one of the more luxurious offerings on the island. It is however quite far from the main town (+40 mins by songthaew taxi), with mostly mediocre tourist things in the direct vicinity (expect 150 THB+ one-way to reach any decent restaurant). I booked it because my friends stayed there, so I had little choice, regretfully. While the staff is friendly, warm and helpful, showcasing true Thai hospitality at its best, it could not overcome the poor hotel experience. Especially since the hotel drives up prices aggressively: I paid almost 4x what my friends paid for the exact same accommodation (12K THB/night), severely damaging the value-for-money assessment.
Arrival sets the tone. No porters at the lobby until I attempted to haul my luggage upstairs myself. Rooms are not available before 2pm; even if you book in advance and communicate early arrival, you can just go fish. Front desk staff is friendly but very busy, and I was turned away as they prioritized departing guests. Not exactly the warm welcome expected at this price. There is no air-conditioned space in the lobby, so guests wait in the heat or purchase a coffee next door. The “guest lounge” turned out to be a derelict storeroom with no air-conditioning, stacked with leftover furniture and no bar or restaurant in sight.
Despite audacious pricing, this is not a true five-star establishment. It is a mass-market, high-volume family beach resort with four pools, devoid of exclusivity or subtlety. The two main pools host happy hours for early afternoon binge-drinking. The other two have zero service and poor maintenance (closed bar, broken chairs). The resort is huge: a quieter Villa section; a main section with dated “Deluxe” rooms; and an annex Hillside building across the road with a rooftop pool and slightly newer rooms.
Rooms are reasonably furnished with good amenities (beach bag, towels, slippers), but cleanliness is a serious issue. Upon arrival my floor was sandy and the room infested with mosquitoes due to sloppy cleaning practices. Requests for water, towels and ice went unanswered for hours. The Deluxe room is worn down, clearly a converted twin, leaving no bedside sockets to charge a phone. There was not even a socket for the room’s own lamps. Amateur hour.
After one night I had to move to Hillside due to booking issues; there was no way to remain in the same room. The rooms are newer, but the building feels poorly maintained. You walk past stacks of old mattresses left in the open to reach a musty elevator. The annex reception doubles as an evening gathering spot for guests drinking and smoking. My “hillside poolview” room overlooked the main road and next-door private pools, offering little privacy. Facilities were marginally better, but still not worth the price. Bed was fine. Housekeeping was dreadful: the bathroom was skipped altogether, leaving a dirty toilet and used toiletries untouched. At this price and class, unforgivable. Again, many mosquitoes.
Breakfast at the main restaurant is decent and service good: made-to-order eggs, Thai pork noodle soup, warm Thai and Western dishes, plus oats, pastries, fruits and juices. Served until 10:30am, and credit to management for not shutting it down on the dot.
Other facilities are worn by intensive use: sunbeds (hard to secure), main pools (single entrance despite huge size), and spa (beachfront massage amid constant noise of children).
In conclusion, without most of the excellent staff, this would have been a nightmare. Their friendliness could not compensate for offensively priced, poorly cleaned rooms and a mediocre mass-market resort experience. Refuse this place if it asks more than 6K THB per night. At higher prices, there are true five-star options; at this level, better value exists elsewhere.
