A beautifully maintained hotel, impeccably clean and clearly cared for with great attention. Unfortunately, the experience loses much of its charm when it comes to dining: neither the breakfast nor the restaurant lived up to the standard one might expect from such a property.
One rather surprising detail was that my Thai partner had to place our orders in English, as none of the staff we encountered seemed comfortable communicating properly in Thai.
The atmosphere of the hotel is also quite particular, with a predominantly Israeli clientele during our stay, very few Europeans, and virtually no Thai guests. This may of course suit some travellers, but for us it gave the place a rather different character from what we were hoping to find on a Thai island.
Location is another point worth considering. The hotel is around 20 minutes by taxi from the ferry arrival point, with fares starting at approximately THB 600. Travelling further north can easily cost around THB 1,000 each way. At those prices, one sometimes feels closer to Paris than Bangkok.
There is also relatively little to see or do within easy reach of the hotel. Should I ever return to this rather singular island, I would personally choose to stay further north, where the surroundings seem better suited to exploring and enjoying the island itself.
Overall, the hotel is clean and well maintained, but the location, dining experience and general atmosphere did not suit us. I would especially hesitate to recommend it to families, as I did not find it particularly well adapted to a family stay.
