Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas

This is our third Anantara stay, and having visited Anantara Kihavah in the Maldives, my expectations for a Thai Anantara were perhaps a bit too high. The hardware (facilities) are fine, but the software (service) was very disappointing. Given its lush island setting, there were no insect repellents in the room; we had to call for mosquito coils. I won't even go into the preferential treatment in service, especially from Ms. Ann at the main restaurant – unfortunately, I encountered her twice and saw her two-faced behavior. As fellow Asians, there's no need for such antics. From check-in to departure, no one ever introduced the resort or its activities; we had to rely on the TV screen for maps and information. Ctrip's official hotel information stated check-out between 12-1 PM, but when we tried to inquire about a later check-out due to our boat schedule, the hotel insisted we check out by 12 PM.

Pros: The room was very spacious and beautiful, offering excellent value for money compared to other hotels in Phuket within the same price range. The hotel grounds are new and well-maintained, with beautiful lawns and vegetation. The private beach was uncrowded and lovely, full of interesting wildlife like live shells and crabs. Both breakfast and dinner buffets were quite extensive. The dinner buffet even included a fire show, and I was able to enjoy a large lobster, which was great value. Cons: The journey to the hotel was quite long and involved a choppy boat ride, so it's not recommended if you get seasick easily. The family pool was too shallow, more like a foot bath. The hotel's Thai restaurant was mediocre; the chili was excessively spicy. Make sure to order 'mild spicy' and don't trust the staff if they say it's not spicy at all. The beach is off-limits at night due to an abundance of bugs. Also, during turndown service, a glass was placed right on the edge of the nightstand. I accidentally knocked it off, and the shattered glass cut my foot, causing bleeding. What's more outrageous is that I was then charged for the broken glass.

Good, and the beach is beautiful.

This hotel is definitely worth staying at! The only downside is that there aren't many dinner options at the restaurant, especially since we had a meal package and the choices were quite limited. Breakfast, however, was very abundant. If you're not on a meal plan, there are also a few popular internet-famous restaurants around Changdao Island that are really good.

Booked this hotel a week before my trip, and it was still a great choice. The staff were very warm and welcoming.