Khaolak Palm Beach Resort

We stayed for a week in March. Check-in was prompt but, unusually for Thailand, most reception staff were not very friendly and a bit aloof. The various chalets are spread mostly over a fairly steep hillside, so you have to negotiate lots of steps and stairs to get to reception and the road, and to the restaurant and beach. A plus point are the lush gardens. Our room itself was quite spacious and nicely furnished with all the necessities we needed. We had a lovely balcony with table and chairs, overlooking the hillside pool, and a decent bathroom. TV, aircon and fridge worked ok, water, tea and coffee was replaced daily, and WiFi was not great but sufficient for our needs. The main pool is beachside. It is not very large, and there simply aren't enough sun loungers (the guests are mainly Germans and Austrians who 'reserve' their space early in the morning before breakfast). The upper pool is usually quiet. The beach is not as busy as others in the area, due to its distance from the village, and swimming in the sea is very nice and quite safe. The restaurant is beachside beside the pool. The breakfast buffet is not the greatest, but definitely adequate. There were hardly any vegetarian options for my partner amongst the hot food , not even the rice or noodles, but with the fresh fruit, muesli, bread, and croissants he didn't starve! The daytime menu also had hardly any veggie dishes, and the menu was generally quite boring (and expensive). I had shrimps for lunch on one occasion, they were incredibly dry and flavourless, as was the vegetable tom kha - they don't seem to have a single chili in the kitchen! The restaurant staff were nice and very pleasant, but the opening hours are ridiculous: they close at 8pm. Just as well we always ate elsewhere after the lunch disaster. The hotel is located a fair walk from the village, about a mile, which can be exhausting in the heat, but taxis are easy to get (reception can call one) and are quite cheap.

This hotel was so peaceful, very clean and comfortable. Its a little bit out of town but if you're able to walk it takes about 15 mins. Not really suitable if you have mobility issues as lots of steps and slopes as on a hill. The breakfast wasn't the best but as we were only here for a week we managed. There is a restaurant o site which is reasonable and another couple close by.