Khaolak Bay Front Hotel, Khao Lak (Phang Nga)

We are an English couple living in Malaysia, so we have lots of experience of hotels of all prices across Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and so on. Khaolak Bay Front Hotel could be a fantastic hotel, but at the moment it isn't. The location is beautiful, isolated and quiet... you can lie by the pool then wander down to the beach. The staff are generally friendly, especially the bar staff. The outdoor massage area is very tasteful (we didn't actually use it, but it looked good). However, we wouldn't suggest you stay here. I'm not going to list every single tiny issue, but here are a few points to give you the idea: 1) When we first checked in, our room was really smelly / musty. We went back to reception to mention this. Instead of instantly moving/upgrading us, it was a real drag. We had to go to our room with a cleaner, who couldn't see (or didn't want to see) what was wrong. We eventually were given a new room, but it wasn't exactly a relaxing check in. Even the new room (and our third room, which we had booked for a final night after a diving trip) had a slightly musty smell, but it was tolerable. 2) The breakfast is mediocre. Sugary, lots of white bread and cakes, fruit juice with sugar, that kind of thing. There is fresh fruit, but it's nothing to write home about. Considering the cost of the resort, and the standard of other hotel breakfasts in Thailand, the breakfast should be better. 3) We were called at 11pm one night to ask what time we were checking out the next day. We had been out diving all day and were asleep, so the phone call woke us up. They didn't seem to understand why this was unacceptable. 4) When checking out (the last time), I asked for a taxi to Phuket airport. The hotel tried to charge me 1800 TB, which is an outrageous amount for a one hour drive. We had paid 1200 to get there from the airport, and even that's a lot. I had to walk up the hill from the hotel, find a driver, book him and barter. We eventually got a lovely car for

This is my favourite hotel mainly because of the view that we had in our room. We stayed in the sea view bungalow and it is great to have a view of the pool and sea at the same time. The setting is just great. The room is great as well and I think this is suited for families and couples to stay in after partying and shopping in Bangkok. Relax here and then go to Phuket. The staff is very friendly and most of them speak good english.

Second time that have stayed here and I think this visit was better then the first. the staff are very friendly and professional, the spa area was great and it is a very relaxing environment to unwind in. I will definitely go back.