Lovely isolated location, private beach.”

We decided to spend a night at the Centara Grand before flying back to BKK after our stay in Ko Lanta as the trip between Lanta and Krabi Airport is quite time-consuming and tiring. Took us about 3hrs via private transfer, which needs to board 2 car ferries. It's actually the queue time that kills, ferry ride is short. The Centara Grand had an isolated location, though in the Ao Nang area, it can only be reached via shuttle boat or via the monkey trail. We took the hotel shuttle boat from Nopparathara Pier and it's only a short 10-15min boat ride. Approaching Centara, you can see that it's caved in it's own bay with a private beach and looked really good as we approached. We stayed in a Spa Deluxe ocean facing room and had an absolutely gorgeous view. The outdoor spa jacuzzi tub facing the ocean is worth every extra. The shower water strength and temperatures were spot-on and the large king size bed was very comfortable. Swimming pool was nice with a cheeky cave section behind the waterfall. We did order Tom Kha Gai and Phad Med MaMuang through room service and it was good. Dinner at Hagi Japanese restaurant was even better but be prepared to spend a fair bit. We had teppanyaki and sushi. Being a japanese, I was surprised as it tasted better than I expected. Deep Blu bar had a lovely entrance and aquarium. Overall we can only say, we will be back at the Centara Grand again in the future!

Holiday/Honeymoon Choice”

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Located away from the hustle and bustle, the exclusiveness of being surrounded by cliffs with your own private beach makes Centara Grand special and glamourous for an extremely affordable price. We decided to pay a little extra for club lounge membership and it was the best decision! Though the Thais are generally friendly and cheerful, the staff at Centara Grand are top service providers. We were there during the monsoon season and even though the boat shuttle service were occasionally cancelled, we ALWAYS enjoy the hike on the monkey trail that takes us straight to Ao Nang Beach! If you prefer staying in, in-room dining is just as great with a wide variety in the menu. Beachfront dining at On The Rocks during sunset has got to be our favorite! Choose Centara Grand Krabi!

Unfortunately only three days!”

We are an Italian family of 4, 2 adults and 2 girls aged 6 and 10. We spent here 3 days before Christmas 2013. Unfortunately we booked too late and from the 22nd the hotel was fully booked, so we had to move to another place. We all loved our stay at Centara! The room didn't have a view, but it was really spacious, with 2 big beds, a very nice huge balcony and a fantastic bathroom with both shower and bath tub. Everything in the room was very well maintained, clean and functioning. The room was up the hill behind the main lobby and was surrounded by lush vegetation, so quiet, but without any mosquito. The pool is really nice and clean. The beach is well kept, fine sand, even if not white talc powdery. The water is clean with a green color. It is not crystal clear transparent also because the bottom is dark sandy, but it's clean and warm and above all it is not shallow, so you can swim! The breakfast restaurant is nice and the buffet is ok, good enough for us which are mainly concentrated on a continental breakfast. At the resort we always ate at the beach bar and restaurant. The dishes we ordered were good quality even if double price compared to any restaurant in Ao nang, but this is normal for an hotel, especially when is isolated from possible competition! I really recommend to do the Monkey trail to cross from the Centara Beach to the big beach of Ao nang. Preferably do it at sunset. I've never seen so many monkeys all together, especially baby ones and I have to say that it is suggestive to see them running out of the forest to go to play on the beach. Pay attention though, because they can be aggressive. All together we loved our stay at Centara beach Resort and we really recommend it.

High standard hotel with beautiful surroundings”

The Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas is an exclusive and classy hotel situated just outside of Ao Nang. The hotel offer complimentary boat transportation to Ao Nang, but can also offer good and quality restaurants at the hotel area. Quite expensive for Thailand standard, but better quality than Ao Nang restaurants in general. Nice pool and SPA and a fitness room with necessary equipment for light holiday workouts.

Fabulous Resort & Excellent Service”

Going to Krabi was sort of a last-minute plan that my family came up with, and we chose Centara based on the beautiful pictures and great reviews we viewed on Agoda. And when we got there, everything was even better than we expected. We booked the hotel's shuttle van (Baht/passenger) and a Centara staff member was already waiting for us the moment we cleared immigration. The shuttle van took us to the jetty, which is some 15-20 minutes away from the airport, to board the shuttle boat. There was a little bit of a wait at the jetty, but overall everything went smoothly. When we got to the resort, we were greeted by the front desk staff at the front foyer. Each guest/group was greeted by a different greeter, which made the check-in process very quick and efficient, and we didn't even have to go up to the check-in counter at all since everything was handled by their front desk staff! As Centara is quite a huge resort where you might have to walk a bit to get to your room, buggy service is readily available within the resort for guests that need it. While the service is free, it would be nice to leave your driver a little tip. Our room was spacious and beautiful with a great view facing the ocean. The design is interesting and we could tell that the hotel was very well maintained. There were some minor flaws in the bathroom, but they were still within a very acceptable state. The breakfast was great and the other restaurants serve exceptional food that, in my opinion, is very reasonably priced. The only downside to the resort is that it is rather isolated and it can be quite difficult to get out to town. You will need to book the shuttle boat in advance or you'd have to walk through the monkey trail, which can't be a good option for non animal lovers. The hotel staff are very approachable and helpful. Overall, it was a very pleasant trip and we truly felt like we were in good hands our whole stay at Centara. This is the resort you'd want to pick in Krabi!

Fantastic hotel and service with a smile”

I stayed in Centara for 3 nights with my 2 young children and a 12 months baby. The resort is just too lovely, we were surrounded by the nature environment (beautiful landscape). We were on our own world! The only inconvenient things is that we have to take the free speed boat and change to taxi in order to go to the main street (Ao nang) where you can find all the restaurants and shops, which is a bit troublesome if you are travelling with a baby. Otherwise, the resort is just perfect! It's good for a couple... However, we enjoyed our stay at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas.

Great beach front resort!”

The stay at Centara Grand Krabi is definitely a fantastic experience. The private beach all to the resort is the best catch if you like quiet and non-cluttered beaches. Service staffs are 101% attentive to every needs. Room services were prompt. The in-house restaurants serve a good variety of food, from international breakfast buffet, Thai food, Jap food and western food. This is a very thoughtful arrangment for the guests to enjoy their stay at Centara without worrying much. The resort provides free boat shuttle services to Ao Nang and Nopporathara beaches. Awesome job!

Beautiful hotel within nature”

it was my husband's and my first trip to krabi, thailand and we were glad we had booked centara grand beach resort & villas to stay. we were literally 'blown away' by the hotel's infamous floating jetty. the room was perfect (though would suggest the hotel to provide in-room slippers) and ours came with the ocean view. its backdrop was the hill and we were surrounded with greenaries. watching the sun sets by the pool was excellent. its thai restuarant (rim saai - hope i got the name correct) is a must-try! breakfast at lotus court is not fantastic but there is room for improvement. do island tour (at least 1 day). it is worth to spend every penny in the hotel and to relax and enjoy the joy of being served and pampered silly. a place we will visit again i am sure!

Mindblowing Location and superb Resort Hotel”

This is the best beach resort hotel,at least for us, that we have ever visited. Excellent in everything that they do here. The location is brilliant - there is no one around you as this property is on a bay which is touching Ao Nang area of Krabi Islands through the other side of the cliff.This resort actually takes care of its guests right from the moment you step on to the islands.They have a private yatch which takes you to the Ao Nang market area and beach every hourly,without any charge. It goes there as late as 11:30 in the night which is a superlative effort from the hotel. Superb beach and an inhouse complimentary kayaking section which allows you to wander alone and go upto the magnificient limestone cliff emerging out of the sea which has become the iconic scene of the beaches in Krabi. It is a new hotel so all amenities within the rooms are modern and in sync with a beach resort.Great lounging areas in your room.

Great hotel but few ammenities”

With a part of the Ao Nang beach almost exclusive to the resort, Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas is like a private enclave on its own. Had a fantastic experience and getaway during our stay, although for those who prefer to be closer to the bustling strip of Ao Nang beach, this resort might not be to your preference since it is only accessible by trekking through the monkey trail (which we didn’t try so I’m unable to comment further) or the free shuttle boat. The shuttle only takes about 10 minutes but guests will have to book their seats in advance and collect the tickets before boarding; the floating platform (with no handrails) leading to the shuttle boat is an exciting adventure in itself as you stay balanced while the platform moves along with the waves. You won’t have to worry if you are catching a flight because the hotel will automatically reserve a seat for you on the day of your checkout. We stayed for 2 days and the breakfast buffet was good enough for us; unlike some hotels which stick to the same menu everyday, the one at Centara changed the offerings during our stay so that was a thought we welcomed. The condition of the room is good enough for us to want to stay in or just get a tan at our balcony or bask in the sun/under the stars in our jacuzzi. The only downside perhaps is that the various rooms are only accessible via stairs/ramps so it might not be so convenient for the older people (whom I guess could approach the hotel staff to get a buggy ride up to their rooms?). Overall, we truly enjoyed our stay at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas.

Beautiful, secluded hotel perfect for romantic hol”

First impression - you cannot ask for a better combination of sea and mountain because this hotel was majestically situated right between the cliff and a fine, private beach. The environmentally friendly floating pontoon was fun to walk on. The staff was there to greet us with Thai smiles and hospitality. I have been to many hotels around Thailand and I must say that the standard of the services and manner of the staff here is exceptional. They are pleasantly polite and attentive. Our room was spacious, clean and modern and it had a great view of the ocean - a magnificent view at sunset. All in all a memorable, and very special first impression. Traveling to Ao Nang - the monkey trial was dangerously exciting. It takes 15 minutes to cross that small hill to Ao Nang. It is an adventure but really not for elderly people or those with knee problems. DO BRING A TORCH (and insect repellent) - u will need it even if there are lights along the way. Another option is to wait for the low tide and walk across across the beach to Ao Nang - this is an easier option, but again, a torch is a must. We were walking across a knee-level sea water at 7pm; it was very dark and we've never been scared before in our lives! but this adds to the fun tough. Perhaps for those who are less adventurous, you may want to take the hotel shuttle speedboat to Ao Nopparatana and take a 10-min taxi-ride to Ao Nang. On the way back, you can go back to Ao Nopparatana and get the hotel's shuttle speedboat back - do check the schedule of the boat and book in advance. Things to do - you should visit the 4 islands tour, you can buy it either from the hotel (which is understandably more expensive) or you can go to Ao Nang where there are lots of travel agents to choose (between 800-1500 baht). There are both private and group one-day trip you can buy and the price varies accordingly. The price also depends on the type of boats u want - a long tail boat is generally less expensive than a speedboat.

Beautiful Hotel, Amazing Views”

my daughter and i stayed at the centara grand beach resort & villas last week. we had an amazing, relaxing, pampering experience. the rooms were beautiful overlooking the ocean. the view was amazing. we relaxed with the beach in front of us and three pools tiered behind us. it was great to easily hop back and forth between them. great food with three restaurants to choose from. we never left the resort. i would certainly return. i highly recommend staying at the centara beach resort in krabi!

Memorable stay at Centara”

Before going to Krabi I read a lot of reviews (including TripAdvisor) and was amazed at the number of negative reviews. Main complaints were: shaky pier, hazardous walkway, expensive food, lack of service, unfriendly non-English speaking staff, slow drainage in the bath, to name a few. After being there I would say that we have been in a completely different place with good service, excellent food, clean rooms, etc.There some limitations which result from hotel's locations, for example the walkway - but it is like climbing up and down the stairs - no difficulty at all (I have not read a single review with complaint on central stairs of the resort - going from lobby to rooms in the upper raw - and that stairs are steeper than the walkway.) The main problem of the hotel is that some arriving guests do not quite understand where they are going and specifics of the hotel's isolated location - insufficient information both on website and on spot like it is done say in Ravadeeya for example.The hotel's prices are 2-3 times higher than in Ao Nang, but you definitely get the quality of services and food for that money. Quality of service is much higher than in most European, Mediterranean 5 star resorts, not to mention the UK and can be compared to other 5 star resorts in Thailand. The hotel in my opinion definitely lacks a proper lobby bar.

Great beach, beautiful view, Thailand at its best”

What can I say about Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas other than it is a wonderful place to relax. Only accessible by speed boat (transport included in the room fee) from Krabi, or a treacherous path that anyone in his/her right mind would avoid, the place was truly an escape from reality. The resort features a beautiful triple-level swimming pool overlooking a gorgeous beach with an amazing rock pillar jutting out of the ocean that makes for great Facebook profile photos. My fiancee and my arrival to the resort is truly something to remember. Because of permanent structure restrictions in Thailand, the resort features a floating pier that moves freely with the ocean waves. Scary at first but safe. We went back to the pier at midnight to run the length with the waves. What an adventure! We stayed in a Deluxe Garden room which was a bit far from the main grounds, but the resort isn't too large so walking to the pool was no problem. If you are lazy, pick up the phone. They will offer you a ride on a golf cart anywhere you'd like to go. The room was very nice and romantic. The bed was a large double with flowers and a nice note welcoming us "home". The shower and bath were very clean and spacious. If I had any complaint it would be that the room was a bit dark and smelled faintly of mildew, two things I noticed at every hotel we stayed at in Thailand. The staff was very helpful and pleasant at the resort. Everyone we talked to spoke English well enough. They were very quick about meeting our requests, which is very rare in Thailand. The best feature of the resort is the view of beach from the poolside. We spent most of our time sipping cocktails while lounging around, wading in the oceans waves, or splashing around in the pool. I noticed that the place was very family friendly, but it is still very nice for couples. If you are looking to relax in paradise, then Centara is a good option. It is NOT for party goers or shoppers.

Exceptional”

We stayed at 3 resorts in the Andaman Sea last month (February 2018), and the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi was far and away the best value. The room selected for us was absolutely perfect, the best of our trip. The grounds and the setting of the resort were unbelievably beautiful. Their staff was outstanding even for Thailand (which had amazingly friendly and helpful staff almost everywhere).

Peaceful, easy, relaxing, brilliant”

We had a great stay at Centara Grand Resort and highly recommend the place. We live in Singapore and have been looking for a good hotel with which we can get away to for 3-4 days to relax and we'll definitely be back here to do the same. Though my girlfriend found it a little inconvenient needing to take the boat to and from the hotel/pier I didnt have an issue (it takes 10 minutes). It was a little annoying that the long boat to Ao Nang wasnt in service for any of the days we stayed however. The beach view and setting is brilliant and I thought the complimentary kayaks, paddle boards etc were a really nice touch. The food at breakfast and in the restaurants was good. Next time, I will be requesting a room a bit further up the cliff, as we couldnt quite see the ocean from our balcony.

Great Relaxing Stay”

We had a lovely 5 night stay at the Centara Grand Beach Resort. It is in its own secluded bay so boat transfer is required and can be organised via the hotel directly. There were plenty of shuttle boats and long boats that ran throughout the day to take you to Ao Nang & Railley Beach. The resort had a good variety of restaurants. Kids loved the fish ponds and spotting the monkeys, as well as searching for crabs and sea life in the rock pools when tide was low. The kids pool was a hit as well as the beach to make sandcastles. Kids Club available but our kids had too much fun at pool, beach & balcony jacuzzi to use it! Free use of water sports equipment was great. The resorts bar 'Deep Blue' ran great happy hour deals but was always so quiet on an evening- perhaps needs better advertising as was tucked away downstairs under the library!

Absolute Heaven”

We stayed at the Centara Grand at the last minute during our honeymoon. The hotel we booked in Ao Nang was not so great (Ao Nang Sunset) and after all it was our honeymoon! We loved being taken to the hotel by jet boat! The resort is lovely, staff and service was amazing. We ate dinner at the Thai restaurant within the resort - it was expensive for Thai standards but within reason for Americans - it was a great way to sample several Thai dishes prepared very well. The breakfast buffet was great too.

Paradise in a Private Cove”

We stayed at Centara with our 2 kids (age 14 and 12), and could not say anything bad about it. We have recommended this hotel to anyone traveling to Thailand, and are already thinking of going back for another stay. The only thing I would mention is that this hotel is in a private cove only accessible (from the airport) by a boat from Ao Nang Pier. We didn't know that when we arrived, so we were pretty nervous when we arrived at night, and the taxi driver took us to a pier instead of the hotel. Fortunately, their was a Centara staff member at the pier with our names on his clip-board, and he took care of us and our bags. We LOVED Centara at Krabi, and give it our highest recommendation.

Fantastic views”

The resort is in fantastic location, with its own private beach, out of main view from Ao Nang. The resort can only be officially accessed by boat. However there is very old wooden trail (monkey trail), between main Ao Nang beach and the resorts private bay, but the hotel does not own this, nor recommend it use. We had a deluxe room higher up the resort, so had fantastic view looking out to private bay. I highly recommend sea view, as it’s nice to sit outside on the balcony and watch the sunset in the evening. One drawback of the resort being built into the hillside, the further up the resort your room is, the further and higher you have to walk up the steep walkways. In the hot sunshine, this can be quite tiresome. There are golf buggies to take people up, but for the 4 days we were there, we only seen the attendant once to catch a lift. The standard of accommodation is very good, with large spacious rooms with balconies, king size bed, power shower, etc. The facilities within the resort are also very good, but as you may expect, there is a premium price to pay for everything. Only the sunbed & towel at the beach are free! While we were there, there was a good mix between families and couples. We had a fantastic stay and would go back in the future.