Peace and quiet surrounded by jungle”

Santhiya Koh Yao Yai is a beautiful resort located on the hillside of Koh Yao Yai. The views from the rooms are breathtaking. We we lucky enough to stay in a Ocean View Pool Suite. It was super quiet and just what we needed to unwind. The restaurant served delicious food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Halloween and Loy Krathong were truly special because the hotel management and staff created a festive and fun atmosphere. We visited the spa twice. Their service was excellent and the massages were so good. The beach is beautiful and the staff ensure that the hotel’s section of the beach is kept clean. We were lucky enough to be given an upgrade to a Seawater Pool Ocean View Villa, this was a fantastic surprise and oh so heavenly. The sunset view was unbelievable. The resort has wooden cars that transport you around so no need to worry if you are afraid to walk up a hill but having said that, it is really lovely to walk around the resort. The speedboat service and transfer to Phuket was quick, safe and efficient. Thank you to the management and all the staff at Santhiya for a truly memorable stay.

Holiday in Paradise!!”

The hotel offers a really unique experience with great views and secluded atmosphere. The rooms are generously sized with beautiful ocean views (in most cases). The staff are exceptionally attentive and there to cater for all your needs. The private beach had none to a few people at any one time and it always felt very secluded. The remote location of the hotel, means that it is a little difficult to get to. You can get a hotel transfer from the airport for 1250 Baht/person or arrange your own transport (ferry from Bang Rong Pier - 120 Baht/person + a taxi from pier in Koh Yao Yai to the hotel = 600 Baht). It takes 1h for the hotel transfer and longer for the alternative one. I would recommend staying on the Phuket island for at least 2 days prior or after staying in Santhiya to take advantage of a wider choice of activities (e.g. elephant tours, tiger kingdom, chalong wat temple, big buddha, etc.). You can get tour boats from the hotel to the surrounding islands. These are about 3000+ Baht/person. However, tours are cancelled is there are less than 6 guests booked in. There are also other places along the beach that offer boat tours for cheaper fares. The food is ok but overpriced. There are some more authentic restaurants on the beach which are cheaper. Because Santhiya is built on hills the resort is not ideal for those with reduced mobility. Pretty much fine for all else (there were quite a few families with small children and they seemed fine). The hotel is really quiet at night but can get a bit noisy during the early morning hours due to fishing boats. Suggestions: -better quality of breakfast (fresher bread, riper fruit, a pancake/crepe bar?) -more variety of food offered -more authentic Thai food -longer breakfast hours -please don’t cancel boat tours -free drinking water Overall we feel like Santhiya offers good value for money and a magical experience in the beautiful tropics of Thailand.

Exceptional”

This was our second trip to Santhiya Koh Yao Yai (and third Santhiya visit). The resort has expanded since our first visit with an (infinity) pool, more restaurants and a second gym. We preferred the beach restaurant for breakfast as it was a lot quiter than at Hotel 5. The staff at Santhiya are all lovely, so friendly and helpful. We had an ocean view pool villa which we love as it means we can relax in peace without being exposed to kids/other people if we didn't want to. We tried yoga a few times and used the gym facilities. We had most of our meals in the local restaurants in the main street (just a quick stroll down the beach). Chong Thong was our favourite local restaurant which is down the main street and off to the right going away from the beach, great quality food and very reasonably priced!. Santhiya is a great option if you want a relaxing quality getaway where you can just enjoy the scenery and facilities with no effort or thought required to have an amazing time!

The best hotel i had ever been to.”

Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort and Spa is the best hotel i had ever been to. The environment is very comfortable and relaxing. The private pool villa is extremely good. I tried the BBQ dinner which was on the beach where you can enjoy the sunset. The spa is good but a bit pricy. The hotel is far away from the phuket city so it is not convenient when comparing to other resorts in phuket.

An fabulous place for relaxation and romance!”

We just spent 9 days at Santhiya Koh Yao Yai and are looking forward to going back. They excelled at everything - stunning location and views from every villa, beautiful Thai architecture, rooms serviced twice daily (cleaning and evening turn down service), very well staffed with the most polite and attentive people, great activities available right from the resort (snorkeling, James Bond Island tour, etc.),long, empty, white sand beach. If you're looking for quiet rest and relaxation this is the place. If you're coming to Phuket area for night life and bar scene go somewhere else. Waking up with a view of your private infinity pool and endless ocean between your toes, sliding off the end of the bed and taking two steps through the glass door to slip into the pool for a morning wake up is hard to beat.

Pool villas...wow!”

We loved our stay at Santhiya Koh Yao Yai. The pool villas were phenomenal. We were absolutely blown away on arrival. The pictures actually, although great, do not do them justice and were the highlight to our stay. The food was, as to be expected at a 5* resort, more pricey but two beers and main courses came in at approximately £35... So didn't break the bank. The breakfast buffet was fabulous with an excellent assortment of choice and a great egg station to have them done precisely how you wanted them. The staff would always greet you as you passed them on the resort and this is certainly something that has had an emphasis placed on it. I would definitely recommend this hotel. Make sure you rent a motorcycle from the hotel (600 baht per day)... We did and were so glad to be able to have the freedom to roam and visit this beautiful island independently.

Beyond expectations”

A few years ago we spend some days at Santhiya Koh Phangan. We loved that place so much that we decided to try the sister resort at Koh Yao Yai. This resort not only met our expectations, it went beyond them. The resort is even more beautiful with its breathtaking views. We had Pool Villa nr. 1202. It was marvelous! The view from our terrace with pool was postcard beauty! The rooms are huge, extremely beautiful in decoration in the original Thai style. We loved the outdoor bathroom! The restaurant offers buffet breakfast and dining and the food is very high standard. The beach isn’t really spectacular, but we didn’t spend any time there, because we wanted to enjoy our beautiful home on the hill as much as possible. To rest your weary legs there are cute little wooden vans to bring you everywhere you want to go. The staff is really nice, always smiling and willing to help in any way. We loved the beautiful surroundings with the woodcarving and art works and hope we will be able to come back one day.

Review by Guest - Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort and Spa”

Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort and Spa is a perfect place to spent your holiday and relax. Perfectly located and far for the city life. However, if you enjoy waking up to a beautiful view don't book any BAY VIEW ROOMS. You will be definitely be disappointed as I was, the bay is dry and brown not what it looks like in the pictures. Personnel advise stay away from booking Bay View rooms if enjoy waking up to a beautiful view from your room and if not go for it. It may save you less than $70 (estimate) compared to the SEA VIEW room but my opinion not worth it.

Such relaxing and authentic experience”

Really enjoyed our short stay at Santhiya Koh Yao Yai. 4 nights as perfect for us to enjoy the facilities and services. We tried different massage treatments both at the beach and in the spa and they were all absolutely perfect! We really enjoyed the level of service in the spa’s and were happy for the arrival 2-for-1 promo offered! We also tried out the Muay Thai beginner class and yoga which were both fun and entertaining. Food was great throughout the stay in all restaurants, only minus being the high price of alcohol at the resort.

The Best Resort I Have Ever Been To”

I have been blessed with the opportunity to stay and some amazing resorts throughout the world in my life, specifically the Caribbean. However, Santhiya blows all of them out of the water. This was, without a doubt, the best place I have ever stayed. The property is lovely, the staff are amazing, and the rooms are breathtaking. We stayed in the Supreme Deluxe Sea View room. The views are incredible. Our room looked just like the one in the pictures. If you are even considering staying anywhere near Koh Yao Yai, you must stop by here for at least a few nights. A few additional notes - you could get beach towels for free through the day which was nice. You can rent paddle boards and kayaks during the day too. The beach is great and usually very quiet. The breakfast buffet is an absolute must. It was one of the best buffets I have ever been to. Overall - do NOT skip this place. This location and resort cannot be beat. If this exact room was in the Caribbean it would be 10x the price.

The most romantic resort I've ever stayed so far”

My husband and I stayed at Santhiya Koh Yao Yai for 2 nights. The staffs were very friendly and accommodating always smiled and greeted you. The hotel manager was also very nice and friendly. The room was amazing. It was very beautiful and the interior was very detailed even little things in the bathroom. The food was extremely delicious! They have both Thai and Western cuisines so you can order different kinds of food each meal. But if you are into Thai food, try their Pad Thai with shrimps and Massaman Gai!! Highly recommended!! These 2 are one of their signature dishes. Also, they provided 1 free cake & 1 free soft drink/juice per person at this one cafe where you wait for the speedboat(pardon me I don't remember the name of the cafe) near the pier (pardon again I also don't remember the name of this one too) if you booked a speedboat with them =) Anyways, if you look for a place to escape all the chaos and want to have some privacy with your loved one(s), this place is it! Very romantic and privacy.

Holiday with a hump”

Didn't quite fullfill our expectations! Your room or villa is not located at the beach or resort. You need transport and the hotel have shuttle, they say go all the time. Expect 30 minutes if you forget something in your room. The hotel restaurant has a good breakfast (all 5 star resorts have a great breakfast buffet). For dinner they always showed us the 3 course set menu (which was average). But they did have another very good menu at reasonable prices. The only place to by beer on Koh Yao Yai is at the hotel, at hotel prices. A few small local kiosk/supermarkets witinin walking distance. Hotel had no shop to buy souvenirs/postcards etc, which we found odd. There is no snorkeling around. The hotel has one snorkeling trip a week, but with only 3 pp interested, they cancelled our trip. We we're offered to pay for a 4th person!!!! In my opinion: with so little things to do on the resort, a hotel like this should run free trips every day, for it's guest. They have 4-5 motor boats Staff were very friendly, however not making it up for us and with the prices, we've found better value at other resorts and will not return to Santhiya. 5 star prices not 5 star value!

The Best Resort I Have Ever Stayed At”

I have stayed at some amazing beach/ocean properties in my life. However, nothing has come close to Santhiya. The property is great, the staff are friendly and the rooms are amazing. We stayed in a Supreme Deluxe Sea View room. Regardless of what room you choose, make sure it faces the sea. The views are some of the best I've ever seen. If you are anywhere near the island of Koh Yao Yai, make sure to spend a few days here at the least, it is 100% worth it. Do NOT skip out on the breakfast buffet. Beach towels are provided throughout the day and kayak and paddle board rentals are free as well. The beach is relatively quiet and the sunsets are gorgeous. From a resort standpoint, the food is cheap, best expensive relative to the rest of Thailand. While some snacks and appetizers were yummy and affordable, dinner was't that great and expensive. There are restaurants less than a 10 minute walk from the restaurant though. Overall - the best place I have ever stayed. 10/10

It was absolutely delightful!”

Absolutely wonderful! I loved staying at the Santhiya Koh Yao Yao Resort and Spa. The location was amazing as the resort was located on a private beach and all of the rooms were perched on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. The resort was extremely well maintained and the traditional Thai architecture really added to the entire experience. Furthermore, the staff were all so friendly and, even though some of their English was not the best, they always went above and beyond to help me with anything I needed. I will be back soon!

Relaxing on the top of Koh yao yai island scenery ”

I and my family spend our holiday at Santhiya Resort and Spa (Kao Yao Yai). It locates on the island so we need to take a speed-boat from Phuket-BangRong public pier to here and 40 mins driving from the island pier to the resort (kind of exhausted). On the other hand, when we arrive here, it is so amazing that luxury resort in Thai northern style (Teak wood crafting) can built beautifully on this island. Hundreds of staffs are very nice and well-trained to hospital around 30 guests daily. We feel like we are important people at this resort.

great and relax resort for holiday”

It's really fantastic to stay here for 3 days and i wish I could stay longer for my holiday. The hotel is located in Koh Yao Yai island which is around 1 hour travel from Phuket. The transportation there we used were taxi + speed boat. There is a beach right in front of the hotel, many boat trip services or motor bikes rental can be found nearby. There are some local restaurants in the left side of the beach which are cheaper than spending inside hotel, the spa and massage are comparatively expensive. For the room, it's perfect. Clean, nice designed(full of Thai and wood elements), nice view (face to the sea), the shampoo is great but not the conditioner. Since the whole resort is on a hill, monsquitos are everywhere, better do some anti-monsquito work. The staff are very friendly and helpful, 5-star service. We feel great and super relax in this hotel, will definitely recommend and go again in the future.

One of a kind”

Fantastic location and views from every room. This was one place where the rooms and views are actually better than in the pictures. The carved wood is everywhere and the landscaping and decoration around the resort is perfect. The entire resort is so massive, you need to take one of the many free shuttles to your room. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and always smiled. Special thanks to PJ for making us feel well looked after. The spa is an incredible immersive experience and must be tried at least once. We found the food and drinks at the many restaurants overpriced, but for a few days it wasn't too bad. Koh Yao Yai is a quiet muslim island, you will not find any full moon party crowds here. You will find relaxation, quiet beaches, and tiny fishing villages.

The most beautiful hotel”

We have come to Thailand for 3 weeks and this is my 7th time in Thailand. It was my first time at santhiya resort and on Koh Yao Yai we spent 4 nights here and wish we could have stayed longer. There isn’t one bad thing I can think of about the resort and nothing they could improve it was just perfect and the views from the hotel were just stunning! Anyone who is thinking about booking then I would defiantly recommend! 100% the best hotel I have ever stayed at in Thailand!

Beautiful resort in the middle of nowhere ”

We loved the resort, the wood detail, the beach location and the pier. Things we did not enjoy, the pricing of the food, and drinks. Due to be isolated on the island there are not many other options for access to food and drink elsewhere unless you walk into town and find a location that is open to selling alcohol as it is a large Muslim community. When leaving we and four other travellers had arranged transportation through the hotel for a taxi and ferry to our next location, the taxi never arrived and the staff did not seem to have any idea as to what we were speaking about at the guest entrance, once the guest services were notified multiple times they then used their own bus to transport the 6 of us to our pier and have the boat held. We felt that during our stay the staff were accommodating, however once the bill is paid they are done with you. Also the resort is listed as in Phuket, however this is not the case, it is located on the island of Koh Yao Yai.

Santhiya Koh Yao Yai”

Were do you start ...travel from the airport to Santhiya / Koh Yao Yai was seamless, staff friendly, polite, helpful, views stunning, you can swimming options extended from an infinity pool with amazing views or the sea or pool with floating boats to sunbath on! Great variety of well prepared food and if you like diving two of Asia's best dive sites on your back door! Truly memorable stay!