Sometimes dear viewer, whilst initial impressions are occasionally revealed to be largely accurate, they often prove ultimately unreliable in their ability to reveal the bigger picture, and that I suppose is the real value of a site like Tripadvisor.
There have been many occasions when I've left an establishment, whereby all has seemingly gone well and yet, the humanity & cheer that is largely regarded as inherent within the hospitality industry, has been clearly missing.
Star ratings are certainly a useful guide, but in reality, they can never properly show whether an establishment has managed that rarest of accomplishments, i.e., investing their business with the sense that the ‘Sum’, of their parts is greater than their ‘Parts’ alone.
After such a preamble, let’s cut to the chase and I’ll simply say that I really like Gerd & Noi. In fact, my own notes on my visit end with the highlighted comment, “Overall, a very good choice”.
Is that the whole story? Of course not, this is…
It’s worth quickly mentioning here that as per the title, this is primarily a review on Gerd & Noi as a hotel of choice. However, I feel it’s important to factor-in the area as a constituent part of the overall equation as in some respects, the hotel simply reflects and mirrors the prevailing ambience and character of the area which is ultimately, as important as your eventual choice of accommodation, at least in my humble opinion.
In which case, let’s properly start with Khoa Lak as a destination of choice.
Simply put, Khao Lak is best described as a sleepy if not properly laid back coastal village, mainly in the Takua Pa District of Phang Nga Province. It is vested with all that most could want in terms of both entertainment and culinary diversity. It is also squarely aimed at families so life is conducted at a much slower pace, which is certainly reflected in the general demeanour of the locals. This therefore is not party central in which case, Singledoms, best perhaps to look elsewhere for your SE Asian kicks!
Personally, I found the main drag quite beguiling, similar in some respects to Hua Hin in it’s make-up and obvious emphasis on the family unit. In essence, I felt very safe pottering as I did, exploring new and unknown crannies, of which there were many.
The reason for choosing Gerd & Noi was largely based on the favourable reviews found within these pages, and whilst there is much to recommend about that choice, sadly the experience of registering for the first time is not one of them.
As is usual, I had purposefully booked directly with the hotel rather than through a third-party site, as I’ve previously found that establishments are invariably more receptive to reconciling disagreements over disputed booking details, when the booking has been made directly with them.
In which case, I had rather hoped to be greeted with the merest of smiles when entering the doors of Gerd & Noi for the first time afterall, Thailand is not called the 'Land of Smiles', for nothing!
But no, blank expressionless answers to the most basic of questions were all I received, all accompanied with the genuine warmth of a long dead stoat. Undaunted, I persisted and asked again about onsite facilities, but as before, was met with further blankness. Communication of any discernible kind was virtually non-existent, as indeed was any hint of a warm 'Thai' smile.
Expectation is oft’ a dangerous beast to harbour, and even accepting my earlier comments regarding the general sleepiness of the area, such obvious poor customer service really isn’t acceptable.
Having started so badly, it could only get better and thankfully, it did.
Let’s do the Pro’s & Con’s respectively of which, there were many.
The good…
Location is excellent, especially if you like being close to the sea which is but a stones throw from the hotel. You can even walk directly onto the beach at low tide and drop into the various bars for a refreshing sojourn, if the mood so takes you.
The pool was large, clean and pleasantly warm. The last point being especially appreciated, as I’m a big fan of a late dip after feet have succumbed to tiredness. There is clearly a premium to pay when staying at a hotel with a pool and in my view, when clean and warm as this one was, it’s thoroughly worth it.
Breakfast whilst not huge or overly varied, was nevertheless acceptable, with most of the recognisable main Western options available and cooked to order.
My garden bungalow, No’ 23, was very quiet even when the pool was clearly (vocally) occupied. It’s always nice to have the option of a little ‘peace & quiet’ should you choose to seek it in the afternoon! Lol!
Drinks as sold were very reasonable, i.e., 60 baht for a Singa, no complaints there then!
Finally, a positive for me but not perhaps for everyone. The bed was hard, and I mean really hard, which suited me but as I say, may not suit all.
The Not so good…
Location. If you prefer the shopping area to the beach, then a scooter or even a bicycle is probably essential unless you really enjoy walking; lots!
Whilst the bungalow was indeed quiet, it contained but two power points. For an average family of four, this would be nowhere near enough. A small point perhaps but one well worth bearing in mind if like me, you’re a regular camera, ipod and laptop user.
The bungalow was also very basic. There were few luxury’s to be had given the price charged which in comparative terms, couldn’t reasonably be described as cheap, at least in relation to what else was advertised as being available.
Communication with the staff as previously described, could also be problematic, especially at breakfast. On numerous occasions I found that requests for extra toast or even the odd egg fell on deaf ears. My own notes again detail this very clearly but crucially, I add the following; “staff mean well at all times”. It was still a little wearing nonetheless, especially after the third explanation of what I sought for breakfast.
WiFi, although advertised as being generally available throughout the resort, was actually only accessible in the restaurant, at least on my devices. As I was unable to connect in my bungalow, this meant that I was effectively bound to the one place if I wanted to connect wirelessly. Very frustrating.
And finally…
I was literally cleaned out cash-wise as their Credit Card machine refused to work; repeatedly. Not the biggest issue perhaps, but certainly a bit of a pain when you prefer to use a non-charging credit card (Halifax (UK)) for payment, this for both security and safety reasons.
Having said all that, it really is difficult not to like Gerd & Noi, simply because as previously mentioned, the 'Sum', just appeared to be so much more than the individual 'Parts'.
Overall, recommended.
N.B.
Just remember to bring a couple of 5 gang adapters when you come! Lol!
Happy and as always, safe travelling.
Phil.
GB
US
SG
KR