This hotel is absolutely stunning, there was almost literally nothing serious to complain, almost everything was absolutely perfect.
First of all I would like to thank our butler Irainy, who was a massive help for us. Not only did she take care of even the smallest requirements, but she also suggested us restaurants, activities, dishes, made bookings, scheduled our rides, brought us ice for drinks without even asking, and showed thorough and real passion for her work and made sure our stay was as pleasant as possible. For the first time ever, did we feel like we made a real connection with a staff member from a hotel, her service, kindness, attention and companionship was so good. She even sent good morning texts and many times asked how our day was going. And not to mention the spectacular birthday set up in our room, that was way beyond my expectations! Thank you Irainy, you are a gift to the hotel!
I would also like to thank the kind ladies at the Akoya rooftop bar who very quikcly learned our preferences and orders, and had a real passion for their work. Unfortunately I do not remember her name anymore, but if you read this, you will recocgnize yourself from always offering to take pictures of us and ask if I felt like ordering some more vanilla ice cream (as I always did). Thank you!
The hotel could not be more private. If you feel like it, you never have to face another human during your stay. Even if you go to the main pool, you will perhaps see 1 couple by the pool, or even more likely nobody. There are only about 20 villas if I remember correctly, each of which is massive and has a stunning and huge pool, so most people stay there during days. You barely see anyone at breakfast either, maybe 2-4 families / couples ar busiest times. Also the villas are spread out perfectly, so you cannot see or hear anyone else either.
The villas are super modern, look and feel brand new (as they are) and are huge in size. We had a 1 bedroom sea view villa, which had a massive 15m long private infinity pool and a huge terrace for tanning. THere were 2 sunbeds, 2 chairs and a dining table. The villas have perfect sunshien from sunrise till 3 pm. After that you might have to move to mainpool for the last hours. The sea view is a must, it is 100x better than the non- sea view.
The design of the villas was one of the best highlights. They are filled with modern tech from Japanese toilets, to smart speakers and tvs. Everything inside the villa feels as if you were in a modern LA mansion. The bed was one of the best I have ever slept in.
The staff communicates non stop with each other across the hotel. It was unbeliveable that on each morning except once, our room was cleaned during our breakfast visit at the main restuarant. During that 45 minute slot, it was cleaned every single time, even tho we switched the timing daily. That shows that they really focus on your best experience, and try to be as seamless as possible, by communicating with everyone all the time.
The breakfast is as good as you want it to be. There is a solid buffet, and an a la carte to order. Everything is included if you have booked the breakfast rate.
The buggy service is also an excellent aspect. They can drive you on demand from your villa ro anywhere on the resort, or to even near by stores and restaurants. We regularly used the buggy to get to 7/11 or restaurants or even to lobby. Just ask your butler to have a buggy and it will arrive in 1-2 minutes at your door or at you requested location.
The location is very laid back and quiet. Nothing like Karon, Kata etc. There are only a few hotels, and a few restaurant within walking distance. The area is very safe, and feels like a ”home avenue”. People drive with buggies on the road etc. It can get a bit boring if you seek adventure or attractions, but it does offer perfect relaxation and calmness.
Even tho our stay was excellent, there is always room for improvement. I will shortly list the downsides / short comings.
1. The omelettes / scrambled eggs were the worst I have ever had. I tried to find out what was wrong with them each morning by asking to skip ingredients one by one, but never figured it out. The scrambled eggs were extremely dry and the ham they used was just not good for eggs. Thats all I found out.
2. The breakfast should be served in a logical order, not pancakes first and coffee last. It was just pure luck what was brought first from the order.
3. The beach is righ there, but you need to take 500 stairs to get there, literally. We (20-25 year old athletes) were tired after visiting the beach once.
4. One evening I killed a large insect on top of my night stand lamp. I left it there for cleaners to pick up. However, it took them 5 days to find it, even tho it was the size of half a thumb. That showed that even tho they cleaned the room very well, wiping dust and small attention to detail was definitely missing. 5 days without noticing it or wiping dust from night stands is not great. Also, they did not tidy charging cords, or line up anything on your tables. That felt a bit cheap, as most much cheaper hotels do that always. However, I do must state that they do clean the room otherwise very well, they even wash the pool daily…
5. The villas have very little to no wind. Also the wooden terrace floor attracts tons of heat and makes the terrace area unwalkable bare feet during days of sunshine. It also heats the area up very effectively, so the temperature is much higher than by the beach. The same issue is at the main pool.
6. An outdoor shower would be a great addition to the villas. There is room for that.
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