Having come from Le Mirridien in kho...
Having come from Le Mirridien in kho Lak, this was most definitely a step down!!!!!!! Nice architecture but miles from anywhere. They are promoting this area as the posh part of Krabi, but I don't get it. It has a quarry at the end of the road and trucks to and fro all day and at night also; they say the contract is ending for the quarry, but I wouldn't hold my breath! When you are at the pool, you are separated from the beach by a road - this is the road the trucks use and it is really noisy! The beach is not great and has nothing to do on it other than what the hotel provides (kayaks). It is a fair walk to the nearest restaurants and bars which is hampered further by the lack of pavement (remember the trucks) we sat outside the nearby Indian restaurant and had the worst meal of our 1 month stay in Thailand. Food was poor and the trucks trying to climb the hill ended any chance of a conversation. The Sheraton is the nearest hotel and looks better located right on the beach - there is a beach restaurant next to it also which is great for watching the sunset and food 1st class. We had rented a car which made our trips out easy; I would not have liked to be there without any means of getting around although there are long boat taxis and a payable hotel shuttle bus. On the plus side, the rooms are nice, the breakfast buffet vast and the staff good with the exception of Una at breakfast (doesn't treat fellow Thais very respectfully). The lobby is great and they are in the middle of building a golf course next door. I think it will be a nice location in years to come. If visiting, use the internet service near Paddy's Irish bar (called Seaview and on the corner I think) as the service is great, computers fast enough and they will organize well priced boat trips for you also. The girl's father and brother do the boat trips and are very knowledgeable & professional - they pick you up on the beach outside the hotel. Hong Island is nearby and well worth a visit. There is a great restaurant called Casa just 2 shops up from the internet place also. There was a party of 200 French there when we stayed and they were really nice in comparison to the miserable Germans we experienced in kho Lak. Not many Brits! Hotel internet, pool drinks etc are extortionate (we got 2 cocktails which were disgusting and cost £7) I think they should reduce their prices and guests may spend more time and money there. Gardens OK but because it is new, the trees are not very established. Some water features would help with the ambiance and help shield the noise of the trucks. We wouldn't go back to this hotel, but Krabi is a gorgeous location. Take a trip to tiger cave (no tiger, only a supposed foot print) and watch the friendliest monkeys ever; you can also do a short jungle walk to see where the monks live in the shadow of the mountain. Not far from here is a resort called Phanom Bencha Mountain Resort. We drove here for lunch and were blown away with the location. Bungalows are close to nature, views and gardens spectacular and the food top notch. The part owner (Jules) knows everything about the area, and the cost of a bungalow is something like £12 per night - quite a difference to the Sofitel and the location far superior.
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