The Naka Island Resort & Spa

Beautiful property. One of the worst services we have received: totally botched our snorkeling day, kept promising things that did not exist. The concierge head Ya and Faye are highly inept. There were several other misses: rooms not cleaned, orders not delivered— at 2K a night this was not luxury by any means. Choose something else. This place sucks

We left this stay with mixed feelings and, unfortunately, with the clear sense that the overall experience did not align with what is advertised nor with the price point of the property. From the very beginning, the experience felt unnecessarily complicated. Communication prior to arrival was extremely slow, with emails and calls going unanswered for weeks. We eventually had to involve a loyalty program intermediary just to receive a response, which already set a disappointing tone compared to other luxury properties we have stayed at. Arrival was also underwhelming. Despite everything being prepaid and confirmed well in advance, check-in at the pier was lengthy and inefficient, and we were asked again to provide proof of transfer. This is not the level of smoothness one expects from a resort positioning itself at this level. Safety and Bay Management Issues: A major and recurring issue throughout our stay was the situation in the bay directly in front of the hotel. External jet ski vendors operate directly on the hotel beach, next to the hotel’s water sports booth, with no visible supervision or effective control. These vendors rent jet skis for short periods to some hotel guests and then allow them to ride at high speed inside the hotel bay while the vendors themselves remain on the beach. Many of the people using these jet skis clearly had no prior experience, which made the situation particularly dangerous given that other guests were swimming in the same area. The noise was constant, and the safety risks were obvious. Even more concerning was a direct incident with one of these vendors. While we were swimming, he aggressively approached us on his jet ski in an intimidating manner, telling us we were not supposed to swim and explicitly warning us that one of his customers, who were hotel guests since the beach is only used by the hotel, would very likely run into us. Aside from this aggressive warning, at no point during our stay were we informed by the hotel that swimming in the bay was dangerous or that any specific precautions should be taken. Because we continued swimming on the following days, this same vendor repeatedly rode deliberately close around us in an intimidating way. We reported this to the hotel, and the response we received was simply that the bay is public. Being left in that situation as paying guests, without any concrete action or guidance, was deeply uncomfortable and alarming. Adding to this, Tab Po Beach on the other side of the island is used as a transit and drop-off point for jet skis coming from Phuket, resulting in hundreds of jet skis touring the bay every day and passing directly in front of the resort. Beach Experience and Disruption: The beach experience itself was disappointing and poorly managed. Towels were often not changed promptly between guests, and it was common to see paper wrapping, used glasses, or even old food plates left abandoned on loungers for hours. Longtail boats regularly unloaded equipment directly on the main hotel beach, arriving just a few centimeters away from loungers and guests. On several occasions, up to five longtail boats arrived at the same time in a very small bay, creating disorder, noise, and congestion directly in front of the swimming and lounging areas. This was particularly shocking given that the hotel has a dedicated private pier. These unloadings occurred notably on December 24th for the Christmas show and again on December 26th for New Year’s preparations. New Year Preparations and Construction Disturbance: Preparations for the New Year’s tent caused major disruption over multiple days. We were disturbed two days in a row by constant hammering, sawing, and soldering of the metal structure. The toxic smells of burnt plastic and melted metal were so strong that many guests relocated as far as possible from the construction area. We personally ended up having our lounge chairs much closer to strangers than to each other simply to escape the noise and fumes. The tent itself blocks the view from the main restaurant and is anchored by large visible water jugs, giving the central area a very temporary, improvised, and frankly unattractive appearance that feels completely out of place in a luxury resort. Dining Experience: Dining service was frustratingly inconsistent. Waiting times were often excessive. On several occasions, only two starters out of four would arrive, followed by a wait of 15 minutes or more for the remaining dishes. At times, main courses were served while we were still finishing our starters. Staff would ask us to move our plates to make space but would not clear the used plates. Old glasses and empty bottles were frequently left on the table for far too long, with newly delivered drinks added on top of items that should already have been cleared. This lack of coordination significantly impacted the dining experience. While some meals were acceptable, the Christmas dinner buffet was extremely disappointing for the price paid, close to €900, both in terms of food quality and entertainment. Accommodation and Maintenance Issues: The accommodation was another major disappointment, especially given that the villas were presented as recently renovated. In our villa, we encountered numerous issues that would not normally be acceptable at this level: - A loose and poorly secured metal railing by the pool, posing a safety concern - Drawers that would not remain closed - Cracked joints between materials and wall slats allowing insects, including ants, to enter the villa - Poorly secured or missing bathroom fixtures An outdated and leaking indoor shower head - Lighting elements out of place - A hairdryer that was completely broken and unusable - Toilets that clogged repeatedly during the stay Housekeeping was also inconsistent. Bathroom amenities were not always replenished, outdoor towels were not consistently replaced, minibar items were missing for several days, and even basic details such as the diffuser being turned on were handled irregularly. Layout, Gardens, and Overall Atmosphere: The layout of the villas is problematic. Many technical and service areas face the main pedestrian pathways, resulting in constant noise and heat from outdoor air-conditioning units and ruining the relaxing aspect of simply walking through the resort. Several garden areas felt unfinished, with extensive use of artificial grass. In addition, an incredible amount of visible cables, junction boxes, exposed wiring, and piping is present throughout the property. These technical elements should clearly be concealed and reinforce the feeling of a work in progress rather than a refined tropical environment. Staff Recognition: That said, there are staff members who genuinely deserve recognition. Meenie was an excellent villa host whose professionalism, kindness, and dedication made a real difference within the limits of her role. We would also like to mention Noom, whose service stood out positively. Overall, while the resort has potential and some very dedicated staff, the experience as a whole did not justify the price paid nor the expectations set by the marketing. With better maintenance, clearer communication, stronger guest safety measures, stricter control of external activities, improved service coordination, and better beach and landscape management, this could be a very different experience. At its current state, however, we would not return nor recommend it without significant improvements.

It was our second stay at Naka Island this year and again it was a wonderful time. We celebrated my mum’s birthday here and the outstanding staff surprised her with so many nice gifts. Everyone is extremely attentive and thoughtful - especially to be mentioned are Gof and Noom from the Rum Chapel who offered excellent service and made our stay super convenient! We had dinner in all restaurants and everything we tried was very good - especially the breakfast is really outstanding. The whole stay was a great experience and we surely will come back a 3rd time.

Thank you to Tom I had an excellent full body workout, Thai kickboxing class and tai chi. It’s very important to maintain health and wellness whilst on a break and the trainer at the Naka was excellent. Highly recommended. Well equipped gym and great workouts available including tai chi. ! Thank you Tom. Regards.

This is our second visit and will return. We have had an amazing welcome Back from Khun Yeen, Maann, Noom, Goff , Earth, Emmy & Oh. We come back for the luxury of the hotel but the team make us come back more and more,