Pimalai Resort & Spa

After three stays, I unfortunately have to conclude that the overall standard no longer meets expectations. Service Generally friendly and attentive, but at times overly intrusive. Food After three years, the menus across the restaurants remain largely unchanged. At Seven Seas, the food was repeatedly served lukewarm and without much presentation – overall a rather uninspiring experience. Rak Talay (buffet) I became ill with vomiting a few hours after attending the buffet evening – and unfortunately experienced the same during a previous stay the year before. Both incidents were reported to the hotel. This has significantly affected my overall confidence in the buffet experience. Room Worn and clearly in need of renovation. The bathroom and shower area in particular feel outdated and below the expected standard. Pool area (Rice & Spice) The biggest issue during our stay. There are far too few sunbeds, and they are often “reserved” early in the morning with towels without being used. Access to the pool is inconvenient and not suitable for older guests. The area is also very noisy due to many children, with no proper adults-only alternative for those seeking a quieter environment. Overall impression We have raised the pool issue multiple times without any noticeable improvements. The combination of worn facilities, repetitive dining options, and especially the buffet experience makes it difficult to recommend this hotel in its current state.

We stayed as a family of 3 with our 5 year old daughter in a one bedroom pavilion suite with garden view for 10 nights. We really enjoyed our stay. As other reviews have highlighted the transfer from Krabi airport is very efficient and the mix of the van and boat meant the whole journey went very quickly. It’s a journey that’s definitely worth it for the location of the hotel. Check in with was easy and as we were early our room wasn’t ready but we were able to enjoy the pool and have lunch while we waited. Orientation to our room was helpful and the room was ideal for our needs. The room is large and the air con was effective; if a little noisy. The room was kept clean and housekeeping did an excellent job twice a day. One of the housekeeping ladies was particularly kind to our daughter helping her to find flowers near the room which made her so happy. Breakfast is of a high standard with food choice. On our first day it was very busy (we ate in Rice and Spice for breakfast) and service was as a bit limited. For example we were asked for coffee but not advised of the options - we were on day 2 so that helped! However the staff then got to know us, our coffee preferences and preferred tables and breakfast felt much more relaxed the remainder of our stay. We only ate in the hotel one evening and the food was good. We preferred to eat at Same Same but different (left from the hotel) or walk along to the village for something to eat. We enjoyed all these meals. We had lunch at the Banyan Tree Cafe one day and the food here was good and service of a high standard. As previous reviews have highlighted the pool for the beach estate isn’t ideal. There is a lack of summers, and the ones that are there are crammed quite closely together which is not what you expect of a hotel of this standard. I feel there is work to be done around this pool area to make it feel more relaxing and luxurious. While we were travelling with a child we found this area to be busy and noisy and again not the experience you’d expect. The hillside estate pool felt calmer but with the requirement to get a buggy up there it felt like a hassle going up there. We utilised the gym which is adequately stocked with dumbbells, cardio machines and weights machines. My husband did a Muay Thai class which he really enjoyed. The beach is a real highlight of the resort and the setting is what makes this resort truly special. We have travelled to Thailand many times and this setting was one of our favourites. With some changes to the pool area this hotel would be really first class.

I traveled here solo in early December. It is a lovely property that is well kept. I stayed in a deluxe room. The room itself was beautiful and although I did not have a view of the ocean I still really enjoyed being on the balcony in the morning and evening. The room was a bit loud the motor of the a/c ran all night even though the a/c was not actually on. I called maintenance to see if they could fix it but they could not. I ended up having to turn the entire system off in order to get quiet otherwise there would be loud buzzing all night, morning. Beach: The beach here is very pretty, and I never had to fight to find a chair. The water is warm with only a slight current. However, there are tiny little jellyfish in the water that you cannot see that STING! You can not stay in the water for long periods of time without getting stung multiple times. I had to jump out of the ocean several times and saw many others looking very confused swiping at their body because of getting stung. It is definitely not a pleasant, relaxing experience. They have several toys available for water activities. I went paddle boarding, went a bit too far out and could not make it back because the current was rough. The lifeguards were watching me and came out to get me. I really appreciated that. Food: EXPENSIVE. and honestly not that great. Customer service: at the restaurant is good. I did feel very awkward the entire time that I was there. The staff was friendly but they seemed confused that I was there by myself and really did not know how to engage. There were comments like, "oh, you are here by yourself?" and "you are so brave to travel by yourself." It just felt awkward and I did not feel held and supported as a solo traveler I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. In general as a solo traveler I would not recommend coming here. Many of the travelers were couples, or family. I did not feel like I could find someone to engage with socially.

We have now visited the Pimalai resort three times, and unfortunately, our latest stay was a clear step down compared to previous years. Service: The service is generally very good, and the staff are friendly and attentive. However, at times it becomes a bit too intrusive, which slightly affects the overall comfort. Food: After three years, it is disappointing to see that the menu remains unchanged across all restaurants. It lacks variety and development. At Seven Seas Restaurant, the food was not only served cold, but also presented without any sense of care or attention to detail – overall boring and uninspiring, which is far below expectations for a resort of this level. Rak Talay: Very concerning: for the second year in a row, I experienced food poisoning after attending the buffet evening. This raises serious questions about food handling and hygiene. Rooms: The rooms are clearly worn and in need of renovation, and the shower area is particularly poor and below standard. Overall, this is no longer in line with expectations for a resort of this level. Pool area (Rice & Spice): This is by far the biggest issue. There are simply not enough sunbeds, and they are typically all “reserved” early in the morning with towels, despite guests not being present. This is poorly managed. Additionally, access to and from the pool is very poor — especially problematic for older guests, who will struggle to enter and exit safely. There is also a high level of noise from children, with no designated quiet or adults-only area, which significantly impacts the experience. We have raised the pool situation multiple times over the years, but unfortunately, nothing has improved. Overall: This resort has potential, but it is standing still while expectations increase. Without improvements — especially regarding food quality, room standards, and pool management — we will not return.

Superb resort , memorable stay . Boat transfer a real positive but understand it’s not always possible due to the weather and it was only on for us after not being possible for a period of time . A bit choppy especially getting off the boat onto the pontoon ! The staff however hold on to you and walk you to the beach and deliver bags etc to your room . We stayed in a bay front delux room which was situated above the beach , fantastic sea views , peaceful location etc. Best room we’ve ever stayed in . We actually put our holiday off for a year as we wanted this type of room ! Breakfast really good , restaurants good especially the Seven Seas at the top of the resort, quality . Happy hour at the Rak Calay Beach bar for sunset and also at the Heritage Bar for sunset and later on. Can walk on the beach to bars / restaurants especially to the village , notably the Why Not bar for music / fire shows later on and À la Carte by Auntie Nang for local food. Walking back on the beach isn’t recommended as there are streams , the tide was in etc , which made the streams wider and difficult to cross and it’s very dark ! However, we walked on the road and had no issues albeit we took a small torch with us. Only comment would be towards the end of our stay there were more children around and for his type of resort would have thought it should be adults only .