Pimalai Resort & Spa

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 .

We had a lovely two week stay at the Pimalai. The resort is stunningly beautiful and carefully woven into its natural setting on the foresty hillside. The place runs like clockwork. Whether it’s the buggy service across the resort or any little thing that we needed, help was always on hand over the resort’s app. All the staff we encountered were incredibly attentive. We would like to say a special thanks to Ruby who looked after us at the Banyan Tree and the ladies at the kids club who did a host of arts and crafts with our daughter. We hope to come back soon!

It is still definitely the most beautiful place to stay. However, the customer service has unfortunately changed a lot since we last visited a few Years ago and back then we were here every Year. It’s the little things in customer service, which always was so appreciated, and we were very great full for it. But it seams that the resort now put more strict attention to other parts, like restaurants and bar revenue. But it would be wonderful to see it again with all the friendly staff around taking care of the guest, even if they are just on the Pimalai beach sun beds, having a cocktail from your bar and not necessarily sitting in the restaurant. Still a beautiful resort settings, however not anymore as outstanding in customer service as it was before.