The Beach Heights Resort - Kata Beach — Hotel in Karon

Absolutely Terrible Hotel

The renovation looks completely worn out, despite claims everywhere that it was recently updated. Breakfasts are awful – the same thing every day with barely any tasty options. It’s essentially Thai canteen-level food, with daily variations of maybe 10% at most. Staff are physically present but functionally absent.

They enforce a 3:00 PM check-in when the global standard is 2:00 PM. Tour operators can’t work properly: no information displays allowed, no Russian-speaking guides for arrivals/departures. If you have issues, you’re stuck dealing with Thai staff whose English is nearly non-existent (they occasionally use English words but mostly speak Thai, absurdly assuming foreigners understand!). Even reception staff – who absolutely need English – work as if Thai is universally spoken. Only a handful of employees speak English.

They demand a $100 deposit for a room where everything combined isn’t worth $50. Resolving deposit issues in your favor is impossible. Even if you report problems in advance – like housekeeping not replacing towels or ashtrays – they’ll produce fake documents (the kind anyone could fabricate in 5 minutes) as flimsy excuses. As stated, they never side with the guest. Save your nerves and walk away. Scamming tourists seems like a national sport here – always budget for it when renting anything (rooms, bikes, surfboards, etc.).

Staff smile politely... until you actually need something. Then, service is sloppily done or half-hearted, requiring multiple reminders.

The sea is 10-15 minutes away – acceptable for me. The pool is tiny. Smoking is allowed poolside, forcing everyone to inhale smoke, but bringing food incurs a fine. The logic here is completely broken.

Pros: Large bed, comfortable mattress. That’s it.

Worse yet – I’ve read multiple similar reports – this hotel systematically steals from guests. For those skipping other reviews, here’s the scam:

You pay a $100 deposit at check-in.

Before checkout, housekeeping "forgets" to replace your beach towels.

You either lack time to report it (while packing) or they ignore your reports (like mine – I complained twice, they promised fixes twice, did nothing).

At checkout, they suddenly "discover" missing towels. They’ll slip you fake documents (easily forged papers) claiming no cleaning occurred or towels went missing ("Poor maid – probably because YOU stole them?!"). Then, they refuse your deposit refund. Worse: deposits are in USD, but any partial refund comes in Thai Baht – useless outside Thailand.

Staying here makes you a target of their deliberate scam. "Excellent" service run by fraudulent staff. The absolute worst hotel...

We had a pleasant stay at The Beach Heights Resort. The staff, particularly Mr. Lucky (Reception / Reservations) and Mrs.Tang (Housekeeping) were nice, kind and helpful. Overall, the team was courteous, attentive, and made us feel welcome throughout our stay. The hotel felt safe and secure, which gave us peace of mind.

Our rooms were clean, spacious, and comfortable. While the interiors were slightly dated, they were well-maintained and served their purpose. Each room came with bath and beach towels, as well as complimentary bottled water, coffee, and tea.

The pool was clean and decent, and the hotel also features a small gym and a toddler play area—though we didn’t see many guests using them, likely because most were out enjoying what Kata has to offer. There’s a lounge area near the reception that provides a cozy space to relax, and the Wi-Fi was reliable for basic browsing and communication.

We didn’t dine at the hotel, as we chose to explore the local cuisine at nearby restaurants. The location of the hotel is excellent—just a short walk to the beach and surrounded by a wide variety of cafés, restaurants, spas, massage centers, souvenir shops, convenience stores, a dental clinic, a medical clinic, foreign exchange kiosks, and even a 24-hour self-service laundry.

We stayed for 14 days and booked two rooms. While our request for adjoining rooms couldn’t be accommodated, the hotel provided us with rooms next to each other on the 6th floor, which worked out just fine.

Overall, The Beach Heights Resort offers great value for money, and we would gladly return for another stay. Highly recommended! We stayed from 9th to 23rd Aug. Good...

A Resort That Looks Better on Instagram

The Beach Heights Resort is one of those places where the camera angles and lighting on the website deserve an Oscar. In real life? Well, let’s just say it’s a bit of a throwback… and not in a good way.

Check-In Surprise: Upon arrival, we were asked for a 3,000-baht cash deposit. No cards accepted. Very retro, like the rest of the place. I half-expected them to give us a handwritten receipt and a promise to "keep it safe."

The Room: The bathroom hadn’t seen a proper clean in what felt like years. The walls? Thin enough to hear your neighbors’ entire life stories (in Russian, of course, since this place seems to be a hotspot for large Russian tour groups).

The Gym: Ah, the gym. If you’re looking for a workout and a laugh, this is the place for you. The treadmill appears to have been borrowed from a 1970s sitcom, complete with squeaky joints that sound like they’re begging for mercy. The air conditioning doesn’t work, which turns your workout into a sauna session. Efficient, if nothing else.

The Positives: The location is great. Close to the beach and amenities, it’s perfect if you plan to spend as little time as possible at the actual hotel.

This place feels like it peaked in the early 2000s and has been coasting on its former glory ever since. If you’re looking for something just "okay" and aren’t too picky, it’ll do the job. But if you’re expecting the glossy pictures from the website to match reality… don’t say I didn’t warn you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 – One star for the location, one for the nostalgia, and one for the free entertainment provided by...