Bayview Sunset Resort — Hotel in Ko Lipe

This review is my own experience staying at Bayview Sunset Resort, and also me witnessing Maxime G (1 start review below) having a heated debate with the female manager/owner when I was checking out of Bayview Sunset Resort.

First my own experience with the room and trash-boat.

My partner booked this resort for us, and when I checked the reviews on the day of our arrival, I started to worry. Recently there were quite a lot of bad reviews about: rats, cockroaches, a big waste-management boat on the beach, and the lady manager screaming at customers.

The hut. 2/5. Upon arriving to our hut, I was prepared for the worst. Luckily for us, our hut was reasonably okay, and we got spared from the animals and insects. Sheets were clean. All the rest looked a bit used/dated, but was OK. Big relief on my end. Over the 3 nights that we stayed we didn't encounter any animals in our hut. For the price, maintenance level, and cleanliness of our hut, it was a 2/5. The famous 'trash-boat' on the beach in front of the resort. If the wind was blowing towards the restaurant (which is located on a beautiful location at the end of the beach), you were literally sitting in waste-smell. That was particularly horrible 1 out of 3 mornings, the other morning we didn't smell it but the view was ruined, and our last morning the boat had luckily been towed away, and suddenly it was a wonderful restaurant and beach. Restaurant location and beach with trash-boat: 1/5. Without trash-boat: 5/5.

Not sure if this boat was moored there by the local government and the resort had no say, or if the boat was actually from the resort...

Staff at the front office and restaurant: 5/5. Lady owner/manager: 1/5. Should go.

Now a little bit about me witnessing a part of the discussion between Maxime G and the lady manager.

When I walked to the front office to check out, I heard a female scream very loudly. At that moment I instantly knew that this must be the 'google-review famous' lady manager/boss that so many people have been talking about in recent reviews. And indeed, it was. Maxime G sounded to have very reasonable complaints about cockroaches and a rat(s) in the room, and that not enough had been done to improve his stay. The female manager was TOTALLY unreasonable, was continuously screaming and pointing to Maxime in an effort to belittle him, trying to make him feel his complaint were ungrounded, and simply being super disrespectful (as many others have said below). She also tried to put the whole thing on Maxime 'disrespecting her staff' by filing his complaints, which was absolutely not what he was doing. For the price that this resort charges (over 80-100 euros a night in the high season), you can't have relatively poorly maintained rooms with insects and animals, and a manager who is so rude and unreasonable.

All in all, I'm personally happy that this experienced was spared to me. And as this can happen to anyone staying here depending on luck, and you want to enjoy a wonderful holiday without stress, I also wouldn't recommend anyone staying here until all the above...

4,000 Bahts per night Dodgy electrics Leaking roof x2 nights Leaking door (new room) Unreasonable owner Visit from the garbage boat Cabin full of millipedes because of poor workmanship. Unsafe electrics in the bathroom

We’re a couple who paid a total of 22,095 Bahts through booking.com for a total of 6 nights.

The first night was magical, we were very accepting towards the garbage truck that visits the island. The garbage smell is no different to the smell of Bangkok sewage. It left towards the end of our stay.

During the 2nd night, at 10:50pm a mild storm made the roof leak. We were concerned as our expensive drones and hair dryers got exposed to water. As the photos show, the water was also dripping on the exposed wiring leading to the main circuit board. We called the reception and they were kind enough to put us in a different room that was dry. We were reassured that the roof would be fixed.

Night 3 and night 4 the roof held up.

Night 5, the roof had leaked again. I inspected it with my drone only to find it had been ‘bodged’ with a piece of makeshift plastic. A reflection of all the building work in the entire resort. See photo of the sink on a slant as an example. Speaking with the owner, she had the decency to move us to another room. Asking for her reassurance that our things will not get wet, I was met with a gob full of defensive pater which gave us no reassurance that our expensive possessions would be safe.

Night 5 - our things get wet as water entered through the closed balcony door. (See photo) Owner’s response - It’s not only our room that gets wet during a storm. It happens to another customer’s room also. Those customers don’t complain.

When we asked her for reassurance of our possessions staying dry, we would have been move comfortably with her being honest and we could have worked with her to place our things further from the doors.

I feel the reviews are true by other people. To add to the safety concern of the cabin, there is a hair dryer next to the sink and the shower is in one room. There is a light switch by the sink and should not be operated with wet hands.

The wood cabins reminds me of staying at a summer camp in New Jersey. Lots of insects entering the cabin and we were always checking for dangerous millipedes because the holes cut for the pipes were not sealed. (See picture)

If we were two budget travellers, we would accept the flaws and treat it as a log cabin in the woods experience. Except that we paid a premium and we’re now filing for compensation through booking.com

As others have mentioned, the owner is highly unreasonable and will bark at you until you leave her reception. See other reviews for confirmation.

If we visit Koh Lipe again, we will stay at...

I recently stayed at Bayview Hill Resort in Thailand, and unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience, especially considering the price I paid. I feel compelled to share my negative experience to warn other potential guests.

Cleanliness Issues:

The most glaring issue was the lack of cleanliness. My room was far from what I would consider acceptable. There was a noticeable layer of dust on most surfaces, and I found several hairs in the bathroom upon arrival. The floors didn't seem to have been properly cleaned, and there was a lingering, unpleasant odor. The bedding, while appearing superficially clean, had a musty smell. The common areas weren't much better. I saw overflowing trash bins and dirty tables near the restaurant area.

Staff Attitude:

The staff's attitude was another major letdown. While not universally rude, many of the staff members seemed indifferent and unhelpful. Check-in was slow and disorganized, and my requests for basic amenities (like extra towels) were met with sighs and delays. When I raised concerns about the room's cleanliness, the staff member I spoke with was dismissive and offered no real solution. There was a general lack of enthusiasm or willingness to assist guests, which significantly impacted my overall impression.

Value for Money:

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of my stay was the poor value for money. Bayview Hill Resort is priced as a mid-range to upscale resort, but the reality was far from it. Given the substandard cleanliness and the unhelpful staff, I felt completely ripped off. I've stayed in much cheaper accommodations in Thailand that offered a far superior experience in terms of both service and hygiene. The amenities, which were listed as a selling point, were either poorly maintained or simply not available. The "sea view" I paid extra for was partially obstructed by overgrown vegetation.

In conclusion, I cannot recommend Bayview Hill Resort. The combination of poor cleanliness, lackluster staff attitude, and the sheer disparity between price and quality makes this a place to avoid. I strongly advise potential travelers to look elsewhere for a more pleasant and worthwhile stay...