Royal Yao Yai Island Beach Resort — Hotel in Ko Yao Yai

This hotel falls short of a 5-star rating, aligning more closely with a 3-star standard at best. Let me begin with the positives, which will be brief.

Pros:

Excellent central location, adjacent to the beach, shops, and restaurants. It is a small village but you will find all amenities there.

Cons:

The hotel is noisy (thin walls), with frequent disturbances from children running around, including in the room above. Conversations from neighboring rooms are also audible. Cleanliness is lacking, with dishes left uncleared on tables and dirty floors. The hotel is in desperate need of maintenance despite its relatively new appearance. The breakfast is subpar (waiting for overcooked eggs could take up to 20 minutes), and dinner is not recommended due to low-quality food. The sparsely populated restaurant reflects this. It's better to explore local dining options. Despite the website stating a transfer fee of 200 Baht per person, our driver attempted to charge us 300 Baht, indicating potential deceptive practices. Check-in is slow, with perpetual crowds waiting in the lobby. The management is ineffective, with the majority of staff appearing unfriendly and unhelpful (apart from one gentelman who appears to be some kind of supervisor). Sunbeds are monopolized all day by some guests, with the staff failing to intervene. There are not enough sunbeds for all guests. The staff's performance is sluggish and indifferent. Certain guests behave inconsiderately, such as leaving a used diaper on a plate after breakfast, which is revolting. I will refrain from discussing amenities like the TV or gym, as my concerns are not as specific as others'. However, it's reasonable to expect such features to be functional and up to standard. The gym is inadequate.

In summary, we had hoped for a peaceful and clean retreat but were met with an environment more chaotic and unclean than Patong Beach in Phuket. Overall, it is not worth staying in this hotel as it does not feel idyllic but rather very touristy. Apart from the guests in the hotels, there are plenty of boats coming to the beach with more tourists every day coming for a day trip.

About the island... There isn't much to do on the island itself. The beach next to the hotel is okay but not outstanding. There are some other places, but they are probably worse. The most popular Sandbank Beach is beautiful, but unfortunately, there is a lot of littering.

We recommend local tours by longboat to James Bond Island or other islands around. Highly recommended. Even private tours are not that expensive, around 2700...

Royal Yao Yai Island Beach Resort: A Luxurious Beachside Oasis 5/5 Stars – Beachfront Perfection with Superb Rooms and Service!

The Royal Yao Yai Island Beach Resort is an absolute dream destination for those seeking luxury, comfort, and tranquility on the beautiful Koh Yao Yai. This hotel combines a magnificent beachfront location with top-quality facilities and extremely friendly staff.

Rooms and Comfort: The rooms are genuinely beautiful and very spacious. They are equipped with all modern conveniences, including a Smart TV, a safe, and a refrigerator (frigo). The absolute highlight is the bathroom: large and renovated with a huge rain shower that provides a wonderfully refreshing moment after a day in the sun. The combination of space and modern amenities ensures overwhelming comfort.

Service and Staff: The staff are very friendly and attentive. They contribute to the relaxed atmosphere of the resort and are always ready to assist, elevating the entire stay experience.

Food and Drink: The well-organized breakfast is an excellent start to the day, featuring the delicious aroma and taste of coffee brewed with high-quality Boncafe coffee beans from a modern coffee machine. It is understandable that, given the Muslim environment on the island, no bacon is served. Fortunately, there are plenty of other delicious breakfast choices. For those who enjoy a drink, there is good news: the resort serves alcoholic beverages and wine. The bar offers beautifully prepared cocktails and features an attractive Happy Hour by the pool and at the bar between 4 PM and 6 PM, with reduced prices for a selection of beers and cocktails – perfect for ushering in the sunset!

Location and Facilities: The location is ideal: directly on the beach. The combination of the spacious rooms, the excellent service, and the location makes this resort one of the best choices on the island.

Conclusion: The Royal Yao Yai Island Beach Resort is an excellent and luxurious sanctuary. The spacious, modern rooms (with that fantastic rain shower!), the friendly staff, the great breakfast, and the option for alcoholic drinks and cocktails at the bar ensure a complete and carefree holiday. This is a hotel we wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a top-quality stay on...

First let’s get the positive stated, the pool area is fantastic, as well as the beach. It’s always cleaned up and the location itself is beautiful.

The breakfast is great, with some good variation (besides the coffee machines, as everyone else has stated en their review. 2 out of 3 coffee machines out of order, for the hundreds of people staying here).

The drinks are at the bar are delicious, even the happy hour prices make you even more thirsty 😉.

We had to get the rooms changed twice until it met our expectations (Which the staff actually had no issue doing and were helpful with). First room had separate beds, although we specifically asked them in advance to have them together. The other room we hade was full of insects and dirty all over.

The cleanliness is done at the bare minimum, basically just the bedsheets and towels that are changed (if you ask them to). The staff service is at the absolute bare minimum, not a single smile or initiative. The gym is even another example of something here that is done at the bare minimum. Some weights and a room of maximum 15sq.m. And not to speak of the WI-FI, didn’t even reach our room.

The largest disappointment of all was the hotel restaurant. A small menu of extremely expensive prizes. The staff at the bar/counter rather speak in groups or do whatever on their phone than bringing out menus or ask if we need anything more. If you need your check, then just stand up and go to the counter and hope that it is someone there to help you in a rude way. The food itself is tasteless and the portions must be done for children instead of adults. Yesterday, we got up after sitting for 10 minutes without the staff brining us our menus, so we got them ourselves. 10 minutes after that, after nobody wanted to take our order, we left. Mind you: it’s not that the place was busy, there were almost more staff than people.

In conclusion: just the absolute bare minimum, and not what you expect from a so called “5-star” hotel. A beautiful place with a lot...