Devasom Khao Lak Beach Resort & Villas — Hotel in Phang-nga Province

Stayed for 5 days and 4 nights in Villa 8, the beach paradise resort. Resort has a lot of potential but there are some unbecoming things.

The entire resort is really beautiful and is very true to pictures. It's like a cross between Greecian pools and the Roman Baths. Made me feel like donning a toga dress and braiding my hair. Lots of photo opps everywhere.

The Beach Paradise Villa Was beautiful! Everything in mini bar was complimentary, which included 2 fresh juices, soy milk, two small bags of lays chips, Oreo cookies, Ritz cookies, coke and some other drinks. Fantastic. sea facing. Beach was really just right outside our door. Lots of cute hermit crabs scuttling about! Cool. You can't swim in the sea. It's dangerous and there's a red flag to tell you that. Pool was very small and quite dirty, perhaps due to the heavy rains while we were there. Don't think it was ever cleaned during my stay there. Lots of dead leaves and twigs at the bottom. Didn't take a dip in that because it didn't look appealing at all. Housekeeping was a hit and miss. On the first day, I commented that the housekeeping didn't vacuum up all the hair in the bathroom (you know how girls hair can be!) Then, my husband stepped on a piece of glass or plastic jutting out from the bathroom mat and bled quite heavily from his foot. We definitely did not break anything beforehand so that was quite scary. Forced both of us to walk around fearfully in the bedroom slippers after that. Room service dishes were in the garden area for 2 days. Housekeeping didn't clear it. Attracted a party of ants. Bedsheets not changed for all 5 days. I definitely know because there was a small stain.

Disappointing levels of Service. One of the things that is truly disappointing is the level of service. Sure, everybody smiles and says hello to you, but wait staff do not bother to remember faces or names. Every single morning at the breakfast area, I was asked which villa I was from, by the same waiter. Every. Single. Morning. You would think that a resort of this standard would at least bother to recognise a face, especially during the low season. I certainly remembered his name. Also on the subject of wait staff, most assumed we were Thai (although we really do look Chinese) and rattled off to us in Thai. On the 1st morning, that was fine and the wait staff kept apologising after realising that we don't speak Thai. In other resorts, some form of communication would have transpired to let the rest of the staff know that we definitely did not understand Thai and would prefer English. But not this resort. On Monday, we spotted a free Handicraft workshop on the Devasom Brochure that was scheduled from 2-3pm. Since it didn't require advance reservation, we thought we could just go. Upon arrival at the lobby lounge at 1.55pm, the staff seemed shocked that we were coming for the workshop, which didn't commence until 2.20pm. Husband and I simply sat at the lounge and waited for 25 minutes with no updates. Normally, other resorts would have served perhaps a small drink or explained the situation to us. Housekeeping - see above.

Food Takola Restaurant - Breakfast was nice on day 1, uninspiring on day 2, boring on day 3 and totally meh on day 4. We had to get very creative with the same food. I wouldn't recommend staying for more than 3 days. Beach grill and bar - we went there for dinner. Got a scallop starter(which only had 1.5 pieces of scallop, very sad), a crab bisque (great tasting with chunks of crabmeat!!), a kurobuta pork chop (meh) and finally, the Signature Duck Confit. I emphasize on Signature because that's what was stated on the menu. Unfortunately, the Duck Confit was really hands down the worst duck Confit I've ever tasted. It was like eating very tough pork, nowhere near tender nor fall off the bone like how duck confits should be. The duck skin was rubbery and just, DON'T order that.

Shuttle service is a little weird because most people want to go to Ban Niang Market but it drops/picks you up at Khao Lak Town centre...

We stayed at this beautiful resort for 10 nights (wished more). From the first minute on we arrived we felt the explicit high standard of the hotel. We have been welcomed so kind and the whole check in procedure was very well explained. I have to mention that we were affected by the Thomas Cook insolvency since we booked a package with them which included flight, transport and hotel. As during our time of departure the situation was not clear and we did not receive any information from Cook, we though received straight feedback from the Hotel after we contacted them. We agreed on terms and during the whole process everything has been handled so transparent and professional. As the case was still unclear during our stay even the management took the time to talk to us and supported us in any matter. During this we were even able to get to know some details on the background of the architecture of the hotel. The owners for sure put a lot of thoughts into it which you can see and feel in every little corner of the hotel. The staff is just outstanding. Everyone is trying to go the extra mile and have true problem solver mentality. Any question was answered and we haven’t felt this warm and honest hospitality from any other chains we have also been in other countries. This gives this hotel a true special/local character. The rooms are just beautiful. We had the double room with the most amazing sea view and huge balcony. The room has everything you need and more in a luxurious way. Complimentary soft drinks and snacks are provided to your mini bar on a daily basis. As we also like to exercise during our vacation we were able to do so in the fully equipped gym. The hotel though also has a weekly schedule which includes complimentary or other activities. On top you can also use their kayaks or SUPs to swim through the Lagune which for sure is a special plus. The hotel also offers a free shuttle bus to take the guest into town three times a week. The pool area is gorgeous. The two pools and hang out area right in front of the sky blue beach and Lagune is a place to simply relax and enjoy. Even though the chances are there to meet some jelly fishes in the ocean we still went in daily as the water and beach is just amazing. We actually gut stunk by a jellyfish but also for this the hotel provides direct support and helps out with a natural mixture out of leaves to reduce the pain which helped out very well. After 10 min we did not feel anything anymore. The food is just another extraordinary asset the hotel has to offer. The breakfast buffet has everything in high quality you can imagine. Fresh eggs, juices and any coffee variation are served. Fruits, typical Thai dishes, salad, Joghurt with granola, really everything to start your day right. We also got the chance to enjoy a dinner at the Thai restaurant “Takola”. Course by course we got amazed even more. The sweet staff is very supportive in recommending you a meal as the choices are just endless and you can be sure to enjoy a real tasty Thai meal. We tried many of the little restaurants in the area but of course nothing was as explizit in such quality and rich taste as our dinner at the Takola. It was a great experience to also try once the high class Thai cuisine. Which of course also justifies the higher prices as what your pay outside of the hotel. Even though we would totally classify the Devasom as a 5 star plus hotel, we still felt the normality in it with a warm and friendly atmosphere. We can highly recommend anyone going here who is looking for a relaxing beach vacation in a clean and luxurious environment with personal who really cares about your well being and would always come back any time again. A special thanks from us goes to Bobo who we were able to get to know a bit more. A true passionate and professional who always tried to made us enjoy our time but also took her time to talk to us, sharing our feedback and her story. Also the management who was so supportive and transparent which you will never get in one of...

The Devasom Khao Lak Beach Resort & Villas (The name Devasom is derived from two Sanskrit words – ‘Deva’ meaning angels and ‘Ashram’ meaning residence) is the perfect luxury resort when you want to get away from it all and pamper yourself in a heavenly resort. Located on the waters of a natural lagoon to one side and the pristine shores of Khao Lak’s most stunning sunset beach Khuk Khak Beach, to the other, this unique beachfront resort is set in an enchanting place where two worlds meet.

THE RESORT PROPERTY: The hotel is decorated with antiques lovingly collected to match its history of being a former port of the silk road and the detailed touches of the owners are visible everywhere (if you pay attention you will see antique wood carved doors from India to underscore the historical value). It is impossible to miss how much love went into designing this place and how much effort was put forth to create this resort. There are so many places around the resort property where you can get away and relax. While the resort is perfect for simple relaxation, it does offer a wide variety of activities for those who enjoy sports and exploring the outdoors. When you arrive, the reception provides a weekly schedule of free activities. There are also plenty of kayaks and paddle boards that are free for guests to use in the lagoon, where you can explore the surrounding waterways and mangroves around the resort.

THE ROOM: I stayed at the Beachfront Pool Villa which features barefoot beach access, so you can walk directly from your villa onto the pristine beach and dive right into the warm waters of the Andaman Sea. The villa is beautifully laid out with a separate bedroom that has the most comfortable king-sized bed overlooking your own private deck and infinity edge plunge pool with views of the swaying palm trees and deep blue ocean. The bedroom has a large bathroom with double sinks overlooking an interior garden and plenty of counter space for all your things. There is a large white soaking tub with views of the pool and ocean, that comes with a variety of relaxing bath salts and oils for guaranteed relaxation. The bathroom also has two side by side rain showers in case you get lonely taking a shower on your own. Finally, the villa has a separate living/lounge room, where you can hang out and watch movies or entertain guests for drinks and look out directly from the large wall to wall windows across the beach sand dunes and to the sea. If you are traveling with a child (or another person), the separate living/lounge room which is separated from the bedroom by the entry hallway, can be re-configured as a second bedroom which is completely private from the main bedroom.

THE FOOD: The resort features two restaurants, ‘Takola’ which is situated below the lobby with both indoor and outdoor seating and ‘Devasom Beach Grill and Bar’ which is located next to the resort’s main pool and beach. Devasom Beach Grill and Bar serves a selection of Mediterranean fusion food, locally caught seafood and meats cooked on an open grill and a wood-fired pizza oven. I enjoyed eating dinner at Devasom Beach Grill every night and watching the incredible sunsets. The grilled seafood platter was my absolute favorite. Takola serves innovative Thai and Western cuisines in an elegant setting, where the delicious specialties are inspired by Khao Lak’s nearby ancient town ‘Takola.’ Every dish that I tried at Takola was artfully presented and incredibly delicious.

THE STAFF: The hotel team is so friendly and engaging, willing to stop and have a proper chat with you. They take a personal interest and are always there to attend to every and each detail. I loved my stay here and I will definitely be...