Palace in Moon Beach

I wasn't a guest at this hotel, but my family and I had an unpleasant encounter with the entrance security guard on the afternoon of June 1, 2025. We were driving around looking for parking so we could eat at a nearby restaurant. I saw the hotel entrance and pulled up to ask if paid parking was available. The guard's English was understandably limited. He seemed upset and kept telling me to “U-turn!” I wasn't sure whether he meant to turn right to reach the parking area or that parking was only for hotel guests. After a few seconds, I turned around, assuming it was guest-only parking. As we drove away, my brother-in-law, who speaks fluent Japanese and has lived in Tokyo for many years, told me he was shocked. Before the guard told me to turn around, he had muttered something like, “Why are you still gazing off into the distance?” My brother-in-law thought the guard may have said this because he assumed I couldn't understand Japanese. If he'd been more patient, my brother-in-law could have explained in Japanese that we were simply looking for parking, instead of being interrupted with repeated instructions to turn around. I understand the guard had limited English and may deal with many foreign tourists looking for somewhere to park. Still, having someone speak that rudely at the hotel entrance reflects very poorly on the hotel. The guard may be the first staff member visitors encounter, and the impression he left was extremely bad. Please train or discipline staff properly. Nobody should be spoken to like that, whether they're a local or an international visitor.

For our family of five, the room was clean and spacious. Everyone who got a bed slept fine, but I ended up on a futon mattress on the floor, and my back definitely felt it. I'd give the room four stars.

The staff were welcoming, and we enjoyed our stay. Our room had western beds, a tatami area, and a sea view, which was worth booking. We also had access to the private beach and heated pool. The hotel offers water activities like snorkeling and diving, which you can book directly there at a good price. I'd recommend staying here. My one wish is for more vegan choices at the restaurant. At the moment, the buffet only has salads for vegans, though several good vegan restaurants are reachable from the hotel by public transport.

They said full bathing suits were required in the pool, but plenty of guys were topless, so I was happy to go without a shirt too.