West Sands Ukulhas Guest House

The staff at the hotel and restaurant were always kind and helpful, and they made us feel welcome. They also brought us water every day, a small gesture we really appreciated. We stayed at West Sands Ukulhas while diving on the island and had a very pleasant time. The bed was comfortable, just right for resting after long days of diving, and we especially enjoyed the very good local dishes at the restaurant.

Lalit deserves a special thank you. He was thoughtful and caring, always checking that we had what we needed, and the rest of the staff were just as kind and attentive. Our room was spotless, peaceful, and roomy, with fresh towels and cleaning every day. We had an excellent stay and would definitely recommend this place in Ukulhas.

The beach is close by, and we had a comfortable, very large 2x2 meter bed, lots of outlets, and plenty of seating in the lobby. Our room was cleaned well each day, fresh beach towels were supplied daily, and drinking water was available throughout the stay. The speedboat transfer went smoothly, even though the communication about it was poor. There were a lot of problems too, and they had a real effect on our trip, especially during peak season in December. Breakfast was the biggest letdown: flies were around, the only fruit was oranges and watermelon, and the cereal was soggy from the outset. Much of the food looked unappealing. Breakfast ended at 9:30 a.m., which seemed early for a holiday. Getting help was difficult. Reception was almost always empty, and messages on WhatsApp either got no reply or vague, unhelpful answers. There were only four hangers and little storage in the room, and the safe was broken. The air conditioning worked, but was hard to adjust and kept switching between too cold and too warm. Privacy in the bathroom was poor. Its glass walls faced the balcony, so you could see straight in from there, and the curtain covered only about two-thirds of the glass. A gap above the bathroom door let mosquitoes in often, especially at night, and the room was always very warm. Our balcony also faced a construction site, with noticeable work noise. The hotel itself was very noisy and had poor sound insulation. Despite being daytime, little natural light reached either the room or lobby, leaving the place quite dark. The furnishings themselves were fine.

They describe self-service snorkeling, but provide no life vests, safety gear, or briefing about the dangerous currents at the island's south end. One guest was nearly drowned when an undercurrent, invisible from the surface, dragged him out to sea as he screamed for help. We later learned that locals know the area is unsafe, which makes the lack of a warning to guests especially disturbing. I never met any staff after we were picked up from the boat. There was no reception desk, and for most of the day there seemed to be nobody around. The WhatsApp number also went unanswered throughout our stay. If you need help or get locked out, you're left on your own. The owner is meant to answer messages but doesn't, and hasn't given staff the ability to help guests. It felt like they just wanted to bring us to the hotel after taking payment, then abandon us. The bathroom has floor-to-ceiling glass with no curtains, facing outside toward a construction site where workers could look in. There was no way to cover up while showering. The towels didn't smell clean, and I found several long blonde hairs stuck to me after drying, so the laundry seemed poor at best. They said there would be fresh beach towels every day, but none arrived, and drinking water wasn't refilled in the room either. The owner came by one day and gave a full briefing to new arrivals only. Most guests were still left without attention, even after asking in person and mentioning their unanswered messages. This is not a hotel, just a dressed-up Airbnb with shocking disregard for guest safety and well-being. It's unequivocally the worst place I've ever stayed, and I would never recommend it.