Ao Nang Orchid Resort

The pool is nice, and the pool bar attendant was friendly and welcoming. They were the only staff member who stood out positively. I came back because I needed the same room while working on my book, and to their credit, the hotel gave it to me. That mattered during the writing process. But this was my second stay, after July 2025, and the same problems were still there. Nothing had improved, and I wouldn’t return. Reception service was the real problem. There was little basic hospitality or willingness to help, and even simple requests seemed to bother them. At checkout, I asked for help getting a taxi. They told me to go to the street and find a tuk-tuk or arrange transport myself, even though I was alone with two large suitcases, a trolley, computer bag and handbag. They showed no awareness or concern about the situation. They also said a hotel-arranged taxi would cost extra, which felt unreasonable for such a basic service. Even asking for an extra key card so I could leave the electricity on to charge my devices became difficult. The reception team’s service was far below an acceptable standard, and the experience showed a broader lack of care.

A quiet hotel in a very good location. The staff are kind and helpful, the breakfast has lots of choices and is good, and the swimming pool is great. I only wish it stayed open until 8 or 9 pm.

The pool-view room was excellent, clean, with a good bed and pillows, and the air conditioning worked well. There’s a large pool with bar service, and staff were consistently friendly and helpful. You’re right in the middle of things, so some noise is to be expected. The location is fantastic, with shops and restaurants within walking distance and longboats for hire just 50m away. Breakfast was an okay buffet, though I would have liked more variety and changes to the options.

Cockroaches ruined the stay for us. On our first night, just after getting ready for bed, I noticed movement in the corner of my eye. There were two live cockroaches roaming around the dark parts of the room. We were horrified. My partner went to reception, and they moved us quickly to another room, but offered no compensation. We couldn’t relax after that and kept worrying there might be more in the new room. The hotel’s location and pool were what attracted us, and those were the only good things. Check-in was met with an unfriendly receptionist. The balconies described as 'street view' looked onto a cement building that blocked everything behind it. The rooms were old and showed quite a bit of wear. Some wooden pool loungers were visibly rotting and close to collapse, and we saw one that had broken apart when someone sat on it.