Nakalay Palm Resort Phuket

We had booked our Christmas and New Year stay four weeks ahead and were excited by the photos. When we arrived late on December 23, we were told just ten minutes before reaching the accommodation that there was a problem with the apartment and we had to stay somewhere else that night. That place was 20 km away, and we had to pay for the extra taxi ourselves. They said it would be sorted the next day, but on Christmas Eve at noon they told us the apartment was no longer available. We asked repeatedly for another option because otherwise we’d be left without somewhere to stay on Christmas Eve, when finding a suitable place would be difficult. The owner or management company didn’t seem to care. We were treated rudely from the start, had no way to resolve it, and our AirBnB booking was cancelled without our consent. I’ve never had such a bad experience on AirBnB or another platform. I strongly warn against booking with “Lofty” or any related company or apartment. I hope nobody else has their holiday ruined this way.

The only possible drawback is the location, since there isn’t much nearby. But there’s a taxi agency 500m away, and booking one on Grab takes just minutes. We got a really good deal on Agoda, and the rooms were huge, clean, and well maintained, with all the listed amenities. Staff were helpful too. It exceeded our expectations.

The units are self-contained, so you’ll need to buy milk, bread, or anything else for breakfast. It’s a clean, tidy place with a great pool, and there’s a bush track to the beach. Everything is about 10 minutes away, so you’ll need a taxi or a hire bike.

The rooms have modern, nice interiors, but the stay had some real problems. Our room had mold along the side of the bed, and the cleaning was poor. The hotel’s location is bad, so you need a taxi to get anywhere, though they do help arrange one. You can’t reach the beach from the hotel because it’s private.