Kradan Beach Resort

The bungalows were clean, and the air conditioning kept working even during the day. The rooms and service were much better than the reviews had led us to expect, and the location is close to divine. There wasn't a proper place to put clothes, not even a simple rack or shelves. Breakfast was acceptable, but sometimes we had to wait for forks or spoons to be refilled. Now and then the plates and cutlery felt a little sticky.

The price is the main problem. I paid $114 usd/night after a discount, with the regular rate around $170/night. That's insane for Thailand. I've stayed in much better rooms for $25/night, including on remote islands, and I think this place would feel fair at about $30/night, maybe even $50. At this price it feels like they're gouging people who don't know better. The room itself looks okay, nothing special, and it's not private. People from the other resorts and day trippers walk right past and can look in through the windows. The next bungalows are right beside yours with nothing between, so sitting out front feels like hanging out with the neighbors. It didn't feel like a relaxing couple's getaway. We walked the beach and looked at the other resorts; even though they cost more, they seemed to offer better value for their premium prices. The booking app said Wi-Fi was included in the room, but there was none. Staff said it was available in the restaurant, which is basically an open-air shack. The service there was so bad I couldn't even load a Google search. I spent four days unable to load anything, and on two rainy days I couldn't watch a show because there was no usable internet at all. At a lower price I could live with that, but not at these rates. Breakfast was the same all four days: white toast, cereal, rice and an egg, with powdered coffee. I know that kind of coffee is common in Thailand, but not at a high-end resort. On another island I paid $45/night and got a generous breakfast with real coffee, so getting powder coffee for three times that price was rough. Breakfast is only served until 9:30am, too. There was no hand soap in the room, and they didn't offer to clean it until I went and asked. I understand that can happen on a remote island, but I bet other resorts here check on their guests. I also had to ask for water each day. The resort next door lends snorkels to guests for a 1000 baht deposit and gives it back afterward. Kradan Beach Resort charges 50 baht per hour. At these prices, they should just have a snorkel in the room. You can buy one on the mainland for 250 baht. A quick walk behind the resort shows where they dump their trash, and it's not pretty. This place has a lot of potential, but the prices don't come close to feeling worth it. You could go to a different island for the same money and get more for it. Honestly, Koh Kradan isn't that special either. The beach is beautiful, but plenty of islands have very similar beaches. I hope you enjoy Thailand, and that this helps you save your hard-earned money.

The staff were extremely unfriendly. You have to go up and order yourself because the waiters don't come to take your order. I waited 20 minutes for an omelette, and the guy served it almost raw. His mouth was open the whole time, and he was seasoning my omelette and pancakes with spit. There was no Wi-Fi, and the toilet behind the restaurant was filthy and stinking. They still charged guests 5 baht to use it. A sign even says that if the toilet gets clogged, you should fill a bucket with water and unclog it yourself. My room cost 125 usd. They called it "oldfashioned," but it was a wooden hut in disrepair, with holes around the windows and doors, dirt everywhere, and a broken mosquito net over the bed. It looked like something from "Psycho." Wind howled through the holes all night like coyotes.

The old wooden bungalows look nice, though some are falling apart. The newer concrete ones have no charm. Breakfast was both awful and very limited, the worst hotel breakfast I've had in years.