Mandarava Resort and Spa

Our 6-month-old daughter Luna was welcomed so warmly by everyone, and the staff made traveling with her feel easy. Sam, who served breakfast and lunch, became a favorite of hers, and she lit up whenever she saw him. Fang and Sa on the concierge team arranged what we needed, including finding our travel pram at the airport after we left it behind and having it delivered to the hotel. Naey kept the room spotless and worked around Luna’s sleep schedule, happily returning later when needed. Mandarava Resort is beautiful, with several great pools and fantastic food. Breakfast and lunch were highlights. The staff made the stay exceptional, and we’d highly recommend the resort and love to come back.

The hotel is set on a steep, hilly slope, but shuttle drivers were always ready to take us right to our door. The grounds are lush, tropical, and beautifully maintained. We also appreciated the on-site taxi service, especially "King" and his mum, the boss taxi lady!! The food was very good, the location was wonderful, and the staff were unfailingly cheerful and polite. Our first impressions weren’t as positive, but the excellent, caring, professional manager quickly arranged a room change to one we liked better.

We had a quiet sea-view room on the hillside, surrounded by immaculate, jungle-like grounds. There was always a sunbed available, and breakfast was excellent. We also enjoyed dinner at both the buffet and Thai à la carte restaurants. A few small problems came up, but the staff worked incredibly hard and were so helpful that they were quickly forgotten. The walk to Karon and back was easy even for us in our 60s. A tuc tuc was always available for the ride back to our room, though we preferred to get our steps in.

We only got to spend one day at Mandarava because of our schedule, but Ging made it memorable. We had to check out early for a last-minute tour, and even after checkout Ging warmly helped us reserve a shower and store and retrieve our luggage several times. There was never any sign that it was a bother. As international travelers in a new place, we really appreciated being looked after, from help charging a tablet to arranging the shower and handling our bags. Mandarava should be proud to have Ging on the team.