Cha Ba Lanta Resort Bungalows

The staff were friendly and tried their best, but that couldn’t make up for the resort’s condition. Our stay at Cha-Ba Resort was disappointing and poor value, especially since many cleaner, better-rated places nearby cost less. The online photos don’t match what’s there: it’s old, worn, and not properly maintained. Our room fell far below an acceptable standard. Mold covered the bathroom walls, cracks and unfinished repair spots marked the ceiling and walls, the shower kept flooding, and the air conditioner looked neglected. Other guests said parts of their roof had fallen onto the floor, which raises serious safety concerns and suggests the property has been neglected. Breakfast was very limited and low quality, served in a run-down area, and we didn’t want to eat it again. We can’t recommend Cha-Ba Resort. There are much cleaner, safer, better-value choices nearby.

I took a chance despite the recent reviews, and had my best stay at Cha Ba over 8 nights. It was low season, so I had the beach mostly to myself, and the rooms were cheaper. Bring a raincoat if you visit during low or monsoon season. My beach bungalow was spacious, nicely designed, and right on the sand, away from the family and pool rooms, and their noise. The owner is passionate about art and very creative. Staff were always smiling, ready to help, and even brought meals to the room. The food was amazing, huge compliments to the chef. Expect lots of tourists during peak season, from September to March.

The staff at Cha-ba were incredibly friendly and ready to help with a smile. At my request, they surprised my girlfriend with a little birthday cake and candles, then sang to her. That made her day much more special and made us feel welcome. Cha cha is a wonderful host, thank you for the hospitality! We spent 2 days here in low season and found it excellent value for the location, amenities, and price. We chose it for the beachfront setting, infinity pool overlooking the ocean, and the option to book with breakfast. A couple of things to keep in mind: the older AC takes a long time to cool a large room, and the bed was softer than we liked, even though it was a welcome change from the usual brick-like Thai hotel mattress. Neither bothered us much, but they may matter to some.

We had booked 8 days at Cha-ba Lanta, but left after 3 and moved elsewhere. We won’t return. The staff were very friendly to us and our kids, gave them toys, pen, and paper, and the restaurant food was good. Breakfast was small, though they tried to make it look nice. The hotel is right on the sand, but not especially close to the main street. Our room, C4, was awful: very dirty and smelled like a canal every day, even after cleaning. It went uncleaned for 3 days, and they only cleaned after we complained. These photos were taken afterward. The bathroom was moldy, the roof unfinished, the shower rusty, and the toilet was in the same state. There were ants in our beds. When we told the manager, he said that was normal in a tropical country. The room is next to the pool equipment room, and the pumps and filters ran noisily all night. The pool guy woke us at 5:30-6:00am each morning, though I’m not sure why he came then. One day, a stranger came onto our porch at 4:30am and woke us. The pool was very dirty too. Our 2 kids got red, infected eyes from playing in it. The price wasn’t cheap, and we found an amazing hotel 50m away for the same amount. As someone said in another review, not everything can be repainted.