Maehaad Bay Resort

The rooms were clean and spacious, and the hotel is well placed for the beach. I wasn't keen on the bathroom opening directly into the room, a modern setup most people probably wouldn't mind. There are two lovely pools and a good restaurant, plus very helpful staff, as we found at most places we stayed in Thailand. Breakfast was good, though it got too busy.

The hotel is a little remote from the popular areas and shops, so it's not great for shopping. There are some nice restaurants, a Tops, and scooter rental close by. We heard some animal or critter activity in the roof space above our top-floor room, but it didn't seem like anything could get into the room. A giant beetle visited our balcony a few times. It was safe and friendly, though it gave us a little fright at first. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly, arranging trips and transport to different places. The hotel has two excellent pools, and provides beach towels and a bag for pool use that you can take to the beach. There's a good snorkeling spot right next to the hotel. Our room's balcony was large and comfortable with a good view. When we arrived, two very cute towel elephants were waiting on the bed with a welcome greeting :3

Our first day was deeply disappointing. We arrived about an hour before check-in and were told to wait by the pool. Since we had a baby with us, we asked for towels, but staff refused and said we could only get them once the room was ready, in about an hour. I found towels with housekeeping near the rooms while we waited, but reception staff soon came over, took them away, and repeated that we couldn't have towels until the room was fully prepared. The staff, including reception and administration, were extremely rude and unhelpful. The hotel surroundings were also poorly maintained, and the staff were particularly unfriendly and unwilling to accommodate us. This was a shock in Thailand, where we'd never experienced such poor service. I don't recommend this hotel.

We picked this resort for its peaceful feel and closeness to the sandbar, and its reviews looked better than the nearby resorts. After our stay, though, I'd probably choose somewhere else if I could do it again. Our room door wouldn't lock after check-in. We'd arrived early and waited without complaint, then went out with friends and asked staff to repair the door. A technician came and worked on it, but we didn't stay to see whether the job was finished. When we returned, we asked for a spare key in case it failed again. Staff refused, citing hotel policy, and insisted it now locked and opened normally. They were argumentative and sharp-tongued, then followed us to the room to prove it. The door opened, but still wouldn't lock. It was around 7 p.m. by then, and staff wanted to call another technician and have us wait there. We asked to change rooms instead, but they argued, raised their voices, ignored the problem, and offered no proper help. We couldn't reach Agoda for assistance. Staff also refused to let us speak to the General Manager and still wouldn't resolve the issue. In the end, we put up the “Do Not Disturb” sign and avoided further contact, handling it ourselves. Breakfast was very poor. The restaurant closes at 10:00 a.m., but when we arrived at 9:00, many items had already run out. Staff brought only one or two pieces after we asked for a refill. Other guests took them right away, so even though we'd requested more, we got none. The service was extremely disappointing and the hotel's general condition wasn't good. The worst part was staff speaking badly to guests and raising their voices instead of helping. They also seemed to have little understanding of hotel operations, since they had assigned us a room that wasn't ready for guests. We saw plenty of available rooms in our booked category, especially in the zone nearer the beach, but they wouldn't move us. I honestly don't understand why. The resort next door would be my choice: it's beachfront, has a restaurant open for service, better hospitality, is near the sandbar, and provides kayaks and life jackets for guests. I wouldn't stay here again or recommend it to anyone.