Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi

The beachfront setting was beautiful, and breakfast was amazing, one of the best parts of our stay. But the rooms didn’t feel luxurious or up to a 4-star standard. We booked two, and one had a smelly bathroom. We politely asked to move, but the hotel said it was fully booked and couldn’t change it. The beach location is nice, though getting around isn’t. The hotel is right on the road, the area isn’t walkable, and shops are about 1-2 km away, so you need a motorbike or other transport. For what we paid, we’d probably stay somewhere else next time.

The hotel is a bit dated, and my room was up quite a few stairs, but it was clean, with a comfortable bed and daily service including fresh bath and beach towels. Staff were friendly and arranged a car and driver for a day trip. I stayed five nights in a sea view room at Impiana. At the quiet end of Chewang Noi, the beach often felt like it was ours alone, especially early in the morning. The drawback is the main ring road, with no footpaths, making restaurants and shops hard to reach unless you take a grab, brave the highway, or cut through another resort via the beach. Breakfast was excellent, and our restaurant meal was good too. You can find other dining at hotels along the beach. We liked drinks and pool at the beach bar, swimming in the sea and pool, and getting a massage on the beach by the resort.

The beach is right behind the hotel and great, and breakfast was okay. The location is beside a busy road, with no shops or restaurants nearby. We may have been unlucky, but the shower kept switching between hot and cold, so we couldn’t shower for more than 20 seconds at a time. Our room wasn’t cleaned the first day, and we had to remind staff each day after that. The towels smelled bad, the WiFi in our room felt like 1996, and the beds were very firm. Our friends had daily AC problems. Some sea view rooms don’t have a balcony, though this isn’t mentioned in the booking.

We were in RM 116, with a lovely view of the grounds and sea. The resort and beach are beautiful, and the staff were always welcoming, sweet, and helpful. I took off a star for the location. The resort sits on a fast stretch of road with no sidewalks or pedestrian accommodation, and almost no shops or restaurants you can reach on foot. Walking to 7-11 is scary, with cars and bikes flying past on the four lane highway. You really need taxis to go anywhere off the resort. I ride motorcycles at home and rented a bike as usual, but even I felt nervous getting in and out most times. There’s nothing the resort can do about the road, but it’s good to know if you like wandering away from where you stay.