Dhevan Dara Beach Villa

A peaceful beach escape just three hours from the bustle of Bangkok. The place is spotless, the staff are wonderful, and the calm is mesmerizing. The beach setting could pass for an exotic movie set. I don’t understand people saying it isn’t five stars. To me, it absolutely is.

The beach was the one letdown, with trash everywhere, though that clearly wasn’t the hotel’s fault. The establishment itself was very nice, with a lovely pool and restaurant. Staff were super friendly and helpful, and parking and check-in and checkout were easy. Our room was beautiful and the beds comfortable.

It’s right on the beach, and since it’s a small resort, getting around is easy. But the property is run down, and seems to be heading further that way. Don’t expect an Anantara, Four Seasons, or JW Marriott kind of stay just because it’s called a five-star hotel. I wouldn’t go expecting a five-star experience.

My wife left her vintage yellow Ralph Lauren hoodie in the room, and we realized it just 15 minutes after checking out. We went straight back, but it was already gone. The cleaning staff said they hadn’t seen it and pretended to search under the bed and among the dirty sheets and towels. When I asked for the manager, she spoke some English and looked too, but couldn’t explain why it had disappeared. I contacted the property later, and got another excuse without an explanation or anyone taking responsibility. We’re sure it was there, and we’re convinced it was stolen. My wife had worn it on holidays for years, so it meant a lot to her. We’re pretty sure the hotel knows what happened and won’t own up to it. There were other problems too: the place wasn’t well maintained, staff didn’t speak English, our room wasn’t cleaned, the food was below par, and the service was poor. We’ll never return, and I’d tell others to avoid it.