Napalai Pool Villa Resort

The setting is pleasant, nicely planned, and within walking distance of many amenities. The restaurant food is good, and one staff member from Burma was very courteous. But the receptionist, a Thai-speaking woman, had a very bad attitude. She didn't offer a welcome drink. I wanted to see the room before paying, but she wouldn't let me and insisted on the full room charge and caution deposit in advance. There was no room boy to help with luggage, so we had to drag our bags over uneven ground. I called reception from Bangkok two hours before arriving, but the room still wasn't ready. I stood sweating by the door, then had to ask her to turn on the outdoor fan. My phone battery was low, and I had come from the UK without a Thai charger. When I asked reception for a connector adapter, she said they didn't have one and told me to buy it at a store. Later I saw the Burma staff member using a charger, perhaps for a laptop, plugged into that same type of adapter. They call it a private pool villa, but they control the pool wave setting. We had to request it and wait an hour. The advertised depth was 120-160 cm, but it started at 160 cm. The water came above our noses, and since we can't swim, I asked them to lower it by 10 cm so we could stand. They said they couldn't, though I could see the drain hole. Later, the restaurant owner, who is their sister concern, said the level could be lowered. One day there was no water in the shower or basin. After we called reception, it took 30 minutes to fix. I tried calling reception to speak to the owner, but the receptionist said nothing and disconnected after 10-15 seconds. The room description listed a microwave and foot peeler, but neither was there. They also advertised laundry on site, then told me we had to take our clothes to nearby laundry shops. The bed didn't have the pole or decorative shawls shown in the photos on their site. All the keys were soldered onto one ring. To open the safe, we had to remove its key from the latch, which cut off all the electricity, so we had to search in the dark and sweat.

The staff were quick to respond, helpful, and really friendly. Breakfast was tasty and homey, and the room was set up in a welcoming way when we arrived. There were a few small maintenance problems, but the room was kept incredibly clean and tidy despite them. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend Villa Raya. Thank you!

The rooms are huge, the staff lovely, and the bed firm but comfortable. The pool is wonderful for lounging, and the whole place feels like a little slice of heaven. It’s generally quiet, with everything you might need a short walk away. Beautiful part of the world, great location, and easy to get around.

The room is spacious and reasonably clean, but the service was really bad. There was no receptionist at check-in, so you have to call. Breakfast was very ordinary. The room itself is old, the air conditioner is loud, and the bed feels like an old hole that I don't think has ever been replaced.