Z-Touch Lipe Island Resort

Mr Kreetha, the manager, was the one good thing about the stay. He was the sweetest, but I wouldn't come back. I first requested a room with a bed that wasn't hard. The room on the second floor had that, but its AC kept breaking, so I asked to move because I can't handle the heat. The replacement on the first floor had working AC, but its bed was like a wooden board and I kept waking up all night. The building felt poorly made too. It shook when someone walked upstairs, and I could hear a child screaming and running around above me, with everything shaking on my side. Breakfast was cold, even the congee in the rice cooker. I usually stay in higher-level hotels and wanted to try something different. On the way back, the boat ride was extremely rough. We were thrown up and hit down every 30 seconds for the full 90 minutes. I've been to Lipe close to 10 times, but that trip really worried me.

This was our first hotel during the 12 December holiday, and it was a comfortable, clean and quiet place to stay. The beach is very close. You can get up, put on your swimsuit and sunscreen, then walk over to relax on a towel in the sun and enjoy the view.

The location is so good, and the price is half what other places charge. The man who runs it was the only reason I'd give it more than one star. The air conditioning has to be left at 22 Celsius. The bed felt like a canoe, and the bathroom was rough, with mold and several other problems. They fixed them only after I showed that the shower wouldn't drain. You'd think housekeeping would have reported it. The toilet seat had also been coming loose for two days.

The garden-view room was cozy, quiet and peaceful, with much more space than we expected. It was clean and comfortable, had what we needed, and looked out toward lots of greenery. There were hardly any mosquitoes, so we could sit on the balcony with coffee in the evenings. The hotel has a calm, relaxing feel, and we liked taking slow morning walks around the green space. We'd never been to Koh Lipe before and booked without really knowing which beach or hotel to choose. Turns out the hotel is right on the beach, just a few steps from warm, clear water. The ocean view from a front-row room looked amazing. The beach was possibly the island's best part, with soft sand and clear water, and no boats cluttering the view. Sunbeds are provided. They're not the newest, but fine for relaxing with a smoothie and a book. Breakfast was a good buffet with plenty of choice, from a light bite to enough for a full meal until dinner. A few small things could be better: newer sunbeds, more outlets by the bed, and a desk that isn't so tall for the chairs. Still, we felt very welcome and had a memorable stay. We'd recommend it and hope to return.