Amari Emerald Cove Resort Hotel

I have just returned from 13 days at the Amari Emerald Cove (7-19th Oct) and I can honestly say that I could not find any fault with the hotel whatsoever. Myself and my partner chose the Amari after staying at the Amari Palm Reef in Koh Samui in 2004 and we decided that it would be the location for our wedding. We got married on Oct 11th and the whole day was amazing, the organisation and effort put in by the Amari Team was unbeliveable, the service was so attentive and personal. I would highly recommend this hotel as a wedding destination for anybody looking to get married abroad and not wanting the conveyor belt marriages offered by Sandals or similar. The hotel itself is well maintained, people constantly gardening, cleaning etc.. the rooms are large and very comfortable in modern decor with walk in shower and large deep bath. Fresh Fruit in the rooms and drinking water, as well as chocolates at turn down. The food is of very good quality, the breakfast is excellent with all american favourites such as pancakes, eggs to order as well as a good selection of cold meats, breads pastries etc.. The Thai and Italian restaurants are also both very good and not overly priced for a 5 star resort. A two course meal at Just Thai with drinks was roughly £8 per person. More expensive than outside eateries but we found the quality much better. When the weather is good and the sea is calm it is perfectly clear and excellent for swimming, although the 50m lap pool is also a joy to swim in. Outside of the hotel the Island is distinctively rural Thailand, with intermittent shops, restaurants etc.. obviously opened in anticipation for the influx of tourists. However the development is relatively small scale in comparison to Islands such as Koh Samui. Koh Chang still retains a distinctive Thai character, although you don't have to walk far to find Tailors and tourist shops with CDs , jeans etc.. if that's what you want. Recommended is Bang Bao fishing village the journey itself is interesting on this mountainous Island, but the fish served in the restaurants is great. White sands is not really worth visiting unless you want to visit more tourist shops, we ate at both Oodies and Cookies and found the food to be just ok, although very cheap, drinks at Oodies are also cheap. Overall a lovely Island which I hope will remain as it is now and not become a destination for the masses and a fantastic hotel, with great service and facilities.

We stayed at the Amari Emerald Cove in a deluxe sea view room from 8th - 18th Sept 2006. Superb room, exceptional staff and great pool area. Highly recommend a stay here. Its expensive to eat in the hotel restaurants, but the food was excellent. There are a few local restaurants within 15 mins walk if you turn right at the top of the road at the hotel entrance. Can recommend the small Italian restaurant in the village by way of a change. Take a taxi into White Sands Bay ( about £2 return!) for some shopping and more restaurants. Can highly recommend "Cookies" restaurant opposite Cookies hotel on the main road. Clean efficient with great friendly staff and lots of tables on the beach. Our thai meal here consisted of deep fried whole fish with crispy garlic and spring onion, stirfried mixed vegetables, spring rolls, green curry and red curry and enough boiled rice to feed the 5000, 2 large Heineken beers for me and a large gin and tonic for her(wife). No room for desert, all for £12. Great value and not to be missed, we ate there a further 4 times and they do great western food if thst your fancy. Thoroughly recommend Ko Chang if you are looking for a quiet more relaxed hoilday than Ko Samui, Phuket etc.

We have just returned from 3 weeks in Thailand and finished it off with 4 nights in the Amari on Koh Chang. It was the perfect end to our holiday mainly due to the hotel and it's staff. The truly 5* room was luxurious and comfortable. The pool is olympic size and we received complimentary fruit and mini-massages by the pool side every day. (The drinks ordered from the pool bar were not great and expensive) The breakfast is awesome and the service too good. We ate at both the Italian and Thai restaurants and the food was great, expect western prices though. (Be sure to get the welcome package which includes a 6 course meal and a massage of your choice for much cheaper than usual.) There is a bar with live music and the artists ask you for personal requests. Perfect place to recap on the day's ativities. This hotel makes it difficult for you too leave and explore the island. We did rent a jeep for a day and the trip around the island took us about 2 1/2 hours there and back. Not much to see around island as the waterfalls were closed. There are taxi's to White Sands (busiest area on island) but nothing special. I would recommend going to the fishing village (about 20 minute drive) for the most beautiful sunsets and very fresh seafood (you can choose your meal from the aquarium...) Enjoy this one, it's hard not to!

From the point we were met at the airport with cold drinks and cool towels, this was a little bit of luxury. Stayed 6 nights, but could have stayed longer. The room was luxurious, the pool area was amazing, breakfast was excellent and the staff were brilliant. Resort restaurants were relatively expensive when compared to the rest of the island, but there are several authentic, cheap Thai restaurants within walking distance, and taxis are available - and cheap - if required. Would definitely recommend it. The only (minor) complaint would be that the beach area is a bit disappointing, but the pool area more than makes up for it.

Booked a room for 3 nights. On arrival was allocated a room overlooking the hotel generator(despite the hotel being less than 10% occupied at the time). Very noisy. On requesting another room was informed that none of the "superior rooms" have reasonable outlooks and that a room with a view of swimming pool or beach would cost a further 1,650 baht per night. I was however transferred to a room at the back of the hotel still close to the noisy generator and overlooking the back lane and stagnant river. Nevertheless the rooms and hotel are very good with excellent service. Big swimming pool but no gym. Not much of a beach and very little to do or see on the island which caters mainly for backpackers. I have lived and travelled extensively throughout Thailand. The Amari is good but there are equal hotels in better locations. If you do stay here be sure to book and pay for a "deluxe room". I won't be returning.

I can't rate highly enough the time we spent here. Right from the transfer from Trat Airport, the staff gave such a high standard of service I've never experienced before. It was very quiet when we were here (start of rainy season) and so the staff may have been a little over the top with the service but we didn't complain!!! Great room, lovely clean bathroom with bath and large seperate shower. Turn down service each night with flowers and chocolates. Great breakfast. Food was excellent - highly priced for Thailand but it was still great and there are other cheap options within a five minute walk. Great spa facility where you can enjoy a massage to the sound of the sea, side by side with your partner!

We (couple + 2 children) just spent 12 nights at the Amari Emerald Cove in a magnificent suite. It's hard to fault this hotel. Hotel food and service is excellent but if you want to grab cheap and "ethnic" eats that's possible 1 minute away at the Magic Resort restaurant on the beach where the whole family could eat for about US$ 15-20. We chose this hotel based on our experiences with the Amari on Koh Samui and we weren't disappointed. It's the staff that make it so enjoyable. Koh Chang is much quieter than Samui but we were expecting that. Our kids preferred Samui but that's because it has more buzz. Personally, I think the Emerald Cove is a nicer resort and it's just a question of time before it has the same buzz (and fine eateries) as Samui.

After being on the road touring Northern Thailand for a couple of weeks we decided to head South for a bit of r & r. The Amari was a lovely hotel, it was fairly quiet at the time we visited so the staff were a little over-attentive. But all in all no complaints whatsoever. Although the small area of beach accessible from the hotel was very average, the pool area was very nice and the sunset we saw on our last night, was gorgeous. Prices for food, laundry, massage were much higher than anywhere else we had seen in Thailand, but it is to be expected in a resort like this. It didn't take much searching for these things to be found cheaper elsewhere. There isn't much going on in the immediate area, but it's easy to pick up a taxi to livelier locations. All in all, the staff were extemely accommodating, the accommodation was immaculate, a very relaxing and much recommended place to stay.

We spent 3 days at the Amari and had a great and relaxing time. The rooms are very nicely decorated and big; the surroundings are splendid. The pool is a unique experience, and staff are very friendly and helpfull. A little surprising is the expensive breakfast: if not included in your room, you pay 15 US$ pp, which is very expensive in Thailand. But it only takes a 2 minute walk to find alternatives. The food is excellent, the Italian restaurant is next to perfect, and prices there are very reasonable. If you would like to use the services offered in the spa, prepare for steep fees. Living in Thailand myself, I can assure you they are a multiple of what they should be, although the atmosphere and decoration of the spa may justify it for some visitors. All in all a perfect spot, and for us it lived up to its promises.

We travelled to the Amari Koh Chang in late March. From beginning to end the whole experience was fantastic. Trat airport is tiny but lovely - the transfer service to the hotel was great. All the staff at the hotel were helpful and friendly. Breakfast was a continual joy. The pool and beach side facilities were fantastic and the spa, whilst expensive on its own was really good as part of an introductory meal/massage offer. Of particular note was the cocktail happy hour to accompany the sunset. Meals were reasonably priced particularly at the Cove restaurant where you could eat outside in the evenings. Of note there seemed to be no issue with me sharing a double room with my boyfriend. Staff were friendly regardless. Overall, a fantastic relaxing holiday. Highly recommended.