Rayavadee Hotel

After reading the glowing review in Conde Nast Traveller last month, I was a bit nervous that with all the hype, the resort just couldn't live up to our expectations. Then I read a few posts here about the food and my nervousness increased. But my husband and I have just got back from a 10 night stay and I was really bowled over with the resort and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet, low key but thoroughly rejuvenating holiday. The staff are wonderful - their smiles and attitude brighten every single day and they are a real gem. Sure, the service can be a little slow sometimes but they are currently under staffed and aggressively recruiting so they are trying to remedy this. The pace is wonderfully slow at the resort though and so it does seem a little churlish to complain occasionally when you have to ask twice or three times for a drink. The rooms are lovely - could do with some updating - but the bedrooms are spacious and well designed. My only complaint would be the arched windows in the bedroom that don't have shutters and so you're woken very early every morning by the sunlight streaming right onto the bed (my tip is to let your husband sleep on the side closest to the stairs where the sun hits!!) I suspect the hotel have left the shutters off deliberately as this is a resort where they seem to want you up and about early and as they don't have a bar for evenings, they clearly don't think you'll be up late. The food - I loved the Thai restaurant and went there most evenings - the sea views are stunning (but take your Mosi-guard) The Rai Talay restaurant by the beach is good also for simple meals when you want a break from the curries. We didn't go to Raya Dining which is their main restaurant so I won’t comment about it but it is where you have an above average breakfast every day. The beaches - Phra Nang beach is the most popular and gorgeous beach. Get there early because despite the hotel's policy of 'First Come First Served' when it comes to sun beds, you still get ignorant guests who stick a newspaper on the sun loungers and disappear for half the day. This is really frustrating and takes the exclusive sheen off the hotel and makes you feel like you're in the costa del sol! That aside, the beach is outstanding and great for a cheap lunch. Be warned about the Sea Bees in the water though - millions of little stings on the flesh when you swim but it's worth it as the water is amazing. Overall, the resort relaxes you instantly and the service with a smile makes everyday a great one. Take the boat trip, it's pricey but it's fantastic. Visit the Spa - it's a bargain compared to UK prices and the massages we had were very good. We probably wouldn't go back but that's only because there are plenty of other places out there to be discovered but it's perfect for honeymooners, and families alike.

We just returned home from spending Christmas vacation with our 2 kids in there 20's in Thailand. The Rayavadee was the ultimate. We have been to many beach resorts, but waking up every morning with the limestone cliffs looming around us was an amazing sight. The beaches were beautiful, Kayaking into awesome caves and walking around the lush tropical grounds with beautiful birds, monkeys lotus ponds and a mirage of tropical flowers all made it much more than just a beach destination. We did some good snorkeling. Went to the night market at Au Nang. We had great massages. I had just come from Chiva Som and was very impressed with the quality of the massages at the rayavadee. The service was absolutely top notch. Someone was always catering to our every need and with a big smile. Being over the holidays the beaches were crowded but we always managed to find a little quiet haven. Unlike other posts We thought the food was very good, but we had just spendt 3 weeks in India so a change was wecome at that point. My only complaint was the swinging couches in the living rooms were not comtable and the pillows could be upgraded. My other complaint was we did not spend our entire time there but went to the pimali on Koh Lanta Which in comparison was an ordinary beach resort with bad servive and and lacked the friendlyiness of the Rayavadee. We are aiready planning our next trip to Krabi.

I stayed at the Rayavadee with my partner in November and it met my expectations. The service was impeccable - although for what you pay i'd expect nothing less! We paid extra for a spa pavillion which gave us our own Jacuzzi in our villa. It is worth going for this option. The peace and tranquility of the resort is its main attraction. The resort is also very clean and the villas are large in size. The only downside for my partner was the mosquitos as the huts were actually based in the forest areas - you could even hear monkeys outside! Also - the food was very expensive and not great. But i would definitely recommend it.

Ok so i will start with all the positives. Arrival FAB Lobby/Public areas - FAB Staff - FAB - so helpful, everyone is pleasant and extremly helpful Pavilions - UNBELEIVABLE Pool - GORGEOUS Location - Stuff dreams are made of. However some of the previous reviews i have to concur with. The food is simply average. Whilst the Thai restuarant is nice its expensive and not even that great (tatste like it was cooked by someone learning Thai food, good but not authentic) breakfast is OK. We were just very very dissapointed in the food. Feels like someone is trying to cut corners. Also the Rayavadee could do with a bar for people to go to at night. The Grotto closed at 6pm and the railay bar closed at 8 so after you had eaten there was nowhere to go (in the resort) just for a drink and chat to other people. Such a shame because on all other counts this is the most stunning place, with the most fabulous service i have ever been too. I really hope they sort these two things out. Until then it saddens me to say we wouldn't return

I am lucky to have travelled to some great places over the last few years and this rates up there with the best. It is a truly stunning hotel with extremely friendly staff who cannot do enough for you. The rooms are amazing by far the best rooms we have had at any Hotel. They are well laid out, spacious and the outside private spa really topped it off. Everything and I mean everything is supplied for you. The resort is spread over a large area so wherever your room is expect to do a bit of walking which is well needed after a good meal. We took the B&B option as we wanted to go out and experience some of the restaurants in the rest of the area, which was a fun experience and certainly a change from the resort restaurants (Me and my Girlfriend never ate our main courses together and often had our appetisers for desert which we actually found pretty amusing but when you get change from £10 including your drinks ….. how can you complain). We found the quality of the food and service at Rayavadee as you would expect in this class of hotel and certainly the prices are pretty much the same as any other 5* Hotel I have been at in any country in the world. I can confirm that they give you out bottles of water (not jugs) and round the pool if your water got warm it was replaced with a new bottle, which in 40-degree heat was definitely needed. We were there for 2 weeks and wish that we had a week here and a week elsewhere as there isn't a lot to do in the evening but when you book a hotel which has no roads and you get to by boat this is to be expected. Diving is good I used Railey Diving which are based just along the beach, make sure you do the Hin Daeng / Muang trip, its a long journey but well worth it I'll try and post some pictures of the huge Manta's. The beaches are public and are very popular with other tourists and travellers but they did not disturb us and added to the laid back atmosphere of Railey Beach so if you want quiet private beaches try Taj Exotica in the Maldives.... another great hotel, fantastic Diving and very very quiet like most of the Maldives (go for a Deluxe Pavillion on stilts not a beach villa with private pool, they are on the beach strangely enough and so your private pool is actually visible from the beach and has no privacy so no skinny dipping!) We loved Rayavadee and if you want a quiet romantic break in Thailand go there. We love travelling and trying different places but here are other hotels we would go back to just incase you are looking at other places in the world with similar high standards: Taj Exotica – Maldives The Oberoi – Mauritius The Datai – Langkawi, Malaysia The Royal Mirage – Dubai Enjoy!

We visited the Rayavadee in Oct 2005 for our 10th wedding aniversary - repeating our honeymoon visit in 1995. Some things hadn't changed in the intervening 10 years - the spectacular scenery; the soaring limestone cliffs; monkeys roaming in the grounds; and the sumptuous 2-storey pavillions. Some things had got better: the public areas are even more sumptuous; the spa is excellent; and we got more for our money this time around. Contrary to other reviewers we didn't find the public beaches a problem - they were very quiet with few day-trippers - although we were there in low season. The only negatives I can think of are: - the food in the restaurants is beautifully presented, but sometimes tastes less exciting than it looks - the dinghy sailing wasn't available because the boats had been destroyed by the tsunami (although staff said replacements were on order) so we went sea kayaking instead

We stayed in Rayavadee as part of our honeymoon in Dec 04 and think it is the best hotel we've ever seen. The pavillions were amazing - beautifully decorated and made you feel like you had your own private space rather than just a room in a hotel. From the moment of being taken by speed boat to being greeted with a delicious cold drink on arrival we really thought we'd entered a different world! The beaches are spectacular and yes they get busy during the day but swimming in the sea before brekfast we barely saw another soul! Perhaps all these other reviewers get up too late. I have to say my husband and I felt very smug watching back packers come and go on day trips knowing we could enjoy the beach after they had to leave!... perhaps that's because it's not so long ago we would have been in their shoes as students! The food maybe wasn't the best I've ever tasted but the wasn't anything wrong with it. We ordered room service one night and that was good too. Italso didn't have as high a premium to pay as you might expect. Our best recommendation is for the private barbecue in the grotto - very romantic, your own personal chef and a huge amount of food! Ok so there isn't a great nightlife but I imagine most people come for the tranquility and peace and it's got that in buckets. I would highly recommend it to anyone especially for a honeymoon.

Was interested in some of the recent reviews of the hotel, not least as we shared some of the negative comments expressed. I also suffered food poisoning (from the poolside restaurant) which laid me low for several days. Overall we were v.disappointed with our stay, not least given the rates charged. Noise from the beach was v.disturbing when sitting by the pool. Food was OK (Thai restaurant best), but limited choice for a longer stay, and impression from the main restaurant was that (admittedly) high quality ingredients were just assembled together at the last minute to create rather uninspiring dishes. We were there for peace and quiet, but having said that, the resort after dinner was a ghost town, with all guests rushing back to their rooms to watch DVD's. No attempt to create a friendly atmosphere at the bar (live music, forget it). Gym was totally antiquated, and rates at the spa put London to shame. We attempted to talk to the managing director to voice our opinions, but were constantly fobbed off. Believe that hotel may be under new ownership, but certainly not tempted to return. For an outstanding experience, I cannot recommend the Datai on Langkawi strongly enough.

We will be returning to the 'Land of the Princess" in July 2005 for our 5th straight year. Two stunningly beautiful beaches (most beautiful we have encountered on earth), elegant two story room pavilions, beautifully furnished. The staff is the friendliest on earth. Sheer elegance and relaxation. Why else would we put up with flying 19 hours each way to Bangkok from San Francisco!!!!

I have to write to disagree with the review below. We enjoyed the most delicious Thai food during our stay at the Rayavadee. We had beautfully prepared thai fish, gently taken off the bone, replaced, and the fish curled up in the air - so good and fresh. The yellow chicken curry was superb, just the right heat of spice and so fresh. Daily smoothies at the pool were excellent and full of ripe tropical fruits. We were given bottled water for free around the pool (no jugged tap water as the below reviewer states, even in the restaurants). The beaches, although not private, were still wonderful. Yes there were other people on them, but they were only there purely to sunbathe and enjoy the spectacular scenery like everyone else. We walked down the beach at sunset to where the other bars and hotels were - of course they aren't in the same league as the Rayavadee, but were certainly no dumps. We sat on the sand like everyone else watching the sun set over a relaxing drink, with gentle music coming from the bar and candles. It was magical when the sun disappeared behind the horizon and everyone applauded. The sellers on the beach were friendly and did not heckle that much. Nothing in this world can ever keep some people happy, but the Rayavadee is a place I would never have second thoughts about going back to. I have stayed in the Maldives many times - this is NOT the Maldives, its Thailand. If you want Maldivian seclusion, go to the Maldives!