PHI PHI ISLAND VILLAGE BEACH RESORT

Firstly, I want to say this is a BEAUTIFUL hotel - very relaxing & well maintained, with huge comfortable rooms. Breakfast & buffet dinners are also incredible. However we did have 2 gripes: 1. It is very isolated, with not a lot of atmosphere. And when it rains, there's literally nothing to do. They do shuttle boats to Tonsai (the main area of Phi Phi) throughout the day (which cost 200 THB p/p each way), but the last one back is at 4pm...so you're not able to go there for dinner & a few drinks in the evening or do a boat trip which gets back later than 4pm, unless you're willing to pay a local man 1,000 THB+ to bring you back. Apparently you can walk there in about 1 hour, but we didn't risk it because we were told there aren't proper paths & you have to climb over rocks... 2. It is very expensive (for Thailand). Considering how much you pay for the hotel, you'd think things like the shuttle boats would be free. And the cost of the transfers to/from the hotel & mainland Thailand are crazy. Just feels like everything is an added extra. Thankfully there is a little village out the back of the hotel where you can get cheaper food & massages. The staff are lovely and go above & beyond, but it does also mean everything seems to take a rather long time (check-in/out, waiting for lunch to come out, organising shuttle boats etc). Although it's lovely that they think of every detail, I wanted to spend my time sunbathing etc rather than waiting around for stuff. Overall it is a luxurious resort, probably one of the best we've ever stayed in, but I'd only really recommend it for couples or people who don't want to leave the resort / meet new people. Hotel = ***** Food = **** Staff/service = **** Location = *

We had a memorable stay here. What a lovely property. A superb pool with a swim up bar in the middle, it doesn't get better than this! The main Api restaurant had fabulous breakfast and dinner buffets, and a la carte items for lunch were pretty great too. I also loved their charming coffee shop that serves up nice brews and cakes. The staff are all very sweet and attentive. Their rec centre organizes all kinds of activities and day trips... we went for a day tour of the phi phi le island which was amazingly beautiful and totally worth it. To swim in those pristine waters and lagoons, was an absolutely unforgettable experience. Not to forget that if you just wanna stay in, the property itself is very beautiful, just to relax, laze by the beach, or enjoy their spa. Also, just as you step outside the resort you can also explore a little local market which has everything, basic pharmacy, grocery, lots of little eateries and pubs.

This review is a complicated one. I'm giving the review 2 stars based on our experience rather than on the actual resort its self because it is beautiful. We booked the hillside pool villa online via their direct website. There was 2 options available to us Villa with breakfast but one was more expensive as it added a list of "extras" you apparently got. Turn down service, relaxing jacuzzi spa bath,etc etc. We didn't get any of this and it turns out we paid £100 more for something that apparently comes as part of the package when you book a villa any way. Upon checking out when we questioned this we were told that it was a website mistake and they would take it down but they couldn't refund us the extra money we paid. It was a joke. The villa it's self was quite nice as it had a private pool,but at £600 for 2 nights it should have been better. The bath was filthy,as were the covers on the sofa cushions. They were marked and clearly had things spilled on them. Also the private pool doesn't feel quite so private when the villa next door is situated slightly higher so that they're balcony and rooms looked directly into our pool and bedroom. We went for dinner on our first night about 930pm (shuts at 1030pm) and were greeted by the most miserable waitress I've ever met. She sighed when we said we wanted dinner and looked at her watch. She snapped that we would have 15 minutes if we wanted to buffet or 45 minutes for the al acart menu. We took the latter option. The food was basic and the menu choice limited. A very disappointing stay,especially when we had been so very excited to get to Phiphi and enjoy our villa.

No words I can say would justify this amazing resort. The only downside was we only stayed 2 nights instead of 3/4 We had 2 garden view huts and they were lovely So close to the reception and restaurant and a few minute walk to the fun pool where there were plenty of space for us to relax. Definitely try the buffet at the restaurant, very reasonable and they have a chef who freshly cooks in front of you. We also did the early morning speed boat trip to Maya beach and monkey island as well as snorkeling and you back to the pool enjoying cocktails by midday

My partner and I stayed for one night in the Hillside Pool Villa. Wow! The villa was amazing. Very spacious with two king beds, kitchen, twin bathrooms - main with walk in robe and outdoor bath, and of course the pool overlooking the bay and the rest of the resort. Everything was perfect. Then there was the room service. Given we splashed out on a villa, we weren't keen to head to the restaurant but opt for the privacy and relaxation of the villa. We ordered cocktails. After calling back 3 times and waiting and hour, they arrived. Then dinner. We were given mixed messages about what was actually available on the menu and when the food arrived, the order was wrong. This was swiftly resolved but took the shine on an otherwise perfect villa in the perfect setting. If not for this, I'd be rating 5 stars. Even so, if returning to Phi Phi I wouldn't hesitate to book again. Perhaps just be willing to head out for dinner.