Shaded by jungle and almost totally hidden from view on a shady hillside, the Pakasai Resort blends harmoniously into grounds that have been lushly planted with tropical vegetation. Click here for a map. Giving the appearance of a resort within a jungle, it's very impressive, well shaded and has an abundance of birdlife and artificial streams and water features.
The main problem with the hotel is its location. It is 400 metres from the beach, as compared with 10 metres from the beach for Ao Nang's best 4-star resort, the Golden Beach, which charges similar prices. Also, the Pakasai is 400 metres from the northern end of the beach, where the swimming is not so good as it is at the southern end of the beach, where the Golden Beach is located. So the Pakasai can't really be recommended for people for whom easy access to a great beach is a priority. Its hillside location means that it is necessary to climb many steps to get anywhere, so families with small children, people with mobility problems and those averse to exercise while on holiday should look elsewhere.
This hotel is definitely not recommended for less able people, as access to the pool and to most rooms is by steep pathways and timber steps, which are well lit at night.
Surprisingly for such an excellent resort as this, the very first impression is not great, as the driveway is overgrown with extraneous grass. This is, however, one of this immaculate establishment’s very few faults. The lofty lobby is tastefully if modestly and unprepossessingly furnished.
All the rooms are immaculately presented and very tastefully decorated in an understated style that will offend no-one’s eye, but will not ‘wow’ anybody either. The Thai influence is minimal and the rooms could be in a top hotel anywhere in the world. The hotel’s location is ideal, right next to the centre of town, but still quiet at all times of day.
The hotel is ten years old but the exterior surfaces don’t look it, and the resort’s trees have benefited from the time that they have had to mature. It is quite a walk up the hill to some of the rooms, so guests with who don’t fancy the exercise can contact us to ensure that they get a room fairly near the bottom of the hill.
There is little point in climbing the hill to obtain a room with a sea-view, as all the sea-views are postage-stamp-sized. 2 years ago in 2007 a new building was added, in which only two types of room, the ‘Adora’ and the ‘Adora Suite’, were built – these currently offer the best value in the resort. A word of warning – when staying at this resort, check your bill carefully, particularly if you have used your mini-bar, as the check-out staff here have recently acquired the reputation of being somewhat careless.
Restaurants
The resort’s restaurants have a good reputation, but are expensive for Thai food compared with the many gourmet establishments just a few metres outside the resort. See our restaurant map for details.
Pool
The huge pool, which has an attractive sea-view, is situated atop one of the resort’s buildings and requires the scaling of 2 flights of stairs to reach, so this is not a resort where parents can conveniently leave their children to play in the pool for hours, without accompanying them to the pool themselves. There are many resorts in Ao Nang where parents can look after young children in a more relaxed fashion than is possible here.
Spa
There is an almost bewildering array of treatments on offer at the resort’s Adora spa. The massage treatments here, whilst costing almost ten times what a massage costs in one of the many massage shops nearby, are certain to be performed by a professional, unlike the masseurs and masseuses in the nearbv shops, some of whom are really excellent, and some of whom are a complete waste of money and time.
Accommodation
Superior 36 sqm
The rooms are immaculate but the balcony floors are not - they are slightly stained. The odd floor pattern will appeal to people of esoteric taste.
Deluxe 48 sqm
These rooms also have strange floor patterns, which might have been the height of fashion 10 years ago when the resort was built, but which now look rather dated, but not so tasteless as to be actively offensive to the eye. They're more likely to provoke a laugh than anything else. These rooms have large balconies, and some have reasonable but not spectacular views. The slightly stained balcony floors and occasional rotting approach step won’t please very particular guests. Inside, however, the rooms are completely immaculate, and very tastefully decorated.
Adora 52sqm
There are two different sets of Adora rooms, those in the new ‘Executive’ building and those in the old chalets on the hillside. We recommend those in the new ‘Executive’ building, as they are nearer to the bottom of the hill, have balconies that are in pristine condition and don’t require the guest to expend any great effort to reach the pool or restaurants. To ensure that you get an Adora room in the new building, contact us, our office is only 600 metres away, so we can pop round and make sure your assigned room number is in the new block.
Adora Suite 57 sqm
Each of the immaculate ‘Adora Suite’ rooms has a gorgeous outdoor bathtub on its private verandah and all are situated on the ground floor. Some have better views than others - for a room with a view, contact us.
In addition, we offer the following free benefits:
Airport transfers at only THB 500 for a taxi or THB 1,000 for a minivan.
If you book your transfer to the airport with us, we will take you to the Tiger Cave Temple, for free, en route. If adults want to climb to the top and need child-minding help while they do so, contact us.
We’ll personally inspect the available rooms at the resort for the dates you require, then report back to you with details of the available rooms that best meet your requirements.
We’ll give you a free quality bakery loaf of bread on arrival.
You will be able to take advantage of unlimited travel advice before arrival – we know southern Thailand intimately and so can organize all your accommodation, travel, sports and activities. This personalized and customized service comes at no extra cost to you – we get our commissions from hotels and activity/transport providers, not from you.
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