We enjoyed our three-night stay at the hotel due to its commanding view of the area, isolation from the main town and arranging private long-tail boats tours. The hotel itself is located a short complimentary (check-in and checkout only) long-tail boat ride away from Ao Ton Sai Pier, which we had to wait a few minutes for after arriving by ferry. Once at the hotel, the staff greeted us and walked us up the several flights of stairs. Luggage is transported up to the hotel on a rail mounted cart. Our two bungalows (Bungalow West Seaview and Grand Seaview) had nice views of the Andaman Sea with lots of windows. The bungalows themselves were rather basic and would align with mid-range to slightly budget hotels. Our room was comfortable, including the bed, with all the features we needed and we enjoyed the bungalow feel with all its windows. I would have a preferred a nicer bathroom, due to the bungalows having a wet shower. The air conditioning was also a little noisy. Overall, I likely would pick the bungalow over a similarly appointed hotel with full bathroom. During our two full days, we hired a private long tail boat for 1,500-2,600 bhat/day (through the hotel). We enjoyed this option as we got to specify our schedule and got to Maya Bay before the tour groups. We also enjoyed snorkeling during our day tour. After the second day tour, I went snorkeling in front of the hotel by Shark Point. On our last morning, I asked the hotel about hiring a long-tail boat to take us to Shark Point and was quoted a 1,500 bhat, which felt really expensive considering it was a few hundred meters from the dock. I tried swimming out to Shark Point again, but the current/tide was too strong at times without flippers. You also need to be careful to avoid stepping on sea urchins. Overall, we would recommend the tours. The hotel itself is situated a 30 minute or so walk from the town center. However, we always took the long-tail boat, which cost 100 bhat/person before dusk and 150 bhat/person after. The hotel was fairly quick about getting long-tail boats to take us into town. However, hiring the long-tail boat by the pier to take us back to hotel was normally slow, as they seemed to wait for other people before departing. On one trip back (after a long wait) the boat left closer to the end of dusk and we got high-centered for a little while, due to the low tide. Typically, we would go into town in the late afternoon for groceries, arrange ferries, etc. and come back to have dinner at hotel next door. During Omicron, the town center was fairly busy near the water front, but away from main street many businesses were closed. I expect they all are open now. I preferred the quieter area surrounding the hotel and would likely choose to stay away from town center even if it meant dealing with expensive long-tail boat trips to town.
Excellent
203 Reviews