The Racha Reviews

The room facilities were pretty basic, which is understandable since it's on an outer island and quite natural. The amenities definitely don't measure up to a 5-star hotel of the same price. However, the scenery is absolutely stunning, and the service was excellent. Overall, I'm quite satisfied and would definitely come back if I have the chance!

An absolutely terrible experience!!! I've never stayed in such a bad hotel!!! Firstly, I booked the 11 AM boat to the island via email, and I arrived early at the waiting room, only to depart from there at 11:30 AM. After taking the bus to the pier, we basically boarded the boat at 12 PM. This was a huge delay, so unpunctual, wasting our time and making us wake up early for nothing. After arriving on the island, the front desk told me that a wheel on my suitcase had fallen off. Throughout the entire conversation, she just informed me, without a single apology. Guests entrust their luggage to the hotel for transportation, and you are responsible for taking care of guests' luggage and property safety. She said they would repair it for me. I looked at the wheel, and it was obvious that the plastic inside was broken, not just a loose screw. They took my suitcase away. After it was returned, I found that the inner lining of my suitcase was stained with black machine oil, which couldn't be wiped off. I asked what happened, and only then did she tell me it got stained during the repair. It's clear that if I hadn't proactively discovered it, she had no intention of informing me in advance. And throughout, she never apologized for staining the guest's suitcase. Later, I complained to Ctrip, but the hotel still didn't apologize. There was also no compensation whatsoever. Ctrip is a leading enterprise in China's tourism industry, but The Racha hotel clearly isn't afraid of them. This shows how little they respect Chinese people. 95% of the guests in the hotel are Chinese, yet The Racha hotel restaurant doesn't have a Chinese menu, while other restaurants on Koh Racha do. The Racha hotel makes money from Chinese people but doesn't respect them. I stayed in a room type costing 3800 RMB per night for three consecutive nights. A hotel at this price point cannot even guarantee the safety of guests' property. There wasn't even a basic apology or compensation. I waited three days and complained to Ctrip for three days, but the hotel never came to apologize or compensate me for the damage to my luggage. Don't trust the recommendations of influencers on Xiaohongshu. They all go during the off-season. I reasonably suspect that during the off-season, since no one is staying anyway, the hotel invites those influencers for free to take photos, post on Xiaohongshu, and write good reviews. Please believe the honest truth from someone who spent nearly ten thousand RMB. I am a Black Diamond member, and my husband is a Black Diamond partner. We have stayed at many hotels, and this is truly the first time I've encountered a hotel that shows such disrespect to its guests!!! I call on Chinese people to stand up and absolutely not come to this hotel. Chinese people don't deceive Chinese people!!!

They offer a free shuttle service, which you can book in advance via email. There are three time slots to choose from. We opted for the 11:30 AM transfer to the island, which required us to arrive at the Chalong Pier Racha lounge around 10:00 AM. There, you can pre-select your room's essential oil scent and enjoy some light refreshments. The speedboat transfer is convenient; they'll place your luggage right at your door, and you just leave it there when you check out. Upon arrival, you're greeted with refreshing towels and drinks. The water quality wasn't great; I'm not sure if it was a March issue, but the water that came out was yellowish. You can order room service, and the noodles were quite good. The island has a happy hour from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM, where drinks are discounted. All expenses are simply charged to your room number and settled upon checkout. There's a 7% service charge and a 1% tax of some sort. The hotel breakfast buffet was decent, with a good selection, and the location was excellent for enjoying the sea view while having breakfast. The hotel offers many activities, most of which require a fee. Yoga was free, but we didn't go. You can also go snorkeling on your own, which we tried. You can borrow life vests from the hotel for free. Overall, this place is perfect for just relaxing and whiling away the time. I'd definitely come back again. Oh, and there are cats on the island! I even brought some cat treats, haha.

The beach in front of the hotel was very clean and pleasant to walk on. The sea was also very clean; the environment was simply outstanding. However, the room we stayed in had a strong odor. The staff mentioned it had just been renovated three months prior, and perhaps the hot weather made the smell more intense. Even though they sprayed some air freshener later, it was still a bit uncomfortable for me as I'm sensitive to smells. Overall, I'd give it a good rating, primarily for the hotel's surroundings and the ecosystem outside.

Let's start with the downsides: 1. The water quality was poor; filling the bathtub resulted in a tub of yellow water. 2. There was no tractor transport provided to the snorkeling spot, so we had to get there on our own. 3. They started calling to rush us to check out as early as 10 AM, even though the check-out time is already a very early 11 AM. Before we had even checked out, staff members were already climbing trees to cut coconuts right outside our room, which made me hesitant to take an outdoor shower. Now for the positives: 1. The lounge environment was excellent, and we were allowed to use it upon our return trip without being rushed. The reception staff were very responsible; they waited a few extra minutes for us before departing for the speedboat, which was very touching. 2. The overall environment was relatively dry and not humid. 3. The experience of renting non-motorized water sports equipment was good.

Cleanliness: The cleanliness was average. There were ants, centipedes, and other insects in the room. But it's understandable, given that it's located in a forest. Environment: The environment at Racha Beach is undeniably beautiful, truly stunning.

Didn't want to leave! Especially the sea-view room we stayed in later – with the bed facing the ocean, it was absolutely incredibly comfortable. Ambiance: It's all about the natural environment here. Don't expect fancy decor; the natural surroundings are definitely a huge plus, beautiful everywhere you look. Cleanliness: Honestly, for a hotel by the sea, it was incredibly well-maintained. And even if the tiles aren't high-end, they're mold-free and easy to clean, which is great. Service: I thought it was excellent. On the second night, even though the AC broke, they quickly moved us to an even better room type – so thoughtful! And I have to give a special shout-out to the staff at the watersports club; they were truly wonderful! They drew us a very detailed and adorable snorkeling route map!

This hotel is severely discriminatory and overtly biased against Chinese guests. The experience was absolutely terrible; I strongly advise everyone to avoid it! Throughout my stay, I felt blatant double standards: Chinese guests were forbidden from sitting at the seaside tables in the restaurant, while foreign guests could sit wherever they pleased. The staff's attitude was arrogant and aggressive. The front desk deliberately assigned all the undesirable rooms at the end of the corridors to Chinese tourists, reserving the prime locations for foreigners. Staff members would greet foreign guests with big smiles and attentive service, but completely ignore Chinese guests, showing no interest whatsoever. When we tried to communicate, their attitude was hostile and showed a complete lack of basic respect. The hygiene conditions were appalling. The bedding was stained black and yellow, clearly not thoroughly cleaned, with obvious dirt marks. The water quality in the room was extremely poor; after showering, I developed allergies and breakouts all over my body, with unbearable skin itching. Paying the same price, yet subjected to discriminatory treatment, dirty rooms, and terrible service, I, as a Chinese tourist, felt extremely uncomfortable and angry. This hotel openly discriminates against its Chinese guests, with both its service and hygiene completely falling apart. It shows no bottom line or professional ethics. I urge all Chinese tourists to firmly boycott it and save yourselves from this terrible trap!

Facilities: The room has everything you need, and the pool is quite large. Hygiene: Staying in such a clean hotel on such an ecological island exceeded my expectations. Environment: Needless to say, it's top-notch. Service: All the staff are full of smiles. It would be even more perfect if the Chinese-speaking service could be a bit better.

This is my second visit, which just goes to show how much I love The Racha! The beach right in front is comparable to the Maldives, and this time I even spotted some jellyfish 🪼. The kids absolutely loved the pool.

We were dropped off on the other side of the island after diving, and our butler came to pick us up. It was a rather chaotic arrival, and seeing the other side of the island at that moment made me feel like I'd landed in Africa! It was scorching hot, and the lobby was packed with people – probably around 1 PM, with guests checking in and checking out all at once. There was no air conditioning, no empty seats, and they didn't even offer us a cold towel or iced water right away. Thankfully, we didn't wait long and were able to check in by 2 PM. Our butler escorted us to our room, which was decent, designed like a Maldivian villa with an outdoor shower. However, controlling the hot water temperature inside was tricky! The only happy hour on the island is in the afternoon, with a buy-one-get-one-free drink offer and some free snacks. Anyway, our first dinner at the restaurant was really, really mediocre! We paid a premium just for the beach view.

A very beautiful hotel! The environment, hygiene, and service are all excellent. They are all detached villas, which made for a very comfortable stay. From arrival to departure, the staff provided one-stop service, helping with luggage so we only needed to carry a small bag to check in. The Sunset Restaurant also has great food, but you need to book seats by the coast in advance. The hotel's spa is very relaxing! (๑¯◡¯๑)

The environment is beautiful, but the service attitude is really bad. They charge extra for an additional bed if there are more than two people, and you can only add one person maximum. If you have extra friends, they aren't even allowed to enter the hotel. Seriously, the attitude is garbage.

I booked the pier transfer in advance via WeChat. I'd recommend taking the 11:30 AM one so you have more time to experience the island. The scenery on the island is absolutely breathtaking, no complaints there. However, the room was quite old, and all the facilities were dated. The water from the tap was also yellowish. I definitely paid purely for the scenery.