We arrived at Krabi airport at around 1 in the afternoon after an hour and 10-min flight from Bangkok. We took Bangkok Airways which was actually quite good. As We didn’t arrange an airport transfer from the hotel, we booked our ride at the taxi kiosk inside the terminal. Going to Klong Muang from Krabi airport, we were charged THB700 which I think was acceptable specially since the prices are written on the billboard of the kiosk anyway.
The drive from the airport to our hotel took about 40 minutes and it was a very scenic one, I thought I was back in Meteora with the hills and mountains surrounding us. As soon as we arrived at the hotel, we were immediately greeted by a concierge who took our luggage. We walked in towards the lobby and it immediately took my breathe away.
The lobby was huge with a natural lighting. The colonial style of it with a hint of Thai architectural design gives a very breezy atmosphere. It opens up to the well-manicured grounds of the hotel and further on to its majestic 7,000 sq.m. pool. Seeing all these as soon as we arrived made me instantly shift my mind to vacation-mode.
The check-in procedure was quick and smooth, again I have vouchers to use for this hotel which basically means I stayed in this massive property for free. Yay! Since the boyfriend is an Accor Hotel member, we were able to get a wi-fi password that we can use inside our rooms. Normally, wi-fi is only free at the lobby and payable inside your rooms. Well, I didn’t use much of their wi-fi anyway as I was too busy being lazy at the poolside.
The rooms were huge and elegantly styled as well with daily housekeeping and nightly turn down service. We had a small balcony which unfortunately had an obstructed view of the pool because of the palm trees but even then, it didn’t stop us spending one of our nights there while drinking wine.
Their breakfast spread was good although I would say that it lacks variety as it’s been the same food they served for the whole 4 days that we were there. We dined at Venezia Ristorante Italiano on our first night thinking that it would be a good decision to maximize our time in the property, well it turned out that it was only us and 2 other couples who thought of the same way. I found it a little boring so we decided to have our dinners in Ao Nang beach for the rest of our stay. I had the best pad thai though in this hotel.
As mentioned previously, we spent most of our days at the poolside area. The boyfriend who used to be a competitive swimmer can’t even do one full lap in their massive pool, it was that huge. They’ve got a well-equipped poolside bar with very attentive and friendly staff and a fun happy hour everyday. It’s a buy one, take one deal and I stuffed myself mostly with seabreeze – the yummiest cocktail I’ve ever had.
As much as I hate to say this though, the massive pool that they have is probably to compensate to the poor beach across the road. The property is not ON the beach, you’ll have to cross a tiny road to go to the private beach in front of it. We didn’t go there though except to take photos, I preferred to stay inside the hotel. Well actually, I didn’t see anyone going to the beach when we were there as all of us were all lounging by the pool.
I went for a pedicure and leg waxing at SoSpa and I must say that it was the most luxurious spa service I’ve ever received. Julia, my pedicurist was a fun, quirky and friendly Thai lady. She made sure that I was feeling comfortable and was even tolerant of all my requests. I was asked to lie down on a massage bed for a pedicure and waxing so I was a bit confused and told her again what services I’d like to have, just in case they’ve mistaken me for someone who’d like to have a massage. Well, it turned out that even for a mere pedicure and waxing, you’ll have to lie down on the massage bed with a cold towel on your eyes while a soft, Thai music plays in the background. For a pedicure and waxing services, that for me is luxury at its finest. LOL. Julia also took her time making sure that everything will be done into perfection and at the end of the service, she gave me a head massage. Yay!
The hotel’s location is quite a drive from Ao Nang, the main area in Krabi. If I’m not mistaken, it’s about 20 minutes or so. I didn’t mind it though but what’s quite bothering for me and for some other people was that the hotel charge THB398 per person to go to Ao Nang. I believe this service should be offered complimentary for guests. We only used the service once and for the rest of our stay, we took a tuk tuk from outside the hotel as they’re all lined up anyway by the beach.
Well to sum it all up, the level of comfort that I’ve felt while holidaying in this property was far greater than the tiny things that I’ve noticed which the hotel failed to provide (the beach, breakfast and Ao Nang transfers). It’s not so hard to overlook all those things as the property itself was wonderful plus the fact that all of the staff there were all trying to give you a perfect service for a perfect holiday. Nothing was ever too much for them as all of your requests will be taken into consideration with a smile on their face and the jolliness to be of service to you.
If you haven’t noticed it already, I do highly recommend this property if you ever find yourself in Krabi.
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Filed under: Hotels I've Stayed in, Pinay Flying High in Asia Tagged: hotel, krabi, so spa, sofitel phokeethra krabi golf and spa resort, thailand, Travel, travel photography
