Sheraton Hotel Reviews

We stayed either end of the holiday at the Royalk Orchid Sheraton in Bangkok, we have been there before and know what to expect etc and it was as we hoped. We stayed in the Tower rooms which allowed us free washing up to 6 items each per day, breakfast and evening cocktails.

This was our first time at the Sheraton in Krabi and there were some good things and some not so good (a lot depends on what you want I guess)

On the plus side the hotel room we had was light and airy, cleaned everyday and relatively quiet. You could sit on the balcony in the late afternoon and all you could hear were the birds. The staff were friendly and were only too willing to try and help, especially when our air con sprung a leak at 11pm! There was a pool and the hotel is on the beach, though to get to both it is a long trek from the rooms. The sea is nice and warm and you can book sailing trips, or long tail boat rides and power boat trips from the beach. The hotel also runs shuttle busses to Ao Nang and Krabi. You need to book them and they go at various times and pick up in the evening. Ao Nang is the closest and it costs 200 bhat return trip per person. To be honest we didnt think much to Ao Nang it is like a lot of other places in Thailand, cheap bar/cafes backpackers and lots of tailors. However there are some nice restaurants that face onto the beach and if you get there early enough you can eatyour dinner watching the sun go down.

Outside the hotel there are some restaurants and a couple of bars. The Terrace is right opposite and does lovely food, but beware it is busy and by 7.30 it can be hard to get a table. We saw loads being turned away. There is a bar called Bamboo, does some really nice cocktails and lunch type food and rather cheaply too. There are the usual collection of mini marts and laundry, massage tailors and tour operators all nearby. In Kluong Moung Plaza there is a laundry that will do your washing and ironing for less than a pound a kilo, and it was done very well.

This leads me onto what isnt so good about this place. The hotel is expensive to drink in, for example a Singa beer in Martinis cost about 230 baht, yet in Bamboo it cost 60. Its the same with food, laundry etc it is all cheaper outside with the exception of the trip to Ao Nang a taxi will cost 400 baht one way. Although many people must have stayed on the resort because it was full most of the time and not everyone came out. As part of our package we had breakfast at the hotel, now this was a buffet but sometimes it was so full you had to wait for a table, it sort of reminded me of old Butlins holidays. The food was ok as it goes and there is plenty to choose from.

Then there is the fun of getting a lounger round the pool, we never bothered because by the time we got to the pool about 9.30 they were all gone. Actually we preferred the beach as it was quiter as the kids in the main were around the pool. As with all things some were noisier than others so a lot depends on whether you have kids or not. On the beach it wasnt too intrusive. However there are no umbrellas on the beach, instead there are loads of trees which offer shade, but once again it does get busy and if you come late on you may find it hard to get loungers where you want them.

Overall this place was good, we had a relaxing holiday, good cheap food and wine outside and the weather was great. You can do as much or as little as you like, if like me you dive then there are plenty of dive shops and sites but they are all good.