Tao Garden Health Spa & Resort

This place has had its heyday, and that heyday is sadly long gone. Arrived and immediately had difficulty with the room. I had to switch rooms, first because the grey water pump outside the window was broken, and secondly because the terrible smell from either grey water or mold was increasingly worse each day in the bathroom. I was getting ill. It took more than a week of complaints to finally be able to switch to a room where at least the smell was minimal, however the windows would not close properly. As per other bad reviews: there is no standardization amongst rooms, little to no hot water or decent water pressure, and if the place is fully booked, service is not cooperative or informative. Staff are however very friendly, and willing as well as able to be communicative in English. What they advertise: Good air: well not really - smog from the city, smell of grey water wafting throughout accommodations, as well as a no-smoking policy that is not enforced and other guests to not adhere to Good water: not so - a great deal of sediment and filthy water. One liter of bottled drinking water provided if you ask the daily cleaning staff. Hot water only available at nighttime, and at poor pressure. Good food: it’s the same buffet service everyday, give breakfast a miss as it’s not worth the expense, and watch your billings. We were overbilled for a few meals we did not partake of. For vegetarians and vegans in particular, there is very little variety. It is possible to eat SOS free, but without any variety. There are not SOS free options within walking distance so plan accordingly. Massages are more than twice the price of elsewhere, and not as exceptional as advertised. Many of the previous staff, laid off from Covid, work in the surrounding area and offer same or superior services at reduced pricing levels. There is a language barrier with the Spa staff - do not expect everyone in Thailand to communicate with you in a different language. If you make an effort to be polite in Thai, you will receive friendly courtesy. Word of warning: single men may receive requests from spa staff for emigration assistance and/or offers of marriage in exchange for citizenship to foreign countries (this happened to a few of my travelling partners who used the spa) Things I wished I’d taken with me: bug/mosquito spray and/or coil for nights, more layers of warm clothing, as it was much colder at night and early mornings than expected, larger stash of cash (Thailand operates on cash only, and the exchange rates were not as favourable as other travellers advertised), black tea as there seems to be difficult to obtain in Thailand There are other accommodation options nearby for which fellow travellers gave much better feedback.

Tao Garden bent over backwards to see that me and my family were taken care of. Every time I or my family were tried, they did everything they could to make us feel cared for like family. The whole buffet was halal certified I promised them this review long ago. I pray I get to study there again. Really amazing people.

Good experience with the Spa. 2 very experienced therapists for Chi Nei Tsang detox work. The 2 therapists have each more than 15 years experience. Very helpful staff. Highly recommend. Did not stay at Tao Garden but travelled there from the Riverside area.