Elixir Koh Yao Yai

Unfortunately, our stay at this hotel on Koh Yao Yai was a deeply disappointing experience. The property may once have been a beautiful and enjoyable place to stay, but at present it feels poorly managed, neglected and far below the standard one would reasonably expect from a hotel of this category. The restaurant is, quite simply, one of the weakest aspects of the hotel. Communication is extremely difficult because much of the staff have very limited English, and on several occasions it was almost impossible to make ourselves understood. More concerning, however, was the lack of courtesy and customer service we experienced. We often felt that the priority was to charge the guest rather than to provide a proper service. For this reason, I would strongly recommend thinking twice before booking half board. The half-board menu is very basic and the portions are remarkably small. The salmon tartare we were served was not really a tartare and was so tiny that it was difficult to believe it was intended as a proper dish. It was genuinely embarrassing given the price and the category of the hotel. The Tiki Bar is another example of the lack of organisation. It appears to open according to its own schedule rather than the published one. We once sat on the terrace for more than two hours without anyone coming to take our order. In the end, perhaps that was fortunate, because the cocktails we eventually tried were extremely weak and almost tasteless. The swimming pool looks beautiful in photographs, but unfortunately it was consistently dirty during our stay. The water did not look inviting at all, and getting into it was hardly appealing. The pool bar was also not operational, which further reduced the experience. The massage itself was good, but the location of the massage room immediately next to the swimming pool makes it very difficult to relax. With children shouting and playing nearby, the environment was anything but peaceful. A hotel offering massages should really consider whether this is an appropriate location for a treatment room. The beach was perhaps the biggest disappointment of all. It was simply not usable because of the amount of rubbish. There appeared to be a large number of people described as gardeners or responsible for maintaining the area, yet we repeatedly saw them sitting and looking out to sea rather than cleaning the beach. The situation was so disappointing that guests themselves were picking up plastic bags and other rubbish from the sand. It should never be the responsibility of paying guests to clean the hotel’s beach. The villa itself also showed signs of insufficient maintenance. The air conditioning seemed to make more noise than actually cool the room, while the mosquito net around the bed took up a considerable amount of space without providing a particularly effective solution. Cleanliness was also not at the level we expected, including concerns regarding the condition and cleanliness of some sheets and towels. It has been difficult to post this review, as the Wi-Fi is simply non-existent and there is no sign of it becoming available. On the first day, you are told that you have a router at your disposal in your room, but it is completely useless and serves only to disturb you during the night with its annoying flashing light, as it provides absolutely no internet connection whatsoever. There were, however, two positive points worth mentioning. The massages themselves were good, and one particular receptionist genuinely stood out for her professionalism, excellent English and, most importantly, her concern for guest satisfaction. She was clearly trying to help and solve problems, which made the contrast with much of the rest of the service even more noticeable. Overall, this hotel currently feels like a property that has lost control of the basics: cleanliness, maintenance, customer service and attention to detail. Perhaps it was a very good hotel in the past, but during our stay it was unfortunately a very different experience. The location and the natural beauty of Koh Yao Yai deserve much better. It is a real shame to see such a potentially beautiful property operating in this condition, with so little apparent urgency to address problems that should be fundamental to the guest experience.

The resort is a bit dated but well maintained. It is located on one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Unfortunately of the nearby islands Ko Khai Nok and Khai Nai, and not only, comes in plastic bag and it is a real shame! We stayed 5 days because we took advantage of an offer and all in all it was really worth it, our house was well located with sea views, the room was large and the outdoor shower spectacular but I have to make some notes: the beach slippers available in the room were black instead of white as long as they had been used, the breakfast the first days was great then I dropped the last few days adopting an international style not up to scratch, a real shame!

Beautiful hotel at an amazing beach with a stunning sunset. Restaurant, Bar, Pool,… all perfect. Very family friendly, with a playground (next to the bar 😉), free Billiards, table soccer, toys to borrow, Kajaks, badminton, it’s all there. Breakfast is very good as well, Western, Chinese and local food. Restaurant is also good. They have kids meals and a good menue for everyone. The best is the beach and the sea. My boy went snorkeling in the bay with me and got addicted, we went two times the day. We loved it and we will come back, for sure. Thank you Elixir team, we enjoyed our stay. CNN