Le Meridien Khao Lak Resort & Spa in Khao Lak

This is hands down the worst hotel I've ever stayed in. Giving it zero stars would still be too generous; it was a holiday nightmare!

Despite carrying the Marriott brand, it's nothing more than a trap in the middle of nowhere, seemingly surviving on Indian weddings. They clearly don't care about Chinese tourists, and the sky-high ratings are severely misleading!

The location is despairingly remote, surrounded by desolation. There isn't even a basic convenience store or restaurant. The closest town is 30 minutes away, forcing you to buy everything and eat at the hotel's exorbitant prices. It's incredibly far from all the attractions in Khao Lak. Getting to the Similan pier takes 40 minutes one way, and with pick-ups, you have to leave by 6:30 AM, making the whole trip utterly exhausting.

The environment and clientele are completely mismatched. The hotel is filled with Indian shrines, and most of the restaurant serves Indian food. Almost all guests are Indian, making the atmosphere, dining, and customs completely incompatible with what Chinese tourists expect for a holiday. We felt out of place and extremely uncomfortable the entire time.

The beach is a disaster. It's covered in sharp pebbles and broken shells, making it impossible to walk barefoot. The sea is full of rotten wood and unidentified debris, with no shark nets, and the water is incredibly murky. After one swim, I was so scared I never dared to go in again. There's no shade on the shore, so you can't even relax there.

Family facilities are practically non-existent. All pools are a uniform 1.3 meters deep with no shallow end, making them unsuitable for children. The kids' pool and Kids' Club are tiny, barely bigger than a hand, with no water features or play equipment. The Kids' Club air conditioning was ridiculously cold, blowing my child sick – a pure rip-off for kids.

Service and hygiene are appalling. The avocado in the room service Cobb salad was spoiled; I almost got food poisoning. The hotel air conditioning only had two settings: freezing cold or off, with no temperature control, making our stay miserable.

Worst of all, during our stay, half the hotel was taken over by an Indian wedding. The pools, ping-pong tables, billiards, gym, and children's areas were all commandeered. Bass music rattled the entire building until 3 or 4 AM for several nights, making it impossible to rest. Our long-awaited annual holiday was completely ruined.

And the after-sales service was completely dishonest. At check-out, they promised a three-day refund for one room, but as soon as we landed in Beijing, they changed their story to only half a day. The hotel and platform kept passing the buck, going back on their word with absolutely no credibility.

I sincerely advise all Chinese tourists, especially families with children, to steer clear of this place! Don't trust the inflated ratings! This is a remote, dirty hotel with poor facilities, noise pollution, and a complete lack of integrity. Choosing it means paying to suffer and having your entire holiday ruined!