Khaolak Bhandari Resort & Spa in Khao Lak

Avoid at all costs – shockingly bad

Staying at Baan Khaolak Beach Resort was an absolute disaster and easily one of the worst hotel experiences of my life, made even worse by the outrageous price: nearly 300€ per night. What you get for that money is incompetence, neglect, and complete indifference.

We lost multiple hours of our holiday simply trying to enter our room because the door did not work. We were forced to walk back and forth to reception at least five times, escorted by staff who clearly already knew the door was faulty. Instead of fixing the issue or apologizing, the staff were dismissive, unbothered, and acted as if this level of dysfunction was normal.

Despite the hotel being fully aware of the problem, they initially refused to change our room, claiming there were no empty rooms. Only two days later — after hours wasted and patience exhausted — were we finally moved. This meant packing and unpacking everything again, burning even more of our holiday. The hotel offered no meaningful compensation whatsoever (only a pathetic dinner coupon, which we refused). For a hotel charging this price, this is frankly insulting.

The rest of the experience was just as bad:
• The food is bland, tasteless, and forgettable, with very limited buffet options.
• The beach is dirty and partially unusable due to ongoing construction.
• There is constant noise from a new hotel project right next door.
• The property is poorly maintained, run-down, and clearly neglected.

Housekeeping deserves special mention for how bad it is:
• Sheets were not changed even when requested, despite being dirty.
• Towels were not replaced even at request.
• Requests were simply ignored, as if basic hygiene was optional.

The general premises are filthy and poorly managed. Some of the public toilets don’t even lock properly, which is unacceptable in any hotel — let alone one pretending to be a high-end beach resort.

In short, this place feels like a bad budget hotel charging luxury prices. I have genuinely stayed in cleaner, better-run hostels as a student. This hotel should be embarrassed to charge what it does.

If you value your money, your time, or your sanity: do not stay here.
If this is your only option, reconsider your trip.