JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort and Spa in Khao Lak

The service was impeccable; the staff were patient, responsible, and very nice. The environment and facilities were excellent, and the cleanliness was good. However, the pools were numerous and scattered, so it's understandable that some fallen leaves weren't cleaned up promptly. The only drawback was the lack of Chinese-speaking staff at the front desk. Even just being able to briefly explain the key points would have been helpful. It seems the hotel doesn't see the need to train its front desk staff in Chinese due to the relatively low number of Chinese tourists. Conversely, because it's not a Chinese-friendly hotel, most Chinese tourists are less inclined to choose it, creating a mutually reinforcing cycle that's unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. I was pleasantly surprised to encounter two non-frontline staff members who proactively approached me in Chinese to ask if I needed assistance and could even have a simple conversation.

The photos were taken in the Similan Islands. Since we don't have scuba diving certifications, we don't know how amazing the scuba diving was, but if you're only going for snorkeling, it's about the same level as Saipan, far inferior to the Maldives. It's really not worth spending so much time and effort traveling so far; the Racha Islands are basically the same.

One of the best hotels near Phuket. Everything is top-notch.

Wonderful hotel, great service, and very clean. The breakfasts were simply amazing, with a huge variety. The beach is magnificent. There are many restaurants (but they are expensive), though you pay for quality.

It was under management of Marriott Resort and Spa and now it's managed by MVC. They have done some renovations and still more ongoing (though it's well under wrap and we don't see any construction work). There is also another totally new resort being built right next to it. By and large the resort is well maintained and our room is in excellent condition. We enjoyed all the free activities during our 3 nights stay (some fitness sessions, a shark hatchery tour, free bicycles ride). For food we prefer to enjoy local eateries and there are few options walking distance. We ended up having most of our meals in the Phen next to the resort. I'll write a review about that separately. If you prefer international cuisines then there are also plenty of options within the hotel. There is dinner on the beach in the evening where you can dine alfresco by the waves, with different menus every night. We were told there were over a thousand guests during our stay but it didn't feel noisy or crowded at all, except during check in there was a short wait.

Very green, very clean, everyone speaks English. Customer service is top notch.

Great Find! Was looking for something to bring the family and also have some space. This property was the best find! I am not a MVC member but redeemed using Bonvoy points ( great deal btw) and we got a 2 bedroom suite with an upstairs bedroom with 2 double beds and bathroom/shower. This part of the hotel is much newer than some of the JW side on the other side. Rooms are spacious, huge balconies, and nice view of the pools. Kids have tons of activities and they loved the slides and bouncing fountain at the pools which are literally a few steps away from the MVC part. We stayed 7 nights and tried every restaurant on property, some more than once. Kids have plenty of activities which you need to book with the kids club. Parents can relax and head to the pool / adult activities/ Gym. Gym has all new equipment, everything one needs to work out. Great staff at the gym including FIN. ( My child loved his one-on-one Thai boxing classes with him). He even gave the kids thai boxing shorts.... super!!! The restaurants and dining options are great. We went to that downtown area of khao lak to look around for 1 hour to buy some floaties and I will be honest, we decided not to bring the kids to eat out there as it does not make sense. You couldn't save much money and if you take the hotel shuttle you are stuck for 3 plus hours and there isn't much to see or do. We took a taxi, and as there is NO GRAB TAXI allowed ( and ni GRAB food), you are fixed to a 300Baht each way to go anywhere. Even if its to 7 eleven, the price is 300 baht by local drivers ( not even taxi's). Or you sign up for the hotel shuttle that leave in the late afternoon and brings you back after 8pm onwards, but honestly......no need to explore outside. For the prices I would not go outside of the hotel as we checked out some of the Italian restaurants and it's about the same same. You won't save much- but I guess everyone is different. The property is great. Food quality was great. If any issues, the staff at all of the restaurants go above and beyond to make it right. Service recovery is A++++++ at this property. Olive has a fantastic italian chef that is super passionate about everyone tasting his local area's specialty dishes. Sala is a great day place to eat specially near the pool. Beach bar has great sunset views and good all-around food options. Breakfast buffet can hold you over to late lunch/early dinner. Lots of options. Deli has great protein smoothies, the ruben was amazing. Japanese was great. Thai was great. They really care about food allergies and have options for anything special. The beach is awesome, clean, no random sellers except for the local ice cream bike guy which is a great deal. The hotel property is so large that you never feel cramped or can't find a beach lounge chair. The executive/members invite weekly cocktail hour with the management of the hotel was super! Great drinks and time to share your positive experiences with the hotel management. Natasha

We spent two weeks here in November and it was absolutely perfect. From checking in to checking out the staff were absolutely fantastic. Fa in housekeeping, Mink in Vacation Club, Caesar at Beach Bar and Prasanth at Pool Bar were just a few of the many excellent staff that stood out for us. Nothing was too much trouble at any time of the day and night including an awesome birthday surprise! Natasha Low the hotel manager takes her time to speak to the guests and her time with us was very much appreciated. We would go back and recommend to others.

We really enjoyed our stay at the hotel. The views are amazing, and the amenities throughout the property are top-notch. Quan Spa was fantastic, offering a relaxing and high-quality experience, and the restaurant—especially Olive—served excellent food we thoroughly enjoyed. Also spotted Charly the monitoring lizard and the occasional coconut boat!

The rooms are clean, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed. The gym is superb, and the beach facilities—including the sunscreen, towel service, and water—were a great touch.

However, our room was located next to an employee/service road, which made it quite noisy at times. Additionally, the TV unexpectedly fell off the wall, which was surprising and a bit concerning.

Fortunately, we were treated exceptionally well by the Manager, Ms. Srirajun, whose hospitality made a real difference.

Overall, we had a good stay, and with a few improvements, it could be truly exceptional.

This place is so beautiful and so many activities to keep both the adults and kids occupied. The swimming pools was fantastic. We love the wave pool! The beach was also the favourite. Beautiful view during sunset and at night, the cool breeze was so relaxing! Service staff from the moment you check in to check out, was very professional. Special mentioned to the team who manned the gym counter, kayak additivity, shark conservation activity and many more staff who worked hard to keep the pools clean. Our room was kept clean and comfortable. We also love the pool access from our room.

Loved this resort, mainly because of its beauty, the excellent service from the staff, the massive pool and quality of the food. All exceptional. There were two staff in particular that deserve mention; Ked who works in the catering team and Gift from the front desk.

Just two critical points for the hotel management. There are some areas of the resort a little run down that require painting or refresh. The beach bar in particular needs new furniture to feel more upmarket. In addition, as we were half board, adding Drift to the half board options with a surcharge would be a big value add