Khaolak Merlin Resort

“First time inThailand”

We stayed here from 16 th may 30th may we flew with turkish airline via istanbul - I booked through Tui for mid June however the day after booking on the hotel website it stated that the waterfall pool would be closed ! Despite contacting customer relations of the hotel 3 times via email - they d... more

We stayed here from 16 th may 30th may we flew with turkish airline via istanbul - I booked through Tui for mid June however the day after booking on the hotel website it stated that the waterfall pool would be closed ! Despite contacting customer relations of the hotel 3 times via email - they did not get back in touch !! ( not the best of starts) We managed to change our booking through Tui to mid may so all was ok. My husband had been in contact with the hotel Patchara (customer relaiton) for 3 months and multiple emails to request a room with jungle view- while I am aware that the hotel cannot guarantee a room he specifically asked not to be put in the new block, on arrival however this was where our room allocation was ! So nothing else for it but to pay another £200 + for a room upgrade to jungle view (reception staff probably most unhelpful !). So good points hotel porter was amazing (I didnt take his name but so kind after nearly 22 hours of travelling & also on the way home). The hotel is beautiful we stayed in room 3231 - we did the night walk - saw hermit crabs, green tree frogs & bull frogs but no slow loris. Food was amazing the buffet & verandah were our go to. Alcohol- if your AI the spirits are all non branded which to be honest not the best ! No prosecco or fizz !! (which for me on holiday is a thing !) Trips we booked through Mr Moo (out of hotel to bottom of street & turn left ) Taen (or 10) was so helpful -£95 for 2 approx each trip- we did Khao Sok - market, monkeys & temple, bamboo rafting lunch, elephant sanctuary (best experience ever )- ancient village market (as it was sunday) then back to hotel our guide Tuktuk and driver Audi were amazing x Second trip was James Bond island - long tail boat through mangroves to James Bond island( lots of photos our guide even had a replica golden gun) , floating island for lunch then reclining buddah - guide Otto & driver Audi were great x We also went to bangtang market which was good for a wander round we got taxi to and from - they are a set price. This was our first time in Thailand will definitely be back but will visit another part of the island. The staff at the hotel probably with the exception of reception staff were so helpful & polite, room was nice because we upgraded the outlook over the waterfall pools was special, hotel grounds amazing.

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“Merlin Resort”

Lovely hotel. Room very clean. Staff very friendly. Food was ok but not enough variety or choice. Buffet was closed in middle of our holiday with no warning. Leaving just the Al a carte menu for last 5 days. Told it was closed for 2 months. After booking All inclusive I was disappointed as I find... more

Lovely hotel. Room very clean. Staff very friendly. Food was ok but not enough variety or choice. Buffet was closed in middle of our holiday with no warning. Leaving just the Al a carte menu for last 5 days. Told it was closed for 2 months. After booking All inclusive I was disappointed as I find it hard to find things to eat. Had to eat out side hotel few times. Breakfast was buffet but not enough dishes. Also aircon switched off in restaurant as low season and fans being used. This only happened when buffet was closed. Would be nice to have Thai dancing maybe one eve as there was just 2 people singing each night.

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“Long but honest review”

Upon arriving at the Merlin resort the staff who welcomed us were most helpful, kind and generous. The gentleman who helped us with suitcases was one of the most happiest, helpful staff member I’ve came across at a hotel, he even gave us a tour and explained everything about the hotel in detail. ... more

Upon arriving at the Merlin resort the staff who welcomed us were most helpful, kind and generous. The gentleman who helped us with suitcases was one of the most happiest, helpful staff member I’ve came across at a hotel, he even gave us a tour and explained everything about the hotel in detail. The hotel rooms are very clean and have great air conditioning which makes the stay a lot more comfortable During our the stay the all inclusive buffet was a good variety, unfortunately they moved this to a set menu which isn’t the best (personal opinion) The management in main restaurant (mainly the men) seem to have a lack of management skills and a bad attitude towards staff and the staff seem to be a bit nervous around them. The outdoor restaurant does have an ant problem, I appreciate the area and you can expect this, however, the table could be cleared of ants before being seated. We felt the beach restaurant which seems to be ran by a lady had a much more welcoming attitude and the staff seemed a lot more happier and were always welcoming to people, the good management by her could be felt from the staff as well. Although the area is tidy and the beach is kept clean, people should be aware stray dogs to sleep in the hotel and wander around the hotel , this wasn’t a problem for myself as I like dogs, but, people who aren’t so keen or have allergies to dogs should be aware of this. Either staff or guests eat under the stairs and leave left over food on the floor and tree trunks which sometimes isn’t taken away for a couple of days, not the best of pictures to paint for guests The night time entertainment is pretty good, they have 2 different duets who provide live music. We found the 2 gentleman to be really good in particular, the hotel should trying boost and advertise this more as it is ran by a lovely lady by herself who works hard and always has a smile on her face, would be lucky if we had a maximum of 8 people at once in the entertainment section

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