Wanakarn Beach Resort & Pool Villas, affiliated with the prestigious Relais & Chateaux organization, is located on Thaimuang Beach, 40 minutes drive from Phuket International Airport, and is situated on 15 acres of pristine beachfront land facing endless white beaches and the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea. As an all services, all facilities luxury boutique resort it offers generously sized villas in a harmonious blend of contemporary Thai style architecture and design, exquisite dining options and an abundance of sports and leisure activities. Set in a tranquil and peaceful environment it offers the discerning traveler complete relaxation and an escape from the outside world while being pampered in true Thai style. The grounds are a natural botanical garden exploding with the colors of exotic flowers and lush greenery and utmost care is taken to preserve the natural beauty and the environment.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
We had a five night stay booked in Feb that we extended to nine nights due to an issue with other accommodation on our trip. We had also stayed in the Wanakarn the previous March.
Frode the Wanakarn’s Norwegian GM is a star, we contacted him about bringing forward our arrival date due to an issue with our current accommodation, Frode sprang into action and confirmed they could accommodate us and could send a car that evening to collect us if we wanted, with a real and genuine concern that we minimise the impact to our holiday.
Within a couple of hours we were in the comfy confines of the Wanakarn's S Class Mercedes and on route.
We were warmly greeted on arrival as repeat guests at reception, given a whistle stop tour of the resort on the way to our villa with simple checks that we remembered where the fitness suites, spa, business facility’s, shop and on site nurses office were. Once we got to the room the checking was as easy with our passports and card taken for processing, and returned to us while at the bar about fifteen minutes later, one very nice point was that we were reminded that our villa was the mirror image of the one we stayed in last year and not to get confused in the night and bump into anything and hurt our selves.
We received an equally warm reception in the bar / dinning area from the F&B team, with Frode coming over while doing his evening check in with the guests to ensure we were okay and happy with our room. With the same concern that all was well and that it was good to have us back from the executive chef “Jib”.
All in all it was a thoroughly pleasant and heartfelt welcome back to the Wanakarn.
On to the resort its self, The Wanakarn is a small resort, 14 detached pool villas laid out in pairs with a adjoining doors in the pool areas allowing lager groups to be accommodated. The pools while not large enough for laps, allow private sunbathing and keeping cool if the main pool or either beach is not your cup of tea. The villas are well appointed with TV / Blu Ray player and stereo, espresso machine. The AC is an indirect affair and allows the villa to remain cool without direct cold air being blown onto you and it’s very quiet in its operation. I think that the only thing that would improve the villas would be having a separate living and sleeping area rather than being open plan as this would allow early risers to take tea or coffee without impacting their partner. House keeping manage to perform the magic of keeping the room clean and replenished with towels etc. without being seen and lovely chocolates each night on turndown.
The main pool is easily large enough for laps and has sunbeds on one side with 10-12 beds, which are spaced quite closely together but with small “hedges” in between to allow for privacy, this was never a real issue as during our time there I don’t think more than 6 pool beds including ours were ever occupied. I spoke with Frode about the beds and he advised me there are some plans in place to rejuvenate and expand the pool decking area.
There are two beaches, one in front of the pool & bar / dining areas, set on a tidal river inlet with a sprinkling of beds and shades. The second, ocean beach is a short boat ride across the river. The second beach is staffed from morning to sunset and drinks and food can be ordered and delivered by boat as needed. As these are made freshly to order you might want to allow a little longer than if ordering around the pool.
With the choice of villa pool, main pool, river or ocean beach it’s hard to imagine a situation where you couldn’t find somewhere to relax in the sun while staying here. Another nice little touch is the regular cool boxes that are delivered while you are sunning yourself which contain cold water, cold towels and fresh fruit which seem arrive every 2 or so hours.
The open air bar / dining area is well stocked and staffed, with some great food options, I can personally recommend the Wagyu Steak and Eggs, Wanton Soup or Thai Omelette for breakfast. For lunch there are a number of western and Thai options none of which have disappointed. This is reflected in the evening menu, Frode took great delight in telling me of the six-month quest to perfect the BBQ sauce for the comfort ribs Jib and he added to the menu this year, be warned these are real cave man sized comfort food ribs.
One of the many assets of the Wanakarn is Jib the executive chef, who is keen to meet all the guests, tailor the menu to their tastes and dietary requirements and shows her passion for all things food and shares her experiences of working in some of the top kitchens around the world.
Two instances of this spring to mind. One when I accidentally mentioned to Frode on our arrival that it was our wedding anniversary, Jib and he managed to get a special desert created for us with no notice. The second was when Jib asked if there was anything we would like not on the menu we joked being English our national dish is now curry and how was she with Indian food. “Oh – No!” Jib cried but she didn’t bat an eyelid and said she would go shopping for ingredients later in the week. A few days later Jib reminded us and said their pastry chef was working on our Nan breads and it was “curry” night. The food was a great Indian / Thai fusion and more than met our expectations, my wife is convinced that the dishes should be added to the permanent menu.
The staff are a true credit to the resort, with a large number of them from the local area with little prior experience of the F&B service industry, with a smaller number of staff coming from Cambodia with more formal F&B training. The way the staff support each other and look to cross train shows a clear commitment to improving their skills. So yes as some other reviewers have noted there are sometimes some communication issues but I have never felt these have impacted our experience, Frode has managed to create a team that care passionately about the guest experience, building a relationship and rapport with guests rather that simply serving them and the team to a man (and woman) seem to take it as a personal failure if they can’t meet the guests needs.
During our stay I believe at times the Wanakarn was close to capacity but apart from noticing a few more tables at dinner you would think it was at fifty percent occupancy at most.
Other reviewers have noted that one thing they would change is some additional dining areas to prevent having to take all meals in the same area, which is a fair comment and I have seen more tables being moved our to the river side decking to give diners a different option in the evening, its also worth noting that there is a air conditioned dining room available at request should you want to eat out of the heat. Personally my wife and I accept that if you stay in a small hideaway boutique resort with capacity of ~32 guests that multiple F&B outlets are an unrealistic expectation.
One of the great things we noticed on coming back to the Wanakarn was the personal development of some of the staff that where perhaps a little shy or had difficulty with English on our first visit now seeming to have come our of their shells and being much more comfortable in there guest interactions. We look forward to seeing more of this on our next visit.
Talking of staff we cant fail to mention Mr Frode Sund the general manager, having spoken with Frode many times I know he has a history of managing these small hideaway luxury boutique resorts, his passion as a hotelier and for his guests experience is very clear, you’ll find Frode checking in with his guests with a light touch during the day, over dinner or drinks, or simply taking coffee at the bar and shooting the breeze. Making sure that all is well with their stay, passing on details of the local area for those wishing to “escape” paradise and see the local temples or towns. The way in which he sprang into action when we told him about our earlier accommodation woes is just one small indication of his passion and professionalism but one that will stay with my wife and myself for a long time.
I’ll close by saying that if small barefoot luxury is what you are looking for then I think the Wanakarn is the place for you, if you are looking for chic, modern, technologies laden villas and starched service then think again and give the Wanakarn a try I think its natural friendly and relationship driven service will win you round.
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Date of stay: February 2015
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We knew it was something special when the S-class mercedes arrived to collect us from the disappointing Sarojin for the 25mins drive here.. Thank goodness my wife chose this as our last stop. If we had finished with the Sarojin then we would have been very sad...
Instead we were treated to the wonderful Wanakarn. It is in another league to most of the other luxury resorts. (Note this place is part of Relais & Chateaux so does have various quality processes/inspections...and it shows)
Only opened for a few years... This explains the smaller number of reviews on TripAdvisor. It's also smaller than most resorts and I suspect most of the high-end guests coming here are not the type to contribute to TripAdvisor!
Only 15 villas... so it's very quiet. We had the soft white sand beach to ourselves for 3 days. Not a single guest joined us... It was amazing to have 20kms of beach all to yourself.
Food was outstanding. The chef (young Thai lady, trained in London five-staf hotels) is a real asset. Tell her what you like/don't like and she will design a special menu just for you.
Wine/drinks were good value. Many resorts are completely overpriced but here good drinkable everyday wines start at £20 a bottle..
Rooms were very well-equipped. Good layout. Private plunge pools. Smart bathroom, dressing area meant you could hide all your luggage from view.
Management: Fröde, the Norwegian manager was very friendly and chatty. Extremely helpful. He even fixed our missing passport papers so we had no hassles at airport. That really was beyond the call of duty.
Staff: Mainly locals who are really proud/enthusiastic to work here. Lots of genuine smiles and helpfulness.
NEGATIVES (very minor): - Korean honeymooners... This place has a lot of Korean honeymoon guests... good business for the resort. These young couples are no trouble, keep themselves to themselves but sometimes the restaurant can resemble a college canteen with lots of Facebook photos being taken.... Eat later and you will have the restaurant to yourself. - Loved the live music. The jazz saxophonist was amazing but the band (on other nights) can become repetitive. Need to vary the playlist or have a few nights off... - Riptides... Can be strong tides in the sea but hotel has a large pontoon area for safe swimming... - Decking... the poolside decking was terrible with varnish peeling everywhere. Needs a good rub down and teak oil! - Spa... We didn't use it. Had heard it was a little too small and it's not run by the hotel staff. Needs to be better integrated into the visitor experience.
WHO'S IT FOR? This is an upmarket (but informal) luxury retreat destination. Don't come here if you want to party, explore, shop or dress up... but do come here if you want to relax, unwind, and be absolutely pampered! Lots of return customers, royalty, Hollywood etc...
It was the perfect destination to finish our honeymoon in Thailand.
Recommend: Yes... to everyone Return visit: Already in the pipeline!
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Date of stay: December 2012
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:There isn't a dud villa. All fifteen are private, secluded and well-appointed.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Warakarn is a hidden gem with 15 bungalow villas. The hotel is set on a gorgeous river front opening onto a beautiful isolated stretch of beach.
Rooms: Each bungalow has it's own private lap pool, spa bath indoor and outdoor shower and a huge hanging space in the wardrobe. Plenty of space to hide your luggage. Each night there is a turn down service with hand made chocolates. Each day you are given Norwegian Voss glass bottled water and a fresh fruit basket Free wifi throughout the property and your own personal bikes to use at your disposal.
Breakfast: During our stay in the low season you can choose from a plethora of a le carte menu options from your standard western breakfast to Thai or many other options. The bread basket is fantastic with delicious chocolate croissants.
Restaurant: You can choose to either sit outside in the many areas available. From the sun deck looking over the river (A must to watch the sunset), to the glass restaurant or outside on the bar deck overlooking the pool. The food perfectly addresses all tastes. From beautifully crafted thai dishes to french fusion from the head chef. A must for foodies. (A must is the Thai Beef Salad with grapes) Also they serve Australia Wagyu which is a nice little touch. Service was always impeccable quick and warm. The staff all have great English and are very attentive.
Bar: The bar sits outside overlooking the pool however the deck extends around the restaurant to a beautiful sun deck with rocking chairs. A must to watch the sun fall into the ocean. Great selection of international wines and creative cocktails.
Facilities: They have a wonderful spa that has traditional Thai massage and other exotic therapies to cater to all guests. Also a full serviced gym and tennis court but I'm afraid we were busy using the pool and beach. They also have kayaks for you to the explore the surrounding river and area. There is a beautiful buddhist temple only a short paddle away.
They also offer a free shuttle bus to Phuket. It will drop you at Central Festival shopping mall. Central festival is only 10minutes from Old Phuket town and 15 minutes from the beaches at Patong. After the shuttle bus drops you at Central Festival you can catch a taxi to the above. Central Festival has all the shops you need and a big department store.
Overall: A little gem in a hidden paradise so close to the airport but completely feels private and luxurious. A wonderful retreat!!
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Date of stay: July 2014
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just returned from our 4th stay at this resort. I have not posted reviews based on our previous stays, largely for selfish reasons, as, until this visit, our experiences at Wanakarn have been nothing short of exceptional, and I really wanted this place to remain as undiscovered as possible.
Our enjoyment of our three previous visits had been largely due to the resorts' three key assets, location, staff and the GM. Upon arrival on we were notified that that the previous GM had left the resort and we were introduced to the temporary GM. The resort appeared very empty as we went to our room, and we discovered that this was due to the fact that the new management team have slashed the staff numbers leaving what appears to be a skeleton staff to run the place. During our stay we noted a number changes had been made to the level of service offered: Breakfast - previous extensive menu including top end products has been dramatically reduced - now there is a limited choice of fruit ( which was the same every day for 8 days ) plus, Asian / continental / healthy or eggs breakfast. I was shocked on the first day to be told that I would have to pay if I wanted a smoothie for my breakfast - not acceptable from a resort charging 1,000 euros per night. Beach service - previously fresh water / fruit / cold towels were delivered to the beach every two hours - this time I was told that we were allowed a maximum of two bottles of local water per day and that this would be left in a cool box on the side of the beach. This seems a petty and meaningless change as the cost of water is about 5 baht per bottle ( so little cost saving for Wanakarn ) but it does leave the impression that whereas previously the resort made every effort to add that extra level of service to our stay, they were now more interested in squeezing every last cent out of us for a vastly inferior service. GM - previous GM was always on hand to offer assistance / have a chat / recommend local activities etc. The new GM studiously ignored us for our stay. We saw him wandering around with a clipboard but he scuttled off every time he saw us. If the changes made to date are ideas coming from the new GM and team than I fear for Wanakarn's future.
Overall this visit was a great disappointment. The resort is in an amazing location, with superb beach and lovely villas. The resort is still a good resort, and I am sure others will still rate it as 5 star, but the service is nowhere near what it was before, there is a constant feeling that the resort is trying to get money out of you ( over and above the already high room rates ) and that the primary concern is revenue maximization at the expense of customer service.
The rates that Wanakarn are charging are similar to those being charged in top end resorts in other locations ( for example Maldives etc. ) and by removing the nice touches it makes it difficult to justify choosing this resort over others in the same price range.
What a shame.
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Date of stay: December 2016
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Wanakarn, The Management at Wanakarn Beach Resort & Spa
Responded 18 Jan 2017
Dear geordie1Luxembourg, Thank you for your feedback from your recent stay at the Wanakarn. We really appreciate you taking the time and trouble to provide us with your thoughts. We are listening to everyone who stays with us and we are learning a lot about what our guests are happy with and what changes they will tolerate and indeed welcome. A number of guests have commented on their desire to see the return of the breakfast buffet and so we are bringing this back with some minor changes. We are also introducing some new services for our guests to enjoy so that they can make the most of their stay with us. As part of Relais & Chateaux, our brand values are strong and we wish to make them stronger and more transparent. We are confident that we will be able to consistently offer value for money for all our guests in the future, a result of fine tuning our offering and services. Whilst earlier changes met with disapproval, I am delighted to say that more recent guests are finding the changes agreeable. We are working hard to develop the hotel and look forward to welcoming you back to a newly invigorated Wanakarn. Warm regards, The Management at Wanakarn.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
If you are traveling to a beach resort in Thailand, I can't imagine a better experience than the Wanakarn.
We stayed 3 nights, and could have done more.
Our visit began with a pickup from the airport in the Wanakarn's Mercedes, with a refreshing juice drink and cool towels to make the drive to Wanakarn as stress free as possible. It's approximately 40 min north of the Phuket Airport, which may seem off the beaten path, it is, but it is worth it. I'm not sure some of the resorts on the southern end of Phuket wouldn't be the same travel time with all the traffic. The benefit to Wanakarn, is it is the resort and not much else from a touristy standpoint.
Upon arrival, we checked in and were taken to our room. As you will see on the website and in person the rooms are remarkable, with a large living area, open to the bedroom area, and then connecting in an L shape to the bathroom/closet are. In the middle of the L is the private plunge pool and a pair of reclining chairs with a canopy that can be opened or retracted, depending on the amount of sun you want. There is an outdoor shower, as well as an indoor one.. Although the outdoor one is good for rinsing off, I think you'll use the indoor one primarily.
The room is stocked with an espresso machine, which in many ways works like a nespresso machine, but is double the size and is slightly different to use. We had fresh fruit, as well as wine and prosecco delivered at check-in, due to our Relais & Chateaux 5C membership (note-they ask for the card if you are going). The fruit was refreshed daily and as we happened to be their for Chinese New Year, was augmented by a delivery of 5 oranges.
The food program at the resort was very good, and I found that exploring the Thai menu was the most exciting for me, as it was the most well prepared Thai food we had on our trip. There were a couple of pages devoted to a more "western" menu, but we tried to keep it local.
Prior to dinner, many guests relax with a drink and a view of the sunset before sitting down to dinner. I would encourage an exploration of their specialty cocktails as we found a number of good choices.
During our time at the resort, we had the occasion to talk to Frode, the general manager who makes sure everything is running exemplary for his guests. Truly a really good GM working to make his resort one of the best in the region. With a small amount of guest villas (14?), they almost have an uncanny way of knowing what you did, etc. And check in to make sure everything was ok.
Another great resource during our time, was Ken, the sports/activity trainer. As we like to stay active, he was more than willing to go out on the bikes (2 mountain bikes are provided with each villa) and see the surrounding area. On one day, we biked over to a nearby temple that was going through some sort of consecration ceremony and drawing Buddhist pilgrims from all over Thailand, and on another day, we biked to the turtle sanctuary with Ken and stopped for lunch at George's, a local beach bar, specializing in pizzas. Ken offered to kayak with us as well, and I think he was a bit disappointed that we got out on them one morning before he had a chance to join us.
As mentioned there are a lot of places to relax, the main pool, the beachfront to the inlet, and then a short boat ride to the main beach on the ocean. One of the nice things about this resort is that the main beach is protected seashore and is water locked, so unless someone had a boat, and a reason to go over there, you will never see anyone else on the beach except guests of the Wanakarn. It's a nice beach with crystal waters although not much at the beach for a snorkeler.
The resorts beach crew ferries you over to the beach at the drop of a hat, and it's hardly a bother. They also provide service to the beach side and bring over a complementary cooler of water and fresh fruit periodically during the day.
The kayaking down the waterway was interesting - we kayaked over to the temple and then followed the waterway for a bit as it headed inland. There were also some canals that you could take to see some other rural parts of the property.
There is security at the resort, and I never tired of having the security guards click their heels together and salute as we biked past them. However having ventured into the village of Thai Muang, I cannot see the necessity as it seemed a very peaceful village.
As mentioned we would have gladly stayed an extra day or two. It was really, really nice staying there, and having taken a day trip to Phuket, I was glad we were staying where we were. (And wished we hadn't wasted a day off property).
All in all, I can strongly recommend this resort as a really good option for a beach holiday for a couple, honeymoon, etc. Very quiet, very peaceful.
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Date of stay: February 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My family and & I spent Christmas at the Wanakarn after a long and exhausting year. If you want peace & quiet and complete relaxation - look no further. The property is literally in the middle of nowhere and the nearest 'shanty town' is around 8km's away. Upon arrival you are given your own bicycle to use within the grounds of the hotel or outside - and if you are fair weather cyclists like us, it will take you around 20 minutes to get into town. Just remember you have to cycle back!!! Alternatively, use the hotel car!! Upon reaching the town there is a Tesco!!! Any odds or ends you have forgotten, here is the place to shop. The hotel is set in lush grounds and there are 15 one bed villas & one two bedroom villa. The villas have been built in twos' with an adjoining gate. This was perfect for us as we needed two rooms. All rooms are all identical - and are very nicely furnished with a day bed (3rd bed if you have a child) seating area, desk, TV and everything else that you would expect. The bathroom is spacious with plenty of cupboards and hanging space although its pretty casual here so its not necessary to dress up. Each room has a small private pool with sun loungers so if you want complete privacy, you won't need to leave your villa. The staff are incredibly helpful and want to please. English is a bit of a problem and quite a lot gets lost in the translation - however if you have any special dietary requirements, ask to speak directly with the head chef - she worked in the Mandarin Oriental in London before going to the Wanakarn so her English is perfect and you will get exactly what you ordered. Nothing is too much trouble for her and I think she likes to get the opportunity to speak with the guests. The beach is beautiful and accessed by a one minute boat ride across the river - available all day, at any time. Fresh cold bottled water and a plates of fruit are provided throughout the day in ice boxes which is a nice little touch. The only drawback is there is no toilet on the beach. The beach is unspoilt and more of less empty other than a handful of other guests and staff. The sun loungers are solid and comfortable with nice big soft towels, and sun umbrellas are available. Service is a little slow on the beach but the way to beat the system is order well in advance and you won't be waiting. Alternatively, if you know what you want and when you want it - pre order it and it will come on time. The Club Sandwich really is worth the wait!! The General Manager, Frode, is very much hands on and genuinley wants you to have a remarkable stay - nothing is too much trouble for him and he will facilitate anything you want/need. He definitely has his ear to the ground and knows the minute anything goes slightly wrong - and can be seen doing everything he can to rectify the situation - a small problem is just as important as a big problem to him - and nothing is unsolvable. The Wanakarn lives up to its reputation of being a hideaway resort. If you are looking to unwind and relax in a paradise setting with excellent food and wines, then this is the place for you.
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Date of stay: December 2014
Value
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Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:With only 15 rooms and they are all pretty close to each other, every room is a good one
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Don't go, if you do not cherish isolation. Go, if you really want to get away from it all, but be pampered all the same.
On first visual impressions, this place may not necessarily win over the discerning traveler. It is not styled to the extreme. In fact, upon arrival and before getting a chance to speak with the very approachable and friendly general manager, I was convinced that the buildings had been erected about 20 years ago and had been well taken care of and updated over time. This is due both to the fact that the villas (it is an all villa hotel) could easily be just a tad bit larger and boast a separate living room and bedroom, which they don't, and the choice of materials and execution of workmanship. The grouting of the slate tiles on the terrace and around the pool could be more professional (it is crumbling, the plunge pool leaks a bit), the choice of wallpaper in parts of the living quarters and the bathroom could be less old-fashioned. The place to me seemed too late nineties (think Royal Palm Mauritius before the renovation), the drawers of the too tight and small walk-in closet space (in the bathroom) are poorly executed, much better and sturdier mechanisms are around now. Apparently, the Thai architect building all this in 2010 wanted it this way; I would have preferred a bit more attention to longevity of materials, truly functional and practical room design and up-to-date design touches, but hey...
All these "points" became minor or even negligible within a very short time after arrival. The location is fantastic, since you are (if you want to be, I was surprised how many guests spent whole days within the confines of their villas) on a completely private beach. There is no music, there is just the sound of waves, wind, birds etc. You can watch the hermit crabs walk about. To get there, you take the hotel shuttle boat across the river which separates the hotel from the beach. This is quite unique in that the hotel has a beach on the river, and across the river the actual beach. River and beach front run parallel, quite charming. This fact increases the feeling of seclusion on the beach. That said, you still have loungers, umbrellas, towels and great service.
Service is one of the key elements of what made our stay so fantastic. Whilst you are on the beach, cold water, cold towels and a bit of fresh fruit is delivered to you at noon, 2pm and 4pm. You don't ask for it, it just arrives. If you wish to order food or drink from the restaurant, someone will bring you a menu and deliver the ordered goods to you within about 45 minutes. Allow a bit of time here and there, all food and drink is made fresh just for you. I will comment further on service a (long) bit further down.
When you are on the beach, you do not encounter anyone other than other hotel guests, which can't be many as the hotel is small, maximum about 36 guests, if all villas (of which 15 are identical) plus the one grand two bedroom villa are booked and two couples bring a kid each. As far as your eyes will let you see, you see just sand, trees and ocean (in either direction). Occasionally, a fisherman or fisherwoman can be found fishing by the river or where the river joins the sea (about 10 min. stroll on the beach to the right of the resort). If you stroll along the beach to the left for about 30 minutes, you will find a temple hidden in the woods behind the beach; occasionally, local families play on the beach there. This is about all that happens on the beach. We loved it, true paradise (service included).
The landscaping of the grounds is great in that a lot of mature and beautiful vegetation can be found on the premises. The concrete walkways (also used by housekeeping buggies etc.) bothered me a bit, as they also reminded me of eighties in the tropics. Some natural stone and cleverer, more up to date design (see Twin Palms Hotel or typical Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons walkways in the tropics, for example) would do the grounds some good. Give it a few years, the newly planted shrubs, bushes etc. will blend in even more nicely with the existing mature trees. Overall, the landscaping appears as relaxed as the rest of the resort makes you feel. To be sure, my slight criticism is perhaps a bit indulgent and focused on the direct visual impact. It all "feels" calming and relaxing because it is relaxed.
Except for a view villas, you do not see the river or the beach from your living room. Those facing the beach are also closer to the communal areas. You might enjoy the view but hear more from the restaurant and pool area. 1202 has the best view (of the standard villas) but is also closest to the pool and the river beach, so your pick on preferences! Air con in the rooms is great, since indirect, so it never blows right onto you.
Bed linens, mattress, overall cleanliness, amenities, fruit basket etc. were fantastic. I do have a pet point: I would love a kitchen and bar corner which is not placed right opposite the bed. In fact, the reason I would much prefer a separate living and bedroom area is all about this. I stay up later and get up later than the better half. So the morning coffee, if enjoyed at the significant other's convenience, will wake me up. We love espresso machines in the room (we even book rooms for that alone occasionally), because we don't have to call room service, wait for it and then have their bell wake me up anyway. But for that the coffee maker (which incidentally makes a huge ruckus) needs to be out of my sleeping ear's earshot. And the bar could be better stocked; some milk for my coffee when I get up, some decent wine. I did get over it, no worries.
Food is great, fresh and surprisingly varied for a small resort. Beef is only Wagyu, fantastic. The Thai executive chef did a great job both on Thai and non-Thai fare. The a-la-carte breakfast choices are huge. And if what you want is not there, it will be made for you. Allow time for breakfast (and all other eating occasions), since even breakfast is a-la-carte and freshly prepared for you. If you cannot find exactly what you want on the menu, there is great flexibility. Chat to the executive chef, she will go out of her way to make you just what the doctor ordered. I only missed real porridge (the one on the menu is a concoction of musli and flakes).
After at the latest two days, the staff (of which there is plenty, about 110, I am told) will anticipate your needs (unless of course, these are totally different every day). Would you like us to move a table for you into your preferred corner? No problem. Would you like your freshly squeezed green apple and carrot juice (with just a bit of ginger), just like yesterday? Poached egg on brown toast, same as always? Service was very personal, extremely attentive and quite obviously always designed to make you feel as well as any service could make you feel. Sure, English was a bit of a hurdle here or there, but there was no lack of trying. It was always obvious that everyone had the best possible intentions, tiny glitches in performance were more easily forgiven than almost anywhere else I have ever been, because of the obviously good intentions. As an example: one day, I ordered food on the beach at about 1pm, and it took just about 2hrs for it to get to me. This, at the time, was actually a bit annoying. The reasons were: kitchen got the order of the orders mixed up and on top of that the person who took my order ordered the wrong dish for me. He was so obviously embarrassed by this and obviously felt seriously bad, that I forgot about it very quickly. My only wish would have been that between 1pm and 2:30pm (when the wrong dish arrived) I had been given an update as to why things took so very long. This is exactly what the GM told the poor chap who took my order. More amazing, however, the GM knew about the incident (and clearly understood what would have helped in the circumstances), because the poor chap himself had brought his mishap to the attention of the GM without me even saying a word about it to anyone but the person who took my order. I know I am verbose, you get my drift. Service is a huge plus of this resort.
Some minor points: we seemed to order a lot of "last of the lot" bottles of wine. The white wines were always way too warm to be consumed straight away. Even the reds, for our taste. They are both kept at 24 degrees celsius. For whites, it takes a bit of time in an ice bucket to get them down to drinking temperature (perhaps we were a bit impatient). We like our reds at a maximum of 15 to 20 degrees celsius, so even these needed cooling (to the horror of some of our French co-guests, who seemed to believe that reds are never chilled, never mind you are by the equator and temperatures at night are around 30 degrees celsius). Anyway, like always, the staff did the utmost to chill the wines to our preferred temperature, which could involve a waiter standing by our ice bucket turning the bottle in the ice for 10 minutes. They really mean it on the service! One can (and we did) get a bit embarrassed by all the effort, but it comes from the heart it seems, so enjoy it rather then offending the service provider by declining the service.
And no, no one is paying me to write this. I don't think I have ever been able to relax at a hotel as well as at the Wanakarn. Perhaps I have made bad choices in the past, but we will return to this one!
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Date of stay: December 2014
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is not often that reality exceeds what you are shown on colour pictures - but in Wanakarn this is the case! From the moment we were picked up in the latest airconditioned Mercedes limousine at the airport in late December up to our departure in January, my wife and me felt in a truly different world and the resorts slogan "the search is over - paradise found..." is not far fetched. Embedded in stunning nature, this place offers all the beauty and relaxing peace that our body and soul needed to relax from a usually hectic and stressy everydays life! The villa is of generous size with a clean pool, comfortable couches and private atmosphere. The sandy beach simply a dream - not one pebble stone between our toes, even in the warm and very clear sea - and most of the time we had it all alone for ourselves. Little extras like ice-cooled baskets with fruits and drinks or ordered meals rounded up some perfect days... The food is excellent and the chef de cuisine, a lively and smart young lady with a solid international background, offers an amazing variety of dishes in great quality. And even though it was high season (fully booked with 30 guests!) she found time to listen to our "wish-list" and always performed. Back at home now, I am not sure what I miss more - a bite from the extraordinary and richly decorated New Years eve buffet or my tender Wagyu-steak for breakfast..... But what is a place without its staff? The locally hired people are of a natural kindnes and friendlines which we often missed in other places in this category. Always observant and considerate, each one of them really tried to pamper us in every possible way during our stay and the rare occasions of a negligeable shortfall were waived with a smile from our side - because they give their heart to the guests and every day was started with a warm welcome at the breakfast table! Last, but not least - the GM of Wanakarn, Mr. Frude Sund. The charismatic Norvegian is a very experienced and knowledgeable man of old school who takes the concerns and wishes of his guests serious and reacts immediately. Always present at the right time, our arrival and departure included, we often watched him lending his ear to everybody who crossed his way, not only once or twice, but daily - as part of his dedicated duty. In our opinion, a world class manager! It is thanks to Mr. Sund and his wonderful staff and the exquisite cuisine that makes the difference to other high end resorts in South East Asia and makes us return again and again.
Martin and Silvana Haussener, Switzerland
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Date of stay: January 2015
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
As most travellers do we decided on the destination first and the hotel second. Thailand in January seemed like a good idea. The pros we thought to ourselves inexpensive and good weather. Then after a lot of research on hotels I found on the internet the Wanakarn. It looked so nice but yet for Thailand it is really expensive. So in a moment of what my wife thought was madness I booked 6 nights in a Pool Villa at the Wanakarn.
We were picked up in a Mercedes armed with seat massagers (first signs were good). We were then driven to a remote location (stop reading if you are searching for a clubbers paradise) with a small village/town a couple of miles away. Fast forward to the hotel which straightaway looked amazing, with two exceptions the photos on the website are completely accurate (I will come on to these later) and if anything do not do the hotel justice. This was no concrete jungle but almost like a botanical garden leading to a beach with rooms dotted around. Then we arrived at our room which was simply outstanding and contained a nice large sofa, good size TV armed with 30 or so channels around half in English, a desk equipped with proper stationary (even highlighters), huge bed, big bathroom with large bath tub separate shower and toilet. Outside was a good sized private pool, by good I mean good for a plunge. To keep the plunge pool area private a bamboo fence has been errected and so looks slightly different to the photographs. Oh yes and we were even given our own good quality bicycles! By this time even my wife was thinking maybe this wasn't such bad value.
We stayed in room 1106 which is perhaps a minutes walk from the main pool, river beach and restaurant area (any room you choose will be very close to the lounger). The pool was a very good size (not deep though) and in the whole 6 days we didn't see one person use it (so no man on the pool bar as photos imply). There was a multitude of lounger options (namely by the pool,river beach and beach), so many that there were no people scrambling for their favourite loungers by laying that customary 5.00 am towel and book down on top of the lounger. The pool is right next to the river beach which in truth was used as a sunbathing area and in six days we were the only persons who swam in it. The river was clean but had a muddy shallow bottom and after swimming in it once we didn't feel the need to repeat the exercise again.
Next was the ocean beach which you get from by a minute boat ride from the river beach or for the more adventurous a three minute swim in the river. Ok I thought to myself this is where the experience is going to go south when I look around there is either (a) going to be a very small beach or (b) there will be a mass of other structures equipped with a multitude of tourist. Well, I was wrong beach was massive and the waves were clear and calm. The only people I could see was some fishermen in the far distance like little specks.
The day could not have gone any better and the hotel could not have been better.
So next on to the restaurant. This was my only disappointment, for Thailand the prices were high and I expected absolute excellence. The food was on the average to good side. However, we soon overcame this disappointment by a daily bicycle ride into town which took around 15 minutes and was able to feast at a really good local restuarant (who spoke very little English) for the princely sum of 300 Baht (consisting of four plates of food and a large beer). Guest will find this restaurant full of locals and on the corner of the 4 way junction just after the temple.
The gourmet breakfast on the other hand was excellent and extremely good value. This breakfast was no buffet but an all you can eat a La carte feast (no need for lunch).
The hotel also offered a few good activities consisting of a very nice river canoe and a floodlit tennis court in excellent condition equipped with good quality rackets and balls (slight criticism that tennis is court was only open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm this wasn't mentioned in the hotel literature and meant only really three useable hours considering the heat). The gym was good but not amazing but what would be expected of a hotel this size. Spa was in reality a treatment area and nothing more.
The service was very good, the general manager Frode is extremely pleasant and eager to please and the staff were very helpful (though the majority had limited English). The amount of staff to guest ratio can at times seem a little too much but the staff are never in your face or intrusive and I would rather there be too many staff than too few. With all the staff you can feel a little embarrassed but the best way is just to go with it and the saluting guards (you will know what I mean if you stay).
The general manager has told me the hotel will be expanding shortly and will more rooms opening in 2016/7 it will be interesting whether work on this will be a disruption but the manager said (and I believed him) that it was an absolute priority that the guest aren't being disrupted and to that end they will be forgoing machinery. It will be interesting to see if the above changes if the guest count doubles.
Eco warriors might be slightly disturbed by the importation of Norwegian Voss water and Italian bath products along with the constant supply of replenished towels wherever you may move on the outside. In truth we found this unnecessary and would have preferred a supply of local drinkable water.
I could go on but you have probably read enough at this point. Simply I found this to be the best hotel I have ever stayed at and whilst no hotel is faultless this was as close as it got.
Yes the search was definitely over.
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Date of stay: January 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Rooms nearest the pool and the beach are likely to have less privacy. Ask for the rooms one back...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I brought our 3 boys to Thailand for 12 days and wanted to hit the beach for a few days at the end. The hotel and rooms were very nice. We stayed in Villa 1001 and it was perfect. It would have been better if all of the rooms were attached - instead, you had separate entrances to each bedroom and the living space from the pool area, so they all had to be locked separately at night.
The pick up at the airport was nice. Arrival was ok as we were brought to the room and given only a brief introduction to the space. It would have helped to have someone explain the lights, TV, etc as we fumbled to learn how to use their unique lightning system throughout the stay.
The pool was warm and inviting. There is a beach across a muddy river which is a bit of a disconnect. It would be nice if there was a bridge to get back and forth. There is a ferry boat that you can use and it is only a small inconvenience. However, if you want to run back to the room for something, it will take a while. Same if you want to order any food or drink.
We stayed here during the rainy season (which we knew would be iffy) and had mixed weather. We were looking for some alternative activities for the boys but there was not much help on site. We found a few board games and swam - mostly. We did have complimentary bikes which we could ride to a nearby town - not much to see there. We asked about restaurants in town and were given the name of a run down pizza parlor. Not worth stopping.
The restaurant on site was mixed. The food was good but the service was inconsistent. You did not know who or what would be served first. There was no sense of how they brought out the food. Everyone's food seemed to come out at different times, regardless of if it was hot or cold. The staff was friendly though and did there best to take care of us.
It was also very quiet while we were there. Not sure if there was anyone there our first night. We saw maybe two other couples during our 3 night stay.
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Date of stay: August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Wanakarn, The Management at Wanakarn Beach Resort & Spa
Responded 6 Sept 2017
Dear Joe C, Thank you for taking the time and effort to write such a detailed review of your stay here at the Wanakarn Beach Resort & Spa. We greatly value feedback from our guests as this helps us to highlight areas of improvement as well as opportunities to compliment our staff. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay at the Grand Ocean Villa, despite the slight inconvenience to ensure your security at night. We are also glad that it was not too much trouble to navigate your way around the Grand Ocean villa, but we have definitely made a note on how to improve our welcome presentation to be more detailed next time. As for the river-crossing to the beach, we have received mixed comments from our guests about the short boat ride; some enjoy the crossing and feel that it adds to the experience of the beach being untouched and in its natural state, whereas otherwise would prefer a bridge. Unfortunately, the latter has not been possible as we have not been granted a permit to build one on the land. We hope that the beach service met your needs for food and drink whilst you were enjoying the sea. As for activities, we do inform our guests and agents beforehand that the Wanakarn is not suitable for children under the age of 12 years old, and that it is not a resort orientated towards children. On site we have some sports activities, such as, kayaking, accompanied cycling tours, tennis as well as daily excursions available, but we do not have a dedicated kids' club appropriate for family needs. We regret that the pizza parlor was not to your liking as it has been by many of our other guests, but given our remote location there is not an abundance of choice in the local area. We appreciate your comment and will be more mindful when making recommendations in the future. Your feedback in regards to the restaurant will be passed onto our Food & Beverage department with a view to improving the standards of service, and we will work hard to ensure that the quality of training improves by your next visit. Thank you once again for your review and we hope to welcome you back to the Wanakarn in the near future. Warm regards, The Management at Wanakarn
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Surprise surprise, Australia is a very developed country & Australians are some of the most travelled people in the world ... based on this, I believe our opinions are very relevant.
Perhaps you could visit Australia one day to experience first hand how diverse our country is ... from the cosmopolitan cities to our outback treasures.
There are more places to choose from in the Thai Mueang area.
LOCATION
ThailandPhang Nga ProvinceThai Mueang
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
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